Arts & Culture
New marker to celebrate faith, fortitude of young Lehi woman
The public is invited to the Lehi Historical Society’s unveiling of the Mary Wanlass Hutchings historical marker at 111 E. Main St., on Saturday, April 26, at 11 a.m.
A short program featuring descendants and a children’s choir from the Lehi Ninth Ward Primary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will honor Mary’s bravery, faith and fortitude during her youth. Family members will unveil the marker.
“Mary’s story has been a special story in our family history,” said Rhea Lewis, great-great-niece of Mary. “We didn’t know it was so popular until recently. She’s featured in a painting in the Provo City Center Temple, in a story in the Children’s Friend, and now in General Conference.”
Elder Hans T. Boom of the Church’s Quorum of the Seventy told Mary’s story in his talk, “True to the Faith That Our Parents Have Cherished,” which he gave on April 5 during the Saturday afternoon session of the 195th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Elder Boom encouraged, “…please learn and receive strength from the faith and testimonies of those who came before you. It will help you understand that, in order to gain or grow a testimony, sacrifices will have to be made and that ‘sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.’”
Shortly before 14-year-old Mary’s stepmother died in 1862 in Missouri, she said to Mary, “Don’t give your father any peace until he goes to the Rocky Mountains.”
Mary vowed within herself to take the family, even if they had to go alone. It was the greatest desire of her stepmother that the family live in Utah with the prophet and other members of the Church.
Upon her stepmother’s death, Mary assumed the role of mother to 4-year-old twins, a 6-year-old sister, and 9-year-old brother Jackson.
The family traveled by covered wagon with a wagon train headed to Oregon with the hope they could catch up to other pioneers headed to Utah. However, soon after they left Missouri, Jackson Russell suffered a debilitating stroke, and the family was left behind, never to catch up.
Yet, they were blessed, and Mary fearlessly guided them to Zion. They survived storms, Native Americans in war paint, renegade men who had deserted armies, and stampedes by buffalo and cattle. Friendly Native Americans even gave them food and directions as they unknowingly traveled through dangerous territory. Every bit of the journey was miraculous.
In 1863, the entire family arrived in Lehi, where their uncle William Wanlass lived. They built a dugout home on William’s property in the area of 111 E. Main St.
In 1864, Mary married William Lawrence Hutchings of Lehi and had 10 children, including John Hutchings, founder of the Hutchings Museum.
The Mary Wanlass Hutchings marker will be the eighth of 36 large historical markers to be installed over the next three years through the Lehi Historical Marker Program.
The program was founded in 2022 when the Lehi Historical Society won funding through a generous donation and continued support from the John David and Danaca Hadfield family of HADCO Construction and a large Lehi City PARC grant.
For more information, contact the historical society at 801-768-1570 or lehihistory@gmail.com.
