.png){kind=small}
The Donner Party: From Dreams of California to a Fight for Life
In the spring of 1846, a group of 87 pioneers set out from Illinois with dreams of a better life in California. Little did they know that their journey would become one of the most tragic and infamous stories in American history. This is the tale of the Donner Party, a name that would come to symbolize both the perils of westward expansion and the indomitable human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Our story begins with two families at its heart: the Donners and the Reeds. George Donner, a 62-year-old farmer and his brother Jacob led one group. James F. Reed, a 45-year-old businessman, led another. These families, along with their wives, children and other hopeful settlers, formed the core of what would become known as the Donner Party.
The group set out from Springfield, Illinois, on April 12, 1846. Their destination was California, a journey of about 2,500 miles that typically took four to six months. They were full of hope, carrying with them dreams of fertile land and new opportunities in the West. At first, the journey went smoothly. The wagons rolled across the plains and spirits were high. But as they reached Independence, Missouri, a fateful decision was made that would alter the course of their lives forever.
At Independence, the party met James Reed's old friend, James Clyman. Clyman had just returned from California and warned the group against taking a new, untested route called the Hastings Cutoff. This shortcut, proposed by Lansford Hastings in his emigrant's guide, promised to save 300-400 miles on the journey to California. Despite Clyman's warnings, Reed was convinced that the cutoff would be faster and pushed for the group to take it.
On July 19, the party reached the Little Sandy River, where they had to make their final decision about the route. In a choice that would haunt them for the rest of their lives, the majority of the group, now numbering 87 people in 23 wagons, opted for the Hastings Cutoff. This decision delayed them by several precious days and forced them to tackle some of the most difficult terrains on their journey.
The Hastings Cutoff proved to be a nightmare. The route took them through the Wasatch Mountains and across the Great Salt Lake Desert. What was supposed to be a time-saving shortcut turned into an arduous ordeal. The wagons had to be dismantled and carried piece by piece over the steep mountain passes. The desert crossing, which Hastings had claimed would take two days, took five days of gruelling travel with little water.
By the time they emerged from the Salt Lake Desert, the party had lost valuable time and resources. They were exhausted, their oxen were weak and their supplies were depleting. To make matters worse, tensions within the group were rising. On October 5, a fight broke out between James Reed and John Snyder, resulting in Snyder's death. Reed was banished from the group, forced to leave his family behind and ride ahead alone.
As October wore on, the party's progress slowed to a crawl. Early snowstorms began to hit the Sierra Nevada, the final mountain range they needed to cross to reach California. On October 28, they reached Truckee Lake (now called Donner Lake), at the foot of the mountains. Here, they found themselves trapped by early and heavy snowfall.
The party split into two groups. Most of the Donner family and their teamsters, 21 people in all, were forced to make camp at Alder Creek, about six miles behind the main group due to a broken wagon axle. The rest of the party, 59 people, set up camp at the edge of Truckee Lake. They constructed crude cabins and hoped to wait out the storm.
But the storm didn't pass. Instead, more snow fell, sometimes as much as 10 feet in a single storm. The pioneers were trapped in the mountains with decreasing food supplies and no way to hunt. As November turned to December and December to January, their situation became increasingly desperate. The first death came on December 15, when 70-year-old Baylis Williams died of malnutrition at the lake camp. As food ran out, the survivors resorted to eating boiled animal hides, bones, twigs and bark. Some even resorted to eating the family dogs.
Realizing that help wasn't coming, a group of 15 of the strongest members of the party set out on snowshoes to seek help. This group, known as the "Forlorn Hope," battled through deep snow and freezing temperatures. After a harrowing journey of 33 days, only seven of them survived to reach a ranch in California and raise the alarm.
Back at the camps, the situation was growing dire. By mid-January, nearly half of the original 87 members of the party had died. Those who survived faced a horrific choice: starvation or cannibalism. In their desperation to survive, some of the pioneers resorted to eating the flesh of their dead companions. The first relief party reached the lake camp on February 22, 1847, nearly four months after the party had become stranded. They found a scene of unimaginable horror. Of the 59 people who had been trapped at the lake, only 45 were still alive. Many were too weak to walk and had to be carried out.
Over the next two months, three more relief parties battled through the snow to rescue the survivors. Each time, they could only take out a few of the strongest members, forced to leave others behind with promises to return. The last survivor was rescued on April 17, 1847. Of the 87 members of the Donner Party who had started the journey, only 48 survived. Remarkably, all 15 members of the Reed family survived, including James Reed, who had been banished months earlier but had returned with one of the relief parties to rescue his family.
The survivors' ordeal didn't end with their rescue. Many suffered from severe frostbite, resulting in amputations. The psychological trauma of their experience haunted them for the rest of their lives. Some, like Lewis Keseberg, who was rescued last and was accused of cannibalism and murder, faced stigma and ostracism for years after.
The story of the Donner Party quickly spread across the country, becoming a cautionary tale about the dangers of the westward journey. It highlighted the risks of taking unproven shortcuts and the importance of proper planning and timing when crossing the Sierra Nevada.
In the years that followed, historians and researchers have studied the Donner Party tragedy extensively. Archaeological excavations at the campsite have revealed new details about their ordeal. DNA analysis of bone fragments found at the site has confirmed that the survivors did indeed resort to cannibalism, but only in the most desperate circumstances and likely only after the individuals had already died from starvation or exposure.
Today, the site of the Donner Party camps is a state park in California. A large stone monument marks the location where the main party camped, serving as a stark reminder of the tragedy that unfolded there. The park also includes a museum that tells the story of the Donner Party and educates visitors about the challenges faced by pioneers on the westward trail.
The legacy of the Donner Party extends beyond its tragic end. It's a story of strength of family bonds, as seen in the survival of entire families like the Reeds. It's also a stark reminder of the thin line between civilization and desperation and the lengths to which humans will go to survive.
Moreover, the Donner Party's story is indistinguishably linked with the larger narrative of American westward expansion. It represents both the promise and the peril of the pioneer spirit that drove so many to seek a better life in the West. Their journey, with its fatal flaws and tragic outcome, serves as a counterpoint to the often-romanticized view of westward migration.
In the end, the story of the Donner Party is more than just a tale of survival or a gruesome chapter in American history. It's a deeply human story of hope, desperation, sacrifice and the will to survive against all odds. It reminds us of the fragility of human life and the strength of the human spirit. As we look back on this harrowing tale, we're reminded of the courage and determination of those early pioneers. Their story, tragic as it is, is an integral part of the American experience.
The Donner Party's journey may have ended in tragedy, but their story lives on, serving as a powerful reminder of a time when the American West was still wild and unknown and of the brave individuals who risked everything in search of a better life.
If you found the story of the Donner Party intriguing, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Please take a moment to like this article, share your comments and spread the word by sharing it with your friends. Your engagement helps keep these important historical narratives alive and encourages others to learn from the past. Thank you for being part of this conversation!
