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OCTA > The Overland Journals > Overland Journal 25-4, Winter 2007

Overland Journal 25-4, Winter 2007

Name: Overland Journal 25-4, Winter 2007
SKU: 1219-88
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Overland Journal Volume 25 Number 4 Winter 2007

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SKU: 1219-88 Category: The Overland Journals Tag: Overland Journal Volume 25 Number 4 2007

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Oregon-California Trails Association

48 minutes ago

Could you leave friends and family behind for an unknown life in an unknown place?Some might wonder why someone would pick up everything that they had and leave friends and family behind for an unknown life in an unknown place with no guarantee of success in a frontier that was little understood. Yet, even today, many experience the same thing, minus a wagon and 3+ month journey. Some sought free or cheap land, others sought adventure, religious freedom, freedom from politics, freedom from bondage, and for a majority of the people who would travel overland, as Margaret Frink put it, for "delightful climate and abundance of gold." It was a chance at a better life, often a gamble.There were plenty of skeptics. Mrs. Frink notes her experience with them: "We know nothing of frontier life, nor how to prepare for it. ... we were met with all the discouragements and obstructions that our neighbors and the people of our country could invent or imagine, to induce us not to attempt such a perilous journey." #MidwestNPS #FindYourPark #CaliforniaTrail Sketch of "The Mining Business in Four Pictures," undated, Britton & Rey, call number: 48052:009, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

50 minutes ago

It is the last Friday with the Donner/Reed party. "And thus ends the terrible, thrilling, and true saga of the Donner/Reed wagon party of 1846." Thank you to California Trail Interpretive Center staff for all their research, writing, and postings of this infamous episode on the trail.Friday with the Donners:As this series comes to a close, The California Trail Interpretive Center would like to thank those of you who have been following these weekly posts. If you missed or would like to reread any of the posts you can follow the hashtag link #FridaysWithTheDonnersMarch 1847: Sometime toward the end of this month, George Donner dies. After laying him out, his wife Tamsen sets out to cross the mountains. She arrives at the Breen cabin, where Lewis Keseberg is living, mysteriously, she does not survive the night.Eliza Farnham wrote in her 1856 book California In-doors and Out, based on interviews with Mrs. Breen:“...they reached Mule Springs [...] There Mrs. B. (Breen) learned of the safe arrival of her sons who had preceded her, and of the fate that had befallen other(s), and there she found new cause of thanksgiving for the unspeakable love that had sustained them through all the sufferings and perils ..”April 17, 1847: The Fourth Relief reaches the lake. Lewis Keseberg, surrounded by half-eaten corpses, is the only one alive.April 29, 1847: The last member of the Donner Party, Lewis Keseberg, arrives at Sutter's Fort.Mortality summaryThere were 87 emigrants in the Donner Party, plus Luis and Salvador, two California Indians who joined them in Nevada, for a total of 89 people. Of the 89, a net of 81 people were trapped in the mountains.Of the total 89 people, 41 died and 48 survived; of the original 87 emigrants, 39 died and 48 survived; of the 81 people trapped in the mountains, 36 died and 45 survived.About two-thirds of the women and children survived, while about two-thirds of the men died. All four Donner adults (the couples George & Tamsen Donner and Jacob & Elizabeth Donner) died; all the Breens and Reeds survived.The survivors of the Donner Party settled throughout California, and some became quite well-known with numerous descendants.Lewis Keseberg was the most infamous and vilified member of the Donner Party. Keseberg, 32, was the last member of the Party to be rescued, by the Fourth Relief. It is said that he lived 4 months on human flesh. Upon his arrival at Sutter’s Fort, he filed an action for defamation against Ned Coffeemeyer. Presumably, the allegedly defamatory statements were the stories spread by the Fourth Relief that Keseberg had killed Mrs. Donner for her money. The court found for Keseberg but awarded him only one dollar in damages. Keseberg captained Sutter’s launch in Sacramento and later opened a boarding house in Sacramento. Lewis Keseberg died in 1895.William McCutchen was a hero of the Donner Party.William McCutchen, 30, left the Party with Charles Stanton on about September 12, 1846. They rode ahead from Relief Springs, Nevada, to Sutter’s Fort for supplies. McCutchen joined James Reed on his unsuccessful relief of November 1846, and on the Second Relief. He lived to old age in San Jose. His wife Amanda, 30, survived the Snowshoe Party.June 22, 1847: General Stephen Watts Kearny, heading east, reaches what he calls the "Cannibal Camp". Mormon Battalion veterans in his party gather the remains into the Breen cabin. The bodies are buried there, and the cabin is then set afire.Clean-Up Operations:In June 1847, General Kearny led his detachment back to the United States. As Sargeant Nathaniel Jones recorded in his journal for June 22, 1847:“We came down the lake to some cabins that had been built by some emigrants last fall. [...] The general called a halt and ordered 5 men to bury the deserted bodies that were lying on the ground. This place now goes by the name of cannibal camp. [...] After we had buried the bones of the dead, we set fire to the cabin.And thus ends the terrible, thrilling, and true saga of the Donner/Reed wagon party of 1846. Sources: Survivors (donnerpartydiary.com), Donner Party timeline - Wikipedia , C.F. McGlashan | Media Museum of Northern California (norcalmediamuseum.org)Photo: Cover of “History of the Donner Party”. Charles Fayette McGlashan became interested in the story of the Donner Party as the relief operations began. This interest led to a thorough two-year investigation of the Donner tragedy, culminating in the book “History of the Donner Party.” The story was first run in serial form in the Truckee Republican and is McGlashan’s main claim to fame. ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

