The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-12-24
THE STORY OF THE PIONEERS.
Brave Men Who First Opened the Way to
Civilization
THE DANGERS THAT THEY ENDURED.
The Great Work Which Was Accomplished BY the Early
Settlers in Utah.
True Story that Discounts Many Results
from Very Small Beginning.

900 worth of furs. He also brought from
St. Louis a cannon-a iX-pCunder-
which thereafter graced the court of the
fort. Mr.. Ashley is described as brave
man, shrewd and honest. Nor should his
intelligence or common geographical
knowledge be questioned because he was
+ seriously considering the project of
descending the Colorado river in boats
/ by means of which he felt sure he would
1 eventually reach st. Louis. Nh. Green,
who gave his name to Green river, and
who had been with Ashley on previous
expeditions, together with his trappers,
occupied the country lying west and
north OF Utah lake for three years after
the establishing of Fort Ashley.
About the year 1926 Mr.. Ashley sold out
his establishment to the Rocky Mountain
Fur company, which was organized that
year in st. Louis, with Jedediah S. Smith; ;
/ William l.. Sublette and David q. jackson
at the head. These men had been leaders
under the North American company, and
to them belongs the distinction of having
taken the first wagons from the Missouri
river to the mo untains, ten of which,
each drawn by five mules, and two carts,
rolled the whole distance from st. Louis
/ to the Wind river rendezvous, the wagons
carrying ], 800 pounds each and travelling
from fifteen to twenty-five miles day.
4
there was no obstacle to crossing to the
west side of the Rocky mountains with
i wagons had they desired to do So.
In August, 1926. Jedediah S. Smith set
out from Great Salt lake on a trapping
and exploring tour with fifteen men.
Proceeding southwark he traversed Utah
+ lake, then known as Ashley lake, after
which he passed over range of noun
tains, crossed a river, which he called
/ Adams (the Sewer, in honor of President
Adams, ana then continued in a south
westerly direction until he reached South
ern California.
! In the autumn of 1890 that part of the
country now embraced IN Utah was ira
versed from southeast to northwest by a
trapping party under William Woifskin.
! The company was fitted out in New Mex
/ leo, and the ''great valley OF California;
was their objective point.
In 1882 B. E. L. Bonneville, French
man by birth, but at the time of his ex-
plorations captain in the United States
army, led a company of no trappers to
! the mountains in search OF profit and adj
venture. They Travelled the North Platte
route with a caravan of twenty wagons
some drawn by oxen, which were the
| first ''bull teams' on this ine-laden
with Indian goods, provisions and am
munition, which We're all taken through
the South Pass to Green river, being the
first wagons to roll down the western
slope of the Rocky mountains. At the
point where Lead creek empties into
! Green river Captain Bonneville erected a
fortified camp and remained in the noun
1 tains hunting furs, fighting Indians and
exploring for three years.
Among the several trapping expeditions
sent cut in various directions from the
rendezvous on Green river by Captain
! Bonneville, was one under Joseph r.
| Walker, who, with about thirtysix men,
went to trap on the streams falling into
the Great Salt Lake.
! Captain Bonnevilie's post on Green
river was the first fertilization in that
part of the country which now constitutes
the state of Wyoming. Fort Laramie was
erected in 1884 which was the only perma-
nent establishment made on the overland
route until 1912, when Fort Bridger was
built.
From 1884 to 1889 parties of mission
aries, both men and women, crossed the
plains and mountains, descending to the
shores OF the Pacific. The two first white
women who travelled across the continent
that way were Mrs. Narcissa Whiteman
and Mrs. SpaldiDg, who accompanied
their respective husbands on their pill
grimage as missionaries to the Pacific
coast in 1886.
In 1871, the first emigration of men,
women ana cnliQren 10 oregon ana Gall
fornia passed the forts, fifteen souls all
told. The same year Bidwell's California
company passed by.
/ In 1912 Elijah Whites Oregon company
of 112 men, women and children, and a
I train of eighteen great Pennsylvania
wagons, cattle, pack mules and horses
crossed the continent. Mr.. Bordeaux
was in charge of Fort Laramie at that
time and gave the emigrants timely adj
vice and assistance, although they grum-
bled much at the price OF provisions in
the mountains.
These early emigrants to Oregon did
not touch Utah, and those to California
via Fort Bridger merely passed through
leaving no marks of their travel TO speak
Of The emigrants bound for Oregon
and California came together by the usual
route up the Platte river; along the Sweet
water; and through the South Pass to
Bear River valley. When near Soda
Springs those for Oregon went north to
Fort Hall, While those for California fol-
lowed Bear river southwark until within
few miles of Great Salt Lake, when they
turned westward to find the Ogden Hum
boldt) river.
In iS43 an army of occupation destined
for the Columbia river passed the COM
pany's posts. This expedition consisted
of l ,0O0 men, women and children,
with draft cattle herds of COWS and
horses, farming implements and
household goods. That year (1843) John
Fremont. the famous adventurer, ex-