Donner lake, named for the party, is today a popular mountain resort near truckee, california and the donner camp has been designated as a national historic landmark. Watch the donner party american experience official. Perhaps because they were ordinary people farmers, merchants, parents, children their story captures the imagination. May 31, 2019 the donner party story began, as all great tragedies do, with hope. Dixon had previously appeared in a discovery channel program, unsolved history. In spite of their ordeal, many survivors of the donner party established themselves in california and. Keseberg was the last member of the donner party to arrive at sutters fort on april 29th. There were many things that she did that are admirable. Donner party timeline provides an almost daytoday basic description of events directly associated with the 1840s donner party pioneers, covering the journey from illinois to california2,500 miles 4,023 kilometers, over the great plains, two mountain ranges, and the deserts of the great basin following the timeline is a chronological list of deaths.
The group was led by jacob and george donner, the party followed the regular california trail. About this time, fear began to set in as provisions were running low and time was. The group was named for the expeditions captain, george donner. This week in illinois history the donner party blog.
Coates during the last three ice ages, glaciers covered the truckee river basin and surrounding mountains carving out donner lake and many other lakes. List of books and articles about donner party online. Like most pioneer trains, the donner party was largely made up of family wagons packed with young children and adolescents. History often paints the pioneers as unfortunate travelers, but it also often glosses over the fact that they were issued repeated warnings by the united states army, who told them to stay away. With darrin miller, elizabeth austin, libby baker, jon bloch. Jul 07, 2017 certain stories in american history carry archetypal power, and the dark majesty of the donner catastrophe is one of them. The donner party story began, as all great tragedies do, with hope. Heres what happened to the survivors of the donner party. See more ideas about donner party, party and history. Watch the donner party american experience official site. Native americans crossed the summit for thousands of years leaving behind grinding rocks and petroglyphs in dozens of locations. History of the donner party january 5, 2015 jag books, history, independent press page 1 page 2 page 3 page 4 page 5 page 6 page 7 page 8 page 9 page 10 page 11 page 12 page page 14 page 15 page 16 page 17 page 18 page 19 page 20 page 21 page 22 page 23 page 24 page 25 page 26 page 27 page 28 page 29 30. The donner party was a group of 89 emigrants from illinois who purportedly turned to cannibalism to survive after getting trapped by snowfall. His yearold daughter, virginia, wrote a letter to her cousin describing the ordeal.
The other leader of the expedition, james reed, survived along with his entire family. The firsthand information endowed his writing with immediacy and vitality. A new history of the donner party and the dark side of. History of the donner party, a tragedy of the sierra kindle edition by mcglashan, c. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 18461847 snowbound in the sierra nevada mountain range. The band of californiabound pioneers set out in the spring of 1846 with high hopes that were ultimately dashed by the brutal realities of.
The donner party, illfated settlers turned to cannibalism. Truckeedonner historical society welcome to the truckee. The story of the donner party has lived on, through a number of books and films based on the tragedy. Initially, the group followed the usual trail and reached wyoming without any problems. Besides maintaining the historic joseph research cabin the gateway cabin, the society is also responsible for operating the old jail museum which was built in 1875. On april 16, 1846, the donner party left springfield, il on the 2500 mile. The history of the donner party begins in the spring of 1846 when the group set out west. Eightyone members of the socalled donner party got trapped in the sierra nevada during the brutal winter of 1846. One survivor was found in a small cabin next to a cannibalized body of a young boy. Previous parties where led by experienced mountain men, whereas the donner party was, because of their decision to travel by hastings cutoff, to be led by a man that had. Jan 29, 2020 most people know what happened to the donner party, a group of settlers led by george donner and james f. Mcglashan published a history of the donner party in 1879, the husband of one of the donner girls claimed that the books description of cannibalism was false and filed an injunction. The donner party had a few more disadvantages that other parties, much of the party was composed of farmers and a high proportion of women, elderly and children ficklin.
