Sunday, August 22, 2021

Daily Itinerary ETM and Donner and Donner Party

From YouTube video and Herman Blog

From Mullen book

 

Washington DC

 

 

Springfield marker - 39° 48.028′ N, 89° 38.919′ W. Marker is in Springfield, Illinois, in Sangamon County. Marker is on East Adams Street west of 6th Street, on the left when traveling west.  Marker is in this post office area: Springfield IL 62701, United States of America.

 

 

Independence Square, Independence Missouri, 524 S. old SAGE Street independence Missouri, 0CTA, 816. 252. 2276, National frontier Trail's museum, 318 W. Pacific Ave., 816. 3 to 5. 7575. The start of the trail is in Courthouse Square, old independence landing north of independence Missouri, the courthouse is located at Main and Maple Street near independence Square , Courthouse location, 112 W. Lexington Ave., independence Missouri. Independence tourism, 800. 748. 7323

4/15   Springfield Illinois (see marker)

5/12   Independence Missouri

 

Hart Grove Creek Kansas City, Marion Park is southeast of the corner of U.S. Highway 71 (Bruce R. Watkins Drive) and East Bannister Road (County Road West) Hart Grove Campground, which is located in the park along Hart Grove Creek, was the campsite for many travelers along the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon trails as well as for the ill-fated 1846 Donner Party.

 

Blog: After following Virginia Reed's route via Interstate 70 and US Highway 24 to Manhattan, Kansas, I met a local woman who told me exactly where the Reeds and Donners crossed the Kansas River (then called the Caw) a week after they left Independence, Missouri. So the next morning I backtracked a bit and found the crossing northwest of Topeka, off US Highway 24.. (Bridge crossing is in Wamego, KS. Sign says Kansas River)

 

Blog Once on the other side of the Kansas River, I followed the company's general direction up Kansas-99, across Kansas-9 and up US Route 77 to the Big Blue River Crossing (now known as Independence Crossing).

5/15   Blue River, Heart Grove, 22 miles west of independence

5/17   Wakarusa River, 60 miles west of Independence

5/19   KAW (Kansas) River Kansas, state park

5/22   Camp at Soldier Creek in Kansas,  Camp at Black Paint creek, 116 miles from Independence Missouri

5/24   *Big Blue Earth River, 3/4 of mile from spring at Alcove Spring, where reed carved is initials

 

 

Banks of the Big Blue River; Alcove Springs, rock where read carved his name new paragraph memorial to Sarah keys

Emmigrant park outside Marysville

Marysville Kansas camp, free camping in Iowa Park

5/26   *Vermillion Creek; 163 miles from Independence Missouri

5/29   Sarah Keyes dies, buried in banks of Big Blue River on right side of Oregon California trail, grave unknown

5/31   Cross the Big Blue River

          Camped on Little Blue River

          88 miles from Big Blue River Crossing, 251 miles from Independence

 

 

WH Camped at Reservoir,  North fork of Platte River, Interstate 80 follows the trail, Platte River runs through Nebraska

 

Blog Today US Route 77 north, Interstate 80 west, and Kansas-26 west generally follow the same route Virginia's company took across the Plains near the Platte River. 

6/9     Along PLATTE River

          Bluffs overlooking PLATTE river

6/14   Young boy dies after being run over by the wagon

          Foreign and 50 miles from independence, 200 miles to Fort Laramie

          Dash hollow camp, beyond south PLATTE river

 

 

Courthouse Rock

Chimney rock

Scott's Bluff

*Castle rock near North PLATTE river in Nebraska

6/23   *Chimney Rock, BAYNARD, Nebraska

`6/26  Passed Scott's Bluff, camp near Fort Bernard on PLATTE river; *Scotts Bluff National Park, near Fort Barnard on Platte river, camped at Fremont Spring

 

Fort Laramie WY

 

*Fort Laramie, Reed learns of Hastings cut off

6/30   *Camped near spring within sight of Laramie peak, 32 miles from Fort Laramie, see page 87 for camps

7/4     Camp at LA PRELE creek in WY

7/6     Camped by a natural bridge across North Platte River

          *Continental divide at South Pass

          Camp at Willow Springs, two days after leaving North Platte River

          *Letter received from Hastings; *Three days from Independence Rock, crossed Platte River

 

 

Guernsey Wyoming, check out wagon rush

 

 

Independence rock in Wyoming, Sweetwater river nearby, (she was in Casper the day before)

Blog_ I continued on Interstate Highway 25 north and Wyoming-220 west to see Independence Rock for myself. 