2 days ago

For your summer trails trip planning . . . . Why would you want to see the Platte River? Because its a perfect curiousity!The Platte River was alien to most people coming onto the Great Plains from east of the Mississippi River. Here is what some of the diarists thought."Its waters are very shallow, and are scattered over their broad bed in almost innumerable channels, nearly obscured by the naked sand-bars that (meander) its entire course through the grand prairie. ... the valley of the Platte is six or seven miles wide, and the river itself between one and two miles from bank to bank." - Rufus Sage, 1841 or 1842"The river is a perfect curiosity, it is so very different from any of our streams that it is hard to realize that a river should be running so near the top of the ground without timber and no bank at all." - Martha M. Moore, 1859What was your first impression of the Platte River? Where did you see it for the first time? #FindYourPark #MidwestNPS #platteriver Image: William Henry Jackson Collection, Scotts Bluff National Monument, unknown date ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

3 days ago

Cochise County - Arizona Trails ... See MoreSee Less

Cochise County - Arizona Trails

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Doug Hocking presents at the OCTA Southern Trails Annual Meeting in Tombstone. The Trails across Cochise CountyDiscover your Trail. The Oregon-California Tr...

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Oregon-California Trails Association

4 days ago

OCTA Spring 2023, News From the Plains - ... See MoreSee Less

OCTA Spring 2023, News From the Plains

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Please continue to turn in your volunteer hours, mileage, expenses paid by you and not reimbursed, time traveling to meetings (including the San Diego Symposium), research, etc. We are attempting to ...

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Oregon-California Trails Association

4 days ago

The diary of Margaret Frink, published by her husband after her death in January 1893 at 73 under the title "Journal of the Adventures of a Party of California Gold-seekers," gives us a unique and detailed look at what life was like for an overland emigrant going to California during the Gold Rush. Her travels in 1850 brought her from Martinsville, Indiana to Sacramento, California. Her party covered 2,418 miles in 162 days (over 5 months) and unlike most others at the time, did so with horses instead of oxen. Join us in our weekly posts as we follow Mrs. Frink and her party west across the continent as they set off seeking a better life.If you wish to follow along in greater detail, her diary is readily available online for free. It is worth a full read.If you wish to see a summary of the life of Margaret Frink, please visit the NPS article located here: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/margaret-frink.htm#FindYourPark #californiatrail #MidwestNPS #martinsvilleindiana #sacramento Photo from NPS Collection ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

4 days ago

Happy Monday from the top of the world. (Photo credit: Kevin Marcus) ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