The donner party was the most famous tragedy during the westward migration. The donner party, or donnerreed party, was a group of american pioneers that set out for california in a wagon train in may 1846. However, in wyoming, the group met an unscrupulous trail guide, who promised to lead them through a shorter route to cut down their traveling time. The majority of the donner party emigrants were children.
I thought i knew the story of the donner party, but there was so much left out and skewed from retelling over time and summarized in history books. Five members of the party, now living, claim to have been eyewitnesses. Trapped in the sierra nevada mountains, they fall prey to subzero temperatures, torrential rainfalls, floods and ten foot snow drifts, and. The donner party was a group of 300 migrants led by the donner brothers. Surviving members of the donner party were delirious from hunger and overexposure. See more ideas about donner party, american history and party. The donner party arrives at fort bridger, the corral and two cabins of mountaineer jim bridger. In the 1870s he talked to survivors and pieced together a comprehensive account of the tragedy. All the mistakes that doomed the donner party youtube. A natural educator, she dreamed of starting a girls school in california. With their hopes and dreams packed into several wagons, they together jumped off onto the sante fe trail, traveling up the blue river from independence, following a portion of. This is basically what happened to the illfated and infamous donner party in 1847. Of all the westward expeditions in american history, the illfated donner partys ranks among the most notorious. The donner party was a group of 89 emigrants from illinois who purportedly turned to cannibalism to survive after getting trapped by snowfall while on a westward journey in 1846.
The donner party was a group of pioneers that had left springfield, illinois, in order to make a new life for themselves in the west. Inside the park visitor center is the emigrant trail museum, which depicts the demise of the donner party, plus more positive aspects of the regions history. The attention directed at the donner party is made possible by reliable accounts of what occurred, according to stewart, and the fact that the cannibalism, although it might almost be called a minor episode, has become in the. Donner party, group of american pioneers stranded en route to california in 1846. History of the truckee area truckeedonner historical. History of the donner party, a tragedy of the sierra by. The donner party episode has served as the basis for numerous works of history, fiction, drama, poetry, and film. However, the groups arrival to california was marked with many hardships, leading to the death of more than have of the original number. History of the donner party independence missouri may, 1846 ju.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading history of the donner party. Jul 02, 2017 californias donner lake got its name from the donner party, whose members endured a terrible winter nearby in 1846. Bones of contention donner party archeology tahoe weekly. As a description of what happened, the book stands alone. Of the original 87 members of the party, only 47 survived. It was widely circulated that members of the party resorted to cannibalism after their food ran out, giving the party its lasting notoriety. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
The migrants began the ascent of the sierra foothills low on food, and. The donner party sometimes called the donnerreed party was a group of american pioneers who migrated to california in a wagon train from the midwest. In july, around 80 of the party decided to split off and try a short cut that had been written by trail guide lansford hastings. Of the 83 members of the donner party who were trapped in the mountains, only 45 survived to reach california. The gruesome history of the donner party, or why normal. The donner party was a group of american pioneers who migrated to california in a wagon. Mar 06, 2018 the hunger, for all its wickedness, is somehow less of a nightmare than the actual donner party history, some of the darkness pushed onto external threats, or disproportionately contained in one. The 19thcentury pioneers set out for a new life when america was gobbling up. The donner party was a group of 87 people who journeyed west for land and new lives in california. No other portion of the history of the donner party, as contributed by the survivors, has been so variously stated as this reedsnyder affair. This party became known as the donner party, as it was led by two wealthy brothers, jacob and george donner.
In the donner party tragedy, twothirds of the men in the party perished, while twothirds of the women and children lived. Donner party timeline provides an almost daytoday basic description of events directly associated with the 1840s donner party pioneers, covering the journey from illinois to california2,500 miles 4,023 kilometers, over the great plains, two mountain ranges, and the deserts of the great basin. As the donner party approached the summit of the sierra mountains near what is now donner lake known as truckee lake at the time they found the pass clogged with newfallen snow up to six feet deep. Jun 30, 2019 in the 1870s he talked to survivors and pieced together a comprehensive account of the tragedy. Yesterday, may 12, 1846, 174 years ago, the donners and reeds depart independence missouri for california. Mcglashan in his 1879 book history of the donner party declined to include some of the more morbid detailssuch as the suffering of the children. By late 1849 more than 100,000 people had come to california in search of gold near the streams and canyons where the donner party had suffered. The history of the donner party is a splendid piece of work.
