Mormon Pioneer

https://www.nps.gov/mopi/index.htm Explore the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail across five states to see the 1,300-mile route traveled by Mormons who fled Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1846-1847. The Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail crosses five states following the route the Pioneer Company of 1846-1847 established from Nauvoo, Illinois, to Salt Lake City, Utah, covering about 1,300 miles. Visitor Centers vary from state to state The Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail passes through seven states. A variety of visitor facilities are available along the trail. See our Things to Do page for recommendations. Echo Canyon, Utah Red cliffs line a highway as seen from a high point with grass in the foreground. Echo Canyon on the way from Wyoming to Salt Lake City, Utah is both beautiful and historic. Brigham Young grave, Utah A bronze plaque with description on a metal fence surrounding Brigham Young's grave. Brigham Young's grave lies in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah Monument Rock, Utah. Red rock monolith in a rocky canyon Monument Rock in Echo Canyon, Utah. Joseph & Emma Smith House, Nauvoo, Illinois A large, white, two-story historic wood home with a red roof and white picket fence. Joseph & Emma Smith House in Nauvoo, Illinois. Mormon Pioneer Trail in Utah A hiking trail with a trail sign. There are places you can hike on the historic trail! Women's Suffrage in Utah Polygamy is essential to understanding the history of women’s suffrage in Utah. In 1850 President Millard Fillmore selected Brigham Young, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as governor of the newly formed Utah Territory. The appointment of a religious official to political office raised eyebrows across the nation; so did polygamy, the practice of having more than one wife. A historical photo of a group of women in long dresses, standing in front of a sign Fourth of July on the Overland Trails For many travelers on the overland trails, the Fourth of July was just another day of trekking through sand and sagebrush. For some it was a day of melancholy, thinking of how their loved ones at home might be celebrating. For others, especially the Fortyniners, it was fun a day of celebration, usually involving the firing of “salutes” with their handguns and rifles, energetic flag-waving, and a feast. A covered wagon sits in front of a vast rocky landscape Sagebrush and Salt Flats along the Overland Trails The Great Basin, that Big Empty between hither and yon, is a raw and merciless land. Many 19th century emigrants, after several months trudging from the Missouri River with ox and wagon, stopped at its hither edge to settle near the Great Salt Lake. Many others, gazing west into that alien expanse, wanted urgently to meet its yon side at the Sierra Nevada as quickly as possible. Very few stopped permanently, willingly, in the thirsty in-between. A salt flat, covered in shallow water, stretches out to distant mountains. 1857 Mormon Defensive Breastworks at Mormon Flat, Utah Fearing an invasion by the approaching US Army in 1857, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Brigham Young evacuated Salt Lake City and ordered the Mormon Militia to prevent the soldiers from entering the valley. The federal troops would come through Fort Bridger, a trading post in in present-day southeastern Wyoming, and pass through Echo Canyon, about 50 miles northeast of Salt Lake City, before following the California-Mormon Trail up Big Mountain. A row of piled rocks, in a grassy field, with a distant hill. The 1847 Trek - Mormon Pioneer Trail Over the winter, Brigham Young collected travel reports and cross-examined men who had been west along the trail. Thanks to this added information and the previous summer’s experience, the second leg of the journey would be flawlessly executed. Moreover, the 1847 vanguard company would be limited to a handpicked party of 144 men, three wives, and two small boys. They would start in early spring, soon followed by the main body of emigrants. An illustration of a covered wagon entering a valley. The 1846 Trek - Mormon Pioneer Trail Brigham Young initially intended for his Mormon vanguard out of Nauvoo to overwinter in the Rocky Mountains and then continue to the Great Basin in spring 1847. However, the difficulty of the journey, fatigue, and starvation changed his plans. The 1846 trek would be from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Missouri River at today’s Omaha, Nebraska; and the 1847 journey would continue from there to the Great Salt Lake Valley at present-day Salt Lake City, Utah. An illustration of log cabins in the winter. What Happened to the Bison? Crossing the Southern Plains in 1806, Zebulon Pike described herds of bison that “exceeded imagination.” Yet by the 1850s, many