The Great Pioneer Trail: A History of the Saints Special

[Music] it All Began in February of 1846 when President Brigham Young stood up before the Saints and announced that he and the Corum of the 12 were leaving for the Rocky Mountains the Saints had been warned they knew it was coming but they didn't expect it that quickly this place place right here has come to represent the beginnings of that trail from navoo Illinois to the Rocky Mountains right here at the end of parley Street as you walk down that beautiful Street you just imagine the bitter cold and the snow on the ground when they began that Journey again in February of 1846 and when they started out they did not know for sure where they were going or how long they would be out there George qanan said it this way those of us who can remember when we were compelled to abandon navu when the winter was so inclement know how dark and gloomy the circumstances of the saints were with the mob surrounding our outer settlements and threatening to destroy us the word was to cross the Mississippi and to launch out into an unknown wilderness to go where no one knew who knew anything of the Terrors of their Journey thither or of the dangers that might have to be met and contended with we moved out with faith that was undisturbed by these unknown Terrors it was by faith that this was accomplished end of quote George qanan the crossing of the Mississippi was not made in a single day or even in a single month thousands and thousands of saints went over that Mighty River by raft by barge and at one point even on the ice and that from February to September 1846 that was the beginning of the great trail to the West in 1846 April 15th 1846 right here on this this ground called Locust Creek Iowa William Clayton received word that his wife Diantha far Clayton whom he had had to leave behind in NAU because she was expecting a child that she had safely delivered a healthy baby boy Clayton remembered the event as follows quote this morning Ellen Kimble came to me and wished me much joy she said Diantha has a son I told her I was afraid it was not so but she said brother Pond had received a letter in the evening the band played and after we dismissed we retired to my tent to have a social christening we had a very pleasant time playing and singing until about 12 and drank Health to my new son we named him William Adriel Boni Clayton end of quote it was on that joyous morning of April 15th 1846 that William Clayton recorded this this morning I composed a new song all is well I feel to thank my heavenly father for my boy I hope that my wife will soon be well end a quote that new song to celebrate a new life became the anthem of the Pioneer Trail and of course we know it today as come Come Ye Saints the first latterday saint Pioneers reached the Missouri River near present day Florence Nebraska in June 1846 and while Brigham Young and his people would establish winter quarters on the Nebraska or the west side of the river Florence would become that jumping off point for decades to come not only did the Vanguard company of Brigham Young depart here in 1847 but from here also the handcart companies of James G Willie made that fateful decision to go on across the trail not withstanding the lateness of the Season 1856 it was here in Florence again August 1856 the Levi Savage spoke those words that would later make him a legend upon hearing the decision of his company to go on he is reported to have said quote Brethren and sisters what I have said I know to be true but seeing you are to go forward I will go with you will help you all I can will work with you will rest with you will suffer with you and if necessary I will die with you may God in his Mercy bless and preserve us amen death was a constant companion along the trail it has been estimated that for every mile of that trail someone is buried there accidents were a common cause of death as was disease chera was the dreaded disease that brought down hundreds along the plains Scott's Bluff was a very prominent and notable Landmark along the trail seven miles Northeast of the bluff lies a poignant marker a reminder that this Trail was not only a trail of Faith and Hope and overcoming but at times also one of tragedy and death August 15th 1852 despite the best efforts of many to save her Rebecca Winters passed away from Cola her loss was felt deeply and so her grave was dug unusually deep they tenderly dressed her placed her on a bed and lowered the bed nearby were the ruins of an immigrant wagon Desiring that the final resting place of this good woman not be lost they took a piece of wheel iron bent it and placed it in the grave when the grave was filled in the iron could not be pulled up then William Reynolds took a cold chisel and engraved her name and memory into that iron upon seeing it Rebecca's husband hyram Winters exclaimed quote that name will remain there forever zebedy colron would later say of of Rebecca if ever there was a good woman who lived on the earth sister Rebecca Winters was one end of quote and the company moved on the grave was lost and forgotten that is until many many years later the railroad was laying a line and ran into it out of respect the line was rerouted and the grave spared the grave has since been preserved at great effort and its marker is still there a monument to Rebecca and the pioneers of the 19th century it is one grave of many that reminds us of the price that was paid for Faith Brigham Young and his people did not Blaze this tra it was here and well traveled for more than a decade when President Young and the Saints crossed in 1847 it has been variously estimated that 400,000 people plus crossed this trail from the 1830s up to the coming of the railroad in 1869 of those 400,000 it is estimated that 70,000 were Latter-Day Saints and of those 70,000 well only about 3,000 pulled a hand card so many wagons came over this Trail heavy laden iron tires that they cut their Mark into virgin Rock no place is this more dramatic than right here at gery ruts in eastern Wyoming and this is not the only place in Wyoming where you can see this There Are Places farther along the trail still preserved after more than 160 years where the ruts are as deep as the height of a man if your ancestors crossed the plains in the 19th century before the coming of the railroad it is very likely highly probable that we can show you right where their wagons rolled the Plat River was the great Pioneer interstate highway the trail ran along both sides of the river but here near present day Casper Wyoming the river turned to the South it was here that the Pioneers coming from the East coming up the river on both sides would have to cross over that River to continue their Journey on to the West in 1847 Brigham Young and his men built a ferry right here later enterprising individuals built toll