Facts about the Pioneer Treks that are
Important for Context
Purpose:
Our stake has been on two trek reenactments in western Wyoming, I noted both times that the kids
(and adults) often lacked “context” which kept them from a more complete understanding of what they
were reenacting.
The comfortable and fast bus rides masked the nearly insurmountable distances and relative positioning
of the historical events. We often didn’t know where we were with respect to the trail and important
events along it. The hot weather put the pioneers’ freezing experiences far from mind. The abundant
food kept us from understanding what it was like to be very hungry and weak. The modern equipment
such as hiking boots, wind and rain proof fabrics, sunscreen, and water purification and availability kept
our blisters, frostbite, dehydration, and sunstroke to a minimum.
Our understanding of what the pioneers experience will always be imperfect – we can’t experience even
a small fraction of what they endured – but a few facts about the travelers and their situation will
provide context to our trek experience and serve to make our understanding of their experiences a little
more complete.
Facts about the travelers & their situations
1. Time period: Handcarts were used from 1856 to 1860, starting 9 years after Brigham Young
first arrived in the valley.
2. About 70,000 immigrants travelled the Mormon Pioneer trail. Nearly 3,000 immigrants
travelled by handcart.
3. There were 10 handcart groups that travelled over a period of 5 years. The first three and last
five companies were very successful. The 4th and 5th Willie and Martin were hit by tragedy.
4. 250 handcart pioneers died on the journey. All but 30 of these were in the Willie and Martin
companies.
5. The Willie Company was comprised of 500 persons, 120 handcarts, 5 wagons, 24 oxen, 45 cows
and beef cattle. The Martin Company was comprised of 576 persons (145 of whom died). 146
handcarts, 7 wagons, 30 oxen, 50 cows and beef cattle.
6. Handcart travel was generally a very successful solution. Its benefits were that it was fast and
affordable. Only 2 out of the 10 handcart companies experienced serious problems. For the 8
handcart companies that started on time, the trips were faster and easier than those of the
wagon travelers. Why? Travel by foot is faster, HC groups didn’t have to deviate off the trail to
find forage for oxen/horses (often as much as 3-4 miles out of the way). Morning and evening
care for oxen/horses was unnecessary saving several hours each day.
7. 1840-1850 technology – wood bearings, wool or cotton clothes (no miraculous man-made
fibers, no Gore-Tex, etc.), no means to purify water.
8. Remember, there was no modern communication along the trail or between Salt Lake City and
Iowa City. The only way to communicate was to send messages with travelers. Leaders in Salt
Lake City did not know the Martin and Willie companies were on the trail until fast travelling
returning missionaries that passed the pioneers arrived in Salt Lake City (October 4).
9. Remember that these pioneers were not trained outdoorsmen. Most had come recently from
homes in England and Scandinavia where they worked as miners or factory workers. They had
no previous experience in wilderness survival.
10. Handcarts could hold 17 pounds of clothes and bedding per person for about 5 people. This is
equivalent to about 100 pounds of items that could fit in the trunk of your car.
11. There were two wagon teams that travelled with the Martin and Willie handcart companies that
are often overlooked. Hodgett’s company of185 persons, 33 wagons, and 187 oxen, and Hunt’s
company of 200 persons, 50 wagons and 297 oxen. These companies were behind Martin’s
handcart company which was itself behind Willie’s handcart company. They too were in dire
conditions but survived better due to better availability of clothing and food.
12. The men died first. Why? As food rations were cut short they gave up their food for their
families.
Facts about the Geography
1. The pioneers spent 40 to 65 days crossing the Atlantic Ocean, after which they travelled mostly
by rail across the eastern United States to Iowa City.
2. From Iowa City to Salt Lake Valley is about 1,300 miles. This normally took about three to four
months.
3. When the Martin and Willie companies halted due to cold, snow, exhaustion, and lack of food
they had already travelled about 1000 miles by handcart from Iowa City. It is important to
remember that once rescued, they had about 30 days and 350 miles of travel in the cold and
snow ahead of them to get to Salt Lake City. Also remember that prior to leaving Iowa City they
had travelled across the eastern United States by rail and crossed the Atlantic Ocean by sailing
ship.
4. The Martin Company halted at what is now called Martin’s Cove, 3 miles west of Devil’s Gate
and 20 miles west of Independence Rock. The Willie Company halted at Sixth Crossing Camp
near the base of Rocky Ridge. Both companies had yet to cross the continental divide at South
Pass which was 40 miles from Rock Creek Camp.
5. The Willie Company was always ahead of the Martin Company on the trail by as much as 100150 miles.
6. To get to the coves that provided some protection from the cold and storm, the Martin
Company had to deviate 2 miles off the trail and cross the freezing Sweetwater River.
7. As you make your trek up Rocky Ridge, take note of how much further from Rocky Ridge the
Willie Company had to travel to reach camp at Rock Creek Hollow. What took you part of a
summer day to walk took them all day and much of the night in severe winter weather.
8. Remember, most handcart and wagon pioneers experienced the same weather we encounter.
Hot, dry, windy, lightning storms and the effects of high altitude. The Martin and Willie
Companies were the exception experiencing cold winder blizzards.
9. The Rocky Ridge and Martin’s Cove areas of western Wyoming that we visit are relatively high
altitude. Both areas are just east of the continental divide and are at between 6000 and 7000
feet in altitude (approximately the elevation of Bogus Basin locally). This is one reason you may
experience headache, nausea, and light headedness while on the trek. The pioneers probably
experienced less of this altitude sickness since their travel was slower giving them time to
