Albert H. Hutchinson
Stepping outside the house for the first time in December 1897, Albert and his wife could gaze west towards the Santa Rosa Mountains. Their new house was located on a knoll that overlooked a field of grain that was framed by the Murrieta Creek. Here the creek formed an “S’ as it turned east towards the knoll before dipping south again, as it flowed towards Temecula. Train tracks crossed the field of grain and over a wooden trestle across the creek. Each day the Hutchinson family could see the steam locomotive as it traveled to the end of the line in Temecula and then returned to Murrieta before heading to Perris.
Albert H. Hutchinson was born in August 22, 1847 in Vermont. His parents were William A. Hutchinson and Mary M. Hallet. He enlisted in the 124th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment Co. D on January 4, 1864 in Tennessee Township, McDonough County, Illinois. He was immediately transferred to the 33rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment and served until he was mustered out on November 24, 1865. Albert had a brilliant memory and would often share detailed accounts of his war experience to family and friends.
“He was hardly more than a boy when he served as a Union soldier more than two years. He recalled those War days as almost a “lark” even though he had been under fire and was forced to undergo countless hardships.” (May 10, 1934 Elsinore Leader Press)
After the war, Albert met and married Mary Elizabeth Sammons on September 5, 1872 in McDonough County. The couple moved to Murrieta, California in November 1886. Albert formed a partnership with William H. Brown in 1887 and they leased Juan Murrieta’s ranch. Hutchinson & Brown was one of the earliest dairy farms in Murrieta.
“It was started some nine years ago, and is the first and only one in the valley. The concern [dairy] uses the milk of about 100 cows, and uses a centrifugal separator, to separate the cream from the milk, from which they turn out 40 rolls of fine butter per day, which is marketed at Riverside, at 50 cents per roll. This business is managed by Mr. Hutchinson, who hires three men to assist him: one to attend the separator, one as butter maker, and an assistant. The firm farms 340 acres of land and has about 100 acres of alfalfa, and has put up about 300 tons of hay, raised 3000 sacks of grain. The ranch house is supplied with numerous springs of pure cold water, which feed a large reservoir where fine carp abound.” (August 22, 1893, Riverside Independent Enterprise)
Besides milk and butter, Hutchinson & Brown also produced cheese.
Messrs. Huchinson [sic] and Brown began making cheese last week. Mr. George Huntington, of Menifee, an experienced hand at the business, has the work in charge. He turns out seven cheeses each day. (May 13, 1897, Riverside Independent Enterprise)
Albert Hutchinson’s first home was at the southeast corner of Jefferson Avenue and Guava Street. On August 17, 1894, Albert bought 20 acres from Juan Murrieta for $600. The land’s borders were Hawthorne Street in the north, Washington Avenue on the west, Mrs. Orton’s property on the east and Brown Street on the south. In September 1897, Albert began building his new house at 25440 Washington Avenue. Charles Leech of Elsinore was hired as the architect to build a “story and a half cottage”.
“Mr. Hutchinson is having a well bored and will soon build on Washington Avenue east of town.” (September 11, 1897, Press & Horticulturalist)
There was not enough lumber in the valley nor was there a local saw mill. One of the closest mills was thirty miles northeast at San Jacinto. William Brown traveled to San Jacinto to purchase lumber for the Hutchinson home. Then in December 1897, the Hutchinson home was complete and Albert and Mary moved in.
In the same year, Hutchinson & Brown decided to end their dairy operations. “He and Mr. Brown have given up the Murrieta ranch. They have certainly made a success of the dairy business, although they paid between one and two thousand dollars rent annually. They will probably sell the cows.” (September 11, 1897, Press & Horticulturalist)
By the spring of 1898, they prepared to ship out their cattle. “Messrs. Hutchinson and Brown are drying up their dairy cattle and will sell them for beef when fat. They began before the rain. They have young cattle coming on if they wish to start up the dairy again.” (May 21, 1898, Press & Horticulturalist)
In February of that year, they brought in a carload of hogs and began raising hogs for the next twenty years. Hutchinson & Brown also operated a harvester. The Pauba ranch in Temecula was purchased by the Cosmos Land & Water Co. in 1897. Beginning in July 1898, they began running a harvester on the property.
