Museums: Where the Past Lives

While living in Scranton, John and Eunice Hutchings encouraged their son, H. C. Hutchings, to “bring home rocks and birds' eggs and arrowheads” and to “give a good description of where he found an item and what it was.”  After moving to Lehi, H. C. helped his father with the mail route, so they could have time to go collecting together.  Three more children were born into the family and also became collectors.

“From the first, the Hutchings collection was overflowing. It filled the large back shed and spilled over into the house.  Hutchings can't remember a dinner hour that wasn't filled with excited conversation about the latest mineral, fossil or bird's egg someone just discovered.  Almost every night dinner was interrupted when a visitor - a Boy Scout, maybe, or a neighbor - stopped by to see the new find.”

In 1968, “the townspeople found a building and helped form a nonprofit organization so the John Hutchings' natural history collection could have a public home.”