The Overland Journey From Utah To California: Wagon Travel From The City Of Saints To The City Of Angels

305 Pages·2004·2.71 MB·English

by  Edward Leo Lyman

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The Overland Journey
from Utah to California
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books by the author
Political Deliverance:
The Mormon Quest for Utah Statehood,
1986
San Bernardino:
The Rise and Fall of a California Community,
1996
A History of Millard County [Utah],
With Linda King Newell,
1999
The Arduous Road:
Salt Lake to Los Angeles,
The Most Difficult Wagon Road in American History,
With Larry Reese,
2001
The Overland Journey from Utah to California:
Wagon Travel from the City of Saints to the City of Angels,
2004
History of Victor Valley,
2004
01.Lyman.FM.i-xvi 1/11/04 8:58 PM Page iii
The Overland Journey
(cid:2)
from Utah to California
Wagon Travel from the
City of Saints to
the City of Angels
EDWARD LEO LYMAN
university of nevada press
Reno & Las Vegas
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University of Nevada Press, Reno, Nevada 89557usa
Copyright © 2004by the University of Nevada Press
All rights reserved
Manufactured in usa
Book design by Kaelin Chappell
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lyman, Edward Leo, 1942–
The overland journey from Utah to California:
wagon travel from the City of Saints to the City of Angels /
Edward Leo Lyman.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
isbn 0-87417-501-1(alk. paper)
1.Overland journeys to the Pacific. 2.Trails—West (U.S.)—
History—19th century. 3.Frontier and pioneer life—West
(U.S.) 4.Wagon trains—West (U.S.)—History—19th century.
5.Pioneers—West (U.S.)—History—19th century.
6.Morman pioneers—West (U.S.)—History—19th century.
7.West (U.S.)—description and travel.
8.West (U.S.)—History, Local. I. Title.
f593 .l955 2004
978'.02—dc22
2003019691
The paper used in this book meets the requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—
Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials,
ansi z39.48-1984.Binding materials were selected for strength
and durability.
First Printing
13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04
5 4 3 2 1
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For Clifford J. Walker,
a longtime teacher and advocate
of the desert and its trails
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(cid:2)
Contents
list of illustrations ix
preface xi
chapter one
Contemporary Impressions Along the Southern
Route
1
chapter two
The Old Spanish Trail—Highway of Diversity
18
chapter three
The Anglo-American Road in 1849
44
chapter four
Varied Travelers
71
chapter five
Outside Observers and Mormon-Indian Relations
98
chapter six
Conflict with the Federal Government—and Tragedy
122
chapter seven
Freighting from the Pacific Coast to Utah
152
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viii Contents
chapter eight
Continued Emigration, Early Mojave Settlement,
and Conflict with Native Americans in California
179
chapter nine
Later Developments at Each End
of the Southern Route
204
chapter ten
Summary and Conclusions
227
notes 235
bibliography 265
index 275
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(cid:2)
Illustrations
maps The rocky Coyote–Crowder Creek bed negotiated by
the wagoners who traveled the Southern Route in
1.1Southern route through Utah 2
1849 56
1.2Southern route, Utah border to Red Pass,
Jefferson Hunt, one of the first wagon train leaders
California 7
over the Southern Route, San Bernardino state
1.3Southern route, Red Pass to the California
legislator, and freighter over the route 59
settlements 15
Addison Pratt, Mormon missionary to Tahiti, diarist,
2.1Early trails in the southwestern United States 19
and gold discoverer along the Southern Route in
1849 66
figures
Sketch of Mission San Gabriel by William Birdsall
Padres Dominguez and Escalante and party Lorton in his diary entry on 17January 1850 67
entering the Utah Valley in 1776 21 Urania Macy Cheesman, one of the few women
Jedediah Smith and his men crossing the Mojave travelers over the Southern Route for whom a
Desert in 1826 22 photograph exists 76
Portion of a pack mule train such as would have Emigrant wagons in the Salt Lake City staging
been typical on the Old Spanish Trail during area, a decade after the first use of such vehicles
its heyday 27 over the Southern Route 77
John C. Frémont exploration party, morning Crossing the Plains,by Charles Nahl, around 1856,
packing for continuation along the trail 32 depicting a fallen ox 79
Southern Paiute women with baskets used in Excavated grade down the intersecting ridge of
gathering food 34 West Cajon Pass, 1965, after a brush fire
Southern Paiutes gathered in a circle dance, exposed the early wagon road 80
apparently observed by Maj. John Wesley Charles Colson Rich, leader of the group of
Powell 35 Mormon missionary-miners who packed over
Col. Isaac Williams, proprietor of the Rancho del the Southern Route in 1849 82
Chino 40 Andrew Lytle, former Mormon Battalion officer
The formidable Virgin Hill, unanimously rated and captain of the Mormon pioneer company
the most difficult segment of the entire that founded San Bernardino in 1851 83
Southern Route 50