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134-726: The Mormon Trail is the 1,300-mile (2,100 km) long route from Illinois to Utah on which Mormon pioneers (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ) traveled from 1846–47. Today, the Mormon Trail is a part of the United States National Trails System , known as the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail . The Mormon Trail extends from Nauvoo, Illinois , which was the principal settlement of

268-772: A Spanish scout and explorer in the Southwest , was a war captain of the Spanish Indian auxiliaries. By 1714 (the same year the French explorers reached the Platte), he and a small exploration group from the south had reportedly already reached the Platte three times. He later guided the 1720 Villasur expedition to the area in a Spanish effort to stop French expansion onto the Great Plains. Naranjo and Villasur's party made

402-525: A U.S. Army officer on leave, led an expedition to the west financed by John Jacob Astor . They took wagons along the Platte, North Platte and Sweetwater River trail to the Green River in present-day Wyoming. The notable author Washington Irving wrote an account of Bonneville's explorations in the west that made him well known in the US. Following the fur traders, the major emigration trails established along

536-560: A canoe to travel far. The Platte River valley provided an easily passable wagon corridor; it sloped gradually up in height as it went almost due west from the Missouri. The Platte route had access to water, grass, buffalo and buffalo 'chips,' which the Indians and emigrants used as fuel for fires. Long Native American use had created trails on both sides of the muddy, about 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and shallow Platte River. The Platte's water

670-632: A large group of people, and the much longer duration of the trip than anticipated earlier all contributed to the difficulties they endured. The initial party reached the Missouri River on June 14. It was apparent that the Latter-day Saints could not make it to the Great Basin that season and would have to winter on the Missouri River. Some of the emigrants established a settlement called Kanesville (present-day Council Bluffs) on

804-637: A location no other colonizers wanted, and felt the Salt Lake Valley met that requirement, but would provide the Saints with many advantages as well. The valley was then under the administration of Mexico , which had banned immigration from the United States with the Law of April 6, 1830 . The Mormon settlers entered Mexico without government authorization, and despite the sovereignty rights held by

938-589: A new home for the church in the Great Basin and crossed Iowa. Along their way, some were assigned to establish settlements and to plant and harvest crops for later emigrants. During the winter of 1846–47, the emigrants wintered in Iowa, other nearby states, and the unorganized territory that later became Nebraska, with the largest group residing in Winter Quarters, Nebraska . In the spring of 1847, Young led

1072-598: A new home in the West. Following the succession crisis , Young insisted the Mormons should settle in a place no one else wanted and felt the isolated Great Basin would provide the Saints with many advantages. Young reviewed information on the Great Salt Lake Valley and the Great Basin, consulted with mountain men and trappers, and met with Father Pierre-Jean De Smet , a Jesuit missionary familiar with

1206-938: A number of Nebraska stakeholders embarked upon the Platte River Cooperative Hydrology Study (COHYST). Conducted with assistance from the United States Geological Survey and the Natural Resources Conservation Service , this study attempts to arrive at a better understanding of the geology and hydrology of the Platte River basin from the Colorado and Wyoming borders to Columbus, including the Loup basin. This improved understanding could be used to develop policies for management of

1340-469: A prayer dedicating the land to the Lord. Ground was broken, irrigation ditches were dug, and the first fields of potatoes and turnips were planted. On July 24, Young first saw the valley from a "sick" wagon driven by his friend, Wilford Woodruff . According to Woodruff, Young expressed his satisfaction in the appearance of the valley and declared "This is the right place, drive on." Today a monument stands in

1474-405: A previously adopted closure of part of such river basin, subbasin, or reach to the issuance of additional water well permits, or to temporarily suspend or continue in effect a temporary suspension previously adopted on the drilling of new water wells in all or part of such river basin, subbasin, or reach. Most of the Platte River basin is currently considered as overappropriated. Beginning in 2004,

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1608-520: A principal owner of the ship Brooklyn . On February 4, 1846 (the same day the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo began), the ship Brooklyn cleared New York harbor and began its nearly 6-month voyage to the Pacific coast of the then-Mexican Territory of California . The ship weighed 445 short tons (404 t) and measured 125 ft x 28 ft × 14 ft (8.5 m × 4.3 m) x 4.3 m) and

1742-406: A river basin, subbasin, or reach shall be deemed overappropriated if it is subject to an interstate cooperative agreement among more states and if, prior to such date, the state has declared a moratorium on the issuance of new surface water appropriations in such river, subbasin, or reach, and has requested each natural resources district jurisdiction in the affected area to close or continue in effect

1876-431: A shout of joy, which almost involuntarily escaped from our lips the moment this grand and lovely scenery was within our view. The two scouts undertook a twelve-mile (19 km) exploratory circuit into the valley before returning to the larger party. The next day, larger segments of the valley were explored, streams and hot springs investigated and the first camp established in the Salt Lake Valley. On July 23, Pratt offered

2010-480: Is carried by the Rocky Mountain wood tick ). Young himself became ill soon after meeting Goodyear. The small sick detachment lagged behind the larger group, and a scouting division was created to move ahead on the designated route. In July 1847, the first company reached the Salt Lake Valley, with scouts Erastus Snow and Orson Pratt entering the valley on July 21. Pratt wrote: ...we could not refrain from

2144-537: Is estimated at 3,240 cu ft/s (92 m /s). The Platte drains one of the most arid areas of the Great Plains with a flow that is considerably lower than rivers of comparable length in North America. For much of its length, it is a classic wide, muddy and shallow braided stream which in the lower reaches flows in a floodplain bordered by bluffs. During pioneer days, the common humorous description

2278-424: Is joined from the north by the about 70-mile-long (110 km) Loup River about 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Columbus. During pioneer days, a Loup River ferry crossed the river. From Columbus, the Platte flows almost due east about 50 miles (80 km) past North Bend and then on to Fremont . Near Fremont, the Platte bends south and then east around the location of Omaha in a large "L" turn. Near Fremont

2412-469: Is much smaller due to the extensive water taken from it for irrigation. Historically, the North Platte River was up to a mile wide (1.6 km) in many places, as evidenced by the old streambed and historic written records. The South Platte River drainage includes about 28,000 square miles (73,000 km ) in the north east corner of Colorado, parts of southeastern Wyoming in the vicinity of

