Breaching the Wasatch Barrier, 1846-68 Ron Andersen MHA (2006) Casper, WY

Breaching the Wasatch

Barrier, 1846-68

Ron Andersen

MHA (2006)Casper, WY

GEOGRAPHY: ONE DETERMINANT OF HISTORY

WasatchMountains

Impediments to Wagon Travel

Lansford Hastings, ca. 1819 - 1870James Clyman, 1792 - 1881

Devil’s Gate,Weber River

Thurston

Canfield

Ann Walker Pratt

Silver Creek 3 Mile

Cap. James H. Simpson, 1813-83

“A road could be built through the first mile of Silver Creek with relative ease. For the remaining 5.75 miles, the canyon was "quite narrow, side hills up close to stream which is full of Beaver dams, forcing us along left slope up bank, along an Indian Trail—The route is scarcely admissable for packs, & is entirely out of the question as a wagon route—The labor to make it would be immense, & the greater part of it is rocky."

Three Mile Canyon looking up hill from the middle

Ann Agatha Walker Pratt, 1829-71

Nov. 1849. When we reached the head of the canyon coming home, I said, "Now let me get out and walk over the bad places.“ He said, "No, I want to say a woman and baby came down in safety. …I promise you no harm shall happen to either of you.“ I did as I was told, and he drove the two yoke of cattle with large wagons attached, to the mouth of the canyon and home in perfect safety.

Capt. Howard Stansbury, returning to the States after surveying the Great Salt Lake, wrote on Aug 29: “Followed up Pratts golden pass all day. … the road is very crooked. ... Had to unload the wagon thrice & take out a part of the team a dozen times on account of the crookedness of the road.”

Why was Pratt’s Golden Pass Route abandoned in 1851?

Why was Pratt’s Golden Pass Route abandoned in 1851?

1) It was longer by about 9 miles.

Why was Pratt’s Golden Pass Route abandoned in 1851?

1) It was longer.

2) Mormon emigrants unwilling to pay the toll.

Why was Pratt’s Golden Pass Route abandoned in 1851?

1) It was longer.

2) Mormon emigrants unwilling to pay the toll.

3) It was barely useable from the beginning.

Why was Pratt’s Golden Pass Route abandoned in 1851?

1) It was longer.

2) Mormon emigrants unwilling to pay the toll.

3) It was barely useable from the beginning.

4) Severe weather in 1850-51 caused major damage to existing trails.

Sat. Oct. 12, Traveled 8 miles over the second mountain and oh horror, what a road we had to repair the road near one third of the way torn out by the late storm. We were in danger of breaking our wagons.”

Wilford Woodruff(last wagon company, 1850)

Why was Pratt’s Golden Pass Route abandoned in 1851?

1) It was longer.

2) Mormon emigrants unwilling to pay the toll.

3) It was barely useable from the beginning.

4) Severe weather in 1850-51 caused major damage to existing trails.

5) A forest fire began in Mill Creek Canyon, 13 Aug 1851.

Sir Richard F. Burton, 1821-90

The road [in Emigration Canyon] was a narrow shelf along the broader of the two spaces between the stream and the rock. I could not but think how horrid must have been its appearance when the stout-hearted Mormon pioneers first ventured to thread the defile, breaking their way through the dense bush, creeping and clinging like flies to the sides of the hills.

1860. The ascent [up Big Mountain] became more and more rugged: this steep pitch, at the end of a thousand miles of hard work and semi-starvation, causes the death of many a wretched animal.

RECONSIDERINGTHE

GOLDEN PASSGOLDEN PASSROUTE

Emigration Routes, Echo to SLC(Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of journals verifying that particular route)

Year No record or missing info

Donner/Pioneer Route Golden Pass 1 (3 Mile, Parleys)

Golden Pass 2 (Silver Cr., Parleys)

Golden Pass 3 (Silver, Emig.)