6 days ago

#30 of 160 – Lucretia Marshbanks – March 15.Lucretia Marshbanks was one of the first black women to venture to the Black Hills of South Dakota. She was a cook, boarding house manager, hotel owner, and ranch owner. This determined and enterprising woman left such an impact on the area that a character in the HBO series Deadwood was inspired by her.Born enslaved Lucretia was gifted to her half-cousin, Ann Marchbanks. Lucretia’s father was a product of an all-too-common situation, the child of an enslaved woman and her white enslaver. Ann traveled with her husband to California during the gold rush and they brought Lucretia with them. There Lucretia saw the possibilities economic opportunity in the West for a black woman before returning to the East.By 1876, she had heard of Custer’s gold discovery in the Dakota Territory and traveled to the famous gold mining town of Deadwood. She had experience with cooking and got a job as the kitchen manager in the Grand Central Hotel. Soon, the hotel was known for the cooking of “Aunt Lou.” Lucretia worked various jobs in the area including managing the boardinghouse of the Father De Smet Mine.She was considered by many to be the finest cook in the Black Hills. She once baked a mincemeat pie that a man enjoyed so much, he bought her a silk dress when he struck it rich in 1881. She is wearing this dress in the professional photograph taken of her later that year. Lucretia purchased a boarding house in Sawpit Gulch in 1883 and named it Rustic Hotel. A few years later she decided to move out of the city. She sold the hotel, purchased cattle, and began ranching in the valley between Beulah and Sundance, Wyoming. Over the years, Lucretia expanded her holdings to include an additional 240 acres under the Homestead Act.#160of160 #Homesteading #FindYourPark #BlackHomesteadersProject #WomensHistoryMonth ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

7 days ago

OCTA E-News for Friday, March 17, 2023 - ... See MoreSee Less

OCTA E-News for Friday, March 17, 2023

mailchi.mp

2023 OCTA Spring Symposium Journey West from St. Joseph Symposium March 30 - April 2, 2023 St. Joseph, Missouri

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Oregon-California Trails Association