of the Native nations that relied on bison for sustenance—such as the Kiowas, Comanches, Cheyennes, and Arapahoes—were seeing fewer bison than ever before. What happened? A bison stands and eats grass. The Platte Experience Otoe Indians called this region “Nebrathka,” meaning “flat water,” and the French word “Platte” means the same. The defining flatness of the broad Platte River Valley, which averages five to seven miles wide, made it ideal for animal-powered travel on both sides of the stream. The long Platte River also provided plenty of water and native grasses for game and livestock. Many emigrants later recalled it as the easiest, most pleasant part of their westering journey. A statue of a bison in front of a large museum. Gateway to the West: National Historic Trails Across the Continental Divide The Rocky Mountains stretch like a jagged spine between Alaska and Mexico, splitting North America into East and West. The Continental Divide is not a simple line of peaks, easily threaded by tracks and roads, but a complex of overlapping mountain ranges and treeless sagebrush steppe, hundreds of miles wide. In the days of covered wagon travel, the Rockies were an imposing barrier to the movement of people, commerce, and communications. South Pass was the gateway to the West. Historic image a covered wagon train meeting tall mountains. Sister-Wives and Suffragists: Mormonism and the Women’s Suffrage Movement “Do you know of any place on the face of the earth, where woman has more liberty, and where she enjoys such high and glorious privileges as she does here, as a Latter-day Saint?” So spoke Eliza R. Snow in 1870, the year when women in territorial Utah became among the tiny minority of nineteenth-century American women to win the right to exercise the franchise. Head and shoulders portrait of emmeline wells, black and white. library of congress War on the Oregon & California Trails Once-friendly Western tribes watched with mounting anger as emigrants helped themselves, often wastefully, to their game, grass, water, and wood. Indian agents warned of bloody conflicts ahead if the issues between native peoples and emigrants were not soon resolved. In response, the U.S. government called for a treaty conference to be held near Fort Laramie, Wyoming, in September 1851. Some 12,000 members of 11 different Northern Plains tribes answered the call. A green lawn stretches back to a distant historic fort. A Gathering Storm: American Indians and Emigrants in the 1830s As American settlers surged westward across the eastern woodlands and prairies in the early 19th century, they pushed American Indians out of their ancestral homes. The U.S. government resettled many of those displaced Eastern tribes —the Kickapoo, Delaware, Potawatomi, and others— in congressionally designated Indian Territory west of the Missouri River and south of the Platte. The resettled Eastern tribes were among the first Indians encountered by emigrants through Kansas. Traveling the Emigrant Trails Learn a little bit about what life was like for the emigrants traveling west by covered wagon. Series: On Their Shoulders: The Radical Stories of Women's Fight for the Vote These articles were originally published by the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC) as a part of the WSCC blog, The Suff Buffs. The Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission was created by Congress to commemorate 100 years of the 19th Amendment throughout 2020 and to ensure the untold stories of women’s battle for the ballot continue to inspire Americans for the next 100 years. In collaboration with the WSCC, the NPS is the forever home of these articles Logo of the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission Wagons on the Emigrant Trails Emigrants along the western trails had several options when it came to wagons. Three covered wagons are seen in front of a distinctive rock formation. Death and Danger on the Emigrant Trails There were many life-threatening challenges for the emigrants who traveled the emigrant trails to California, Oregon, or Utah. A watercolor painting of wagon trains approaching Chimney Rock. The Lands of the Overland Trails: Protests against the Mexican American War Almost every movement in American history has a corresponding counter movement. The Mexican American War (1846-48), which resulted in Mexico ceding much of the modern-day American Southwest to the United States, is a good example. With the stroke of a pen, parts of the Santa Fe, California, Oregon, Pony Express, Mormon Pioneer, and Old Spanish trails, as well as El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, suddenly became American territory. A dirt road snakes down a steep cliff face in the desert. Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guides: Mormon Pioneer Trail Download one of these booklets and begin your state by state trail adventure! The Auto Tour Route (ATR) guides provide an overview of local trail history while giving driving directions to suggested points of interest along the trail. There are auto tour route guides available for the trail across IA, NE, CO, WY and UT. The cover of a travel guide that has an illustration of a covered wagon train crossing a snowy area. Become a Junior Ranger for National Historic Trails Learn about the National Historic Trails and earn junior ranger badges! These activities can be completed virtually or after visiting a site along the National Historic Trails. Booklets can be submitted either electronically or by mail. Take a look and start exploring the trails today! small photos of different trail sites with junior ranger badges. Historic Valentine's Day Cards Valentines day cards rose to popularity in the United States in the mid-1800s. Victorian cards were elaborate, decorative, often-lace trimmed, and mass-produced. Not everyone could afford such cards, so handmade cards were very popular with pioneers and others who couldn't buy an expensive card. You can take your Valentine back in time by making a historic card! Use the provided template, or make a handmade card, and return to the 1800s with your love. A historic valentines day card with a rose illustration. Hogsback Summit Winter Views Winter view of the Wasatch Mountains from Hogsback Summit, near Henefer, Utah, on the Donner Party route of the California Trail. The Donner Party reached this point on July 19, 1846, having been directed by Lansford W. Hastings to cut their own trail through these mountains. Here they had their first glimpse of what that would mean for them. Enjoy a virtual visit with a few different views of this significant trail location. a wintery landscape leading to distant snow-covered mountains. Series: National Historic Trails Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guides Interested in planning a trip along a national historic trail? Use these guides to follow the historic routes while learning more about local and trail history. The cover of a travel guide that has an illustration of a covered wagon train in the plains. Series: The Emigrant Experience Have you ever wondered what the experience was like for the emigrants who traveled west on the Great Platte River Road? A man dressed in period clothing leans on a covered wagon. Elijah Abel, the Mormon Pioneer Trail Elijah Abel was born in Maryland in either 1808 or 1810, most likely into slavery. He converted to the Mormon faith in 1832 and soon migrated to the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Kirtland, Ohio. historic image of an African American man Elizabeth “Lizzy” Flake, the Mormon Pioneer Trail Elizabeth “Lizzy” Flake was born enslaved in Anson County, North Carolina, in 1833. She grew up alongside other enslaved people who picked cotton on William Love’s plantation. The Flakes joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and moved to Mississippi, then to Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1844. Two years later, when most of the Saints fled Nauvoo, they joined the migration to Utah. Historic portrait of an African American woman. National Historic Trails: Historical Routes of National Significance Wondering about National Historic Trails? Check out this infographic with basic information about the trails, their purpose, and where you can go for more information! Infographic about National Historic Trails featuring a map. Full description available at link. Child’s Play: Freak Accidents on the Westering Trails Laudanum is a tincture made from powdered opium, morphine, and codeine. Today it is available in the US only by prescription, but in the 19th century it was an inexpensive patent medicine used to quiet agitated minds, ease fever and pain, and relieve diarrhea. An overdose causes the victim to stop breathing, lapse into coma, and die. That’s what happened to six-year-old Salida Jane Henderson, called “Lettie,” while she camped with her family in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. A small green glass bottle with a cork topper. Can I Eat This: Freak Accidents on the Westering Trails In 1849, many companies of gold seekers decided to follow the Applegate Trail to a new cutoff, said to be a quicker way to the goldfields. Lassen’s Cutoff turned out to be 200 miles longer than the established routes, extending the trip by weeks. Long before reaching the mines, most companies ran out of food. Starving men desperately filled their empty bellies with anything they could chew- rotting livestock lying trailside, boiled bits of leather, and plants, some poisonous. Clusters of small white flowers. Trust Me, I’m a Doctor: Freak Accidents on the Westering Trails Edwin Bryant, traveling overland to California in 1846, had only briefly studied medicine, and he never claimed to be a physician. But