Performer Audrey Davis brings Florence Hutchings’ story to life on stage at the Yosemite Theater.
Born on August 23, 1864, Florence Hutchings grew up surrounded by the natural wonders that made Yosemite famous — and witnessed early commercialization, as people like her father, James Mason Hutchings, worked to draw tourists to the newly publicized area.
Florence, known as “Flo” or “Floy” lived a brief but boisterous life…
• An adventurous tomboy, she defied conventions of her time. Florence rode bareback, camped and hiked alone, and greeted Yosemite visitors in “knee-high boots, trousers, a flowing cape, and a wide-brimmed hat” with an exuberant “Welcome, welcome!”
• Florence was born at the start of a tumultuous time for her family. Her father, a publisher, had used his Hutchings’ California Magazine to hype tourism in the Yosemite area. He purchased a hotel in the Valley, dubbed Hutchings House, shortly before the 1864 Yosemite Grant Act granted the land to the State of California.
Florence Hutchings’ cherished Yosemite Valley Chapel was originally built near the start of the Four Mile Trail, but was relocated about a mile east in 1901. Photo: Yosemite Conservancy/Keith Walklet
Over the next decade, the family fought for their claim to the hotel property. They eventually got a settlement from the state and a lease offer, but opted to move to San Francisco instead. (Mr. Hutchings later served as guardian of the Yosemite Grant, but was discharged after four years.)
• As a teenager, Florence was deeply interested in religion, and eagerly helped 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.”
Her contributions were later celebrated by a generous donor, who gave an organ to the chapel in Florence’s memory. The nondenominational chapel, which was built in 1879, still offers weekly services, hosts weddings, and welcomes visitors from around the world.
• Elvira Hutchings had a phobia of food with fat, so Florence and her sister, Gertrude (known as “Cosie”), would often coax their grandmother to make them cornbread. Cosie later recalled trading the cornbread with American Indian children for one of the girls’ favorite treats: nutpatty, a cake made from ground acorns.
The gravestones of Florence Hutchings and her father, James Mason Hutchings, are in the cemetery in Yosemite Village. Photo: Megan Rosenbloom
• Florence died tragically and mysteriously in a rockfall in 1881, at age 17. She is buried beside her father in the Yosemite Cemetery.
Her name lives on in Mount Florence (12,561′), in Yosemite’s Cathedral Range, one of the park’s few peaks named for a woman.
Never been to Mount Florence? You’re not alone — it’s not that easy to get to! Here’s a quick recap of the journey our outdoor programs manager, Kylie, took during her “Mount Flo” summit in July 2016…
Photo: Kylie Chappell
The next morning, they spent several hours walking up talus fields, picking their way through piles of rocks (and finding lots of bighorn scat on the slopes — they never saw the sheep, but were excited to know she was in the area).
You don’t have to trek into the remote backcountry to experience Florence’s legacy (though if you do, we hope you’ll share your photos and stories with us on Flickr, or on Facebook and Instagram — we’re @YosemiteConservancy). If you’re in Yosemite Valley, you can see her stories come to life on stage at the Yosemite Theater in a new show starring Audrey Davis. Catch the live performance, which features a special photo-based presentation and Q-and-A session with Audrey, every Friday at 7 p.m., through the end of October.
*Quoted material is from Pioneers in Petticoats by Shirley Sargent (pp. 33-40)
Above: A view of snow-capped Mount Florence (the prominent peak in the center) and surrounding peaks from the Four Mile Trail, captured by John Little in June 2017.