Devils gate nearby, see gorge, one halfway point on the journey

7/12   *Independence Rock, Overland Trail, slept near bass, 100 miles to Southpass

          *Devils Gate (see page 95)  can be seen from Independence Rock,

          Sweetwater River

 

The Rockies and the continental divide;  Southpass to cross Rockies

7/17   *Summit of South Pass, 920 miles from Independence Missouri

 

 

Cut off to Fort Hall or Fort Bridger :  the parting of the ways, California or Oregon

 

Blog: Donner  family camped their last night as members of the Russell Company at Little Sandy, a river near today's tiny town of Farson, Wyoming.  The newly named Donner Party took this left hand turn near the Little Sandy River, Before taking the cutoff, the Donner Party camped near the Little Sandy River, which winds westward toward the parting of the ways.

7/24   Camped on little Sandy River, one of the forks of the Green River, a tributary of the Colorado river

          *Cut off near little Sandy River (see page 101), Road to left to Fort Bridger, Road to write to Fort Hall,

          Camped at Big Sandy River, 20 miles from turning left,

          George Donner in charge,

          Cross Green River

 

 

Fort Bridger; Hastings cut off 74 men and women and children; Georg now in charge, last fort for the next 800 miles

Hastings cut off sign, BLM; On the California National Historic trail marker;

7/26   *Camped in meadow 1/2 mile from Fort Bridger

8/2     camp at Bear River, Snow capped mountains nearby, Echo Canyon Camp

8/4     Snyder joins with Graves family

 

Wasatch Mountains; Weber River, Echo Canyon, Hastings pointed to another route, they took the Emmigration Canyon route

 

Bolg: I criss-crossed the party's general route through the Wasatch via Interstate 80 west to the valley, 

8/9     Weber Canyon Path, headed west toward WASATCH mountains, crossed Yellow Creek near Wyoming and Utah border, camp at HENIFER Utah, Wasatch Mountains, camp at Dixie Hollow River, check out East Cannon State Park nearby

8/12   Hogsback Summit, after giving up on Weber canyon, Big mountain, East Canyon Creek; mouth of little Emigrant Canyon, Dixie Hollows to Emigrant Canyon on route 65 21.9 miles

8/16   Graves family joins party with Snyder in tow, on a party now consist of 87 people +22 wagons

8/18   cut through Reed's gap, Big mountain into Mountain Dell Canyon

 

 

Donner Hill, at end of Emigration Canyon; place where they emerge from Wasatch Mountains, they look the wagons uphill

8/21   Donner Hill see historical marker, see Internet for coordinates

 

 

Luke Hollaran grave, the edge of the great Salt Lake desert

8/25   pass through Grantsville today, see Donne-Reed museum in town, pass-through Hope Wells Utah where a note from Hastings was found, IOSEPA is this the same as Hopewells?

 

 

The Jordan River, the last river; Actual campsite of Donner before great Salt Lake Desert

The Great Salt Lake desert, 40 miles to pilot Peak

Spring at pilot peak

The great basin desert

They Went spring to Spring, sage brush, Oasis Nevada,  where they spent the night (mobile home camp)

 

Blog:  I drove through the desert toward Pilot Peak via Interstate 80 in what is now Nevada,

8/30   trek across the great Salt Lake desert begins;  come close to Pilot Peak along the way

9/1     look for a marker at Silver Island and Spring at base of Pilot Peak

9/4     spring at base of mountain named after Donner party, Donner spring is 5.9 miles to Pilot Peak, (turn right off 80 at Indian Lunch Buffet and Café)

