1862 Emigration

Apparently all companies this year followed the MPNHT until the Weber River. From there they followed the Golden Pass Variant up Silver Creek to Kimball’s Ranch and down Parley’s Canyon, though Ezra Francis Martin in the Miller company, age 30, said they came down Emigration Canyon to Brigham Young’s house. Five of the companies did not have a journalist or any who named locations, but since they were sandwiched between other companies (except Brunson’s company) that followed the same route, it is assumed they did, also. Martin may have confused Parley’s Canyon to Emigration Canyon.

Immigrants arrived by ship at New York City. Horace S. Eldredge, the emigration agent in New York, arranged everything well for them. They traveled by rail to Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Clifton, up into Canada, Detroit, Chicago and Quincy, Illinois, steamship to Hannibal, rail to St. Joseph, then by steamship to Florence. One of the groups had an unfortunate accident at Arlington, Illinois. The baggage car took fire and caused a hardship on the poor particularly. This same group (700 persons) arrived at St. Joseph, about midnight; here they were robbed of guns, pistols, etc., June 24.

Independent companies were made up of wagons and teams purchased in the States. Church trains were made up of teams and wagons from Utah.