[This is the story of three brothers of my great-great grandmother who went to California for the Gold Rush and back again. It was published in the Weldon (Illinois) Record in 1905. It is an amalgam of reminiscences of all three brothers, not of any particular one. The copy I have was typed by someone, probably my grandmother, from the original – there are some obvious transcription mistakes, others could have been in the original. I have made some comments and obvious corrections in square brackets. Part 1.]

Wyoming to Utah

Crossing the Continental Divide

When we reached a place to cross the North Platte, crossing was not good. The water was deep, swift, and cold, and no ferry. We hired a canoe, paid three dollars apiece for each wagon load. Took the wagon to pieces and floated the wagon beds, and swam the horses. There was no grass here so two of us took the horses and mules to range, and were to bring them back next day. About sundown a man came out from camp, said a company wanted me to help them cross the Sweet Water river. We saw here what us called Devil’s gate, where the Sweet Water comes through a deep canyon, and is quite a fall. I loaned my gun to the man who was to stay with the horses.

Devil's Gate in 1870

Devil’s Gate in 1870 (photo by William Henry Jackson)

It clouded up and was so dark after I started back. I heard footsteps behind me. I had a first class hunting knife, and you bet I carried it in my hand. Finally a big wolf howled [about] fifty yards away. Then they all howled, about five or six of them. This [partly] relieved the strain. I knew they were not dangerous unless starving, but it was not nice to hear them around in the dark.

We all traveled on, we came upon a curiosity in the valley, the Sweet Water valley and ice lake north of the road. It was covered with a yellow mass six inches thick, under this ice six inches deep. The weather was quite warm. We saw signs of mountain sheep. I saw but one on the whole trip. It was killed and was much larger [than] domesticated sheep, [weighing] perhaps three hundred pounds.

We traveled up the Sweet Water to what was called Pacific Springs. Here is the celebrated South Pass, which was discovered by Lewis and Clark. [Actually, it was seven men from John Jacob Astor’s Pacific Fur Company who first used the pass in 1812 after hearing of it from local Indians.] It is considered a great natural curiosity, a plain thirty miles wide that extends over the summit of the Rocky mountains, is level enough for farming land, 6000 feet above sea level. Here we left our wagons, bought another mule and packed the mules for the balance of the trip. We took pieces of the wagons and rigged up saddles; took what we were obliged to have; left the rest stay one day, rigging up. Next morning all started on account of the scarcity of grass. Two of us stayed, Mark and John, to sort out the things and follow after packing the mules.

Among things left was a keg of powder, some had been spilled around and under the keg. The keg was left open. A green Missourian came bothering around asking questions, finally got some fire, and touched off the spilled powder. It flashed over the ground and started with that under the keg. The keg started off across the plain at a high rate of speed; one mule bucked off his pack, and excitement was high; Mark told the man if he didn’t leave he would kick him in half a minute.

Six of us traveling together, Jack Pellman, Rufus Leet, Harvey [O’Melveny], and we three [brothers]. We traveled thirty three and one half miles that day. 200 miles a week, resting on Sunday. [The] next bad river to cross, cold, deep, with square banks, which horse or man couldn’t remain long in it. Our horses would swim across and then come back. Finally they swam across but missed the landing place. They swam down about a mile to where there was a gap in the bank, and all got out, which was a great streak of luck, as we thought they were going to drown.

Fort [Bridger] was the name of the next stop. Mr. [Bridger] was an Indian trader of great notoriety, He had built a fort two or three hundred miles east of Salt Lake. He seemed to be a nice shrewd man. We saw no one except himself, his squaw, and an Indian boy. He said he has a bunch of Indians hired to prepare to bring in buffalo robes. He said they were camped about forty miles southeast from there. In this valley we saw lakes and ponds dried up, which left a coating of saleratus [baking soda] a half inch thick. We took some with us to make flapjacks. I made bread with it right along. We lived on flapjacks, bacon, and coffee.

We camped [at] night here. Jack Pellman was to stand guard the rest of the night. He was a great coward. He thought there were Indians around. He came in and hung around the fire where we were. The horses and mules strayed off. The next morning I went up the little mountain, and saw them down in the valley about three miles. The company started on, it was hurrying us to catch up and we were heavily loaded. They became frightened, thought they saw a grizzly bear in the road. They stopped and waited for us. We went up, and went close and saw it was a brindled bull dog, that had tired out, and lay down to rest.

My brother and I concluded to take a short cut across the creek. We jumped it, walked fast, and were soon out of sight. We saw Indian tracks and came upon a bunch of Indians camped in some willows. One had a buffalo robe over his [head], raised out of the bushes with bow and arrow ready to shoot. We clapped our chests to show we were good. He raised up. He and another Indian came out to see us, and talked and motioned, held up our fingers to show there was a large company of us, for they shoot more frequently when one is leaving.

We came next to the [Wasatch] mountains. They ascend gradually on the east side and are steep on the west side into the valley. In crossing we traveled the deepest canyon on the whole trip. We could see eagles on shelving rock, hundreds of feet high. When we reached the summit, it took until next evening to reach Salt Lake City, which was two years old. The little adobe huts put one in mind of muskrat houses in a grassy valley. We stayed in the city three days.

Wasatch Mountains in 1868

Weber Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains in 1868

The Mormons were glad to see emigrants. They were short of rations, and had been since they got to the valley. The emigrants had grub to spare. They had expected to harvest in about three weeks. This was about the third of July. Mark went to hear Brigham Young preach. They had laid the foundation for the temple. Some of the emigrants said the [Mormon] boys had sold them lariats in the day time, and stole them back at night. I think there are other boys who would do the same thing.

Salt Lake City in 1852

Salt Lake City in 1852 (Sketch from Howard Stansbury expedition)

The city is nine [miles] from the lake. Salt could be had by the wagon load. We went around the lake on the north side. Hot springs were numerous. The Mormons had a fight with the Utes soon after their arrival. They had killed all the warriors and captured all the squaws and divided them among the families for servants. They worked well and pretended to be satisfied, but soon ran away. The was a large band of Snake Indians camped near. The [Utes] and Snake Indians had been at war. One day while I was in the Snake Indian camp, a delegation of Utes came to make a treaty. The squaws gathered up their children and left in a hurry.

There is an island in Salt Lake, of which the Indians, and some white people have superstitious fear. I saw one man who had been on the island. He said there were a great many rattle snakes on it. The fourth of July was not celebrated, but the 24th, the day of our arrival at Salt Lake. The ground we traveled over was white with alkali, and looked worthless. There was plenty of sage hen, some as large as small turkeys. They were almost black in color, and made very good eating.

We crossed a stream twenty feet wide, steep banks, and deep. One of us would ride a mule, take a pack on our shoulders, and go back for another pack. We got everything across except Jack Pellman’s mule. He was stubborn and afraid. He slid down the bank, and threw Jack over his head into the water. His pistol slipped out of his pocket and he paid John fifty cents to get it for him.