All Things Pacific Northwest: The Remarkable Story of Fay Fuller

Fay Fuller & Mount Rainier

Welcome to All Things PNW. You, again, are my captive audience as I talk about the most beautiful and terrifying object I see nearly every day… Mount Rainier.

Have you ever been to Washington State?

I'll ask my question a different way. Have you ever been to Washington State when the mountain is out?

That's what we say here. The mountain is out today! And it's a glorious day when the mountain is out. But even when the mountain is not out (which is often), it's still there. Still beautiful and still terrifying.

Reflection Lake taken by my husband

We drive by lahar siren stations and see signs pointing toward evacuation routes. I can drive through two river valleys on my way to visit my daughter, who lives only twelve miles from me. Here in the foothills of Mount Rainier, the mountain's beauty is never entirely separated from the danger it represents.

For millennia, the Indigenous peoples surrounding Mount Rainier traveled its slopes, navigated its river systems, and gathered its seasonal vegetation. And long before British explorers named it Mount Rainier, the mountain was known to Sahaptin-speaking peoples as Taxúma.

But today, I want to tell you about the first woman on record to summit the mountain.

Edwina Fay Fuller

Fay Fuller in her mountaineering attire, circa 1890. 

Courtesy of the National Park Service, Mount Rainier Archives.

Born on October 10, 1869, Fay moved with her family to Tacoma when she was twelve. By twenty, she was teaching school in Yelm, Washington.

Her fascination with Mount Rainier began when famed mountaineer Philemon Beecher Van Trump visited her classroom. Van Trump, who had made the first documented ascent of Mount Rainier alongside Hazard Stevens in 1870, inspired the young schoolteacher with his account of climbing the mountain.

She was determined to stand on that summit herself. Soon Van Trump invited her to join a climbing expedition.

At the time, mountaineering was largely a man's sport. The physical demands were considerable, but society's expectations for women's clothing and behavior made such adventures particularly difficult. Fay, however, was undeterred.

On August 10, 1890, just two months before her twenty-first birthday, Fay Fuller became the first woman known to summit Mount Rainier.

Even today, climbing to the top of this more than 14,000-foot volcano requires considerable preparation, endurance, and specialized equipment. Imagine attempting such a feat in 1890, when climbing gear was rudimentary and the journey to the mountain itself was an undertaking.

There were certainly no modern climbing clothes designed for women. Instead, Fay ascended the highest peak in the Cascade Range wearing heavy flannel underwear and bloomer suit, wool stockings, boys' hiking boots fitted with metal spikes, and a straw hat.

Her unusual attire attracted almost as much attention as her accomplishment. Some considered her clothing immodest, particularly the bloomers, which allowed greater freedom of movement than the long skirts expected of respectable women.

And Fay was the only woman in her climbing party, accompanied by four men.

Before the final ascent, Fay blackened her face with charcoal to protect herself from the intense glare of the sun reflecting off the snow.

The climb was arduous, yet Fay was determined to reach the summit through her own efforts, reportedly refusing assistance from her companions.

At approximately 4:30 in the afternoon, the five climbers finally reached the summit.

Fay later recalled the experience in words quoted by the National Park Service:

A heavenly moment, nothing was said—words cannot describe scenery and beauty, how could they speak for the soul?

I imagine that after hours of exhausting climbing, standing above the clouds and looking across the Cascade Range must have been an extraordinary moment. But reaching the summit was only half the journey. The party arrived so late that descending before nightfall was impossible. Instead, they sought shelter in an ice cave warmed by volcanic steam vents near the summit. There they spent the night, high on the slopes of an active volcano, with little protection beyond the wool clothing and blankets they had carried.

Imagine spending the night on Mount Rainier in 1890. In those clothes!

There's also an amusing account of a climbing party that followed Fay's expedition. According to the story, the men discovered several hairpins she had lost along the route and jokingly declared them proof that a woman really had reached the summit!

Seven years later, on July 27, 1897, Fay climbed Mount Rainier a second time. Sadly, that expedition was marked by tragedy.

Thirty-four-year-old Professor Samuel Edgar McClure had joined the Mazamas climbing expedition to conduct scientific measurements of the mountain's elevation. During the descent, McClure lost his footing and fell to his death, becoming the first recorded climbing fatality on Mount Rainier.

Today, McClure Rock, near Paradise, bears his name.

But Fay's remarkable story extended well beyond mountaineering.

She became Tacoma's first female newspaper reporter, writing a column for the Tacoma Ledger called "Mountain Murmurs," where she covered mountaineering excursions and news. She also helped establish climbing organizations, advocated for women's participation in mountaineering, and supported the movement that led to the creation of Mount Rainier National Park in 1899.

