After whom is the city of Hollister, California, named?

The city of Hollister, California, is named after William Welles Hollister.

Hollister was a California rancher, entrepreneur, and landowner who came west from Ohio in the 1850s. In 1854, he helped lead a large sheep drive from Ohio to California, an undertaking that helped establish his wealth and reputation in the state.

He acquired Rancho San Justo, a former Mexican land grant in the area now occupied by the city. The town was founded there in 1868 and took Hollister’s surname. He later moved to the Santa Barbara region, where he developed Glen Annie Ranch and supported local projects, including Stearns Wharf and the Lobero Theatre.

The name can be confused with other people named Hollister, including William’s father, John Hollister, and various fictional characters associated with Hollister Co. The California city’s namesake is specifically William Welles Hollister, who lived from 1818 to 1886.