Among them was a group of 87 people from springfield, illinois. During the dixonled alder creek digs, the team discovered the remains of a hearth. Mcglashan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Facts on the donner party history, american history, world.
With their hopes and dreams packed into several wagons, they together jumped off onto the sante fe trail, traveling up the blue river from independence, following a portion of the present blue ridge. Increasing its value for collectors of western americana, the text is a photographic reproduction of the standard 1880 edition. In the end, more than 30 people connected with donner party died in the mountains of california, including george donner and his brother, jacob. This went westward via fort bridger, wyoming and many had travelled this route and made it safely to california. Certain stories in american history carry archetypal power, and the dark majesty of the donner catastrophe is one of them. Natural history the museum offers a good introduction to the natural history of the sierra nevada. Departing from independence, missouri, they were delayed by a series of mishaps and mistakes, and spent the winter of 184647 snowbound in the sierra nevada. The donner party refers to around ninety people that decided to leave springfield in illinois and head west in the year 1846. Reed, once they reached alder creek, california, in the sierra nevada mountains. What starts as a call to the west quickly turns to a deadly journey for three families and their compatriots on a quest for the american dream. Reed, once they reached alder creek, california, in.
They were a group of people heading to california with george donner as their leader. The donner party really should have taken the armys. Two entire familiesthe reeds and the breensalso survived, and the reeds were the only ones in the entire party who never ate human flesh. The tragic story of the donner party legends of america. A tragedy of the sierra, was published in 1879 and went through many editions.
Long before gold was found in california, many people decided to move to the west in order to better their lives. There the donner party learns that hastings left the previous week leading the wagons that had already arrived and leaving instructions for later groups to follow him. It took two months and four relief parties to rescue the entire surviving donner party. Hastings had claimed the short cut was easy to travel across with plenty of water and grass. It was october 28, 1846 and the sierra snows had started a month earlier than usual. This group of people was led by george and jacob donner, and hence the name. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading history of the donner party, a tragedy of the sierra. They made the tragic mistake of taking the untested hastings cutoff, which put them weeks behind. The journey westward was highly dangerous for the early pioneers conditions were harsh, and the distance was great. In the winter of 1847, when the first skeletonized survivors stumbled out. Facts on the donner party history, american history. The story of the donner party highlights the plight and. The situation that the rescuers found was unspeakably gruesome. The three principal leaders of what came to be commonly called the donnerreed party were the two donner brothers, george and jacob donner, and.
Californias donner lake got its name from the donner party, whose members endured a terrible winter nearby in 1846. History of the donner party is now reprinted with excellent editorial notes and foreword by george h. Relics from the camps, bits of china, buttons and nails, wood shavings from the cabins became popular souvenirs. The terrible ordeals of the donner party passed into history and legend. In the donner party tragedy, twothirds of the men in the party perished, while. Free download of history of the donner party by cf mcglashan. The argonaut an item of americana in general and of californias history in particular, this is an account of a tragic episode in the vast westward migration of the 19th century. Their dreams ended in hunger, isolation and unspeakable acts of desperation. Almost ninety wagon train emigrants were unable to cross the sierra nevada before winter, and almost onehalf starved to death. Most people know what happened to the donner party, a group of settlers led by george donner and james f. Examining the smoothed and striated rock along old highway 40 near donner pass, one can still see much evidence of this glacial action. Truckee donner historical society was founded july 24, 1968 to preserve the history of the truckee donner area. Donner party, group of emigrants to california who in the winter of 184647 met with one of the most famous tragedies in western history.