“Messrs. Hutchinson, Brown, Garinger and Smohl brothers have harvested about one thousand tons of hay and 1355 sacks of wheat from 2000 acres on the Pauba ranch, which is not so bad for a dry year. Several carloads of hay have been sold, bringing from $10 to $12 a ton.” (September 30, 1899, Press & Horticulturalist)
The operations on the Pauba ranch ended when the property changed hands in 1905. Hutchinson & Brown then purchased land north of Murrieta and continued growing hay, barley, and alfalfa to support their families.
Albert and Mary didn’t have any children of their own. In August 1896, Mr. and Mrs. Tuffield of Los Angeles brought their eleven year old daughter, Katie, to meet the Hutchinsons. For reasons unknown, Albert adopted the young girl. She was enrolled in the Murrieta Elementary School and finished the 8 th grade in 1901. She then studied music in Los Angeles and in 1907, she married Sidney E. Ash.
“Sidney E. Ash, aged 37, a native of Wisconsin, and resident of Los Angeles, and Kathryn Tuffield, aged 22, a native of Nebraska and resident of Murrieta.” (June 23, 1907, Riverside Independent Enterprise).
The Hutchinsons were very active in Murrieta. Albert and Mary were members of the Methodist Church. Albert served on the Murrieta Irrigation District board in 1894-1895. He was a Murrieta School Trustee in 1910. He was a Republican and volunteered at the Murrieta polling place. He was also a committee member of Murrieta’s Good Roads movement.
In the winter of 1911-1912 Mary Hutchinson’s health began to decline. She was taken to the San Bernardino hospital for treatment, but she got worse. She was then transferred to a Los Angeles hospital, but there she died on March 5, 1912. William Brown and his wife joined Albert and Kathryn at Mary’s bedside as she passed away.
With his house empty, Albert rented part of it to Mr. Parker, brother of Mrs. Rail. In February 1914, Albert traveled to Albany, Oregon for a family reunion and to celebrate his mother’s 90th birthday. On September 24, 1914, in Glendale, California, Albert married Mrs. Joannah A. Waddell of Galesburg, Illinois. Mrs. Waddell had two children from her previous marriage, Lawrence and Sarah. Her children settled in Elsinore and raised their own families.
On August 22, 1922, a large celebration was held for Albert on his 75th birthday. A month later, he retired from farming and he moved his family to Riverside. Living with Albert at the time was his brother, Frank, his step-daughter, Sarah L. Teskie, and her 12- year old daughter, Louella May Teskie. He turned his farming operations over to Roy S. Roripaugh. A year later, his partner, William Brown and his wife moved to Riverside to be near their dear friends.
Albert Hutchinson joined the Grand Army of the Republic Riverside Post 118. In June 1925, he became the new post Commander to fill the unexpired term of the late commander Comrade Palmer. His term ended January 1926.
Two years after moving to Riverside, tragedy struck. Sarah Teskie, age 41, died on June 12, 1924 at the Riverside Community Hospital following an operation. Albert and Joannah petitioned the courts and became Luella’s guardians. She stayed with them until she married Alfred Eugene Estribou in 1929.
Albert’s partner, William Brown, died on July 23, 1926 in Riverside at the age of 84. He was laid to rest in the Evergreen Cemetery in Riverside.
On April 28, 1934, while at Lawrence Waddell’s residence in Murrieta, Albert suffered a stroke. He died shortly thereafter at the age of 87 and was buried in the Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Riverside.
“A squad of soldiers from March Field, fired a volley across the grave of Albert H. Hutchinson, on Saturday morning at the Evergreen cemetery where the Civil War veteran and pioneer Murrieta valley resident was buried. . .The pallbearers were Ben Barnett, Amos Sykes, Walter Thompson, P. T. Black, Maurie Stoner, and Urban Tarwater, all old-time friends of the deceased.” (May 10, 1934 Elsinore Leader Press)
Three years later, Joannah died in September 1937 and was laid to rest next to Albert.
Albert Hutchinson served an important role in the early development and success of the Murrieta Valley. He proudly served his country during the Civil War and continued to serve the community where he lived. His legacy should not be forgotten, but remembered and shared with generations to come.
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