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Note: 0 years, Lorraine. I shall give you what I know, as I remember of events of 60 years of marriage (and a courtship of many years--dating from beginning of high school--when we first met. Dick was 16 and I was 13 years old.) He carried my books to and from school for that period. Dick then went to the University of North Dakota where he did various types of work to help expenses--such as waiting on tables, running the streetcar between the university and Grand Forks. He joined the "Bachelor Club" which was soon to become a national fraternity, Phi Delta Theta.
Studying to be an engineer and in particular a mining engineer - after four years to get some actual experience, Dick went to California to work in the gold mines. He did get to work for a while but they were running into "hard times" and after some months and running out money--"Papa sent him money to come home"!
Dick was then elected as County Engineer of La Moure County. I have lost track of dates, here, but I know he held this position for several years--though he did go back to the University for more study of particular subjects he found he needed.
When the First World War broke in 1917 he was one of the first to enlist--was accepted for Officer's Training School in St. Paul, Minn.--Fort Snelling. The day he was to leave at 3:20 on our only train, the Southwestern, May 12th--we decided to get married! He rushed to get the necessary papers required--then we went to the Court House where Judge Murfuir performed the ceremony, Art Stone phoned for his wife Irma (the Clerk of court) our witnessess--all long time friends. (Walt Murfuir had for some time promoted this marriage--faciously offering to perform the ceremony for "free" even throwing in a prayer!)
After finishing Officer's Training School, Dick was sent to Fort Dodge at DeMoines, Illinois, 357th Regiment Headquarters, Division Army Engineer corps. After a year training recruits, the Regiment was sent overseas spending a year of active duty in France.
After returning, his father took him into the Hutchinson Hardware Corp. where he served in the installing of sewage and waterworks. But he had big ideas! So he and my brother Herbert, got their fathers to finance a construction company for them called the Miller Hutchinson Co. Their first job was a deep well for the supply of water for the city of Alexandria, Minnesota. The first paving job was the main street of Breckenridge, Minn., another at Wells, Minn., then Westby, Wisconsin. That is embedded in our memory for our first child was born there--and buried there Aug. 6, 1924.
Then after a brief period the Miller Hutchinson Co. joined the Steven's Bros. for endeavoring to do bigger contracts. The first one was in Taylorville, Illinois, where the company was involved for three years paving highways, building bridges and buildings. It was here in Taylorville that Dixie Aine was born. From Taylorville to Lake Charles, Louisiana, for city paving--then to Ocean Springs, Miss., to build a sea wall for that area of the Gulf of Mexico. That led to bigger opportunities--a successful bid for the Bonnet Carre Spillway above New Orleans. This was to protect the city and the whole territory from disastrous flooding as the mighty Mississippi gathered force and volume from its tributaries along its path from the north to the gulf--diverting the excess to by-pass by way of Lake Ponchartrain. It took three years and has served its purpose well. Now instead of fear, New Orleans feels secure--by just opening the Spillway gates.
New Orleans then became the company headquarters--working out from there where materials, equipment, and money were available for bridges, docks for the Port of New Orleans, locks, and serving the gulf coast. Much paving in Mississippi and locks and dam in Alabama.
The last big contract was the locks on the Cumberland River near Nashville, Tenn. It took four years. by this time the "Company" personnel had been depleted--down to Dick alone. Mr. Hutchinson--the father--died at the time of our first year south. My brother, Herbert, after the Alabama job was completed, and Harold, who came into his father's place in the company and then my father--leaving only Dick. He felt it too much to carry on alone so the company was dissolved.
Dick was offered a position, after a short period, with Equitable Equipment Co. (a firm he had done business with ever since we came south) as assistant to the president--a long time friend. They were ship builders as well as dealers in all equipment. This was terminated after about three years by illness, a ruptured appendix which developed into leitis. For five days his life was hanging in the balance, but he came out of it all at once.
While recuperating at home he discovered his sense of equilibrium was out of gear. For the following sixteen years there were many complications. He had his greatest pleasure in planning and looking forward to the trips to the lake and being with the family. It was almost an obsession. The time up there, with Will staying with us and Grace and Tommy (the partners) who made it possible and Jean and Bigelow joining us--were his happiest times--with Margaret dropping in every morning for a chat and Dot and Nibs and Ella and Frank filling every need. The big family reunions were a highlight. To get to see and know the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations--what their thoughts and activities were was so gratifying.
The birthday parties were numerous and humorous--the anecdotes and reminiscing constant. It seemed every weekend brought another part of the "clan"--and kept an air of expectancy. this keeping in touch seemed to be all important now that the activities of the outside world were eliminated. Even before this period, he had never taken a "pleasure trip" other than to see the family!
The Hutchinsons are not demonstrative--but feelings go very deep. That big fireplace at the lake cottage was a great source of enjoyment, too. He regarded it as his very own responsibility!
When it became impossible for him to make the trip to the lake, it was quite a blow--and even that last year when Ruth Ann was planning a big reunion--he kept thinking, "Maybe I can make it."
Grace and Tommy came down to see us, which I fear was not very rewarding to them because of conditions here--but Grace came again and helped take care of him, entertained him, read to him, in fact helped in the total picture.
The end came on August 28, 1977, very quietly, just went to sleep. I must mention here that during this long period of being incapacitated, the devotion of Dixie Aine and West was beyond anything words can describe. Night or day--they were there--at a moments notice--doing everything humanly possible and more--sacrificing their own needs and time--his were all important.
I failed to mention that at one time after the Spillway was finished, there was a "lull" in contracts (it being the time of the big depression). Dick had a desire to go back to his first love, mining engineering, and went to Central America exploring for gold. He made five trips and found just enough to make him want to explore more. He sent two U. of North Dakota engineers there, but it all came to naught--not enough to be worthwhile. There were contracts during the second World War of some magnitude--an airfield in north Louisiana, and a huge army camp here in New Orleans and an air base in Biloxi, Mississippi, contract which came just as the war ended--therefore, never built.
All North Dakota Military Men, 1917-1918
Name: Richard Carter Hutchinson
Army #: none
Registrant: yes, LaMoure county
Birth Place: LaMoure, D. T.
Birth Date: 02 Sep 1888
Parent's Origin: of (nationality of parents not given)
Occupation: student
Comment: enrolled in the First Officers Training Camp at Fort Snelling, Minn., on May 12, 1917; commissioned and called into active service as a 2nd Lieutenant, on Aug. 15, 1917; assigned to 352nd Infantry, to discharge. Promoted: 1st Lieutenant, Nov. 7, 1918; overseas from Aug. 15, 1918, to June 1, 1919. Engagement: Defensive Sector: Center (Alsace). Principal stations: Camp Dodge, Iowa; Camp Mills, N. Y.; AEF. Discharged on June 18, 1919, as a 1st Lieutenant.
Note: Dick's story is best told by the one who knew him best, his wife of 6
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