Heritage Gateways

William Clayton Journals

June 21, 1847

Location: Independence Rock - 314 miles left, Wyoming - [Sweetwater River]. (In low water the river is easily forded.) It has a peculiar shape and magnitude. There are many names of visitors painted in various places. on the southeast corner. 698 3/4 miles from Winter Quarters.

Summary: Pioneers reach the Sweet Water River and the Devil's Gate.

Journal entry: MONDAY, 21ST. Morning very fine and warm. From this place we can see a huge pile of rocks to the southwest a few miles. We have supposed this to be the rock of Independence, After breakfast I went to view it and found that it was a vast pile of rocks extending from south to north about five hundred feet and in width, one hundred feet. The rocks are large and seem piled on one another with the edges up. There is no earth on the ridge but a little drift sand in which there are currant and rose bushes growing. I saw a large mouse on the top which had a long bushy tail like a squirrel. It sat up and acted in every respect like a squirrel, but in size and color resembled a mouse.

At 8:35 the camp proceeded onward. After traveling three and a quarter miles we arrived on a bed of saleratus which was a quarter of a mile across and on which were several lakes of salt water. This place looks swampy and smells bad. The beds of saleratus smell like lime, but the saleratus itself is said to raise bread equal to the best bought in eastern markets. Lorenzo Young gathered a pail full in a short time with a view to test its qualities. Large quantities may be gathered in a short time and when pulverized it looks clean and nice.

We are now satisfied that the water we saw from the hills yesterday must have been some of these lakes as the Sweet Water is not yet in sight, but these being high, show at a long distance. The water is not very salty but brackish and tastes sickly. It is reported by travelers that these are poisonous, but it is probable that all the poison there is about them is their salt causing cattle to drink freely when they can get no other water, and the more they drink, the more thirsty they get till they burst themselves, which is said to be the effect of drinking the poison, viz. to burst.

As we passed along a little farther we saw another large lake to the left and one to the right of the same nature, their banks mostly white with saleratus.

At twelve o'clock we arrived on the banks of the Sweet Water,. having traveled seven and a half miles over a very sandy road destitute of wood, water or grass. The distance from the upper ferry of the Platte river to this place is forty - nine miles by the roadometer. There has formerly been a ford here but lately emigrants have found a better ford higher on the river. At this place the river is probably seven or eight rods wide and over three feet deep at the ford, but in some places it is much deeper still. The current is very swift, the water a little muddy, but pleasant tasting. By watching it closely it is easy to see on the surface numerous small bright particles floating which at first sight might be supposed to be salt, however the water itself has not the least saline taste.

On the banks of the river there is plenty of good grass but destitute of wood there being only one solitary tree to be seen and that stands beside this fording place. The only chance for fuel appears to be the wild sage and other small shrubbery occasionally growing in spots on the low banks.

After we halted, Sister Harriet Young made some bread using the lake saleratus and when baked was pronounced to raise the bread and taste equal to the best she had ever used and it requires less of this than the common saleratus. A number of the brethren went back during the halt and filled their pails with it calculating to make use of it during our future journey.

The day has been very hot and no wind which makes it unpleasant traveling. Elder Woodruff and Brown again joined the camp on our arrival here and reported that they had spent the night in one of the gentile camps which are now sonic miles ahead of us. There are many high hills or ridges of the granite rock in the neighborhood, especially in the east and west, all entirely destitute of vegetation and which present a very wild and desolate as well as romantic aspect. I can describe their appearance only by saying that it seems as though giants had in by - gone days taken them in wheelbarrows of tremendous size and wheeled up in large heaps, masses of heavy clay which has consolidated and become solid, hard rock.The day has been very hot and no wind which makes it unpleasant traveling. Elder Woodruff and Brown again joined the camp on our arrival here and reported that they had spent the night in one of the gentile camps which are now sonic miles ahead of us. There are many high hills or ridges of the granite rock in the neighborhood, especially in the east and west, all entirely destitute of vegetation and which present a very wild and desolate as well as romantic aspect. I can describe their appearance only by saying that it seems as though giants had in by - gone days taken them in wheelbarrows of tremendous size and wheeled up in large heaps, masses of heavy clay which has consolidated and become solid, hard rock.

