Spokane Historical Stops: Hutton Settlement (revised)

The Hutton Settlement

Location: 9907 E Wellesley
Date Built: 1917-1918


Life as an orphan out on the western frontier was full of hardships. Without parents, siblings were separated and bounced around from distant relative to distant relative. It was a lonely life for most orphans, who were often treated like servants in the homes they occupied. According to Levi Hutton, life with his uncle was so unbearable he ran away to fight Indians at age 15, only to return on account of his empty stomach. But by 18, he had headed out west to make it on his own. In 1887, Levi married fellow orphan May Arkwright, and moved to Wallace, Idaho seeking fortune. After investing all they owned in Wallace's Hercules mine, the Huttons were made millionaires in 1901.

Though the couple's lives were changed by wealth, they never forgot their orphaned pasts. The two constantly sought to improve the lives of the abandoned and orphaned in Spokane. Having moved to Spokane in 1907, the Huttons were actively involved in charity organizations within the community. The two were very involved at the Florence Crittenton Home which housed unwed mothers and their children, and often took groups of orphans to the circus and other events. Having no children themselves, the Huttons even provided a loving home for several children under their temporary care.

After May Hutton's death in 1915, Levi Hutton, who often recalled the hardships of his childhood, began planning a home for children who have been abandoned, orphaned, or abused. This home, according to Hutton would provide a loving home that fostered self-reliance and confidence in the children it housed. In 1917, Levi Hutton had established the Hutton Settlement on over 300 acres of land. The settlement was designed to provide a “Happy Home” for children while teaching them skills through working on the farms located on the site. The Settlement is privately funded through a carefully organized trust funded by the Hutton fortune, and was intended to be self-sufficient by using the crops grown on the property for food. In addition to the 9 buildings on the site, there is a barn, vegetable garden, and land for farming.

Upon his death, Levi Hutton secured the future of the Hutton Settlement by giving almost all of the Hutton fortune to to the project. While Levi Hutton felt bequeathing his and his wife's fortune to the home was the right thing to do, other family members contested his decision. Allegations of fraud and mismanagement have never seemed to deter the goal of Levi Hutton and his home for children. To this day the Hutton Settlement continues Levi Hutton's vision of providing a home for children. It continues to focus on providing a home and family for those who have none. The Settlement's continued commitment to the well-being of children is a standing testament to the Huttons and will continue to be for years to come.

For more information on the Hutton Settlement please visit their website: http://www.huttonsettlement.org/

Sources:

Arskey, Laura. “In No Uncertain Terms: From the Writings of May Arkwright Hutton.” Pacific Northwesterner , Westerner, Spokane Corral 52, no. 1 (April 2008).

Pratt, Grace Roffey. “The Great-Hearted Huttons of the Coeur d'Alenes.” Montana: a Magazine of Western History 17, no. 2 (April 1967): 20-32.

Ellensburg Daily Record. “Hutton Settlement the Realization of a Resolution Made By an Orphan Boy.” February 23, 1920.

Spokane's First National Bank. Levi Hutton Builder of a Dream. 1974.

Spokesman Review. “Demand Estate of Mrs. Hutton.” January 7, 1919.

Spokesman Review. “L.W.Hutton Dies; Spokane Mourns.” January 4, 1928

Spokesman Review. “Orphanage Deed Filed By Hutton.” February 2, 1920