1 week ago

It is Friday with the Donner/Reed party. Help has arrived, but how can you rescue people who have no strength to walk?“...not bound to them by any tie of blood or kindred, nor having any hope of reward, except the grand consciousness of doing a noble act, makes his conduct shine more lustrously...”Friday with the Donners:March 12, 1847: On the other side of the mountains, The Second Relief ended.At the Donner tents, according to McGlashan based on a statement by Nicholas Clark:“All this time Mrs. Tamsen Donner was tortured with fear and dread, lest her children had perished in the dreadful storm on the summits. At last, Clark yielded to her importunities and decided to visit the cabins at Donner Lake and see if there was any news from beyond the Sierras. Clark found the children at Keseberg’s cabin and witnessed such scenes of horror and suffering that he determined at once to attempt to reach California. Returning to Alder Creek, he told Mrs. Donner of the situation of her children and says he informed her that he believed their lives were in danger of a death more violent than starvation. He informed her of his resolution to leave the mountains and taking a portion of the little meat that was left, he at once started upon his journey. John Baptiste accompanied him. [...] Mrs. Tamsen Donner did not dare to leave her husband alone during the night but told Clark and Baptiste that she should endeavor to make the journey to the cabins on the following day.”The Third Relief arrived at Starved Camp, according to Thornton, based on Eddy:“The next day, at 4 o’clock, they arrived at the camp of those whom Mr. Reed had been compelled to leave. The fire at the Starved Camp had melted the snow down to the ground, and the hole thus made was about twelve or fifteen feet in diameter, and twenty-four feet deep. As the snow continued to melt, they made steps by which they ascended and descended. ... After supplying these emigrants with food, Messrs. Oakley, Starks, and Stone were left to lead them on to Bear River valley and to carry out Mrs. Graves’ babe and two other children.”According to McGlashan:“When these members of the third relief reached the deep, well-like cavity in which were the seven Breens, the three Grave’s children, and Mary Donner, a serious question arose. None of the eleven, except Mrs. Breen and John Breen, were able to walk. A storm appeared to be gathering upon the mountains, and the supply of provisions was very limited. [...] When it was found that nine out of the eleven people must be carried over the snow, it is hardly to be wondered at that a proposition was made to leave a portion of the sufferers. It was proposed to take the three Graves children and Mary Donner" ... This scene is described in the manuscript of Honorable James F. Breen:“Those who were in favor of returning to the settlements, and leaving the Breen’s for a future relief party (which, under the circumstances, was equivalent to the death penalty), were to answer “aye”. The question was put to each man by name, and as the names were called, the dreadful “aye” responded. John Stark’s name was the last one called, because he had[...] strongly opposed the proposition for abandonment, and it was naturally supposed that when he found himself in so hopeless a minority he would surrender. When his name was called, he made no answer until someone said to him. “Stark, won’t you vote?” [...] When he was thus directly appealed to, he answered quickly and decidedly. “No, gentlemen, I will not abandon these people. I am here on a mission of mercy, and I will not half do the work. You can all go if you want to, but I shall stay by these people while they and I live.” [...] No one can attach blame to those who voted to leave part of the emigrants. It was a desperate case. Their idea was to save as many as possible, and they honestly believed that by attempting to save all, all would be lost. But this consideration--and the further one that Stark was an entire stranger to everyone in the camps, not bound to them by any tie of blood or kindred, nor having any hope of reward, except the grand consciousness of doing a noble act--makes his conduct shine more lustrously in the eyes of every person who admires nature’s true and only nobility.”McGlashan quotes from a manuscript by John Breen:“Stark was finally left alone. To his great bodily strength and unexcelled courage, myself and others owe our lives. There was probably no other man in California at that time, who had the intelligence, determination, and what was absolutely necessary in that emergency, the immense physical powers of John Stark. He was as strong as two ordinary men. On his broad shoulders, he carried the provisions, most of the blankets, and most of the time some of the weaker children. In regard to this, he would laughingly say that he could carry them all, if there was room on his back, because they were so light from starvation.”March 13, 1847: Over the pass at Starved Camp, just west of the Pass, the survivors set out down the mountain, according to Eliza Farnham in her book California In-Doors and Out, based on her conversations with Mrs. Breen:“...by morning they were all, except the poor infants, so much refreshed and strengthened, that it seemed possible to set out; indeed, it was an imperative necessity to move, as the supplies that had been brought were very slender, and were already materially reduced. They had snow-shoes, and sank deep--almost to the belly at every step. [...] The poor mother bore her baby, and the little orphan was taken by turns. One source of exquisite suffering, was the dreadful condition of their feet. They had been so often frosted, that, in several cases, every trace of the integuments had disappeared, and the unsheathed, lacerated flesh left its bloody mark at every step on the snow. This was torture to the poor mother’s heart. But she had to urge her little ones onward, painful though it was to them and herself. Their road often lay along the slopes of hills, where a single false step would have precipitated them fifty or a hundred feet, but feeble as they were, they went on without accident, sometimes two, sometimes five miles, a day...”March 15, 1847: The Third Relief continued down Yuba Bottoms, according to Eddy as told to Thornton:“The next morning, they resumed their journey, and came up with Mr. Starks, with Patrick Brinn and family, and others, who were the eleven persons that remained alive of the fourteen whom Mr. Reed had been constrained to leave. They at the same time met Messrs. Glover, Coffemymeir, Mootrey, and Woodworth, who had halted to prepare dinner. After the meal was taken, these gentlemen set out for the Mule Spring. Toward the close of the afternoon, Mr. Woodworth’s party encamped at the last crossing of Yuva river. At night Messrs. Eddy, Foster, Thompson, and Miller came up, bringing with them the children with whom they had left the Mountain Camp. John Baptiste and Clarke were also with them. Here they encamped in the snow.”Photo: Attributed to Alexander Ritchie (American, 1782-1862). "Portrait of General John Stark." Oil on canvas, 30 x 25 inches. John Scull Stark is the hero of this week's story as he single-handedly rescued members of the Breen, Graves, and Jacob Donner families from Starved Camp. According to H. H. Bancroft, Stark was county judge of Napa Co. from 1850-51, he was a member of the legislature in 1851-1856, and Stark served as sheriff of Napa Co. for six years. Mr. Stark died instantaneously of a heart attack while pitching hay from a wagon in 1874. John and Mary Jane Stark had 11 children.Sources: https://www.donnerpartydiary.com, John Scull Stark (1817 - 1874) - Genealogy (geni.com)#FridaysWithTheDonnerParty ... See MoreSee Less

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