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The vanguard of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, heading west from Winter
Quarters in 1847 to find the best route to the Valley of
the Great Salt Lake, arrived at Fort Bridger on July 7.
They remained at the "shabby" fort only long
enough to do some trading and repair their wagons before
leaving the established Oregon-California Trail at Fort
Bridger and heading southwest, hoping to follow the
year-old route of the Donner-Reed party.
This last 116 miles across the Wasatch
Mountains constituted the most difficult part of the
trip. The trail passed through narrow willow choked
canyons and over the rocky crest of the Wasatch. The
emigrants spent fourteen long, difficult days traveling
these last miles. The first obstacle they encountered
was Echo Canyon, a twenty-file mile long narrow defile.
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Echo Canyon represented the first
sizable canyon ever seen by most of the emigrants. The
romantic scenery and the strange ability of the canyon
to transmit sound fascinated them.
William
Clayton:
There is a very singular echo in this
ravine, the rattling of the wagons resembles
carpenters hammering on boards inside the highest
rocks.
Eliza
R. Snow:
We traveled most of the day in a
Canion or narrow opening between 2 ranges of mountains
... curious mtns which delight me. |
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Emerging from Echo Canyon, the emigrants
passed Castle Rock, where Brigham Young's party camped
on July 15, 1847. They soon came within view of Witches
Rocks whose appearance in the moonlight was considered
to be "exceedingly weird and witch-like."
Nonetheless, most of the emigrant parties camped in this
vicinity.
From the Witches Rocks, the emigrants
crossed the Weber River upstream from present-day
Henefer before turning southwest and ascending Main
Canyon. At Hogsback Summit, the emigrants could see the
back of the Wasatch Mountains, signalling that their
journey was almost over.
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The trail then dropped into East
Canyon which was choked by willows and brush. The
emigrants had to cut a road through the thicket; it
was considered "decidedly the worst piece of road
on the entire journey. The trail then climbed Big
Mountain. At Big Mountain Pass, the emigrants caught
their first glimpse of their destination: the Valley
of the Great Salt Lake.
Orson
Pratt:
...and beholding in a moment such as
extensive scenery open before us, we could not refrain
from a shout of joy which almost involuntarily escaped
from our lips the moment this grand and lovely scenery
was within our view. |
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But the emigrants still faced the climb
up Little Mountain and down through Emigration Canyon.
The pioneers double or triple-teamed their livestock to
pull the wagons up Little Mountain and then, once the
summit was reached, they locked their wheels and slid
straight down into Emigration Canyon.
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Brigham Young, delayed by illness,
sent Orson Pratt and an advance party down Emigration
Canyon and on into the valley. They arrived on July
22, 1847. Two days later, Brigham Young's party
finally reached the valley at a spot near where the
"This is the Place" Monument now stands. By
then, Pratt's group had already planted the first
crops of the Mormon pioneers.
Erastus Snow discourse, July 25, 1880:
emerged from the mouth of Emigration
Canon he lifted himself up in his bed and peered out
of his wagon which overlooked the valley, the
cottonwoods on the creek, and the camp on the east
side of the creek in fair view, President Young said
that this was the place he had seen long since in
vision; it was here he had seen the tent settling down
from heaven and resting, and a voice said unto him,
"Here is the place where my people Israel shall
pitch their tents."
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