Fay Peak, near Mowich Lake, was named in her honor.

What fascinates me most about Fay Fuller is not simply that she was the first woman to reach the summit, but that she challenged the expectations of her time with such determination.

Enumclaw, Washington, circa 1905. PEMCO Webster & Stevens Collection, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle.

Public domain in the United States.

So… the next time someone says, "The mountain is out!" I'll probably do what I always do—stop and admire it. But now I'll also think about a twenty-year-old schoolteacher who looked at that enormous volcano in 1890 and decided she wanted to stand on top of it.

And I think I'll be perfectly content to admire it from down here!

As close to the peak as I've ever been. 

2nd Burroughs, Sunrise Visitor's Center

Echoes of the Ancient New Testament Cities: Capernaum

Matthew J Elliott 

Ruins of Capernaum (Wikipedia)

Capernaum has always been one of those cities that have left me with more questions than answers. When I began planning this series, I didn't even list this location as a possibility to research. There were several other cities that I thought had more value or purpose to them. Truthfully, the only reason Capernaum was added to the list was because I wanted a few cities that Jesus focused on during his three-year ministry. 

By the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus had already been baptised by His cousin, overcome the temptations in the wilderness, gathered some of His earliest followers, and even 'crashed' a wedding in Cana. Those are all monumental aspects of the progression Jesus made in His ministry, but Capernaum was the launching pad for everything else. The gospels return to this location on several occasions, and it serves as the base for most of His early ministry. 

One of the more interesting discoveries I made when researching Capernaum was that there were only around 1,500 people living there during the time of Jesus. As a child, I always imagined the place Jesus used as his base of operations was much bigger. It was the place several of the disciples called home, or at least they were in the community working on their fishing boats. So, why not, right? 

While the population of Capernaum was small, it sat near some important trade routes around the Sea of Galilee. Fishermen from all shapes of life, tax-collectors, and weary travelers passed through the area all the time. It may seem strange that Jesus chose a pretty small fishing town as the base of operations for a movement that would eventually rival the Roman Empire. If I have learned anything through my personal journey with this series, though. It is that God often uses the smallest details: the overlooked clay jar, the house of a simple fisherman, the unwanted, to bring the biggest impact. 

Few cities in history witnessed more miracles than Capernaum, but at the same time few cities saw the other side of the story as well.  I mean, take a look at Matthew 11:23-24, the city was rebuked and compared to the land of Sodom, and not in a good way. Aside from that rebuke, though, Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law, a paralytic, a servant, and even cast out a demon. Some even say that the daughter of Jairus was healed here as well.  Many of the resources I found even claim the city was more exposed to Jesus’ ministry than any other community. 

Rendering of Peter's Possible Home (RedeemerofIsrael.com)

The ministry of Jesus is only the foundation of the cake, so to speak. After the resurrection, we all know that Peter became one of the most prominent leaders of the early church. What some may not know is that there is actually Archaeological evidence that suggests that Peter’s home was remodeled into a gathering place for believers throughout the first century. I cannot say that for certain, but even the idea of something like that suggests that Christians met for several years after Jesus ascended.

As the ministry of the early church continued to take hold, believers spread far beyond Jerusalem into cities, villages, and ports throughout the Roman world. Many of the smaller cities during that time became homes to clusters of believers who continued to share the gospel. Places in Galilee became important symbols of the kind of community that thrived amid the pressures the bigger cities endured. 

The more I looked into places like Capernaum, the more I began to realize something.

It was never the size of the community that mattered. It was the hearts of those who walked its streets.

Capernaum was not Jerusalem, Rome, or Alexandria. It was a fishing village. Yet God chose that fishing village as a launching point for events that would change history forever.

Researching Capernaum has reminded me of the reason I started this series in the first place. Truthfully, it reminded me why I write the stories that I write. It was never about giving readers a year's worth of content or simply filling pages with meaningful stories. Nor has it been about getting the biggest reaction or finding my way onto a bestseller list. It has always been about how much the smaller things matter. In my stories, I write about the little people, the one-off stories, like Onesimus in Finding Philemon, and even the little places that stay with you long after you read about them.

Think about this for a moment: Capernaum was a village of roughly 1,500 people, yet it became the place where Jesus chose to launch much of His public ministry. It witnessed miracles, disciples being called, lives being changed, and perhaps even some of the earliest gatherings of believers after His ascension.

More than 2,000 years later, we are still talking about it.

Maybe that is the real lesson of Capernaum. God has never needed a large stage to accomplish something extraordinary.