Other

1847- 50 15 emig. + 3 other companies

1850 12 ½ emig + 3 other companies

David Evans (1)Wall’s ½ of Foote (2)

1851- 59 116 emig. + 25 other companies

1860 Daniel RobinsonOscar O. StoddardJames D. RossJesse MurphyJohn TaylorJos. W. YoungBrigham H. Young

William Budge (1) John Smith (1)Warren Walling (1)Franklin Brown (2)

1861 David H. CannonJob PingreePeter RanckThomas WoolleyJohn R. MurdockJ. Young/A. HarmonSixtus E. Johnson

Homer Duncan (2)Joseph Horne (3)S. Woolley/Porter (1) (split/rejoined)Milo Andrus, part (1)

J.W. Young (1) (Outbound)

Ira Eldredge (2)Sidney Tanner (1) (Mule train)Milo Andrus ? (1)J.W. Young / Kimball freight (1)

William Ajax, 1831-99

“As the road [up Silver Creek Canyon] was not constructed along the bed of the creek, but sometimes on the side of the hill and sometimes as low as the creek, it was a very hard one for the oxen to travel over. Road bad through the [upper Parley’s] canyon – several men selected to repair the road, which they had been doing the last 5 or 6 days. Took route over Little Mountain because it was shorter” (but apparently not easier).

“… had a very steep hill [Little Mountain] to ascend for 2 miles. It was the worst hill we had met on the entire route. It became our lot to descend a still steeper hill extending for a mile or so... The road through this Kanyon again was very bad, and it was a source of wonder to me why it was left in such a wretched condition…”

1862Outfit Station Departure Captain Route Souls Wagons Arrival in SLC

Omaha May 18 # Gilbert/Garrish Silver Creek – Emigration July 28

Florence June 14 Lewis Brunson ??? 212 48 Aug. 29

Florence Early July James Wareham ??? 250 40 Sep. 26

Florence July 14 Christian A. Madsen, Silver Creek – Parley’s 264 45 Sep. 23

Ola N. Liljenquist Silver Creek – Parley’s 250 46

Florence July 22 * Homer Duncan Three Mile, Parley’s 500 50 Sep. 21-24

Florence July 24 * John R. Murdock Probably Emig., which he uses in 1863 597 67 Sep. 27

Florence July 28 James S. Brown ??? 200 46 Oct. 2

Florence July 29 * Joseph Horne Silver Creek - Parley’sCanfield took family down the Weber

570 52 Oct. 1

Florence July 30 Isaac Canfield 120 18 Oct. 16

Florence Aug 1 * Ansel P. Harmon Silver Creek - Emigration 650 36 Oct. 5

Florence Aug 5 * Henry W. Miller Silver Creek - Emigration 665 49 Oct. 17-18

Florence Aug 10 * Horton D. Haight Probably Emigration (followed Miller) 650 52 Oct. 19

Florence Aug 14-17 # Dame/ J. R. Young Silver Creek - Emigration @150 30 Oct. 29

Florence @ Aug 3 # David P. Kimball Silver Creek - Parley’s @20 22 @ Oct 15

* Church Trains (out-and-back companies). # Freight trains

Totals: 5098 601

William H. Kimball’s1862 Stage Hotel,

with 11 rooms,then and now

L.D.S. Church Emigration—1863

Outfit Station Departure Captain Route Souls Wagons Arrival in SLC

Florence June 15 John R. Murdock Silver Creek – Emigration 275 55 Aug 29

Florence June 29 * Alvus H. Patterson Silver Creek – Parley’s 210 62 Sep 4

Florence July 6 John F. Sanders Silver Creek – Parley’s @270 56 Sep 5

Florence July 9 * John R. Young Possible, S Creek – Emig (used in 1862) 200 44 Sep 12

Florence July 10 Wm. B. Preston Possible, S Creek – Emig (used in 1864) 300 67 Sep 10

Florence July 25 Peter Nebeker Silver Creek – Parley’s 500 68 Sep 25 - 30

Florence Aug. 6 Daniel D. McArthur Silver Creek – Parley’s 500 58 Oct 3

Florence Aug. 6 Horton D. Haight Possible, S Creek – Emig (used in 1862?) 200 42 Oct 4

Florence Aug. 9 John W. Woolley Silver Creek – Emigration 200 46 Oct 4 – 8

Florence Aug. 10 Thomas E. Ricks Silver Creek – Emigration 400 59 Oct 4 – 6

Florence Aug. 11 Rosel Hyde ??? 300 49 Oct 13

Florence Aug. 14 Samuel White ??? 300 48 Oct 15

* Independent companies

Totals: 3655 654

January 19, 1866The Territorial Legislature approved a bill entitled

"An Act Establishing a Territorial RoadFrom Great Salt Lake City To Wanship, Summit County“

1. $6,000 was appropriated to build it.2. Toll gates were to be located near Lambs Canyon and southwest of Wanship3. Convict labor from the State Penitentiary

could be used for some of the construction.