acclimate to the altitude. However, they were hungry, cold and exhausted!
Facts about the rescuers
1. Young men from the Salt Lake area were called on short notice to a very dangerous rescue
mission. It was very likely that they would end up being stranded in the cold and snow too.
2. The first rescue party left October 7, the stranded companies were located on or about October
30. They started to return on November 9, with the first arrivals in Salt Lake City on November
30.
3. The rescue teams often pushed through 3-5 feet of new snow for much of the 350 miles to
locate the stranded pioneers.
4. Rescuers had no idea where the handcart travelers were. Locating them in time was critical and
very unlikely over the thousands of square miles. They were searching for a needle in a very
large haystack.
5. Rescuers brought a total of 250 wagon loads of food, clothing and bedding.
Reasons the Willie and Martin companies got into trouble
1. Late leaving England – Lack of ships delayed the Willie and Martin companies’ departure. This
forced them to choose between leaving England late and spending winter homeless and in
starvation. They had already sold their good and left their homes.
2. Late start from Iowa City – the normal trip took about 3 months. To arrive before the risk of
winter storms it was optimal to depart in early June. The Willie and Martin companies left in
late July.
3. Poor handcart construction due to the unavailability of properly cured wood caused the
handcarts to break down early requiring repairs that caused dangerous delays.
4. They were forced to abandon much of their warm clothing and tents early on to save weight.
5. Early and severe winter weather closed in on them in October.
6. Handcart groups had to be resupplied by wagons bringing or caching food along the way.
Resupply teams thought they weren’t coming and therefore didn’t deliver needed food.
Remember there was no Skype, telephone, radio, or even telegraph to communicate the
pioneers’ status across the 1,400 miles of the trail.
Willie and Martin Companies Time Line
Willie Company
May 4 Left England aboard the Thornton
June 14 Arrived in New York
June 17 travel by steamship, train
June 26 Arrived Iowa City (long delays here
building handcarts and gathering food and
equipment)
July 15 left Iowa City
August 11 reached Florence Nebraska. Vote to
continue to Salt Lake.
August 17 left Florence Nebraska
Martin Company
May 23 Left England aboard the Horizon
June 30 Arrived in Boston
July 8 Arrived Iowa City (long delays here building
handcarts and gathering food and equipment)
July 26 left Iowa City (Remember: Brigham
Young’s party arrived in Salt Lake Valley on the 24th
of July!)
August 22 reached Florence Nebraska. Vote to
continue to Salt Lake.
August 27 left Florence Nebraska
September 12 passed by returning missionaries
September 7 passed by returning missionaries who
who would inform Salt Lake of their situation
would inform Salt Lake of their situation
September 17 - Winds turn cold, sharp frost
September 30 Willie Company reaches Ft. Laramie September 30 Near Chimney Rock
but find no food as they were not expected
Early October – Companies began to discard items to lighten the loads because of weakness due to lack
of food.
October 4 returning missionaries reach Salt Lake
October 5 Brigham Young makes urgent call for rescuers
October 6 first rescue parties leave Salt Lake
October 19 - Willie Company runs out of food
October 19 Martin Company made its last crossing
of the North Platt River
October 19 severe blizzard hits the area halting both companies and the rescue parties (18 inches of
snow)
October 20 - Captain Willie and Joseph Elder leave
6th Crossing camp to go find rescuers.
October 21 - Willie Company located by rescuers
October 21-28 Martin Company snowed in at Red
th
at 6 Crossing Camp
Buttes(65 miles east of Devils Gate, 67 miles east
of Martin’s Cove area)
October 21 - Willie Company leaves Sixth Crossing October 28 Martin Company located by rescuers
camp. Camps at base of Rocky Ridge. Next day
at Red Buttes (56 members of the company died
begins ascent of Rocky Ridge. Reaches camp 20
by this time)
hours later. James Kirkwood, Bodil Mortensen and
others buried here.
October 25 – Willie Company and rescuers resume
journey to Salt Lake City.
October 31 – Met by more rescue wagons with
food.
November 2 – passed by Ephraim Hanks on his
November 3 - Halted again due to severe weather
way to help the Martin Company
November 8 – passes Big Mountain where snow is
4 feet deep.
November 9 - Arrived in Salt Lake City
November 4 – crossed the Sweetwater River
seeking shelter from the severe weather. Stayed
in the cove for 5 days. Still severe food shortage,
temperatures drop to -11 degrees.
November 9 – Weather breaks and Martin
Company leaves cove. Dan Jones left to guard
abandoned goods making room in wagons.
November 10 - Ephraim Hanks shoots 2 buffalo
and finds Martin Company
November 12-16 – Rescue wagons with rations
meet the Martin Company at 3 Crossings Camp
and Rocky Ridge
November 25 - Reach Green River, November 27
Reach Fort Bridger. Four feet of new snow –
Joseph and Brigham Young Jr. pack snow to keep
the road open.
November 30 - Arrived in Salt Lake City (Hunt and
Hodgett wagon companies arrive December 11
and 15.
Note: Dates are not consistent amongst the sources.
Bibliography for Additional Reading
Reading a few books about the handcart pioneers before the trek will greatly enhance your
understanding of what happened out on the plains of western Wyoming. These are among the best:



Handcarts to Zion. LeRoy Hafen and Ann Hafen – the story of the handcart migration drawing
upon diaries and reports of the participants.
Tell My Story Too. Jolene S. Allphin – a collection of biographical sketches of pioneers and
rescuers of the Willie, Martin, Hodgett, and Hunt Companies of 1856
Sweetwater Rescue: The Willie and Martin Handcart Story. Heidi Swinton and Lee Groberg –
Tells the story in words and paintings.
Conference Talks

Elder Marvin J. Ashton, “Stalwart and Brave We Stand,” Ensign November 1989

President Henry B. Eyring, “A Legacy of Testimony,” Ensign May 1996

President James E. Faust, “A Priceless Heritage,” Ensign July 2002
Web sites
http://handcart.byu.edu/