9/11   make way across Silver Zone Pass to Big Springs, 3 miles from Donner Spring, Johnson's ranch and Big Springs

9/13   Flowery Springs camp, Jaspur Pass

9/15   14 miles over PEQUOP Mountain via Jaspur pass, Mound Springs across Spruce Mountains what is now Clover Valley, see Mound Springs coordinates on Web, 216 miles from Pilot Peak to Mound Springs

9/18   Ruby Valley, Thompson Creek, 50 Springs

9/20   in Ruby Valley, Davis Ranch, Cave Creek, see google map, near South Ruby Lake Camp off Ruby Valley Road, party went around the southern end of the Ruby Mountains, route up Mineral Valley, last camp in Ruby Valley

9/22   across crossed west via Overland Pass, reached Huntington Creek, Huntington Valley, camped at Sadler Ranch, Sinking Creek Valley

9/25   crossing Huntington Valley, follow Huntington Creek into Canyon, South Fork Canon (where I stayed?), Camp is where Smith in Huntington Creeks met,

 

They finished the Hastings cut off, return to the trail near Elko Nevada

Humboldt River, river disappears in the Humboldt Sink, see the Hot Springs where they camped at Carlin (brothel there today, dovetail)

0/27   came out of Canyon and hit Humboldt River , CARLIN, MOLEEN, exit in Canyon at Susie Creek, the "short trip" ends, Moleen to Elko 12 miles, Moleen to Carlin 15 miles, Carlin to Golconda 87 miles

9/29   BEOWAWE, joined by two Indians one called "Thursday" (like Donner): Gravelly Ford nearby

 

Ironpoint near Golconda, where Snyder died.

Blog: Site is next to the Humboldt River a few miles off the Interstate, near Iron Point, Nevada.

10/2   camped midway between Battle Mountain and Stone House, note: South Fork to Golconda 127, miles

10/4   Red house

10/5   Snyder killed

10/6   near Ironpoint, the Donners are two days ahead on trail

10/9   IMLAY, 49 miles from Golcconda, WINNEMUCCA is 34 miles from IMLAY, IMLAY to Truckee is 167 miles

 

 

Blog: The two areas of the dry, arid Great Basin that pioneers on the California Trail most dreaded were the Humboldt Sink and the waterless desert between the sink and the Truckee River, known as the 40 Mile Desert.

Humboldt sink is a few miles west of Lovelock in 80. the Humboldt Sink stretches approximately 11 miles east to west and 4 miles north to south.

40 mile desert, the end of ???? to Truckee

Wadsworth Nevada at the Truckee River

10/11 Lovelock on route 80, Breens horse dies as a result of Eddy not helping him get out of the mud

10/13 begin hike over northern 40 Mile Desert to Truckee River

10/16 camp death, Wadsworth is north of 80, Wolfinger is killed by Spitzer in Reinhart, Begin walk up winding Truckee River, Truckee River crosses route 80 here

 

 

Truckee Meadows now Reno Nevada

10/20 Donner Springs in Reno, Donner park located at 4385 LORETO Ln. in Reno, lead wagons reach Truckee Meadows ( Reno today), LAGOMARSINO Canyn near Lockwood, 10 miles to Reno

10/23 Pike killed in Truckee Meadow by accident

 

 

Alder Camp (6 miles to Truckee),

Donner Camp, Donner Summit 7239 feet

10/25 emigrants climb to Sierra, Donner's are the last to leave the Meadows, the Donner trail is believed to be between Big Valley and HOKE Valley, Stampede and Prosser reservoirs

10/27 Donner brakes axle, George cuts hand, a storm is brewing

10/30 group arrives in valley east of Donner Lake

11/3   first attempt at Summit, snow

11/4   snow drifts to 10 feet deep

11/5   Pioneers take shelter

Johnson's Ranch and Fort Sutter

Blog: the Humboldt Sink stretches approximately 11 miles east to west and 4 miles north to south.

 

 

 

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