Echoes of the Past

A little girl from a coal mining town in Ohio, May Arkwright, made the decision to migrate west to the gold rich in northern Idahos mining country. Her life changed when she met train engineer Levi (Al) Hutton and found they had common childhood goals and dreams. They married on January 17, 1887.

The Huttons became involved in the mining wars and Idaho Labor Strike in 1892. May became interested in womens suffrage movement, fighting for equal rights for women. From a small investment, they became millionaires twice over. The Huttons moved to Spokane, Washington, in 1907, where Al built May a mansion. During this time, she became ill and died shortly after.

For the first time in many years, Al was alone. His dream became true as the formation of the Hutton Settlement started taking shape for many orphans.

Levi (Al) Hutton died on November 3, 1928.

May and Al played prominent roles in the Coeur dAlene mining wars. They realized that the great joy in life was giving. Exploring the Huttons as partners makes their story significant to Western history as well as womens history. Their legacy should live on forever.