bridges please understand River Crossings were a regular occurrence for the pioneers and they were dangerous river Crossings always meant death it was right here a great drama played out in October of 185 6 Aaron and Elizabeth Jackson came here in October 1856 as part of the Martin handcart company and right here on October 19th at the last crossing of the North Plat Aaron started across the river but the icy water the sickness the exhaustion was too much and he collapsed onto a sandbar Mid River a man came along on Horseback scooped him up carried him across and dropped him on the far Bank no sooner were they on the far Bank Elizabeth and the rest of the Saints when a great winter storm came up snow hail blowing sand Fierce winds and of course the icy cold they loaded Aaron into the back of a hand cart with his feet dangling out the back of the cart and brought him to Camp Elizabeth tried to feed him but he had not the strength to swallow she put him to bed the night was bitterly cold sometime after midnight Elizabeth awoke and reached out for her husband I put my hand upon his body when to my horror I discovered that my worst fears were confirmed my husband was dead the elements had sealed up his mortal frame the next morning Elizabeth and her children wept the men of the camp covered Aaron and 13 others in a grave of snow over the next 10 days that river crossing here at the plat would claim the lives of more than 50 people in just the Martin company [Music] alone timing was everything on the trail if the immigrants left too late in the season forage would be gone the trading posts empty and the risk of winter snows a looming danger similarly if the immigrants left Florence or the Missouri too early in the season before the grass grows in the water flows their animals would not be able to be sustained and they would not survive timing was everything therefore this is Independence Rock in Wyoming it is a solid monolith of granite jetting out of the sagebrush High Plains of Wyoming now there are varying theories how Independence Rock got its name but one idea seems particularly comp in the Pioneers understood that if they reached this Landmark on or around July 4th they were on track they were on schedule to make it to California or wherever they were going Oregon or Utah before the Snows came hundreds of names are etched carved and painted onto that rock hence making it the great register of the high PL [Music] there is one Landmark on the Pioneer Trail that is unique to just one company it's this one Martin's Cove near Devil's gate Wyoming it was here in November 1856 that the Martin handcart company took shelter for 5 days waiting out the winter storm STS that came in a series sweeping over the area some 900 immigrants from The Martin handcart company and the hunt and hodet wagon companies waited starved and froze to death the experience of Sarah Anne Franks and George Padley is somewhat typical of many they had joined the church the two of them in England and set out for Zion they were betrothed engaged to be married if you will and according to the accounts had postponed their marriage in order to be sealed by proper priesthood Authority in Utah they were the sweethearts of the Martin company by the time they reached this place though the journey and the toil and the weather had so sapped their strength that both were failing Sarah was taken into one of the sick wagons to ride George had overexerted himself in trying to help other members of the handcart company he had gotten wet and chilled from the Winter Wind suffering from hypothermia and pneumonia George passed away here in the Cove understanding what the wolves would do to George's body Sarah could not bear it she gave a special Shaw that her mother had given her when she left England and with that Shaw they wrapped George's body and placed it high up in a tree where the Wolves could not reach him her hopes and dreams of a life with George were ended her last view as she Departed the Cove would have been of her beloved hanging in the trees here at Martin's Co it is howow [Music] ground many companies went over this rough and forbidding segment of the trail but for one company it was particularly a night of suffering and deadly the James G Willie handcart company crossed over Rocky Ridge October 23rd 1856 in the face of a howling blizzard and frigid temperatures and deep snow it was over this terrible trail of suffering right here that Levi Savage proved his worth along with Millan Atwood James G Willie Joseph B Elder and so many more this became a hill of Heroes and martyrs Beyond Rocky Ridge is this quiet peaceful area called Rock Creek Hollow it was here that 13 members of the Willie company were buried in a common grave the night after the crossing over of rocky bridge the most dangerous portion of the Pioneer Trail is this big mountain in Utah from the time Brigham Young and his company arrived in 1847 this portion of the trail over big mountain virtually they blazed that themselves it was so steep going up that mountain and back down that wagons had to be chained with the wheels cross locked to keep them under control with ballast and men holding the wagons back however for all that this portion of the trail was dangerous it was almost always overshadowed by Joy why because it was from this lofty Summit that after months of travel by sail Rail and Trail the Pioneers could now look down and see their new home in the Valley of the mountains September 26th 1856 Mary B Crandle of the Daniel D MacArthur handcart company stood here and looked down into the valley for the first time and she said quote what a beautiful sight met our eyes after our long journey a valley in the mountains the sight filled my heart with joy and peace and I did not feel the least bit weary end of quote Mary B Crandle would go down in history as the first single woman to pull a hand card over the big mountain and there are so many more stories and events of the trail that can be shared explored and ought to be remembered please understand that the history of this church from Palmyra to navu that defined us as a church established us as a Zion society as the people of God but the story from navu to Salt Lake across the Pioneer Trail that defined us as people a people of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ obedience to his Commandments willing to live the law of sacrifice a demonstration of courage and heroism praise be to God for tracks in the sand and ruts in the seil AG brush what a wonderful Heritage and history that ought not to be forgotten I'm Glenn rosson see you next time [Music]

Channel: Glenn Rawson Stories

Views: 3,468

Keywords: Glenn Rawson Stories, LDS Church History Mormon Inspirational Stories Glenn Rawson

Id: B1gbsNXnekE

Length: 22min 27sec (1347 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 13 2024