somewhere along Nebraska’s Platte River, a little boy from another party had gotten his leg crushed under wagon wheels. The child, eight or nine years old, survived but desperately needed medical attention. There being no doctor nearby, Bryant reluctantly agreed to examine him. A wooden wagon wheel with spokes radiating out from the center. Mother’s Mortal Mistake: Freak Accidents on the Westering Trails Joel Hills Johnson started along the trail in April 1857, on his way to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On Big Mountain, less than 20 miles from the city, his group overtook a party of “apostates” – former Mormon converts who had abandoned their church and were leaving the Mormon realm. As was common practice, a mother of that party had stirred together a pan of bread dough in the morning and set it to rise in the wagon during the day... A risen bread loaf in a tin pan. Fatal missteps, Part 2: Freak Accidents on the Westering Trails Emigrants on the Truckee Route to California typically started across Nevada’s Fortymile Desert in the evening in order to avoid the heat of the midday sun. The one reliable place to find water along the desert trek was a place called Boiling Springs, where travelers could dip out and cool the precious water for their livestock to drink. Steam rises from a small pond that sits in a desert setting void of much vegetation Thunder Road: Freak Accidents on the Westering Trails First comes a sudden stillness, then an unexpected cool breeze. Sunshine dims to darkness as growling, green-black clouds pile overhead, flickering with lightning. The wind rises. A brilliant bolt splits the air with a deafening crr-ACK, followed by momentary silence and then a violent, crashing boom that makes the living earth tremble... Lightning bolt in a dark sky. Fatal missteps, Part 1: Freak Accidents on the Westering Trails Devil’s Gate, near Independence Rock in south-central Wyoming, is a deep, V-shaped cleft cut through a granite ridge by the Sweetwater River. Curious emigrants, including the younger brother of pioneer Ezra Meeker, made side-trips to explore the scenic feature. A river squeezes through a narrow passage between two sheer rock walls Mormon Odometer Learn about how emigrants on the Mormon Trail measured their progress. A piece of machinery constructed out of wood. Joseph Fielding Smith, the Mormon Pioneer Trail Joseph Fielding Smith, sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the nephew of its founder, Joseph Smith, was born in Far West, Missouri, on 13 November 1838. He traveled with his family on the Mormon Pioneer Trail in 1846. In 1848 they left Winter Quarters and arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah. Historic bust portrait of a man with a beard. National Historic Trails Scrapbooks Imagine if early travelers on the National Historic Trails had a polaroid camera... what would their scrapbooks look like? Though we have many journals describing their experiences, there are obviously very few or no photos at all from these journeys. Cameras didn't exist! Well, we took a crack at it and created scrapbook pages for them! Take a look at what we imagine a trail traveler's scrapbook would like! A scrapbook page depicting multiple scenes from the trail, and relevant icon images. A Boy’s Walk to Zion, B.H. Roberts A Boy's Walk to Zion: Brigham Henry Roberts Green Flake, the Mormon Pioneer Trail Green Flake was born into slavery on 6 January 1828 in Lilesville, Anson County, North Carolina. His master, Jordan Flake, gave ten-year-old Green to his son James Madison Flake as a wedding gift in 1838. When Brigham Young led the first LDS wagon companies out of Nauvoo in 1846, three Mormon families from Mississippi volunteered their enslaved men—Green Flake, Oscar Crosby, and Hark Lay—to go along as laborers. Historical image of a man standing in a suit. Hark Lay, the Mormon Pioneer Trail In January 1846, Young ordered Brown to gather the “Mississippi Saints” and meet the main body of Mormons along the Platte River trail to Utah later that summer. Brown managed to convince just forty-three of the Monroe County converts to make the 640-mile trip to Independence, Missouri. William Lay and his wife, Sytha (Crosby), decided to take with them their twenty-year-old enslaved man, Hark Lay. Rebecca Winters, the Mormon Pioneer Trail Rebecca Winters, at the advanced age of 53, crossed the plains with her family on their way to Utah in 1852. The fate that befell her along the way was one shared by many emigrants on the westering trails. Things to Do in Nebraska Find things to do, trip ideas, and more in Nebraska. Steep bluff with pink sky above and yellow leaves below. Zina Huntington Young, the Mormon Pioneer Trail Zina Diantha Huntington, an early convert to the Mormon faith and wife to both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, was born in Watertown, New