2546-462: The Nauvoo Neighbor printed an extensive list of suggested provisions for each family wagon. The provisions included two to three yoke of oxen, two milk cows, other livestock, arms and ammunition, 15 lb of iron, pulleys and ropes, fishing gear, farming and mechanical equipment, cooking equipment and at least 1000 pounds of flour plus assorted other foodstuffs. Some pioneers overestimated

2680-476: The Central Flyway . Fossil evidence in the Platte River valley indicates this crane stopover has been active for over 10 million years. Since the mid-20th century, this river has shrunk significantly. This reduction in size is attributed in part to its waters being used for irrigation, and to a much greater extent to the waters diverted and used by the growing population of Colorado, which has outstripped

2814-509: The July 4th Oration . These speeches have sometimes been seen as contributing to the conflict known as the 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. As a result of the conflict, the Mormons were expelled from the state by Governor Boggs , and Rigdon and Smith were arrested and imprisoned in Liberty Jail . Rigdon was released on a writ of habeas corpus and made his way to Illinois , where he joined

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2948-796: The Latter Day Saints from 1839 to 1846, to Salt Lake City, Utah , which was settled by Brigham Young and his followers beginning in 1847. From Council Bluffs, Iowa to Fort Bridger in Wyoming, the trail follows much the same route as the Oregon Trail and the California Trail ; these trails are collectively known as the Emigrant Trail . The Mormon pioneer run began in 1846, when Young and his followers were driven from Nauvoo . After leaving, they aimed to establish

3082-515: The Missouri River in approximately four to six weeks. However, the actual trip across Iowa was slowed by rain, mud, swollen rivers, and poor preparation, and it required 16 weeks – nearly three times longer than planned. Heavy rains turned the rolling plains of southern Iowa into a quagmire of axle-deep mud. Furthermore, few people carried adequate provisions for the trip. The weather, general unpreparedness, lack of experience in moving such

3216-480: The Mormon Battalion were also important in establishing new communities. On their journey west, the Mormon soldiers had identified dependable rivers and fertile river valleys in Colorado, Arizona and southern California. In addition, as the discharged men traveled to rejoin their families in the Salt Lake Valley, they moved through southern Nevada and southern Utah. Jefferson Hunt , senior Mormon officer of

3350-613: The Mormon Trail north of the Platte River and had to ferry across the Elkhorn. After the Union Pacific railroad was constructed west from Omaha in 1866, it had to build a major bridge across the Elkhorn. After the confluence of the Elkhorn and the Platte River, the Platte continues southward, about 7 miles (11 km) before it turns sharply and heads almost due East for about 20 miles (32 km) before its confluence with

3484-593: The Nebraskier , after its Oto name, meaning "flat water". The French later applied the French word plate (meaning flat, and pronounced plat , or platte ) to the river. Occupied by various Indian tribes for part of each year, the Platte River territory had been claimed by both Spanish and French explorers trying to rule the Great Plains. Spain had claimed all of the Great Plains after Coronado's 1541–42 expedition. Jose Naranjo, an African - Hopi who served as

3618-548: The New York Messenger ), was directed by church elders to charter a ship that would carry its passengers away from the eastern United States to California, which was then part of Mexico. Over the course of two months, Brannan managed to recruit 70 men, 68 women, and 100 children—238 persons total. Brannan negotiated a fare of $ 75 for adults and half-fare for children with the Captain Abel W. Richardson, master and

3752-619: The Oregon boundary dispute with Britain in 1846, the conclusion of the Mexican–American War in 1848, and the California Gold Rush in 1849 and other gold and silver strikes rapidly attracted increased emigrant traffic west. The Platte River in the future state of Nebraska and the North Platte River in Wyoming typically had many channels and islands. The waterways were often too shallow, crooked, muddy and unpredictable for

3886-512: The Quorum of the Twelve , three women, and two children. The train contained 73 wagons, draft animals, and livestock, and carried enough supplies to provision the group for one year. On April 5, the wagon train moved west from Winter Quarters toward the Great Basin. The journey from Winter Quarters to Fort Laramie took six weeks; the company arrived at the fort on June 1. While at Fort Laramie,

4020-753: The Routt National Forest and North Park near what is now Walden to Casper, Wyoming . Shortly after passing Casper, the North Platte turns to the east-southeast and flows about 350 miles (560 km) to the city of North Platte, Nebraska. In Colorado and Wyoming, the North Platte is narrower and much swifter flowing than it is in Nebraska, where it becomes a slow flowing, shallow braided stream . The North Platte River has been dammed about eight times for water storage and irrigation purposes in Wyoming and Nebraska as it flows to its confluence with

4154-544: The Salt Lake Valley on July 21. The main party entered the valley on July 22, camping that night near the modern-day First Encampment Park . On July 23, Pratt offered a prayer dedicating the land to the Lord. Ground was broken, irrigation ditches were dug, and the first fields of potatoes and turnips were planted. On July 24, Young first saw the valley from a "sick" wagon driven by his friend Wilford Woodruff . According to Woodruff, Young expressed his satisfaction in

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4288-700: The Shoshone , Utes , and the Goshutes . The U.S. Army captured Santa Fe de Nuevo México and the colonized parts of Alta California in late 1846, but the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo would not cede northern Mexico to the United States until February, 1848. Young organized a vanguard company to break the trail west to the Rocky Mountains , gather information about trail conditions, including water sources and Native American tribes, and to ultimately select

4422-646: The South Fork South Platte River and Middle Fork South Platte River , approximately 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Fairplay, Colorado . After the South and Middle fork join, the South Platte flows east-southeast till it exits Elevenmile Reservoir; it turns almost ninety degrees to skirt the west side of Pikes Peak and flows roughly east-northeast about 100 miles (160 km) through Denver and on to Greeley, Colorado . From Greeley,

4556-629: The State of Utah , known as Pioneer Day . Salt Lake City also has the Mormon Pioneer Memorial Monument , where Young, Eliza R. Snow , and other Mormon pioneers are buried and where a memorial exists dedicated to all who crossed the plains to the Salt Lake Valley. Additionally, the "Pioneer" (characterized as " Pioneer Pete ") is Lehi High School 's mascot. In some places, Mormons hold an event called "Pioneer Trek" for people who are ages fourteen to eighteen. In participating in

