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leaving springfield
The families of James F. Reed and George and Jacob Donner, 33 people in nine wagons, leave Springfield, Illinois -
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donner party chris valle
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the Donners and Reeds
The Donners and Reeds reach Independence, Missouri; they spend two days making final arrangements and leave on the the 12th -
the springfielders
The Springfielders join a large wagon train captained by Col. William H. Russell -
Graves family
Graves family, from Marshall Co., Illinois, crosses the Missouri at St. Joseph -
sarah keyes
Sarah Keyes, Reed’s mother-in-law, dies and is buried at Alcove Spring -
Big Blue
The wagon train completes the crossing of the Big Blue -
Platte River
Reach the Platte River, along which they travel for the next month. -
William Russell
William Russell resigns as captain of the wagon train, which is now led by William M. Boggs -
Boggs company
Boggs Company arrives at Fort Laramie and meet James Clyman, an acquaintance of Reed’s -
Beaver creek
Boggs Company celebrates the Glorious Fourth at Beaver Creek -
Independence Rock
Boggs Company reaches Independence Rock -
Fort Bridger
Donner Party reaches Fort Bridger -
The McCutchen family
The McCutchen family and Jean Baptiste Trudeau join the Donner Party -
Weber river
the Donner Party reaches the Weber River -
Wasatch Mountains
The donner party travels the new route through the Wasatch Mountains -
Salt lake Valley
Donner Party climbs Donner Hill and enters the Salt Lake Valley -
Tooele Valley
Luke Halloran dies and is buried in the Tooele Valley -
salt lake desert
The emigrants cut grass for the dry drive across the Great Salt Lake Desert -
pilot peak
After a grueling crossing of the Salt Desert, the emigrants rest at the spring near the base of Pilot Peak -
ruby mountains
The Donner Party follows Hastings’ tracks from Donner Spring into Nevada and around the Ruby Mountains -
the california trail
Reach the junction with the California Trail about 7 miles west of modern Elko, Nevada -
john snyder
Reed kills John Snyder -
Humboldt
Travel along Humboldt. Paiute raiders wound or drive off many cattle -
truckee river
Reach the Truckee River. After a rest at Truckee Meadows (present-day Reno), they begin ascent of Sierra -
reaching truckee lake
The larger group of emigrants reach Truckee (now Donner) Lake -
attempts to cross the mountains
More snow, more unsuccessful attempts to cross the mountains -
Charles Stanton
Charles Stanton and Franklin Ward Graves making snowshoes for "another mountain scrabble" -
Baylis Williams
Baylis Williams dies -
"Forlorn Hope"
After the weather clears, the snowshoers, later dubbed the "Forlorn Hope," set out -
Alder creek
Milt Elliott returns from the Donner camp at Alder Creek -
"camp of death"
They have great difficulty getting and keeping a fire lit. Antonio, Patrick Dolan, Franklin Graves, and Lemuel Murphy die at the "Camp of Death." With nothing left to eat, the survivors tearfully resort to cannibalism -
Dutch Charley
Back at the lake camp, "Dutch Charley" Burger dies -
Battle of Santa Clara
James F. Reed participates in the Battle of Santa Clara -
Mrs. Reed
Mrs. Reed, her daughter Virginia, Milt Elliott, and Eliza Williams set out to cross the mountains -
johnsons ranch
Seven survivors of the Forlorn Hope reach safety at Johnson's Ranch -
Louis Keseberg Jr
Louis Keseberg, Jr., dies in the Keseberg's lean-to -
Sutters fort
From his ranch near Sutter's Fort, Alcalde John Sinclair writes a letter to Alcalde Washington Bartlett -
Landrum Murphy
Landrum Murphy dies -
Harriet McCutchen
Harriet McCutchen dies -
rescue party
The citizens of San Francisco hold a meeting to raise funds for a rescue party -
Margaret Eddy
Margaret Eddy dies -
First Relief
First Relief leaves Johnson's Ranch -
Eleanor Eddy
Eleanor Eddy dies -
Milt Elliott
Milt Elliott dies. -
First Relief
First Relief reaches the lake -
Catherine Pike
Catherine Pike dies -
Second Relief
Second Relief arrives at the lake camp -
Reed
Reed leaves the camps with 17 emigrants -
Eddy and Foster’s party
Eddy and Foster’s party arrive at the lake camp -
The Alder Creek camp
At the Alder Creek camp, George Donner is dying from infection in the hand he injured months before -
William Fallon and the Fourth Relief party
William Fallon and the Fourth Relief party reach the camps -
Louis Keseberg
The last member of the Donner Party, Louis Keseberg, arrives at Sutter's Fort