The tragedy of the willie handcart company in 1856 xmission. Its my first video on youtube so please be honest but not mean. The price we paid is an indepth historical account of the travels and travails of the willie and martin handcart companies, and to a much lesser extent, of the hodgetts and hunt wagon companies that traveled more or less along with them. England, elizabeth died october 2324, 1856, and is buried in the common grave at rock creek hollow, near atlantic city, wyoming, with at least 12 other people. They were eventually rescused and brought to salt lake at which point brigham young angrily reproved the leadership. I have read several books about the willie and martin handcart companies, but most of them address mostly the willie company, and i always wondered why. A handcart pioneer testifies of spiritual growth and divine help. Sweetwater rescue is perhaps the most untold hardship and human sacrifice story in all of american western history. Six more handcart companies would follow them in the following years. The story of the willie and martin handcart pioneers is among th. My friend and i made this video for a history project. We had to wade through more streams, and sometimes up to our waists, and when we got through our clothes would freeze on us until a great many gave up and. Review of gary duane long, the journey of the james g.
Follow me to zion recounts 20 compelling stories of members of the willie handcart company and their rescuers. Woodmansee member of the willie handcart company and one of the most influential mormon poets in the 19th century. Although his name has increasingly become associated with his statement, he is still better known. Bronze sculpture of mormon handcart pioneer bodill mortensen of the martin and willey handcart company. Dozens of fullcolor images by artist julie rogers enrich this. Mormon pioneer girl bronze monument statue at this is the place state park. Upon arriving in florence, the hodgett company was asked to remain there another day, waiting for bro. England family records indicate that dennis george winn participated in the rescue of the martin handcart company. In just over a year, more than 4,000 ordinances were performed on behalf of the members of the two companies and their rescuers. This company of 70 missionaries, in part to mitigate the negative publicity of the willie and martin companies, headed east for their missions, 23 apr 1857. Although they had successfully outfitted three handcart companies. From new york they traveled by train and steamship to. In 1863, willie founded the first sunday school in mendon.
Maybe your fingers felt numb or your nose and ears stung. The mormon handcart movement began in 1856 and continued until 1860. You could even create a mini course or a lifesized board game for enrichment activity 1. In the summer of 1856, three companies of handcarts were outf. The willie company left florence on august 17 and the martin company on august 27.
Emigrating journals of the willie and martin handcart companies and the hunt and hodgett wagon trains turner, lynee slater on. This author not only explained why but also did justice to the martin company and the two wagon companies that accompanied them. By 1855, many thousands of mormon pioneers had already braved the difficult trek west to join the main body of the mormon church in utah. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your.
Although the story of the willie and martin handcart pioneers feels familiar to many of us, most of us know only selected anecdotes from this dramatic saga. Two additional companies led by james willie and edward martin journeyed west that year, starting out so late that they would face severe trials in wyoming when winter weather caught them still on the trail. The whole experience is now known as the second rescue of the willie and martin handcart companies. Emigrating journals of the willie and martin handcart. Yet from this tragedy emerged triumphant stories of personal endurance, courage, heroism, and unwavering faith. A pbs documentary chronicling the westward migration of the willie and martin handcart companies of 1856. Martin handcart companies, along with individuals stories of. An lds handcart pioneer testifies of divine help on the trail. For this example, were going to look for relatives among the.
His narrative chronicles the ordeals of the willie handcart company. Andrew olsen really did his research and gave an unbiased account. The handcart company was moved over to a cove in the mountains for shelter and fuel, a distance of two miles from the fort. Bronze statue handcart pioneer girl bodill mortensen sculpture. The extraordinary story of the willie and martin handcart pioneers andrew d. The mormon handcart pioneers were participants in the migration of members of the church of. In this new book, andrew olsen provides the most comprehensive and accessible account of this epic journeyall the way from liverpool to the salt lake valley. Latterday saint agents in iowa city were unprepared to outfit the new arrivals. From mormon handcart companies the first snowstorm left about two feet of snow on the ground, and we began to feel very nervous. This item is a handwritten autobiography in which mcbride 18431925 writes about migrating with his family from england to utah in 1856 as a youth in the illfated mormon handcart company led by edward martin. This is the daily journal kept by the willie martin handcart company. Pennsylvania, united states thomas griffin winn is noted as a rescuer in a biography written by his son, william lucellus winn. About lds pioneer and handcart companies, 18471856 this database contains an index of names and other details for groups of mormon pioneers who traveled to utah primarily in handcart companies. This book tells the story of the willie and martin companies, along with their rescue, using.
This book is a must own for anyone who is part of the story of these pioneers, whether because they descended from them, lead youth in trekking, or have inherited the cultural legacy. Willie has been fictionalized in many books, including in the company of angels by david farland. That year, four additional handcart companies would traverse the dif. He died shortly after the willie handcart company arrived in salt lake city nov. Nauvoo, illinois one of four named rescuers who carried members of the martin company across the sweetwater river on november 4, 1856. Louisa mellor martin handcart company family preserves. Here, in 1856, 500 members of the willie handcart company, most of them mormon converts from england, were. See more ideas about mormon pioneers, pioneer trek and church history.