4690-561: The Willie and Martin Companies , respectively, had serious problems. The companies left Iowa City, Iowa , in July 1856, very late to begin the trip across the plains. They met severe winter weather west of present-day Casper, Wyoming , and continued to cope with deep snow and storms for the remainder of the journey. Food supplies were soon exhausted. Young organized a rescue effort that brought

4824-629: The first transcontinental railroad in 1869. Among the emigrants were the Mormon handcart pioneers of 1856–60. Two of the handcart companies, led by James G. Willie and Edward Martin, met disaster on the trail when they departed late and were caught by heavy snowstorms in Wyoming. Under the leadership of Joseph Smith , Latter Day Saints established several communities throughout the United States between 1830 and 1844, most notably in Kirtland, Ohio ; Independence, Missouri ; and Nauvoo, Illinois. However,

4958-585: The interior least tern are birds using the flyway which have been classified as endangered and are protected under the Platte River Endangered Species Partnership. Common plants in the Platte River area are big and little bluestem, switch grass, and cottonwood trees. White-tail deer, many types of catfish, Canada geese, and bald eagles attract fans. The Platte River area has long supported many animals but recently, due to urbanization and farming causing loss of habitat,

5092-458: The watershed of the Missouri, draining a large portion of the central Great Plains in Nebraska and the eastern Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming . The river valley played an important role in the westward expansion of the United States, providing the route for several major emigrant trails, including the Oregon , California , Mormon and Bozeman trails. The first Europeans to see

5226-479: The 1540s, dramatically changed life in the Great Plains. Indian tribes could more easily follow the buffalo herds as they migrated from north to south and back. Before 1870, herds of several hundred thousand bison (buffalo) periodically migrated across the Platte in following seasonal grazing. The animals often waded or swam across the Platte. The first-known European to see the Platte was the French explorer Étienne de Veniard, sieur de Bourgmont in 1714, who named it

5360-652: The Battalion, actively searched for settlement sites, minerals and other resources. His report encouraged 1851 settlement efforts in Iron Country, near present-day Cedar City . These southern explorations eventually led to Mormon settlements in St. George, Utah , Las Vegas and San Bernardino, California , as well as communities in southern Arizona. By 1885, Mormon communities were being established in northern Mexico . The Mormon pioneers are celebrated annually on July 24 in

5494-633: The British mission. John Taylor , Parley P. Pratt and Orson Hyde brought money contributed by the English Saints, a map based on John C. Fremont 's recent western expedition, and instruments for calculating latitude, elevation, temperature and barometric pressure. Chosen members of the vanguard group were gathered together, final supplies were packed, and the group was organized into military companies. The group consisted of 143 men, including three enslaved African-American men, and eight members of

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5628-590: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), also known as Latter-day Saints , who migrated beginning in the mid-1840s until the late-1860s across the United States from the Midwest to the Salt Lake Valley in what is today the U.S. state of Utah . At the time of the planning of the exodus in 1846, the territory comprising present-day Utah was part of the Republic of Mexico , with which

5762-426: The Iowa side of the river. Others moved across the river into the area of present-day Omaha, Nebraska , and built a camp called Winter Quarters . In April 1847, chosen members of the vanguard company gathered, final supplies were packed, and the group was organized into 14 military companies. A militia and night guard were formed. The company consisted of 143 men, including three african americans and eight members of

5896-571: The Mississippi River to the British. The Spanish took over lands west of the Mississippi River. Since there were few fur-bearing animals on the Platte of interest to the fur traders , the French and British explorers and fur trappers ignored the Platte territory for some time. During the course of the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), France briefly reacquired the land west of the Mississippi River from Spain. In 1804, Napoleon sold

6030-477: The Missouri River. Sarpy County is shaped like a crescent, being bounded on the east by the Missouri River, on the south and west by the Platte, and on the north by Douglas County which contains Omaha. The Platte-Missouri River confluence is about 10 miles (16 km) south of Omaha. Including the North Platte River, the Platte River stretches over 850 miles (1,400 km), with a drainage basin of about 90,000 square miles (230,000 km ). The mean annual flow

6164-400: The Mormon trek west. Clayton made his notes and measurements available to other emigrants in his The Latter-Day Saints' Emigrants' Guide . Women of the company also performed vital tasks along the way. While much time was spent on traditional activities such as cooking, sewing, and tending children, several women served as scribes and diary keepers. Harriet Page Young, wife of Lorenzo Young,

6298-410: The Mormons to winter on Indian territory, and the site was originally called Kanesville. Young continued to trust Kane throughout his own lifetime, particularly as an intermediary with the often hostile federal government of the United States . This major undertaking was a significant test of leadership capability and the existing administrative network of the recently restructured church. For his role in

6432-551: The Platte is joined from the north by the Elkhorn River . The Elkhorn, a 290-mile-long (470 km) river, originates in the eastern Sandhills of Nebraska and is one of the largest tributaries of the Platte River. The Elkhorn joins the Platte on its south-bound path just southwest of Omaha, approximately 1 mile (2 km) south and 3 miles (5 km) west of Gretna . The pioneers leaving from near Omaha (established 1854) or Council Bluffs, Iowa (established 1846) used

6566-404: The Platte turns sharply and flows south-southeast about 10 miles (16 km) to about Waterloo, Nebraska —located about 20 miles (32 km) west of Omaha. Near Waterloo the Platte turns even more and heads almost due south for about 10 miles (16 km). About 30 miles (48 km) east-southeast of Waterloo and about 30 miles (48 km) from the Platte's confluence with the Missouri River ,

6700-469: The Platte were French explorers and fur trappers about 1714; they first called it the Nebraskier (Nebraska), a transliteration of the name given by the Otoe people, meaning "flat water". This expression is very close to the French words "rivière platte" ("flat river"), the probable origin of the name Platte River. The Platte River is formed in western Nebraska east of the city of North Platte, Nebraska by

