"20th [ ] traveled up the creek 7 1/4 miles [ ] crossed the creek 11 times [ ] the weather through the day in these valley is hot [ ] at night frost and not un-common to freeze a bucket of water"
**********
This was listed as "1847 pioneers entering into the Salt Lake Valley" when I bought it. I liked the photo and the imagination that it gives. It could have been Mormon pioneers anytime back there. Old photographs are a stop in time. What did they do after this was taken? Who were they and what were their stories? One story one by one.
The pioneers are two days away from entering the valley. Brigham is getting better. At least better than he was although he is still unable to get up out of the carriage and 'back to duty'. Three more have come down with the sickness and unable to travel (Henry Sherwood, Benjamin Dewey, James Case). These delays were costing them dearly because it was getting to be so late in the year. Crops being put in this year were a must and it was a worry. And they are improving the faint Donner trail as they go along so they are really slowed. Crossing and recrossing the creek was a necessity to keep the wagons in as good condition as they could. Water was plentiful wherever they went here which was a relief.
Norton Jacob:
"Tuesday 20th [ ] started after 10 M up this creek to the South [ ] left Br Sherwood he being verry sick unable to travel to camp here with three waggons [ ] found a good deal of labor to clean out the road notwithstanding [ ] it was cut through last summer by Reed's company they that were caught by the snows in the Calafornia mountains & our Pioneers have done much & yet there is room for more labor [ ] one of the Pioneers met us this morning & reports Br Pratt 7 miles ahead last night [ ] made 7¼ miles & camped for we found a letter from Br Pratt informing us that it is 11 miles over the mountain to a camping place"
Let's see what Orson Pratt's advance party is up to seven miles ahead:
"July 20th [ ] the morning is frosty [ ] I wrote a description of the road and country which we had traversed for several miles a-head and left the same deposited in a conspicuous place for the benefit of the camp which were soon expected to pass [ ] we resumed our journey about 9 o'clock in the morning being hindered more than usual by some cattle which had strayed a short distance [ ] we travelled today about 6 miles over the mountains labouring diligently upon the road [ ] the barometrical observations on the dividing ridge were 23.137 attached thermometer 80 deg detached thermometer 76 deg giving for the height of the same above the sea 7245 feet"
I'm amazed at these scientific instruments of recording that they had. Somewhere I read that most emigrants of these early years had nothing of the kind when they went to Oregon or California. Brigham thought of everything.
