I made a video to show what I saw at this site. Adam Bateman is in the midst of epic project—walking the Mormon Trail. For the Mormons, the native folklore about the place would foretell a human tragedy. Between 1846 and 1869, approximately 80,000 Mormons trekked across the United States with all their possessions in wagons, walking 1,300 miles from the Midwest to the Salt Lake Valley. To help understand why it was different, I’ll share some brief (J. Dawg’s version) history to help understand why the Mormon Trail was different. In 1856, the Mormons began using hand carts in their journeys for the newly arriving members from Europe. Brigham Young knew that they had to find a new home far enough away to avoid future persecutions. For the young and brave (and those with good knees) you can climb the rock. The Mormons documented their trail route. West of the Missouri River they shared trails, campgrounds, ferries, triumphs, tragedies, and common trail experiences of the day, with thousands of other westering Americans. Just down the road a few miles from Independence Rock is another key Trail site called Devil’s Gate. As a landmark, it stands out from all the surrounding hills because of its barren brown granite dome. An advanced group of the Pioneer Party arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on July 22, 1847. The people of Israel traveled through the Sinai wilderness to the promised land of Canaan east of the Jordan River. The Trail Experience The Mormon pioneers shared similar experiences with others traveling west: the drudgery of walking hundreds of miles, He began on April 28 and will walk more than 1,100 miles in total. In Wyoming, all the trail routes converged near Fort Casper, where the groups stopped following the Platte River. Learn more about where you can go, historic sites you can visit and more! And it worked for them. The California and Oregon Trails followed the same route from Independence until they got to Fort Bridger in Wyoming and then they parted. The Walking Mormon A fat guy learning about himself and his beliefs on the Appalachian Trail. Between Guernsey and Douglas, the trail is difficult to follow. The Mormon Trail is 1,032 miles from Winter Quarters (near Florence Nebraska) to Salt Lake City, Utah. The handcart companies were supported by a few wagons hauling supplies for the group. The site is now a State Historic Site, but there’s not too much to see. Members would return to the Winter Quarters to help form other companies and guide them to Utah. You can even pull a cart, if you want. Today, this spot is used by the LDS to have people experience and re-enact the struggles of the original Saints along the Trail. When that happened, they made their way across Iowa to a place near present day Council Bluffs. It took the group about three months and one week to make the trip from … The pioneers just considered it another landmark that marked the trail. The Mormon trail was almost 1,300 miles long and crossed great plains, rugged lands, and the Rocky Mountains. The Mormon Handcart Site was an interesting find while walking some of the back trails in Coralville/Iowa City. They had to get to Independence Rock before Independence Day to ensure that could make it to Oregon before it snowed. Mormon walking trail is a joint project of the City of Independence, Missouri, and MMFF. It’s a worthwhile stop. I visited the National Historic Trails interpretive Center. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. PO Box 728 They built bridges over streams. They built bridges over streams. The first Mormon Company (The Pioneer Company that included Brigham Young and his top council members) departed the Winter Quarters in 1847. Early groups were organized into companies of 148 people with a Captain appointed to lead the company. In US history, the Mormon Trail refers to the route taken by the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (more commonly known as Mormons) from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake in what is now known as the state of Utah. They chose a route on the north side of the Platte River. The Mormon Trail from Fort Bridger followed the trail of the Donner-Reed Party through the Wasatch Mountains. From their labors arose the State of Deseret, later to become Utah Territory, and inally the State of Utah. And, they left behind members to build and staff resupply stations. Do you want to experience the trail? The Mormons documented their trail route. You'll get an email when there's a new post. Trail which leads to the Winter Quarters Walking some of the City of Independence, Missouri, and.. 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