York, on the last day of January 1821. The Huntingtons left Kirtland for the Mormon encampment at Far West, Missouri, during a time of heightened tensions between Mormons and Missourians. Things to Do in Iowa Find things to do, trip ideas, and more in Iowa. View of a wide river from the top of a bluff. Tree branches extend into the view from the left. Things to Do in Illinois Find things to do, trip ideas, and more in Illinois. A light orange two story home containing many windows with green shutters. Series: Things to Do in the Midwest There is something for everyone in the Midwest. See what makes the Great Plains great. Dip your toes in the continent's inland seas. Learn about Native American heritage and history. Paddle miles of scenic rivers and waterways. Explore the homes of former presidents. From the Civil War to Civil Rights, discover the stories that shape our journey as a nation. Steep bluff with pink sky above and yellow leaves below. Historical Buildings Survey Update: Mormon Pioneer Trail A team of researchers from Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Historic Preservation, led by Dr. Carroll Van West and National Trails Coordinator Amy Kostine, was wrapping up a road trip along the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail when the Big Blizzard struck the Northeast in early February. Hand-hewn upright and beams with pegs holding them together. Introduction - Sweet Freedom's Plains: African Americans on the Overland Trails 1841-1869 Introduction to Sweet Freedom's Plains: African Americans on the Overland Trails 1841-1869. This study examines African American participation in the great overland trails emigrations that occurred in the nineteenth century. It focuses on the history of African Americans on the California, Oregon and Mormon Trails from 1841 to 1869, when the transcontinental railroad was completed. Preface - Sweet Freedom's Plains: African Americans on the Overland Trails 1841-1869 Preface to Sweet Freedom's Plains: African Americans on the Overland Trails 1841-1869. This study examines African American participation in the great overland trails emigrations that occurred in the nineteenth century. It focuses on the history of African Americans on the California, Oregon and Mormon Trails from 1841 to 1869, when the transcontinental railroad was completed. Locust Creek Campsite Exhibit Audio Description Interested in the Mormon Pioneer Trail at Locust Creek Campsite? Take a look at these interpretive exhibits and listen to their audio descriptions. Wayside interpretive exhibit, full audio description is available in the article. Grand Encampment Exhibit Audio Description Interested in the Mormon Pioneer Trail at Grand Encampment? Take a look at this interpretive exhibit and listen to the audio description. Wayside interpretive exhibit, full audio description is available in the article. Garden Grove Exhibit Audio Description Interested in the Mormon Pioneer Trail at Garden Grove? Take a look at this interpretive exhibit and listen to their audio description. Wayside interpretive exhibit, full audio description is available. Mount Pisgah Exhibits Audio Descriptions Interested in the Mormon Pioneer Trail at Mount Pisgah? Take a look at these interpretive exhibits and listen to their audio descriptions. Wayside interpretive exhibit, full audio description is available in the article. Bonaparte Riverfront Park Exhibit Audio Description Interested in the Mormon Pioneer Trail at Bonaparte Riverfront Park? Take a look at these interpretive exhibits and listen to their audio descriptions. Wayside interpretive exhibit, full audio description is available in the article. Prairie Trails Museum Exhibit Audio Description Interested in the Mormon Pioneer Trail at the Prairie Trails Museum? Take a look at these interpretive exhibits and listen to their audio descriptions. Wayside interpretive exhibit, full audio description is available in the article. Nauvoo Exhibits Audio Description Interested in the Mormon Pioneer Trail at Nauvoo National Historic Landmark? Take a look at these interpretive exhibits and listen to their audio descriptions. A wayside exhibit. Full audio description is included in the article for each exhibit. Montrose Riverfront Park Exhibit Audio Description Interested in the Mormon Pioneer Trail at Montrose Landing? Take a look at these interpretive exhibits and listen to their audio descriptions. Wayside interpretive exhibit, full audio description is available in article. Methodology - Sweet Freedom's Plains: African Americans on the Overland Trails 1841-1869 Methodology to Sweet Freedom's Plains: African Americans on the Overland Trails 1841-1869. This study examines African American participation in the great overland trails emigrations that occurred in the nineteenth century. It focuses on the history of African Americans on the California, Oregon and Mormon