Show I In nth the e B Beginning e gin n i n 9 By cedi Alter First Road Money Only two classes of emigrants came to Utah in the days namely the Mormons to rema remain n and transients who came to re recuperate recuperate recuperate re- re or The California California Cali Call fornia road branched from the Oregon trail at west of oC Fort Hall Pocatello touching the Utah-Nevada Utah corner and de descending descending descending de- de the Humboldt valley Thus only the California emigrants emigrants emigrants emi emi- grants as a rule fou found d it at all possible to detour this f far r south south- ward The Salt Lake route was Wa wasso wasso so much farther the heavy ox ox- team trains could move over the Fort Hall road and reach the Humboldt weeks ahead of ol the horse or mule trains that moved by wa way of ol the Mormon lis us This fact provoked a lot of ol cussing by impatient gold diggers when they found the tortoise so 80 far ahead in the race The main California emigrant road after alter leaving Salt Lake City kept to the local Mormon roads and ferries as far as the Malade river whence the emigrants emi grants fled over the ridges to the west like bands of or sheep in the spring In places the route was fairly well confined but at no place for any important distance was the same route used any considerable con con- length of ol time or is it used today The ver very earliest roads around the lake e passed the present ent Lucin and ran thence to Pilot Peak Peal but all the later emigration ration turned far to the northward passing into Idaho at t and then thence thene nearl nearly due west Suffering On The Desert After the Don Donner er party in 1846 very few wagon trains moved by the more direct route south of ot the lake and across the desert the use of oC this route terminating with the opening or of the Simpson route across Skull valley John B. B McGee McGee Mc Mc- Gee wrote an acquaintance j In Salt Lake City from Pilot creek creck we western tern Utah July 29 1850 i iam I r Iam am across the great desert after a hard d drive ive t this is desert i la is over eighty miles without any doubt Should any emigrants call caU on you for information you Ca can say to them with confidence that they the cannot get through with their animals without at least least- two gallons gal gal- lons Ions of ol water to each animal and andone andone andone one gallon for each person There was a great deal o of offering suf BUC- fering amon among those that thal came over at at the same time lime that I did did but no lives were lost no doubt a great man many w would uld not have got through had it ic not been for the the- active part of oC those that got across early and hauled water back for tor those behind The road is very fine especially across the desert The road from Salt Lake to California was shortened about miles beginning about 1859 when Captain Simpson completed his examination of the route leadIng leading leading lead- lead Ing westward from Camp Floyd Flod It passed over General Johnstons Johnston's pass to Skull valley and thence on the approximate route followed subsequently by the overland stage and pony express But the road was never worked to any I great extent and there was a dearth of ot water much of the way Consequently the far tar northern route was never entirely aban aban- dosed The Simpson route was surveyed by direction o of General Albert Sidney Johnston in command com corn mand at Camp Floyd Flod Traveled West Of Ot Lake Travel southward from Salt Lake City was greatly Increased at the establishment of oC Camp Floyd in 1858 and arid the turning o of the emigrant roads westward through that post There had also been settlements established in iii inthe inthe the San Pete valle valley and In Iron county using the road by way of ot Provo intensively It is recommended recommended recommended mended that those traveling southward to any point beyond Provo should go on the west side of Utah Lake wrote a constant traveler May 7 1862 1562 going by byway byway wa way of ot Goshen as that road is reported to be in good traveling condition while the other Is impassable impassable im im- im passable for teams between Provo and Payson A modern problem and an old setting In the autumn of ol 1861 a determined determined deter deter- mined effort was made by an exploring exploring ex ex- party to designate a route Into the Uinta basin and select a settlement site The route was through Kamas valley from Parleys Parleys Parley's Par Par- leys ley's park Park City presumably presumably presumably ably over the present Wolf Volf creek pass The party returned with hammers out for tor the entire basin and settlement was deferred deterred a few years though the road re remained remained remained re- re as 85 marked for lor some time The Indian trail through Spanish Fork and Strawberry valleys could not be followed by wagons and the Daniels Daniel's canyon was not opened for several years cars The previous winter November November-De cember comber 1860 announcement was first made of ot the discovery and I use of ot a new route to the Sanpete Sanpete Sanpete San- San pete from Utah valley shortening the route 35 miles mile by way of ol Thistle valley When General Fremont re returned returned re re- turned from California in 1845 he followed the old Spanish trail to Red Creek Gap in the Wasatch mountains at Para Paragonah onah Here the trail turned east and Fremont continued northward along the west base of oC the mountains finall finally finally fin fin- all ally entering Utah valley and leaving it probably b by wa way of Hobbie creek creck for the Strawberry and Uintah basin country He probably followed Indian trails most I if it not all of or the way The country from the present Provo to Salt Lake City was thus left un un- traveled by moderns until the Mormons came The Mormon scouts penetrated into Utah's Dixie in m the winter of 50 1849 they traveled by way of oC the Sanpete Sanpete San San- pete and Sevier valleys but they were not unfamiliar with the present present pres pres- ent route of the Arrowhead trail trailor or Zion park parle highway west o of the mountains In his message to the legislature legislature legisla legisla- ture December 2 1850 Brigham Young said from this city a a. arail railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road will most probably be constructed constructed con con- to Iron county as also continuously to southern California Cali Call fornia terminating at San Diego Whatever encouragement you may find it in your power to ex cx- tend to an object so full of ot interest to our citizens I shall most readily acquiesce therein Which was c certainly e r t a i n ii I y a first class prophecy though unfortunately the Interests then to be served were not sufficient to bring tho the thing to pass Military 1 Road Authorized An act of ol congress July 17 1854 appropriated 25 for constructing constructing constructing con con- a military road commencing com corn at Great Salt SnIt Lake City and running by way of ot Provo city Fillmore elt city Parowan and Cedar City to the eastern boundary boundary boundary bound bound- ary of oC California In the direction of ol Cajon Pass It was the first public money to be appropriated for tor roads in what is now Utah Colonel Steptoe called for bids opened December 28 1854 1854 by means of ot which Provo C Chicken and Beaver rivers were bridged sideling stretches of oC the road rond were leveled humps taken off fills tills leveled up and In a few places particularly on 01 the Santa Clara and nd aJon along the Virgin rivers ri the route was WM changed to make it shorter |