Heritage Gateways

Pioneer Date Summary

Previous | Next

07/01/1847 - Crockett

Date: July 1, 1847

On the Green River, Wyoming:
The pioneers started to cross over the Green River. One of the rafts did not work very well because the logs were water-logged. They went to work, to construct another raft. The wind blew hard, causing the work to be stopped in the afternoon, and only fourteen wagons were brought across. They tried to swim the cattle across, but had great difficulty. The second raft was completed by the evening.

More of the pioneers came down with Mountain Fever, including Clara Decker Young, John Greene, William Clayton, Ezra T. Benson, George A. Smith, George Wardell, and Norton Jacob. Those who had been sick the day before were much better, so it appeared that the violent pain and fever usually only lasted for a day. So far, about twenty of the pioneers had taken ill with the mysterious illness.

Samuel Brannan continued efforts to convince the brethren that California was the land of Zion for the Saints. He told them that John Sutter, of Sutter's Fort, wished to have the Saints settle near him in the Sacramento region. Brother Brannan tried to paint a bleak picture of the Rocky Mountain region by saying that he saw more timber on the Green River where they now were than anywhere on his route since he left California.

The Mormon Ferry, Nebraska:
The ferrymen crossed over fifty-six wagons for three emigration companies and performed $12.85 worth of blacksmithing. Appleton Harmon wrote: "We were all very tired and wanted rest." They learned that one company with thirty-five wagons went up the river and crossed over using one of the rafts that the pioneers had built.

On the Loup Fork, Nebraska:
The morning was cold and windy as the second pioneer company worked to cross over the more than 500 wagons belonging to the second pioneer company. The river was about a half mile wide and shallow, but the the bottoms were full of quicksand. Perrigrin Session wrote: "[We] had to drive all our cattle several times acrost to tamp the quicksand so that we could cross our wagons." They had to double the teams on the wagons. They traveled away from the river, head back to the Platte. John Taylor's company went eight miles and Jedediah Grant's company camped three miles behind. A few buffalo were spotted for the first time during the day.

Sources:

• Jesse W. Crosby Journal, typescript, BYU, 34
• Cook, Joseph C. Kingsbury, 117
• Beecher, ed., The Personal Writings of Eliza Roxcy Snow, 182
• Diary of Lorenzo Dow Young, Utah Historical Quarterly, 14:163
• Albert P. Rockwood Journal, typescript, BYU, 60
• Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 3:222
• Bagley, ed., The Pioneer Camp of the Saints, 216

Source: 150 Years Ago Today ©These materials have been created by David R. Crockett. Copies of these materials may be reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit must be given to David R. Crockett. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of Mr. Crockett, Tucson Az, crockett@goodnet.com.