The story of the willie and martin handcart pioneers is among the most compelling in the history of americas western migration. Emigrating journals of the willie and martin handcart companies and the hunt and hodgett wagon trains. Handcart companies mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. Dennis later married hannah crossley of martin company.
Martin handcart company special collections blog l. Ellen jones, jacob jones and sarah steed were also with bailey family. Being of pioneer ancestry, i have long heard the stories of the handcart pioneers, some from my own. Published september 21st 2006 by deseret book company. They were elizabeth baileys children from a previous marriage. The sixth crossing of the sweetwater offered wagontrain emigrants good water again after 16 dry and dusty miles. England mary elizabeth sometimes carried her father on her back after he became ill. Rescuers of the handcart emigrating companies of 1856. Mormon trail pioneer list of the willie handcart company, 1856. Many thousands of others also wanted to, but could not afford the expensive wagons and oxen. Nearly 250 of the 900 members of the martin and willie handcart companies, which were caught in brutal blizzards in the wyoming and utah mountains in the fall of 1856, died, mostly from cold and. The late start caused the willie company to arrive in iowa city on june 26. But circumstances combined to create a much different experience for the willie and.
The martin company camped for several days in a small cove in the rocks that must have given some shelter from the wind, a mile or two east up the sweetwater from devils gate. The willie handcart company journal by the willie martin. He also served as a counselor in the bishopric and ran a cooperative store. Website for william martin, awardwinning new york times bestselling author of ten novels, whose career spans over three decades, from back bay 1980 and the lincoln letter 2012. Martin hopes to have a new book out by late 2018 or early 2019. The majority of the hodgett company merged with martins handcart company while haven was assigned to travel with and serve as president of the hodgetts wagon company. Follow me to zion stories from the willie handcart pioneers. England, died november 9, 1856, or soon after the willie handcart company reached salt lake city on that date. A mormon pioneer that walked across the plans with the martin handcart company testifies of the sacrifices he made and the angelic help he received.
As a direct descendent of the martin handcart company, i am more committed to the legacy left to me through reading this book. I have ancestors who were in the martin handcart company and i am so grateful for all. If youve followed my blog for a while, you know i really enjoy mormon history, yet for some reason, i havent taken the time to become acquainted with the martin and willie handcart disasters. According to the encyclopedia of mormonism, many of the mormon pioneers that treked across the country to utah were too poor to. The martin handcart company is mentioned and referred to many times, but the lion share is about the willie handcart company. Two small mormon wagon trains that had been traveling close behind the large handcart company, meanwhile, arrived at devils gate. Mormon share martin handcart company bitter creek, wyoming, 1856 by clark kelley price an lds handcart pioneer testifies of divine help on the trail read about a mormon pioneer that walked across the plans with the martin handcart company and testified of. I have read many books on the pioneers, but this has to be the gold standard of all historical accounts of these pioneers. The extraordinary story of the willie and martin handcart pioneers. Heber robert mcbride traveled in the martin handcart company as a youth and recorded his experience in a journal. Martin himself hopes there will be two book releases. Finding relatives for trek colorado springs stake youth.
Martins cove natrona county, wyoming united states of america the. Instead, the illfated willie and martin companies two of 10 handcart companies that crossed the plains to zion between 1856 and 1860 left in. The martin company was stuck in a snowstorn as it crossed the platte river. Stenhouse, rocky mountain states new york, 1873 and was later printed as shown here in among the mormons eds. One of the bestknown and bestloved stories of the mormon pioneers is the testimony of francis webster, a member of the martin handcart company. The company departed liverpool in may of 1856 bound for the salt lake valley. The tragedy of the willie handcart company in 1856 the following narrative is by john chislett, who was a 24 year old british convert to the church. Finding relatives for trek page 2 after logging in, you may see some sample personal relatives or just getting started or something else. They used salt lake built handcarts exclusively and walked to the missouri river in. The experiment began in 1856 with the edmund ellsworth company and ended in 1860 with the oscar stoddard company. Several books have been written through the years to tell the story of the willie and martin handcart ordeal, but the one illustrated in the image on the right is the mother of them all as it captures every kernel of substance and the very heart and soul of what has become an honored and cherished chapter in mormon trail history. Part of the mormon migration to salt lake city included an experiment of sorts that saw pioneers coming across the plains in handcarts instead of wagons.
You come to know the martin handcart company intimately. The mormon handcart pioneers were participants in the migration of members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church to salt lake city, utah, who used handcarts to transport their belongings. I guess it is because other topics have more interest for me. The martin company arrived 12 days later on july 8. Mendon, new york, after locating the willie company on october 21, 1856, william kimball was assigned to captain them back to salt. Follow me to zion stories from the willie handcart. The result of the exposure was the death of 56 pioneers in a little over a week. Handcart companies come to the salt lake valley is to inspire everyone to be like the handcart pioneers and valiantly endure to the end teaching thoughts. But for the illfated willie and martin handcart companies, a late start would cause the pilgrimage to take weeks longer and the human costs would prove to be. The important step is to click on relatives in the green banner at the top. To assist these, the mormon church, using money from the perpetual emigration fund, established handcart companies, each of which would be accompanied by a small. Whether that will be winds of winter, or fire and blood, is up to martin.