6834-592: The Platte, North Platte River and Sweetwater River was first written about after its discovery in 1811 by Wilson Price Hunt of the Astor Expedition . He was returning to the Missouri River posts from the newly established Fort Astoria on the Columbia River near the Pacific Ocean. Because few American trappers and settlers were then in the contested Oregon Territory , his trail discovery

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6968-528: The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, three women, and two children. The train contained 73 wagons, one cannon, 93 horses, 52 mules, 66 oxen, 19 cows, 17 dogs and some chickens, and carried enough supplies to fully provision the group for one year. Young divided this group into 14 companies, each with a designated captain. Apprehensive of possible danger posed by Native Americans , a militia and night guard

7102-614: The Saints were driven out of each of these settlements in turn, due to conflicts with other settlers (see history of the Latter Day Saint movement ). This included the actions of Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs , who issued Missouri Executive Order 44 , which called for the "extermination" of all Mormons in Missouri. Latter-day Saints were finally forced to abandon Nauvoo in 1846. Although the movement had split into several denominations after Smith's death in 1844, most members aligned themselves with Brigham Young . Under Young's leadership, about 14,000 Mormon citizens of Nauvoo set out to find

7236-434: The Salt Lake Valley. Several later companies were largely made up of people with fewer resources, who pulled or pushed handcarts (similar to wheelbarrows ) holding all of their provisions and personal belongings. Many of these pioneers walked much of the way as family members rode in the carts. Due to the weather in the American heartland, the best time to travel was April–September. Some companies, however, started late in

7370-522: The South Platte River trail into Colorado. After the North Platte and the South Platte rivers join to form the Platte River, over most of its length it is a sandy, broad, shallow, braided river. Its many shallow channels and islands and ever-changing sandbars made navigation difficult; it was never used as a major water transportation route. The Platte flows in a large arc, east-southeast to near Fort Kearny and then east-northeast, across Nebraska south of Grand Island and on to Columbus . The Platte River

7504-425: The South Platte River. The upper reaches of the river in the Rockies in Colorado and Wyoming are popular for recreation rafting and lure and fly fishing for rainbow , brown , cutthroat trout and other sport fish. In western Nebraska, the banks and riverbed of the North Platte provide a green oasis amid an otherwise semi-arid region of North America. Today, by the time the North Platte reaches Paxton, Nebraska it

7638-503: The South Platte turns east and flows about 200 miles (320 km) to its confluence with the North Platte River near the city of North Platte, Nebraska. The South Platte River has been dammed about 20 times for water storage, drinking water and irrigation purposes in Colorado as it flows to its confluence with the North Platte River. The total number of dams in the South Platte drainage may exceed 1,000 as nearly all major streams have at least one dam on them. The South Platte River serves as

7772-416: The U.S. soon went to war over a border dispute left unresolved after the annexation of Texas . The Salt Lake Valley became American territory as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , which ended the war. The journey was taken by about 70,000 people, beginning with advance parties sent out by church leaders in March 1846 after the 1844 death of the church's leader Joseph Smith made it clear that

7906-446: The US initially had little interest in settling the land on the plains. The next "good" land was believed to be in Oregon or California , especially the coastal areas, and those were the destinations of most emigrant traffic. The Mormons settled Utah , largely due to religious persecution in eastern areas. Various gold and silver strikes attracted further emigration to nearly all western states. The Native American trail west along

8040-450: The ability of its groundwater to sustain them. Varying cultures of indigenous peoples lived intermittently along the Platte for thousands of years before European exploration. Historical tribes claimed various territories in the region. The Indian tribes typically visited different areas in different seasons, as they followed the bison herds for hunting periods. The introduction of horses, which had escaped from early Spanish explorers in

8174-474: The announcement of the United States naval officer, who boarded the Brooklyn as she came to anchor, that the emigrants "were in the United States of America," three hearty cheers were given in reply... Three weeks previous to the arrival of the Saints, the United States flag had been raised and the country taken possession of in the name of the government which the flag represented. This dangerous trek of nearly 24,000 miles (39,000 km) would claim 10 lives of

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8308-415: The appearance of the valley and declared, "This is the right place, drive on." In August 1847, Young and selected members of the vanguard company returned to Winter Quarters to organize the companies scheduled for following years. By December 1847, more than 2,000 Mormons had completed the journey to the Salt Lake Valley, then in Mexican territory. Farming the uncultivated land was initially difficult, as

8442-421: The area west of the Mississippi River to the US in the Louisiana Purchase ; the US roughly doubled its area at a cost of about $ 15,000,000. In 1820 the U.S. Army ordered Major Stephen H. Long to explore and map the area around the Platte. Long reported the area as a great American desert, despite its native inhabitants and wildlife, due to a lack of easily-cultivated land. As a result of his and other reports,

8576-450: The camp's hunters for being wasteful of flesh ... killing more than was really needed. Camp was awakened by a bugle at 5 a.m. and the company was expected to be prepared for travel by 7 a.m. Each day's travel ended at 8:30 p.m. and the camp was in bed by 9 p.m. The company traveled six days during the week, but generally stayed in camp on Sunday to observe the Sabbath . Some camp members were assigned specific tasks. William Clayton

8710-411: The carts were three to four feet (91 to 122 cm) long and eight inches (20 cm) high. They could carry about 500 pounds (227 kg), most of this weight consisting of trail provisions and a few personal possessions. All but two of the handcart companies successfully completed the rugged journey, with relatively few problems and only a few deaths. However, the fourth and fifth companies, known as

8844-484: The central gathering point in the Great Basin. The initial company would select and break the primary trail with the expectation that later pioneers would maintain and improve it. It was hoped that the group could, wherever possible, establish fords and ferries and plant crops for later harvest. In late February, plans were made to gather portable boats, maps, scientific instruments, farm implements and seeds. Techniques for irrigating crops were investigated. A new route on

8978-494: The church inaugurated a system of handcart companies in order to enable poor European emigrants to make the trek more cheaply. Handcarts, two-wheeled carts that were pulled by emigrants instead of draft animals, were sometimes used as an alternate means of transportation from 1856 to 1860. They were seen as a faster, easier, and cheaper way to bring European converts to Salt Lake City. Almost 3,000 Mormons, with 653 carts and 50 supply wagons, traveling in 10 different companies , made

