On our latest episode we tell about a tragic event in the history of westward expansion. The Donner Party, named for brothers George and Jacob Donner, and included the James Reed family, made some vital mistakes as they took their families across the US to California.
They were not experienced travelers, they got a late start, and they meandered at the beginning not realizing they were getting behind right at the start of their journey. But most importantly they chose a "shortcut" called the Hastings Cutoff that was not tried and true yet.
While 46 members of the group survived, unfortunately, 41 died from the elements or starvation and many of the dead were then consumed by the others to survive. The names and ages of those who perished are as follows:
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- George Donner 60
- Tamsen Donner 44
- Luke Halloran 25
- John Denton 28
- Jacob Donner 56
- Elizabeth Donner 38
- William Hook 12
- Isaac Donner 5
- Samuel Donner 4
- Lewis Donner 3
- Sarah Keyes 70 (died from Consumption within weeks or departure)
- Milt Elliot 28
- James Smith 25
- Bayliss Williams 25
- Patrick Dolan 35
- Ada Keseburg 3
- Louis Keseburg Infant
- __Hardkoop 60
- Eleanor Eddy 25
- James Eddy 3
- Margaret Eddy 1
- Harriet McCutcheon 1
- __ Wolfinger ??
- Samuel Shoemaker 25
- Charles Stanton 35
- Antonio "The Spaniard" 23
- Charles Burger 30
- Joseph Reinhardt 30
- Augustus Spitzer 30
- Lavina Murphy 50
- John Landrum Murphy 16
- Lemuel Murphy 12
- George Foster 4
- William Pike 32
- Catherine Pike 1
- Franklin Graves 57
- Elizabeth Graves 45
- Jay Fosdick 23
- Franklin Graves Jr. 5
- John Snyder 25 (killed by James Reed in a fight)
- Luis (Indian Guide) 16-19
- Salvador (Indian Guide) 16-19
The females had a much higher survival rate than the males. Some speculate that is because the men had to do more physical labor while the women required fewer calories and tend to store fat better. Tragically, two-thirds of the children under five died.
Then there is speculation that a good leader would have avoided many of the mistakes made by the group and could have gotten them to California. We will never know if that is the case. But the tragedy is certainly a sad one in the history of our nation.
For further reading about this topic check out these resources
Across The Plains In The Donner Party
The Donner Party: A Tragedy of the Sierra
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