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Collection: Books and Periodicals

A Hundred Years of Rip and Roarin Rough and Ready By Andy Rogers (1952)(Hathitrust) (117 pages)

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With supplies took schooner for Hardy's. Ranch, mouth of Feather River. Another party of fifteen started from Yerba Buena, only seven reached Johnson's Ranch. Boat had not arrived. Elk were killed to make a boat out of skins to cross the river. Boat arrived. R.P.Tucker, February 1847, started out with relief party and headed for Donner Lake, Captain R.P.Tucker looked ahead and saw smoke coming out of the snow where the cabins were. November 1844, Foster, Montgomery and Moses Schallenberger built a cabin at Donner Lake when the Schallenberger party arrived there and suffered. The cabin later became known as the Breen cabin upon arrival of the Donner-Reed Party. A roof of hides. Not many miles from Truckee Lake. In 1844, Schallenberger, sick, was left alone at Donner Lake until rescued by a party in Larch 1845. In the spring of 1846, George Donner left Illinois with 90 people. They travelled the usual overland trail to Fort Bridger, where they were advised by Lansford Hasting to take a shorter way through the Wasatch Mountains. The short cut proved to be very rough and the wagon train did not reach the Sierra Nevada's until October. Six people died on the trail and 36 others perished at Donner Lake, starved by the merciless Sierra winter. The encountered snow twenty feet deep. Several rescue parties were sent out and only 48 members of the wagon train arrived west. It 1s believed that some portions of the Donner refuges reached Johnson's Ranch by way of the South and Middle Yuba and by Indian Springs...Pitiful tragedy of Overland Emigrants. The Johnson Rancho distance by trail from far east of the camps of Donners is ninety miles. Road continued in use to 1853 and carried ten thousand emigrants and wagons. The Donner Party entered the Sierras too late in the fall season and was trapped in the snow. About forty members starved to death near Donner Lake in the winter of 18461847. Patrick Breen kept a diary of the parties misfortunes. On October 25, 1846, Mr. Tucker and his relations had reached Johnson's Ranch. They had been with the Donner Party until Fort Bridger was reached and then took the Fort Hall road. Their journey had been full of dangers and difficulties and reaching Johnson's Ranch was the first settlement on thé ‘Jest side of the Sierras. Donner Leke (now in 1951, a four hour drive.) At Johnson's Ranch there were only three or four families of poor Emigrants. Nothing could be done from Fort Sutter. John Rhodes started out on foot to reach a train in the mountains, travelling in those days from four to fifteen miles per day. The Donner Party carried a large sum of gold; some was stolen. a party was organized at Johnson's to go to the rescue. Keseberz, & member of the Donner Party was spared from camp duty on account of an infected foot. It was charged that he devoured a child and also blamed for the death of George Donner's wife and living off her body. Eudwpeth guided a party by way of \/eber Canyon, past where Salt Lake was to be establishec a year later (1647.) He went as far as Skull Springs then sent them on to Sacramento alone. Hastings consolidated four companies (80 oxen wagons.) He also took them by way of Salt Lake and over the Hastings Cut off. The Donner varty followed a week or ten Google days later without a guide and against the
advice of Clayman, who warned them not to go unguided with such a large wagon train. Reed, a strong-willed, much beloved man of the Donner Party, influenced the party to take the cut-off and save distance. Before they got through the sountains they lost Hasting's tracks. «at Salt Lake they sent riders ahead to catch up with Hastings and obtain advice and directions. He gave them just that. Ee seemed to feel no responsibility for these people, yet he had lured them from the established route, to a route too narrow for large wagons to get through. There were women, children and aged people in the party; the season was late; and the oxen weary; yet Hastings did not return or send experienced guides. Eventually, this consideration or carelessness back-fired on Hastings and his plan. The story of the sufferings of the Donner Party in the Sierra snows in the winter of 1846 and 1847 is one of the most pitiful, courageous and at the same time the most revolting of all amazing stories of wintering the west. The news of the plight of the Donners, after they were discovered and rescued, spread like wild fire. It was exaggerated and enlarged as it spread from mouth to mouth. It did much to stop emigrants from using the Hasting's Cut-Off and cast a shadow over his political schemes. Donner refuges reached Johnson's by way of the south and middle forks of the Yuba River, near Rough and Ready, and Indian Springs, and down Bear River from Truckee. Pitiful tragedy of the overland emigrants. The party entered the Sierra's too late in the fall season and were trapped in the snow. After forty members starved to death near Donner Lake, in the winter of 1646. On October 25, 1646, Mr. Tucker and his relations reached the Johnson Rancho. They had been in the Donner Party, until the party reached Fort Bridger then the party split up. Tucker took the Fort Hall road, the journey had been full of dangers and difficulties and they were happy to reach Johnson's the first place after leaving the Fort. Besides the long stopping place of the Donner Party on Donner’s Lake. Relief Hill also named Relief was a Donner Party stopping off place in the Sierras-name came from as a Donner Relief. On the rugged trail this side of Donner Lake above Nevada City were scar marks on the tree trunks from ropes tied to the wagons and around the trees to let the wagons down the sides of the deep ravines. One great help to the emigrants was account of first growth of trees and no underbrush to hold them back. Johnson's Rancho "The Heaven" for part of the Donner Party. Marysville known as Nyes Landing, Yubaville, Mecklenburg was named in honor of Mary Coviland (Mary Murphy) survivor of the Donner Party. Citizens of Yerba Buena (San Francisco) gave members town lots. Alcalda George Hyde signed all deeds but one missed, (Mary's.) Squatters in 1851 moved in on the lots and years of law suits started and lasted ears. y Early Yerba Buena (San Francisco) later, before 1848, when having 300 people, Bill Howard, first store owner met Mr. Litz, who owned most of Yerba Buena down to san Mateo 10