Florence Hutchings
Florence Hutchings
Born(1864-08-23)August 23, 1864
Yosemite Valley
Died(1881-09-23)September 23, 1881
Yosemite Valley
Burial placeYosemite Cemetery
37°44′56″N 119°35′20″W / 37.74877°N 119.58892°W / 37.74877; -119.58892
Parents

Florence Hutchings (also Floy or Flora, August 23, 1864—September 26, 1881) was the daughter of James Mason Hutchings and his wife Elvira. She lived a short but colorful life.

Her life

She was born on August 23, 1864, and was the first non-Ahwahnechee born in Yosemite Valley.[1]

Her birth was in the Hutchings' Upper Hotel, but she grew up in a log cabin built in 1865, on the north side of the Valley. She grew up within the sight and sound of Yosemite Falls.[2]

She grew to fame due to her tomboy ways, and throughout her short life complained that she had not been born a boy. She played with lizards instead of dolls and, when older, rolled her own cigarettes.

She was adventurous, defying the conventions of her time: she rode bareback, alone she camped and hiked, greeting Yosemite visitors in "knee-high boots, trousers, a flowing cape, and a wide-brimmed hat" in an exuberant "Welcome, welcome!"

She was quite interested in religion, gladly helping out as a caretaker of the then-new Yosemite Valley Chapel. She "swept, dusted, decorated the church with wildflowers, laid out hymn books, and rang the bell to announce services when a minister visited."[3]

Florence died tragically when guiding a party to Glacier Point, on the Ledge Trail. According to one account a large boulder loosed and hit her. Her grave is in the Yosemite Cemetery, just east of Yosemite Falls.[1] Her grave is "in the grove of noble oaks where Tissiac, Goddess of the Valley, keeps constant watch." It is marked "Aug. 23, 1864. Sept. 26, 1881. F. H."[4]

A map of Yosemite Valley, 1879
In front of Yosemite Falls, both Hutching's Cabin and Hutchings Hotel are visible. An 1879 map.

John Muir's observations on her

Of her, John Muir observed "Your Squirrel [Florence Hutchings] is very happy. She is a rare creature."

He also noted

To David Gilrye Muir

Balmy Sabbath Morning in Yosemite
April 10th, [1870]

Dear Brother:
Your geographical, religious and commercial letter was handed me this morning by a little black-eyed witch of a girl [Florence Hutchings], the only one the Valley...[5]

Legacy

Yosemite's Mount Florence 12,567 feet (3,830 m) was named for her. John Muir was credited with saying of her, "Let us give the girl, for her own and her father's sake, some graceful mountain height, and let it be called 'Mount Florence'."[5]

A fictional account of her life is in the coming-of-age novel Call Me Floy.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Hutchings Women".
  2. ↑ "Legendary". NPS.
  3. ↑ "Florence".
  4. ↑ Taylor, H. J. "Yosemite Indians" (PDF). Indians.
  5. 1 2 Muir, John. "Muir".
  6. ↑ "Kirkus".


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