The voyage with about 500 Latter-Day Saints aboard took 40 days to cross the Atlantic. They arrived in New York on the 14th of June. They next traveled by railroad across the southern part of New York state to arrive at the Lake Erie port of Dunkirk. The Saints left Dunkirk by steamer and crossed Lake Erie to Toledo, Ohio. From Toledo they traveled by railroad to Chicago, Illinois and from Chicago on the Rock Island line to Rock Island, Illinois.
Rock Island is across the Mississippi River from Davenport, Iowa.
They crossed the Mississippi on a paddle boat. From Davenport they traveled by train to Iowa City. Iowa City was the hub for western migration. It was there that the handcarts were built and accumulated. The supplies for the journey were ordered there.