~ Biography ~

Matthew James Elliott (M.J. Elliott) is a passionate writer who loves to encourage and inspire others. He served in various ministry roles for over 15 years, which gave him a unique perspective on people and Biblical History. Matthew holds a degree in Biblical Studies from Oklahoma Wesleyan University, with a focus on Pastoral Care, Christian Education, and Worship.

Matthew is married and has three wonderful children who bring him immense joy and inspiration. One of his favorite things to do with them is to share stories they can someday learn from. When writing a story, he aspires to minister to others with love, equip them with encouragement, and use the gift God has given him as a writer to help readers experience God in a real and meaningful way.

Find Matthew on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, BookBub, and His Website. He has written Devotionals, An Episodic Series, Novellas, and Commentaries for The Gospel Daily.

~ Highlighted Release ~

It has been a while since I highlighted this release, but I am moving Finding Philemon to my REAMStories author page where all of my followers there can read it for free. Between now and the release of my upcoming Novel, A Broken Embrace, two episodes a week are being released there. If you want a reminder, I will be announcing the discounted price in my monthly newsletter.

Are you ready to dive into a captivating series that delves into the journey of a young runaway slave who discovers God in his quest for redemption? Finding Philemon is exactly that kind of series. Come along on this unexpected journey as Onesimus faces the haunting demons of his past and witness his story unfold before your eyes in this first-hand account of someone many know little about.

Throughout this journey, Onesimus will encounter life-changing events that will transform the depths of his heart and aid him in discovering the redemption that only God can offer. Experience the raw emotion humanity often overlooks when learning how to understand the impact real-life struggles can have on our lives.

Andrew Ure by Nancy J. Farrier

The month of October is often focused on the odd and disturbing. I happened to stumble across the historical account of Andrew Ure and thought the story would fit well within the oddities of the month.

Welcome Library, London    

Andrew Ure, born in Glasgow, Scotland, achieved great success in many areas. He became a physician and served as an army surgeon, but his great love was chemistry and physics. He served on the Faculty Board at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow and was well loved for his interesting lectures. He spoke often on chemistry and mechanics. He also had a love of geology and was considered an expert from the number of texts he devoured and the information he absorbed.

Louis Figueir (author) 

One of Ure’s fascinations had to do with the reanimation of the body after death. He began some experiments which he later incorporated in his lectures. In 1818, he lectured on the galvanic experiments he’d been conducting. He brought in the body of a murderer and thief, Matthew Clydesdale to demonstrate his findings. Clydsedale had been executed by hanging and left hanging for an hour. Ure wanted to demonstrate the by stimulating certain nerves with voltage he could bring the person back to life.

These experiments were allowed at that time on the bodies of condemned murderers who had been put to death. The thought of the day was that these men were further tormented for their crimes by being experimented on and that would be all right. 

Early depiction of Frankenstein

When Ure sent voltage through the body, Clydesdale’s muscles responded with shuddering which looked to the audience as if he were shivering from the cold. Ure made the body do different movements by touching nerves in other areas. When he touched the hip, one of his assistant was nearly thrown to the floor by the violence of the muscular reaction. He was also able to manipulate the facial expressions, giving the impression Clydesdale was experiencing emotion. Many of the onlookers had to leave the room they were so horrified.

Mary Shelley
By Richard Rothwell 

One of the interesting side notes I read while studying Ure, was that Mary Shelley heard of his experiments and was fascinated by the thought of reanimating the dead. This sparked her writing of Frankenstein, which released in 1818 about the same time Ure was doing the lecture on Clydesdale. Shelley’s book and Ure’s experiments caused quite a stir in that era. The original Frankenstein made no mention of using electricity to reanimate the body, but in her rewrite in 1831, Shelley added that part to the text.

Frankenstein frontispiece
By Theodore Von Holst 

The origin of life and scientific experiments have long been interesting to the public even to the point of excusing tests on the living in the name of science. Ure did not use the living in his demonstrations, only the dead, but some of his tests were horrific. He also inspired other scientists to experiment on animals and humans. Shelley’s depiction of Frankenstein brings out that nature of scientific curiosity and vividly describes human nature in the events that occur in her book.

Have you ever read Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein? What are your thoughts on experimenting with the dead? ((I realize that some people sign over their bodies before they die, but am referring to those who haven’t.) Have you ever heard of Andrew Ure? 

I am doing a giveaway of my book, Bandolero. To be entered, please leave a comment and your email on this blog before midnight. If you already have Bandolero, you may have another of my books.

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning, New York Times best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.