The rock Independence lies a little west of where we have halted and after dinner I went to view it as well as many others. It lies on the north bank of the river in this shape : The extreme southeast comer reaches to within about three rods of the river and runs in a direction northwest while the river at this place runs nearly a west course. It is composed of the same barren granite as other masses in this region and is probably 400 yards long, 80 yards wide and 100 yard in perpendicular height as near as I could guess. The ascent is difficult all around. Travelers appear to have ascended it mostly at the southeast corner where there are some hundreds of names of persons who have visited it, both male and female, painted on the projecting surfaces with black, red, and some with yellow paint. About half way up there is a cavern about twelve feet long and three feet wide at the bottom but at the top about ten feet wide and eight feet high, formed by a very large heavy mass of rock having sometime fallen over an opening or cavity leaving scarcely room enough for a man to enter. However there are three places by which it may be entered though not without difficulty. There are a number of names inside the cavern put on with black paint, doubtless being the names of persons who have visited it. On the top of the rock the surface is a little rounding something like a large mound with large masses of loose rock lying scattered around. Proceeding forward you descend, when nearly half way of the length, to a considerably lower surface which continues some distance and then rises high again to about the same height as the first section. On the top there are a number of small pools of water, no doubt collected during heavy rains and having no chance to run off, they stand until evaporated into the atmosphere. Some of the pools are eight inches deep and taste like rain water. It is more difficult descending from the rock than to ascend it on account of its being hard and slippery and nothing to hang on, and a visitor has to be careful or he will arrive on the ground with bruised limbs.

At three o'clock p. m, they started on and on arriving at the rock found it to be one and a quarter miles from noon halt. We put up a guide board opposite the rock with this inscription on it. " To Fort John 175 1/4 miles. Pioneers, June 21, 1847. W. R." The letters W. R. are branded on all the guide boards at the doctor's request so as to have a mark that the Saints might know; and his brand is generally known by the Saints.

After traveling on the banks of the river one mile beyond the rock, we forded over and found it nearly three feet deep in the channel. All the wagons got over without difficulty or much loss of time. We then continued a southwest course four and a half miles farther and arrived opposite Devil's Gate which lies a little to the west of the road; and a quarter of a mile beyond this, the road passes between two high ridges of granite, leaving a surface of about two rods of level ground on each side the road. The road then bends to the west and a quarter of a mile farther, passes over a small creek two feet wide but bad crossing on account of its being deep and muddy, requiring caution in the teamsters to prevent accident.

President Young, Kimball and others went to view the north side of Devil's Gate and returning reported that the devils would not let them pass, or meaning that it was impossible to go through the gateway so called.

President Young, Kimball and others went to view the north side of Devil's Gate and returning reported that the devils would not let them pass, or meaning that it was impossible to go through the gateway so called.

We proceeded on a little farther and at 6:35 formed our encampment on the bank of the river having traveled this afternoon seven and three quarters miles, and during the day fifteen and a quarter. The feed here is good and plentiful and a little cedar can-be obtained at the foot of one of the rocky ridges about a quarter of a mile back.

After we had camped I went back to view the Devil's Gate where the river runs between two high rocky ridges for the distance of about 200 yards. The rock on the east side is perpendicular and was found by a barometrical measurements by Elder Pratt to be 399 feet 4 1/4 inches high. The one on the west side is about the same height but not perpendicular bending a little from the river gradually to the top. The river has a channel of about three rods in width through this pass which increases its swiftness and, dashing furiously against the huge fragments of rock which have fallen from the mountain, makes a roar which can be heard plainly in the camp. One of the brethren fired off his rifle at the foot of the rock and the report resembled much like that of a cannon. Others tumbled fragments of rocks from a projection at the entrance about 150 feet high, which made a very loud rumbling sound caused by the echoes. The scenery is one of romantic grandeur and it seems wonderful how the river could ever find a channel through such a mass of heavy, solid rock. The view from this evening's encampment over the surrounding country is sublime. To the east, south, and southwest the Sweet Water mountains tower high and appear spotted with snow; and about twenty to thirty miles distance from the river to the west are also hills and ridges interspersed as far as the eye can reach, except the land immediately on the river which appears even for many miles. These high, barren, rocky ridges on the north side of the river seem to continue for many miles.

Source: William Clayton's Journal

Published by the Clayton Family Association, and edited by Lawrence Clayton. To the best of our research, this contents of this book are no longer under copyright.