About the Author: Jim Wood was born in Big Rapids and is a retired aerospace engineer. His wife Doraluvinia, was born in Los Angeles and is a stained glass artisan. They reside at Peachwood in Millbrook Town, Mecosta County, Michigan on a high and windy hill where times stands still.
This tale of the Muskegon River Valley relates the story of Mrs. Dr. Elma L. Fuller Hutchinson, housewife and mother, who became the first woman doctor in Mecosta County.
In February 1860, Elma and Barzilla Elial Hutchinson left Grand Rapids, and removed themselves to settlement situated at the big rapids of the Muskegon River where they joined Mrs. Hutchinson's parents Edson and Celira Canfield Fuller who in 1859, had built a residence and opened a store on the northwest corner of Elm and Michigan. Other members of the Fuller clan living in the settlement were Elma's brothers Orrin, William and brother Corydon; his wife Mary, and daughter Alfaretta. The first white boy born in the settlement and the Hutchinson's first child, Charles was born in March 1860. In May 1860, Elma's brother Ceylon and wife Frank joined the Fuller clan.
Located in Michigan's northern white pine forest, our river city in 1860 had a population of 83 intrepid pioneers. The hustling, bustling unincorporated frontier hamlet supported the fur trade, provided goods and services to the lumber companies, and was the seat of justice for Mecosta County.
The primitive isolated settlement with a weekly mail service was reached by traveling 28 miles of unimproved forest road from Croton in Newaygo County. Inhabitants referred to leaving the settlement as "Going Outside" and travelers "Came Inside." During the next ten years, the small river hamlet expaned, and was incorporated as the city of Big Rapids. The Fuller-Hutchinson clan prospered along with the region. B.E. of Hutch as he was called, ran a freight line between Big Rapids and Grand Rapids; operated the Fuller store; platted Hutchinson's addition on the growing villages west side; was involved in local politics; and was associated in many local business enterprises. In 1867, Elma and Hutch built the largest house in the city.
In August 1872, Charlie, while playing, severely gashed his leg. The wound was sewed up, and Charlie was given chloroform to alleviate the pain. But lockjaw developed from which he barely recovered. These injuries plus that fact that Elma had suffered four miscarriages, may have kindled the idea that she should become a medical doctor. In 1872, BIg Rapids, with a population nearing 3,000 was, with the exception of Traverse City, the largest municipality in the northern half of the Lower Peninsula. There was certainly a need for a children's and woman's doctor in this vast sparsely settled region. Part of the required medical skills and knowledge could be acquired through an apprenticeship with one of the several local homeopathic medical doctors. However, a good portion of her training could only be acquired by attending a recognized medical college. This meant that she would be separated from her beloved Hutchie and their two sons, Charlie, aged 12, and Willie, age 8. However, Big Rapids was now connected to the "Outside" by two railroad lines and she could, after a long travel day, be with her family on weekends or school vacations or holidays. At the age of 34, Elma Fuller Hutchinson enrolled as a student at the "Chicago Homeopathic Medical College" in Chicago, Ill.
On May 20, 1875, both Big Rapids newspapers called attention to the business card that appeared in each paper for Mrs. Dr. Elma L. Hutchinson whose office was located at her residence on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Linden St. Hutch and Elma's daughter Jessie was born the following May. In December 1879, the Osceola Outline noted that: Mrs. Dr. Hutchinson has several patients in this vicinity and has good success with treatment of patients. In 1880, the Hutchinsons moved to 120 South Stewart, and Hutch purchased the furniture store on the southwest corner of Elm and Michigan. That April, Mrs. Dr. Hutchinson moved her office to the south front corner of Hutch's new store. In June, HUtch expanded the store and Elma moved her office directly across the street to the second floor of the Opera Block owned by her brother, Ceylon C. Fuller. That same month, Mrs. T.C. Garner, Mrs. Dr. Hutchinson, Mrs. Dr. Phebe Ann French, and Mrs. J.A. Upton attended the Woman's Suffrage mass convention in Grand Rapids for two days. On Monday, June 28th, Elma Hutchinson was elected secretary of the Big Rapids Chapter of the Woman's Students Association. The following MOnday, she presented a paper on the "Property Rights of Woman" to the Association.
On Jan. 25, 1881, doctors E.L. Hutchinson, P.A. French, W.S. Whitney, and W.A. Whitney went to Cassnovia, Mich., to attend a meeting of the State Homeopathic Society. In June, Elma traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, where she successfully treated her brother Orrin Fuller who was ill with a severe case of inflammatory rheumatism.
An epidemic of diptheria kept Big Rapids physicians busy in 1881. Entire families died. Forty-five Big Rapids students caught the dreaded disease. At least 10 of them died among them Hutch and Elma's five year old daughter Jessie. Late in 1881, Hutch realized that he was financially over extended. Selling all his business assets and borrowing money from Elma's brothers, he managed to satisfy the debt. The Hutchinson's left Big Rapids and temporarily lived with her brothers Orrin and Corydon in Des Moines. By 1884, they had settled on a ranch near Fresno, Calif. where Hutch became one of California's most successful fruit grower's and Elma practiced medicine. Elma loved her "Sunny Ranch" in California's San Joaquin Valley and regularly snt letters to the Pioneer describing her new home, new life and California. In 1895, Elma suffered a series of debilitating strokes from which she finally died in December at the age of 57. Her beloved Hutchie died in 1919. They are both buried along with their son Will in beautiful Cypress Lawn Cemetery just south of San Francisco.
