Mormon Trail Center Tells the Story of Mormon Migration to Utah: Travel by Handcart

 Starting in 1856 and continuing through 1860, handcarts were used for the westward migration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lagtter-day Saints.  There were ten handcart companies in all, five the first year.  The last two in 1856, as well as two wagon companies, hit early snow.  There was considerable suffering and loss of life as a result.

Leaving Nauvoo

Across Iowa

On the Missouri

To the Salt Lake Basin

A New First Presidency

Ship travel

By Handcart

By Train

Movie Review: ***^Ephraim's Rescue

Ephraim’s Rescue

This movie tells the story of a very fascinating man, Ephraim Hanks.  It also tells of Thomas Dobson, as he was one of the recipients of Ephraim’s miracles, and responded by dancing a jig.  Ephraim had a sense of listening to the Lord, and knowing what he should be about.  This sense comes to his benefit on several occasions.  He also was prepared to take part in the rescue, by his life and circumstances.  He also had the gift of healing healing, and this gift he was able to use in healing the Saints in his community, the handcart pioneers, and on one occasion an Indian boy. 

I find anything about the handcart pioneers emotional, and this was no different.

Mormon Handcart Rescuer and Wellsville Settler: Nathan Bankhead

It is notable that an African American slave was among the handcart rescuers.  Dan Jones made a list of the rescuers, and included Tom Bankhead.  This was actually Nate Bankhead.  Nate had come to Utah in 1848 with the John Bankhead family as a slave.  The bank heads were from the South.  There were no laws about slavery, so basically it was tolerated, but the slave could choose not to be a slave.  Nate likely preceded his master's family to Utah to prepare the way for them.  He and his brother also drove wagons in support of the immigrants.  In 1856 he was asked to help with the rescue.  Not much is known about his service, but he was with the first wave of rescuers, an subject to. The same winter storms and cold.  He likely helped the Willie Company into the Valley.

Even though Nate Bankhead may have still been a slave, he was basically emancipated.  However he still an interest in the war and was routing for the South to be defeated.  In 1859 he traveled with John Bankhead to Cache Valley to help the early settlers with threshing.  He stayed and settled in Wellsville where he had a large garden.  One of his sons, George, settled in Mt. Sterling and gives the name to Cooky's Hollow, his nick mane.  

Nathan and his brothers and children in the area were a Lively group and sought out to provide music for dances.  Nathan was a caller.  They could also add to any social occasion with conversation and good spirit.  The color of their skin was really not an issue, and one of Nathan's daughter said she didn't realize she was Black as a child.

Mormon Handcart Rescuer: Robert Angus Bain

As a 26 year old young adultRobert Bain had a special interest in the handcart rescue, his family was traveling with the Willie Handcart Company. Despite his poor health he felt he must help.  His health improved as he traveled.   He was behind the first rescuers.  He looked for them at Fort Bridger, but was disappointed as they were not there.  He finally met the handcart pioneers after they had crossed the Green River.  He found all but his mother, who had just wandered off to die, but not in front of her children.  He found her under some sagebrush.  She was wasted away.  He gathered her in his arms and gave her some bread he had.  He brought her to camp and every day she regained more of her health.  Upon arriving they were taken in by Brother Willie.
Summarized from "Tell My Story Too" by Jolene Allphin

Willie Handcart Company: James Kirkwood, 11

James traveled with the Willie handcart Company with his mother, two older brothers and younger brother.  His father and two sister’s had passed away in 1851.  James brother Thomas, had been run over by a wagon when young and consequently had to be pulled across the plains.  This task fell to his mother and oldest brother Robert.  To James fell the task of watching for his brother, John, 5.  With this mode of travel things went well until they hit the snow.  John and James became separated from his mother.  His mother waited patiently for them to arrive.  They finally arrive, James carrying John on his back.  He set him down, and collapsed from exhaustion.  He was buried with twelve others.

Handcart Pioneer, George Cunningham, 15, Willie Handcart Company

George traveled with his family, save his older brother who was recently married and would come to Utah in 1861.  This included his parents, older sister, and two young sisters.  They family had been promised if they lived the gospel all members of the family would arrive safely in Zion.  As they traveled through Iowa some local residents would make fun of them yelling “Gee, haw” but George said this did not discourage them.  The Willie company was subject to a buffalo stampede.  This was followed by a thunder storm.  Many of the oxen of the company wagons stampeded with the buffalo.  Their tracks were lost in the rain.  “The search was kept up for a week and often we thought we could see [an oxen but] they would invariably take to their heels and prove to be nothing but an old buffalo.  We transferred our provision from the wagons to the handcarts and hitched the thirty milch cows to the wagons to haul the sick and the children who were not able to walk.” 

At one points Georg’s young sister, Elizabeth, almost died due to lack of food.  In fact she was left behind.  However, when mother remembered the promise she insisted they go back.  They built a fire and warmed some water and commenced to rub her limbs.  When some hot water spilled on her foot her eyes twitched. 

When the company was in a desperate dream, George had a dream of two rescuers arriving in camp, and telling them provisions were close at hand.  When members of the company were around a fire, looking gloomy, George related his dream.  Many were inspired by this dream, and when the rescuers came over the hill the next day he said, “See, See them coming over that hill!”

Taken from “Tell my Story Too” by Jolene S. Allphin 

Willie Handcart Pioneer: Thomas Caldwell 14

After Thomas' family joined the church, his father traveled to Canada to join his parents; and was never heard form again.  His mother was anxious to travel to Zion, and his family, older brother and two younger sisters traveled aboard the Thornton and joined the Willie Handcart Company.  traveling with them was a young woman, Christina McNeil who was a boarder and friend from Scotland.  The family was assigned to a handcart with Thomas helping his mother and this sister pull the cart.  Early on, while helping some girls with a milk cow, he became entangled in a rope, tripped and broke his collar bone.  He traveled in pain the rest of the journey.  Even so he tried to keep up appearances for his younger sisters.  When they came to rivers he would help his sisters cross.  They pain was not getting better, and perhaps was getting worse.  "We finally arrived in Salt Lake Valley the 9th of November 1956.  We had endured hardships almost beyond human endurance."  After coming to the valley his collar bone was finally able to heal.  He eventually married Abigail Snow, daughter of the President Lorenzo Snow.  He died shortly after his first children were born, twin boys.  He is buried in the Lorenzo Snow burial plot in Brigham City.
Summarized from the book "Tell My Story Too" by Jolene S. Allphin

Book Review: The Price We Paid

 

The Price We Paid: The Extraordinary Story of the Willie and Martin Handcart Pioneers,  By Andrew D. Olsen, Deseret Book, SLC, Utah 2006.

 In my opinion, this is the best book dealing with the Martin and Willie Handcart Companies.  He avoids the problem of combining the two stories, by dedicating chapters to each company and telling the story of when is happening in the journey.  At the same time, some of those areas which have very similar stories, such as the conditions on the boat trip across the ocean, he tells in a single chapter.  He does a good job of telling the conditions on the ship, and on the handcart trail.  He also dedicates significant space to telling personal stories.

He doesn't get lost  by trying to combine the two stories.  He also has significant historical background and has obviously done a great deal of research.  
He does a very good job of describing the rescue, and the involvement of so many people from Utah, who came out to meet the struggling Saints. 
The author devotes a significant portion of the book to tell individual stories.  This is in two sections, the story of individual on the journey, as well as the afterward story; what become of people after they made it to Zion.  This includes the stories of many of the rescuers.