How far was the Donner Party from their destination?

600 miles
The party makes it to Salt Lake Valley, 600 miles from their destination. The Donner Party begins their trek across the 80-mile Great Salt Lake Desert.

Is it true that no one from the Donner Party survived?

Only two families made it through the ordeal intact. Of the 81 pioneers who began the Donner Party’s horrific winter in the Sierra Nevada, only 45 managed to walk out alive. The ordeal proved particularly costly for the group’s 15 solo travelers, all but two of whom died, but it also took a tragic toll on the families.

What was the biggest mistake the Donner Party made?

American history might look very different if the future president and his family had made the ill-fated voyage. 2. An intercepted letter may have sealed the Donner Party’s fate. Most historians agree that the Donner Party’s fatal mistake was taking the Hastings Cutoff.

How deep was the snow at the Donner Camp on December 1st?

Dec. 1. Still snowing; wind west; snow about six or seven and a half feet deep; very difficult to get wood, and we are completely housed up; our cattle all killed but two or three, and these, with the horses and Stanton’s mules, all supposed to be lost in the snow; no hopes of finding them.

Why did the Donner party leave Illinois?

On April 15,1846, the families of James Reed and George and Jacob Donner departed from Springfield, Illinois to start a new life in California. About 100 miles from Independence, Missouri the group of 31 joined a large wagon train.

Are there any living relatives of the Donner Party?

One living link to the Donner Party can be found in Napa, in the home and person of Millie Hagstrom.

Who killed John Snyder?

James Reed
In one tragic moment along the Humboldt River near present-day Golconda, Nevada, James Reed killed John Snyder, a well-liked member of the party.

Are there any living relatives of the Donner party?

How many people died in the Donner party?

42 people
On February 2, 1847, the first woman of a group of pioneers commonly known as the Donner Party dies during the group’s journey through a Sierra Nevada mountain pass. The disastrous trip west ended up killing 42 people and turned many of the survivors into cannibals.

Why did the Donner Party leave Illinois?

How many feet of snow did the Donner Party get?

From Jan. 10 to Jan. 17, nearly 13 feet of snow fell. The winter of 1951-52 dumped nearly 65 feet of snow on Donner Summit and the snowpack reached 26 feet deep, the greatest depth ever recorded there.

What caused the Donner Party to not make it to California?

They soon encountered rough terrain and numerous delays, and they eventually became trapped by heavy snowfall high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Purportedly reduced to cannibalism to survive through the winter, only half of the original group reached California the following year.

What happened to the Donner Party in California?

Donner party. Donner party, group of American pioneers stranded en route to California. In late 1846, 87 immigrants led by George and Jacob Donner were trapped by heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada. Fifteen of the group set out to find help. When the others’ food ran out, they reportedly resorted to cannibalism of those already dead.

What is Donner Pass known for?

Donner Pass, in the Sierra Nevada of northern California, is named for the Donner party. The pass now represents the most important transmontane route (rail and highway) connecting San Francisco with Reno. It lies within Tahoe National Forest, and Donner Memorial State Park is nearby.

What route did the Donners take to California?

The Reeds, the Donners, and a number of others chose to head southwest toward Fort Bridger. The group had elected to use a “shortcut” to California that had been recommended to them by an unreliable guide named Lansford Hastings.

Where can I find the doll from the Donner Party?

The 4” doll was donated to Sutter’s Fort by the family. A copy of Patty Reed’s doll can be found, along with other artifacts from the Donner Party, at the Emigrant Trail Museum in Truckee, California, near the site where the party was snow-trapped in the winter of 1846-47.