Year No record or missing info

Original Pioneer Route

1850GoldenPass Route

Golden Pass 2 (Silver Creek., Parleys)

Golden Pass 3 (Silver Creek, Emigration)

Other

1862 Lewis BrunsonJames WarehamJames S. Brown

Chr. A. Madsen (1) (Ola N. Liljenquist) Joseph Horne (1)Isaac Canfield (2)D. P. Kimball (Fr) (1)

Gilbert/Gerrish (Fr) (1)Ansel Harmon (2)Henry W. Miller (1)William H. Dame (2) (John R. Young) (Horton D. Haight)?? (John R. Murdock; used in ‘63)

Homer Duncan (1) used 3 Mile and Emigration Canyons.[Canfield left his company and took his family down the Weber River.]

1863 Rosel HydeHans P. Lund (family)Sam Hoyt (Freight)Jakeman/Shirtliff (Fr)?? Horton D. Haight (Em. -’62; Par. -‘66)

Alvus Patterson (2)John F. Sanders (1)Peter Nebeker (2)Daniel McArthur (1)

John R. Murdock (2)John W. Woolley (1)Thomas E. Ricks (2)?? (John R. Young)?? (Wm. B. Preston)?? (Samuel White)

1864 John D. ChaseJohn SmithJohn J. Kerr (Fr)Sharp/Spence (Fr)

Joseph Rawlins (1)Kimball/Lawrence (Freight) (1)

Soren Christoffersen (Fr) - Provo Canyon(Rawlins writer split and went to Heber City.)William Warren (2)

Warren S. Snow (3) (Wm Hyde; traveled with Snow)Unidentified (1)?? (Isaac A. Canfield; personality)

William B. Preston (1)Wm. Pritchett (Freight) (1)?? (John R. Murdock; used in ’63)

1865 McCann (Fr)Wm. W. Willis

Henson Walker (1) ; (Silver Creek and Parley’s Park, only mention)[Joined by Miner G. Atwood and Taylor/Davis (Fr) along the way]

1866 John D. HolladayDaniel ThompsonPeter Nebeker

Thomas E. Ricks (1)Wm. H. Chipman (1)Horton D. Haight (1)Andrew H. Scott (1)Joseph S. Rawlins (1, tenuous, Par.) Abner Lowry (1, tenuous, S Pete)

Samuel D. White (2)

1867 William Streeper Leonard G. Rice (2 - Accounts differ)

George Dunford (1?)

1868 Simpson M. MolenEdward T. MumfordFred C. AndersenJohn GillespieJohn C. Dowdle (Ind)

Chester Loveland (1)John G. Holman (2)Horton D. Haight (1, O & B - Parley’s Park, return probably same)?? ( Joseph S. Rawlins)?? ( Daniel D. McArthur)?? ( John R. Murdock)?? ( William S. Seeley)

Gov. Charles Durkee

Address to the Utah Territorial Assembly on 10 December 1866.

“The road from this city, through Parley's Park to the Weber river, is the avenue through which passes the greater portions of the imports for the Territory. The road is an extremely difficult one, and, although much labor has been expended up on it, it is still, for much of the year, almost impassable. The action . . . under the law passed at your last session, has failed to meet the requirements of the public, and some further legislation would seem desirable, either in the way of additional appropriations, or a revision of the law.”

AFTER THE PIONEERSAFTER THE PIONEERS:1) The territorial road eventually became I-80.2) The road over Big Mountain is paved as part of the 1947 “Centennial” celebration.3) Three mile canyon became a private cattle ranch