9112-410: The city of Cheyenne and a small part of the southwest corner of Nebraska. The South Platte drains a large part of the Front Range mountains east of the continental divide. The part of the river labeled the South Platte is formed in Park County, Colorado , located southwest of Denver , in the South Park grassland basin and mountains east of the continental divide. It is formed by the confluence of

9246-400: The companies in, but more than 210 of the 980 emigrants in the two parties died. The handcart companies continued with more success until 1860, and traditional ox-and-wagon companies also continued for those who could afford the higher cost. After 1860, the church began sending wagon companies east each spring, to return to Utah in the summer with the emigrating Latter-day Saints. Finally, with

9380-426: The company in which an ancestor traveled across the plains to get to Utah. This covers known and unknown wagon trains from 1847 to 1868. It contains lists of passengers in companies as well as genealogical information about ancestors. It is the most comprehensive list of Mormon immigrants and the wagon trains that brought them to Utah. Platte River The Platte is one of the most significant tributary systems in

9514-410: The company near Green River, Wyoming . He reported to Young about his group's successful journey and their settlement in what is today San Francisco, California . He urged the vanguard company to continue on to California but was unable to shift the leader's focus away from the Great Basin. Young also met mountain man Jim Bridger on June 28. They discussed possible routes into the Salt Lake Valley, and

9648-551: The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, future emigrants were able to travel by rail, and the era of the Mormon pioneer trail came to an end. The following are major points along the trail at which the early Mormon pioneers stopped, established temporary camps, or used as landmarks and meeting places. The sites are categorized by their location in respect to modern-day US states. Mormon pioneers The Mormon pioneers were members of

9782-529: The completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869. Not everyone could afford to transport a family by railroad, and the transcontinental railroad network only serviced limited main routes, so wagon train migrations to the far west continued sporadically until the 20th century. Since its founding in 1830, members of the LDS Church frequently had conflicts and difficult relations with non-members, due to both their unorthodox religious beliefs and

9916-531: The conduct of the church leaders and members. These and other reasons caused the body of the church to move from one place to another—to Ohio , Missouri , and then to Illinois , where they built the city of Nauvoo. Sidney Rigdon was the First Counselor in the church's First Presidency , and as its spokesman, Rigdon preached several controversial sermons in Missouri, including the Salt Sermon and

10050-663: The confluence of the North Platte and the South Platte Rivers , which both arise from snowmelt in the eastern Rockies east of the Continental Divide . In central north Colorado is the North Park valley, ringed by mountains of 12,000 feet (3,700 m) height; this is where the North Platte River originates. The head of the North Platte River is essentially all of Jackson County ; its boundaries are

10184-611: The constitution of the Kingdom of Denmark in 1849. Along with the Danish translation of the Book of Mormon, this opened the area to great success in attaining converts. At that time the LDS Church was urging new members to gather to Utah, which led these early converts to make emigration plans. Box Elder , Cache , Salt Lake , Utah , and Sevier counties had large numbers of Danes listed in 19th Century Utah census totals but Sanpete County

10318-413: The continental divide on the west and south and the mountain drainage peaks on the east—the north boundary is the state of Wyoming. The nearest Colorado town is Walden , the county seat. The rugged Rocky Mountains Continental Divide surrounding Jackson County have at least twelve peaks over 11,000 feet (3,400 m) in height. From Jackson County, the North Platte flows north about 200 miles (320 km) out of

10452-409: The country. Some later companies used handcarts and traveled by foot. William Clayton , a member of the vanguard company, published the popular The Latter-Day Saints' Emigrants' Guide to help guide travelers on the way. By 1849, many of the Latter-day Saints who remained in Iowa or Missouri were poor and unable to afford the costs of the wagon, teams of oxen, and supplies that would be required for

10586-415: The deck and even reached the staterooms... Children's voices were crying in the darkness, mother's voices soothing or scolding, men's voices rising above the others, all mingled with the distressing groans and cries of the sick for help, and, above all, the roaring of the wind and howling of the tempest made a scene and feeling indescribable. The passengers of the ship Brooklyn left the United States with

10720-439: The feasibility of viable settlements in the mountain valleys of the Great Basin. Bridger was enthusiastic about settlement near Utah Lake, reporting fish, wild fruit, timber and good grazing. He told Young that local Indians raised good crops, including corn and pumpkins, but that there was ever-present danger of frost. The company pushed on through South Pass, rafted across the Green River and arrived at Fort Bridger on July 7. About

10854-621: The feasibility of viable settlements in the mountain valleys of the Great Basin. The company pushed on through South Pass, rafted across the Green River , and arrived at Fort Bridger on July 7. About the same time, they were joined by 12 more members of the sick detachment of the Mormon Battalion. Now facing a more rugged and hazardous trek, Young chose to follow the trail used by the Donner–Reed party on their journey to California

10988-474: The first irrigation ditch to divert water from the Platte for farming. In March 1924, the U.S. Army Air Corps conducted a three-day bombing campaign on an ice gorge that threatened bridges near the town of North Bend. The Platte is in the middle of the Central Flyway, a primary north–south corridor for migratory birds from their summer nesting grounds in the north ( Alaska and Canada ), south for

11122-506: The first company arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, the community of Bountiful was established to the north. In 1848, pioneers moved into lands purchased from trapper Miles Goodyear in present-day Ogden . In 1849, Tooele and Fort Utah (also known as Fort Provo, in modern-day Provo ) were founded. The settlement of Provo was particularly troubling to the Utes, since it was at the heart of their territory. Ute chief Wakara suggested

11256-765: The group could not remain in Nauvoo, Illinois —which the church had recently purchased, improved, renamed, and developed, because of the Missouri Mormon War , setting off the Illinois Mormon War . The well-organized wagon train migration began in earnest in April 1847, and the period (including the flight from Missouri in 1838 to Nauvoo), known as the Mormon Exodus is, by convention among social scientists, traditionally assumed to have ended with

11390-464: The group met trapper Miles Goodyear , who owned a trading post at the mouth of the Weber River. He was enthusiastic about the agricultural potential of the large Weber Valley. During the trip through the rugged mountains, the vanguard company divided into three sections. After crossing the Green River, several members of the party suffered from "mountain fever" (probably Colorado tick fever , which

