158 Years Ago TODAY - Sunday, November 30, 1856

ZION - AT LAST!

 

Finally, on Sunday, November 30, 1856, the Martin Handcart Company entered the Salt Lake Valley.
 

 

They had struggled along for 4 1/2 months since leaving Iowa City, Iowa, on July 15. 

 

About 150 of the company perished along the way.  Some were buried along the trail, and some were just covered with snow.

Even as they prepared to enter the Salt Lake Valley they continued to die.

And one little girl was born - Echo Squires, named after Echo Canyon where she was born and wrapped in the shirt of Robert T. Burton, one of the kind and brave rescuers.

Along the way there had been many sacrifices and acts of charity.

Amy Loader gave a precious piece of bread to a man who surely would have died without it.

 Sarah Ann Haigh crossed the icy North Platte River 32 times as she carried 16 people to safety on the other side.

Many parents lost children, and children like Sarah Ellen Ashton, age 7, and her sister Mary, age 4, lost their parents.

 

Francis Webster and his wife Ann Elizabeth had only been married 5 months when they left England, and their baby daughter Amy was born on the plains of Nebraska. 

All three survived, and years later Francis bore a strong testimony of the Gospel and shared his thoughts about coming with the Martin Handcart Company.

 

The testimonies of these valiant saints reach down to us through time to remind us of the tremendous sacrifices that were made for the sake of the Gospel.

 

 


 

  

 

 

May we all remember them!

 

 

 

 

 

158 Years Ago TODAY - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1856

158 YEARS AGO TODAY

A day to remember . . . for both handcart companies

 

Sunday, November 9, 1856 the Willie Handcart Company arrived in the Salt Lake Valley.

Sadly, a young girl of 11 died that very day, bringing to remembrance all those who had suffered and perished along the way . . .

. . . those who were found frozen . . .

. . . those who had wanted so desperately to see Zion . . .

. . . those who helped others . . .

. . . those who gave their precious food to save the life of another.

Even Brigham Young was brought to tears by their suffering.

 

 

 

325 miles to the east, the Martin Handcart Company had suffered through five freezing days camped in a little ravine or cove to get out of the storms and the wind.

With their flour ration severely cut, hunger pangs wracked everyone and it looked like they would all die. 

 

About 50 people did die during those five days and were covered with snow because the ground was too frozen to dig graves for them.

 

Finally on November 8, the weather broke a little and it was decided to unload the freight from the Hunt and the Hodgetts' wagons, store it at Fort Seminoe for the winter, and carry the most needy pioneers in those now empty wagons. 

Only about one-third of the company were able to walk as the Martin company left the little cove and continued west on November 9, 1856. 

 

One day after they left Martin's Cove they were met by Ephraim Hanks carrying buffalo meat. 

 

He remained with them, ministering to them all the way into the Salt Lake Valley.

Ten days later on November 18, the Martin company reached South Pass where there were finally enough wagons that all could ride in them, although it was very crowded.

 

Reddick Newton Allred, one of the initial rescuers, had developed pleurisy just one day after leaving the Salt Lake Valley, but instead of turning back he continued on and endured severe weather for weeks as he waited with all the supply wagons at his South Pass camp for word of the missing handcart and wagon companies. 

Because he remained faithful to his assignment in spite of others who left their posts and returned to the valley,

he earned the nickname of "The Bulldog."

He is my great, great grandfather.

 

Hunger, cold, exhaustion, and death would plague the Martin Handcart Company for weeks as they continued their 325 mile journey to the Salt Lake Valley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today - November 4, 2014

TODAY - NOVEMBER 4, 2014

Crossing the Sweetwater River

 

Each year on November 4, the Winter Missionaries from Mormon Handcart Historic Sites, along with many friends and guests, participate in a commemorative crossing of the Sweetwater River.

 

We got all excited when we awoke on November 3, to see snow on the ground, but it melted off in the afternoon leaving us to cross only in the cold and the wind.

 

We began at the Homestead . . .

. . . and then headed west along the Mormon Trail which is also the Oregon Trail, the California Trail, and the Pony Express Trail through this part of the country.

Elder Moench led the way, pulling the beautiful oak handcart made for him by Elder Madsen, a Martin's Cove missionary who served here during the summer of 2013.

Some were pulled by their friends!

 

After traveling along the trail for two miles we stopped to take a cold and windy group picture . . .

. . . and then we headed down to the banks of the Sweetwater River . . .

. . . and into the water.

This year there was no ice in the river,

but it was deeper than it was in 2013.

The river bottom was muddy and slippery . . .

. . . and it was tricky not to lose your balance in the rushing, freezing water.

 But everyone made it safely across . . .





 . . . and back again.

This is the second time we have been privileged to commemorate this event, however . . .

. . . when the pioneers from the Martin Handcart Company completed their river crossing, they went up into Martin's Cove for 5 days and continued to starve and freeze and about 50 of them died there.

 

We did the complete opposite!  We went back to the Gathering Room at the Homestead and ate a hearty lunch.

There were 11 crock pots full of hot, delicious soup (two are not visible in this picture) plus endless breads and other goodies.

One of our sayings at Martin's Cove is,

"Since 1856
we have not let anyone starve here,"

and we certainly upheld that policy today!