1858 Emigration

To avoid U.S. soldiers, the two returning missionary companies (Berry & Brinton) took the Seminoe Cutoff, between June 6-12, according to Thomas Bulloch and Eli Pierce, after which Bullock said he was glad to be “back on the old pioneer road again.” Then the two companies took the Kinney variation of the Slade [south of Sublett] Cutoff to avoid the soldiers at Ft. Bridger (Ft. Scott). The Kinney Cutoff tracked south of the Sublette, following the Big Sandy to the Green River and avoiding the Sublette’s 50 mile desert. The Kinney ran near the confluence of the Green and Big Sandy Rivers upstream along the east bank of the Green and crossed at a ford or ferry near Fontenelle, Wyoming. The route went generally due west from its crossing site along the Green River and joined the Sublette Cutoff before reaching the Bear River. They continued south along the east side of the Bear River to the “Big Bend” (probably by Woodruff). Here they crossed and continued further south to intercept the pioneer trail somewhere before Cache Cave.

The Iver Iversen company took the Chalk Creek Variation from Ft. Bridger to Coalville, then to Rockport, Heber, and Provo Canyon, behind, if not with, the U.S. military.