Trails from 1841 to 1869, when the transcontinental railroad was completed. Sweet Freedom's Plains, Chapter 1: Race, Slavery, and Freedom Race, Slavery, and Freedom: Chapter 1 Sections, Sweet Freedom's Plains, African Americans on the Overland Trails 1841 - 1869, Sweet Freedom's Plains, Chapter 2: The Jumping-Off Places Chapter 2 Sections, The Jumping-Off Places, Sweet Freedoms Plains: African Americans on the Overland Trails 1841 - 1869. Richardson's Point Additional History: Mormon Pioneer Trail Learn more about Richardson's Point, along the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail. The Mormon Vanguard Group camped at this historically significant site from March 7 to 19, 1846. The site contains the burial sites of Edwin Little, nephew of Brigham Young, and James Tanner, the first recorded deaths on the Mormon Trail. A large brown entrance sign for "Richardson's Point." Mormon Pioneer Trail Timeline Interested in learning more about the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail? Take a look at this timeline of the 1846 and 1847 treks from Nauvoo, Illinois to Utah. Mormon Pioneer Trail Junior Ranger Interested in becoming a Mormon Pioneer Trail junior ranger? Use this information to complete the junior ranger worksheet and earn your badge! Historical Buildings Survey Update: Mormon Pioneer Trail, July 2022 Summer 2022 update on the historic building survey on the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail by the Middle Tennessee State University. Series: Death Came A-Knockin’: Freak Accidents on the Westering Trails Everyone who’s ever played the Oregon Trail game know that emigrants stood a good chance of dying from disease or drowning at a river crossing before ever reaching the Willamette Valley. Of course, there were other common ways to die on the way to Oregon, Utah, or California. These were the possibilities people knew and worried about as they loaded up their wagons and started their oxen westward. But there were other ways to end one’s trip early. Unexpected ways. Freak accidents. Steam rises from a small pond in a desert setting. Significant Figures of the Pony Express, California, Oregon, and Mormon Pioneer Trails Stories collected as part of a 2016–2018 collaborative project of the National Trails- National Park Service and the University of New Mexico’s Department of History, “Student Experience in National Trails Historic Research: Vignettes Project.” This project was formulated to provide trail partners and the general public with useful biographies of less-studied trail figures—particularly African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, women, and children. Four images of historic portrait from the mid-19th century. Series: People of the Mormon Pioneer Trail Learn more about significant figures of the Mormon PIoneer National Historic Trail. Woman in a bonnet stands next to a grave. National Trails Coloring Pages Stretching for 28,000 miles over 26 states, the national historic trails are home to many different animals. Learn more about the trails and the animals that people encountered with these great coloring pages. This is fun for all ages, just download, print, and color! Coloring page with outline of a deer fawn. Reconstructed Fort Laramie Emigrant Register, 1850 Nineteenth-century overland migration is one of the best documented processes in American history. Journals, letters, sketches, and guidebooks paint vivid pictures of the varied landscapes and emotions that migrants experienced on their way west. Yet despite this rich body of evidence, there is no official count of how many people undertook the journey. Some of the best data we have comes courtesy of officers at Fort Laramie, who counted passing travelers in the year of 1850. Line graph showing the number of westbound men and wagons passing Fort Laramie. Reflecting on 55 years of the National Trails System Act: A Journey Through the Establishment of National Scenic and Historic Trails In celebration of the 55th anniversary of the National Trails System Act, learn more about these significant trails and their history. Mormon Pioneer, California, and Pony Express Trails: Echo Canyon Itinerary Explore Echo Canyon in Utah, for a combined three trails experience! Use this trip itinerary to plan a driving day trip along historic trails, visiting multiple sites, and learning as you go! Mormon Pioneer Trail: Salt Lake City Itinerary Salt Lake City, a pioneer way-station as well as a destination, is rich in the combined history of the Mormon Pioneer, Pony Express, and California national historic trails. This itinerary starts at This Is The Place Heritage Park for an overview of the three trails at one tour stop. From there, this itinerary becomes a walking tour downtown and focuses on the Mormon Pioneer Trail. A grassy park, with a sidewalk that splits through the center. Distant statues.