Pioneer Student Work

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Pioneer: Brigham Henry Roberts (Dustin - 4th Grade)

Description: 4th Grade Dustin's picture to accompany his report on pioneer Brigham Henry Roberts. Image courtesy of: Heritage Gateway Project Images, These images have been gathered to support the Sesquicentennial celebration of the immigration to Utah.

B.H. Roberts, known as "Harry", had an interesting journey coming to the Valley. In 1866, Harry, age 10, and his sister Polly, age 16, crossed the plains without their parents. His father did not want to come to America and remained in England, and his mother had gone to the Salt Lake Valley four years earlier. In Nebraska, Harry became tired of walking one day. Secretly riding in the back of a freight wagon, it became stuck in the quicksand while crossing the Platte River. Harry was forced to stay in the river all night. Water seeped into the bed of the wagon and soaked the sugar bags. He became hungry and used his four-bladed pen knife to slit open one of the bags. He also found some bacon, and while cutting off a piece his knife slipped out of his hands and dropped into the river. He felt very badly because his knife was going to be a gift for his mother. Harry had many other adventures and hardships while traveling to the Valley. I admire his courage and self-reliance in successfully completing the trip without his parents.

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