11524-667: The hope of finding religious freedom. However, they arrived in Mexican Alta California just weeks after its occupation by the United States Navy at the outset of the Mexican–American War . Despite the tensions that drove them from their homes in the Eastern States, the crew and passengers "felt more cheerful and secure." Mormon historian B. H. Roberts noted in his work A Comprehensive History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints : On

11658-475: The journey to the Salt Lake Valley. Several hundred, including Young, returned east to gather and organize the companies scheduled for following years. Demographic estimates place 1,611 pioneers in the valley of the Great Salt Lake during the winter of 1847. The adult labor force, however, was quite small as a high percentage of the group, 53.2 percent were under the age of nineteen. Twenty five percent of

11792-479: The leadership of Brigham Young. This early departure exposed them to the elements in the worst of winter. After crossing the Mississippi River , the journey across Iowa Territory followed primitive territorial roads and Native American trails. Young originally planned to lead an express company of about 300 men to the Great Basin during the summer of 1846. He believed they could cross Iowa and reach

11926-541: The main body of Mormon refugees in 1839. In 1844, Smith, and his brother, Hyrum , were killed by a mob while in custody in the city of Carthage, Illinois . In 1846, religious tensions reached their peak, and in 1848 mobs burned the Latter-day Saint temple in Nauvoo . According to church belief, God inspired Brigham Young (Joseph Smith's successor as church president ) to call for the Saints (as church members call themselves) to organize and head West, beyond

12060-495: The main party at Laramie, Wyoming . The first segment of the journey, from Winter Quarters to Fort Laramie , took six weeks, with the company arriving at the fort on June 1. The company halted for repairs and to reshoe the draft animals. While at Fort Laramie, the vanguard company was joined by members of the Mormon Battalion who had been excused from service due to illness and sent to winter in Pueblo, Colorado . Also traveling in

12194-415: The migration, Brigham Young is sometimes referred to as the "American Moses ." Young personally reviewed all available information on the Salt Lake Valley and the Great Basin , consulted with mountain men and trappers who traveled through Winter Quarters, and met with Father Pierre-Jean De Smet , a Jesuit missionary familiar with the Great Basin. The wary Young insisted the Mormons should settle in

12328-649: The most northern of Spanish exploration trips into the central plains. A Pawnee and Otoe Indian attack defeated the Spanish forces; the survivors returned to Santa Fe, New Mexico , and the Spanish left the Great Plains to the American Indians. As a result of the Seven Years' War (1756–1763) (called the French and Indian War in America), the French ceded all of their lands in North America east of

12462-476: The new group were church members from Mississippi who had taken a more southern route toward the Great Basin. At this point, the now larger company took the established Oregon Trail toward the trading post at Ft. Bridger . At a difficult crossing of the Platte, just before encountering the Sweetwater River , the company made use of their portable boat and were able to cross with comparative ease. Seizing

12596-729: The north and south banks of the Platte and North Platte River were the Oregon (1843–1869), California (1843–1869), Mormon (1847–1869) and the Bozeman (1863–68) trails. This network of trails, sometimes called the Emigrant Trails or the Great Platte River Road , all went west along both sides of the Platte River. The route along the Platte River included all these emigration trails and was developed as an important trail route used by migrant wagon trains for westward United States expansion after 1841. The settlement of

12730-730: The north bank of the Platte River and North Platte River and over the continental divide climbing up to South Pass and Pacific Springs from Fort John along the valley of the Sweetwater River, then down to Fort Bridger and from there down to the Great Salt Lake became known as the Mormon Trail . Financial resources of the church members varied, with many families suffering from the loss of land and personal possessions in Missouri , and Illinois . This impacted

12864-439: The north side of the Platte River was chosen to avoid major interaction with travelers using the established Oregon Trail on the river's south side. Given the needs of the large volume of Saints who would travel west, church leaders decided to avoid potential conflicts over grazing rights, water access and campsites. In April 1847, Young consulted with members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who had recently returned from

12998-549: The number of goods they could haul on the long journey. As the oxen weakened under the strain, wagons were lightened by discarding prized possessions, including book collections, family china, and furniture. In 1847, just east of the Rocky Mountains, the Kimball family dug a large hole, wrapped their piano in buffalo skins and carefully buried it. An ox team retrieved the instrument the following spring and transported it to

13132-419: The numbers have declined. Canada geese have adapted to the farm fields and scavenge a large part of their fare from unharvested grain. Many have taken up residence at suburban office parks and stopped seasonal migrations. The Platte River flowing through an arid part of the mid-west has been widely overused. The claims on the Platte River water have exceeded the supply of water in drier years. Under Nebraska law,

13266-482: The opportunity to both help future travelers and increase the cash available to the migration, nine men under the direction of Thomas Grover were left behind to construct and operate a ferry at that location. Missourians and other travellers at the river paid the Saints $ 1.50 or more per wagon to help them cross. During the last week of June, Sam Brannan , leader of the voyage of the Brooklyn Saints , met

13400-927: The pioneers instead move into the Sanpete Valley in central Utah, where they established the community of Manti . Tensions in Fort Utah mounted after Mormons murdered Old Bishop, and Young ordered an attack on Utes, called the Battle at Fort Utah . This was shortly followed by the Walker War . Fillmore, Utah , intended to be the capital of the new territory, was established in 1851. In 1855, efforts to subdue and evangelize to local Native people led to outposts in Fort Lemhi on Idaho's Salmon River , Las Vegas, Nevada and Elk Mountain in east-central of present-day Utah. The experiences of returning members of

13534-438: The previous year. As the vanguard company traveled through the rugged mountains, they divided into three sections. Young and several other members of the party suffered from a fever, generally accepted as a "mountain fever" induced by wood ticks. The small sick detachment lagged behind the larger group, and a scouting division was created to move farther ahead on the designated route. Scouts Erastus Snow and Orson Pratt entered

