Florence Hutchings

Florence Hutchings (also Floy or Flora, August 23, 1864&mdash;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.

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.

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."

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. 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."



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..."

Legacy
Yosemite's Mount Florence 12567 ft 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'."

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

External links and references

 * Cowgirl Magazine of Florence Hutchings
 * Yosemite Pioneer Cemetery on Florence Hutchings
 * Growing up in Yosemite on Florence Hutchings
 * FindaGrave on Florence Hutchings