The Mormon Pioneer Trail

On February 4, 1846 (151 years ago), the first of the Mormons left Nauvoo, Illinois and headed west on what has become known as the Mormon Trail. After stopping for the winter of 1846-47 at Winter Quarters (now Omaha, Nebraska), they traveled on to what is now Salt Lake City, Utah, with the first company of pioneers arriving on July 24, 1847. An estimated 68,000 pioneers followed them during the next 22 years.

In commemoration of these pioneers and the trail they made and traveled, many sesquicentennial events were held in 1996 and 1997. This page is designed to be a central source for information about the trail.

The Faith of the Pioneers

• The Mormon Trail is 1,032 miles from Winter Quarters (near Florence, Nebraska) to Salt Lake City, Utah. The first leg of the journey was from Nauvoo, Illinois, another 265 miles.
• The Mormon Trail was used for 23 years, from 1846 to 1869.
• The trail was not a narrow path, but rather a corridor, depending on the river, on available grass, on the terrain, events of the year and other factors. It was a two-way road.
• The Mormon Trail is not an original trail but followed territorial and Indian trails. It followed trails blazed by trappers and traders. It followed part of the Ox-Box Trail, the Oregon and California Trails and the Hastings cut-off into the Valley of the Great Salt Lake.
• The motivations for moving west were unique. The Mormons did not travel west for gold, land or adventure. They went west in search of religious freedom and to maintain a cultural identity.
• Mormon wagon companies were highly organized. There were captains for groups of hundreds, fifties and tens. Everyone was expected to follow their leader and to obey the rules. They had a daily routine. There was discipline, hard work, mutual assistance and devotional practices. As a rule they did not travel on Sunday.
• Knowing that others would follow, pioneers improved the trail and built support facilities. Some of the ferries they built helped finance the movement. They planted crops; they recorded pertinent information such as the topography, latitude, longitude, distances, flora and fauna.
• Six thousand people died on the trail. The greatest threats to life were illness and accidents. They suffered from poor nutrition and exposure to the elements.
• After 1849 The Perpetual Emigration Fund was established to assist Latter-day Saints coming from the eastern United States and Europe. Church and private contributions were used for these loans. Emigrants signed a note promising to repay as soon as they were able.
• Handcarts were used from 1856-1860. Nearly 3,000 migrants used this method of transportation. They could make 25-30 miles a day (a wagon would travel 10-15 miles a day). There were ten handcart companies.
• As the Mormons were preparing to go west, they were approached by the United States government for help in the war against Mexico. The Mormon Battalion was formed with over 500 members near Council Bluffs, Iowa in 1846. They then began a march to San Diego, California, one of the longest marches in military history. They never fought a battle, but made history by clearing roads to the west and helping to secure California as a U.S. Territory. Some former members eventually participated in the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This Home Page is sponsored by the Douglas-Sarpy Counties Mormon Trails Association.
  Last updated September 3, 1998.
  Mail comments and suggestions to dbylund@mail.unmc.edu