13668-530: The principal source of water for arid eastern Colorado. The South Platte River valley provided a major emigration path to Denver. The wagon trails followed the south side of the Platte/North Platte River. Wagon trains were ferried or waded in low water years across the swampy-bottomed South Platte River in several places to stay on the south side of the North Platte River where the trails were located. Miners who later went on to Denver followed

13802-467: The region. Young also organized a vanguard company to break trail to the Rocky Mountains , evaluate trail conditions, find sources of water, and select a central gathering point in the Great Basin. A new route on the north side of the Platte and North Platte rivers was chosen to avoid potential conflicts over grazing rights, water access, and campsites with travelers using the established Oregon Trail on

13936-469: The resources and supplies each family could draw upon as they covered the more than 1,000 miles (2,000 km) to the Great Basin. Church funds were also limited at this time, but church leaders provided what funding and other material assistance they could to families and companies which were undersupplied. Covered wagons pulled by oxen were common, particularly in the early American companies. In October 1845, as church members were preparing to leave Nauvoo,

14070-685: The river's south side. The Quincy Convention of October 1845 passed resolutions demanding that the Latter-day Saints withdraw from Nauvoo by May 1846. A few days later, the Carthage Convention called for establishment of a militia that would force them out if they failed to meet the May deadline. To try to meet this deadline and to get an early start on the trek to the Great Basin, the Latter-day Saints began leaving Nauvoo in February 1846. The departure from Nauvoo began on February 4, 1846, under

14204-438: The same time, they were joined by thirteen more members of the sick detachment of the Mormon Battalion. The vanguard company now faced a more rugged and hazardous journey, and were concerned about negotiating the passes of the Rocky Mountains. They had received conflicting advice, but Young chose to follow the trail used by the Donner–Reed party on their journey to California the previous year. Shortly after leaving Fort Bridger,

14338-481: The sea voyage in five months and twenty-seven days. Augusta Joyce Crocheron , a passenger on the ship Brooklyn , described the voyage: As for the pleasure of the trip, we met disappointment, for we once lay becalmed in the tropics, and at another time we were "hatched below" during a terrific storm. Women and children were at night lashed to their berths, for in no other way could they keep in. Furniture rolled back and forth endangering limb and life. The waves swept

14472-508: The season which resulted in hardship and sometimes disaster. The most famous of these are the Willie and the Martin handcart companies. Leaving Iowa in July 1856, they did not reach Utah until November, suffering many deaths due to winter weather and the lack of adequate supplies. In November 1845, Samuel Brannan , newspaperman and small-scale publisher of the Mormon paper The Prophet (later

14606-420: The shares broke when they tried to plow the dry ground. Therefore, an irrigation system was designed and the land was flooded before plowing, and the resulting system provided supplemental moisture during the year. Salt Lake City was laid out and designated as Church headquarters. Hard work produced a prosperous community. In their new settlement, entertainment was also important, and the first public building

14740-890: The ship's 238 passengers, nine of whom were buried at sea . Brooklyn Place, in Chinatown, San Francisco , is named for the ship, as was the erstwhile Brooklyn, California . After the initial departure of the Latter-day Saints living in Illinois and Missouri, converts to the church from other areas in the United States and from Europe followed the initial trail to join the main body of the church in Salt Lake City. Every year from 1847 until 1869, church members making this journey were formed into organized companies. Migration continued until about 1890, but those who came by railroad are not generally considered to be "Mormon pioneers." Mormon pioneers emigrated from many countries. Denmark

14874-460: The spot where he made this declaration. Young later reported that he had seen the valley, including Ensign Peak , in a vision and recognized the spot. On July 28, Young established a location for the future Salt Lake Temple and presented a city plan to the larger group for their approval. In August 1847, Young and other selected members of the vanguard company returned to Winter Quarters. By December 1847, more than two thousand Mormons had completed

15008-485: The total were children under the age of eight. Each year during the Mormon migration, people continued to be organized into "companies", each company bearing the name of its leader. The company was further divided into groups of 10 and 50 with authority and responsibility delegated downward. The pioneers traveled to the Salt Lake Valley in the Great Basin using mainly large farm wagons, handcarts , and, in some cases, personally carrying their belongings. Their trail along

15142-509: The trail broken by the vanguard company, splitting the journey into two sections. The first segment began in Nauvoo and ended in Winter Quarters , near modern-day Omaha, Nebraska . The second half of the journey took the Saints through the area that later became Nebraska and Wyoming , before finishing their journey in the Salt Lake Valley in present-day Utah . The earlier groups used covered wagons pulled by oxen to carry their supplies across

15276-554: The trail. On their return trip, the fur traders carried out furs destined for eastern markets. The fur trade route was used to about 1840. By about 1832, the fur traders had improved the trail along the Platte, North Platte, and Sweetwater rivers to a rough wagon trail from the Missouri River to the Green River in Wyoming, where most of the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous were held. In 1834 Benjamin Bonneville ,

15410-549: The trails along the Platte. The Pony Express , operational from 1860–61, and the First Transcontinental Telegraph , completed in 1861, both followed the earlier emigrant trails along the Platte. The completion of the telegraph put the Pony Express out of business as it could provide much faster east–west communication. In 1866 the Union Pacific portion of the first Transcontinental Railroad

15544-482: The trek, the youth dress as pioneers and pack a few things to carry in handcarts. They go on a hike for a couple of days so they can experience what the pioneers had. During this multi-day event, camp organizers sometimes require youth to avoid the use of technology or anything that the pioneers did not have on their journeys, to enhance the experience. The Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel gathers information from journals, church history records, and other materials to locate

15678-413: The trip over the trail to Salt Lake City. While not the first to use handcarts, they were the only group to use them extensively. The handcarts were modeled after carts used by street sweepers and were made almost entirely of wood. They were generally six to seven feet (183 to 213 cm) long, wide enough to span a narrow wagon track, and could be alternately pushed or pulled. The small boxes affixed to

15812-595: The trip. Therefore, the LDS Church established a revolving fund , known as the Perpetual Emigration Fund , to enable the poor to emigrate. By 1852, most of the Latter-day Saints from Nauvoo who wished to emigrate had done so, and the church abandoned its settlements in Iowa. However, many church members from the eastern states and from Europe continued to emigrate to Utah, often assisted by the Perpetual Emigration Fund. In 1856,

