Louisiana Scott Foster

by Jocelyn Moss


Louisiana Scott Foster was born in July, 1887 in San Rafael. She was the sixth child of nine children of Arthur W. Foster and Louisiana Scott, and the granddaughter of Dr. William Anderson Scott, founder of the San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo. Louisiana grew up in San Rafael on a luxurious estate known as “Fairhills.”  The Foster children had every advantage in life; each child had a pony and the extensive grounds included a children’s playground. She and her sisters all attended Miss Stewart’s School, a private school in San Rafael.

Louisiana was active in her community. A member of the Presbyterian Church in San Rafael she was also a member of the Lagunitas Club in Ross, the Marin Golf and Country Club, and the Francisca Club in San Francisco. While serving on the Board of the Presbyterian Orphanage she suggested the name “Sunny Hills” which is still used today.

Louisiana joined the employment of the Curry Company that ran the hospitality business at Yosemite National Park. She was the manager of the Awahnee Hotel, the Wawona Hotel and the camp at Tuolumne Meadows.  Her longest employment was at the Yosemite Lodge. She worked at Yosemite from 1928 until her retirement in 1940. She never married.

During WWII Louisiana worked in the Army Nurse Corps at La Quinta in Riverside County and Marinship in Sausalito.