15946-468: The vanguard company to the Salt Lake Valley , which was then outside the boundaries of the United States and later became Utah . During the first few years, the emigrants were mostly former occupants of Nauvoo who were following Young to Utah. Later, the emigrants increasingly included converts from the British Isles and Europe. The trail was used for more than 20 years, until the completion of

16080-417: The vanguard company was joined by members of the Mormon Battalion , who had been excused due to illness and sent to winter in Pueblo, Colorado , and a group of Church members from Mississippi. At this point, the now larger company took the established Oregon Trail toward the trading post at Fort Bridger . Young met mountain man Jim Bridger on June 28. They discussed routes into the Salt Lake Valley and

16214-445: The western frontier of the United States. During the winter of 1846–1847, Latter-day Saint leaders in Winter Quarters and Iowa laid plans for the migration of the large number of Saints, their equipment, and their livestock. It was here that Young first met Thomas L. Kane , a non-Mormon from Philadelphia with deep personal connections to the administration of U.S. president James K. Polk administration. Kane obtained permission for

16348-413: The winter, and the return in the spring. The Central Flyway bird species include trumpeter swans , tundra swans , over one million Canada geese , greater white-fronted geese , sandhill cranes, canvasback ducks and others. Other species such as bald eagles , herons and several species of ducks migrate through the Platte River area but over shorter distances. The whooping crane, piping plover , and

16482-407: Was a theater. It did not take long, however, until the United States caught up with them, and in 1848, after the end of the war with Mexico , the land in which they settled became part of the United States. Each year during the Mormon migration, people continued to be organized into "companies", each company bearing the name of its leader and subdivided into groups of 10 and 50. The Saints traveled

16616-660: Was appointed company scribe and was expected to record an accurate description of their journey and the distance they traveled each day. Clayton collaborated with Orson Pratt , a mathematician, and Appleton Harmon, a carpenter, to create a wagon-wheel odometer, or roadometer . It showed that the company averaged between fourteen and twenty miles per day. Apostle Orson Pratt was named the company's scientific observer. He made regular readings on scientific instruments, took notes on geological formations and mineral resources, and described plants and animals. Journals kept by both Clayton and Pratt have become valuable resources for historians of

16750-685: Was built in 1834 by Joseph H. Russell at Newcastle, Maine. The voyage is the longest passage made by a Mormon emigrant company. The ship Brooklyn sailed from Brooklyn Harbor, New York, and traveled south across the Atlantic equator, around Cape Horn , stopping at the Juan Fernández Islands , then to the Sandwich Islands ( Hawaii ), finally docking in Yerba Buena (now San Francisco ) on July 29, 1846, having made

16884-581: Was constructed along the Platte River as it started west from Omaha. In the 20th century, the Lincoln Highway and later Interstate 80 were constructed through the Platte valley. The highways parallel the Platte and the North Platte through much of Nebraska. Many of Nebraska’s larger cities originated on or near the Platte River, as it was the first path of transportation. These include Omaha (est. 1854), Fort Kearny (est. 1848), Grand Island (est. 1857) and North Platte (est. 1869). In 1859 settlers built

17018-559: Was crucial. Almost immediately, Young sent out scouting parties to identify and settle additional community sites. While it was difficult to find large areas in the Great Basin where water sources were dependable and growing seasons long enough to raise vitally important subsistence crops, satellite communities began to be formed in all directions. Church members eventually headed south into present-day Arizona and Mexico, west into California, north into Idaho and Canada, and east into Wyoming, settling many communities in those areas. Shortly after

17152-524: Was formed under the direction of Stephen Markham . On April 5, 1847, at 2 p.m., the wagon train moved west from Winter Quarters toward the Great Basin. With the afternoon start, they made three miles (5 km) and camped in a line a few hundred yards from a stand of timber. Journal records show that Young actively managed the journey, supervising details and occasionally giving reprimands when evening and Sunday recreation became rowdy or group members failed to complete their tasks. On one occasion, he chastised

17286-485: Was little used and nearly forgotten. In 1823 Jedediah Smith and several trappers "rediscovered" the route. The trail along the Platte, North Platte and Sweetwater rivers became a major route of fur traders to their summer Rocky Mountain Rendezvous . In 1824 fur trappers and traders directing mule trains carrying trade goods and supplies for the mountain men were some of the first European-American parties to use

17420-409: Was one of those countries, with a large number of Mormon emigrants coming to Utah between 1850 and 1910. The migration of Danes was initiated when missionaries from the LDS Church, including Erastus Snow , Peter O. Hansen and two others, were sent to Denmark in 1850. Hansen made the first translation of the Book of Mormon from English, by translating it into Danish. Religious freedom was written into

17554-533: Was silty and bad tasting, but it was usable if no other water was available. Emigrants learned to let it sit in a bucket for an hour or so to settle most of the silt. The trail(s) through the Platte River Valley extended about 450 miles (720 km) in the present state of Nebraska. Nearly all the trails from the Missouri converged on the Platte River at or before Fort Kearny in mid-state Nebraska. Historians have estimated about 400,000 emigrants followed

17688-434: Was that the Platte was "a mile wide at the mouth, but only six inches deep." 49ers said it was "too thick to drink, too thin to plow". In western Nebraska, the banks and riverbed of the Platte provide a green oasis amid an otherwise semi-arid region of North America. The central Platte River valley is an important stopover for migratory water birds, such as the whooping crane and sandhill crane , in their yearly traversal of

17822-524: Was the area where the largest number settled. The Mormons settled in the Salt Lake Valley, which at that time was used as a buffer zone between the Shoshones and the Utes , who were at war. Upon arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, the Mormons developed and cultivated the arid terrain to make it more suitable. They created irrigation systems, laid out farms, built houses, churches and schools. Access to water

17956-467: Was the first woman selected for the company. She was in ill health and Lorenzo Young feared to leave her and their young children behind. The other original women of the company, Ellen Sanders Kimball, wife of Heber C. Kimball, and Clarissa Decker Young, wife of Brigham Young, were asked to accompany the group to look after Harriet Young and keep her company. The three women were joined by a larger group of women church members from Mississippi who merged with

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