0 500 miles

0 500 kilometers
N
WYOMING WISCONSIN
IDAHO Martin’s
Cove SOUTH M I N N E S OTA
Rocky Independence D A K OTA
Ridge Rock
The
Chimney IOWA
Needles NEBRASKA
Great South Devil’s Rock Winter
Pass Gate Confluence Quarters Mount Iowa
Salt Point Pisgah Garden City
Fort
Lake Fort
Laramie Grove
Bridger
Valley
Platte Nauvoo
Emigration River Council
Canyon Bluffs
Fort Locust Sugar
Kearny Creek Creek ILLINOIS
Camp
U TA H
18 4 6 18 6 9
KANSAS
MISSOURI
COLORADO

  MOUSEOVER the named places along the trail for more information

F rom 1846 to 1869, as many as 70,000 mem- to Oregon and California.

ARIZONA
bers of The ChurchN EofWJesus
MEXICChrist
O of Latter-
TEXAS
day Saints walked across the plains, through the
rivers and over the mountains between Nauvoo,
Illinois and Salt Lake City, Utah in search of re-
ligious freedom. While this vast stream of Mor-
mon families sought to escape the persecution
of American society, the Mormons were part of
a larger American movement west that included
hundreds of thousands of Americans westering
OKLAHOMA
Instead of blazing new trails through the wil-
ARKANSAS
derness, the Mormons followed the same trails
used by Americans who went before them on
military and economic trips.
A number of historians have noted how unlike
other western pioneers the Mormons were. For
instance, most Mormon pioneers came as families.
Unlike other groups of Americans heading west
the Mormons crossed the country (Continued)
without the help of professional guides. In the
process of relying on maps, reports and guide-
books, the Mormons became experts themselves
and put that expertise to use over the twenty-
two years the Mormon Trail was in use.
Unlike other trails west, the Mormon Trail was
a two-way stream of travelers. Along with the
experienced men who were assigned to go back
east on a regular basis to guide new groups of
emigrants west, there was a steady stream of
A memorial created by Annie Laura Dunkley’s
maternal grandfather, John Doney, and his
friend, William Whitehead. This is reminiscent
of the messages left on buffalo skulls during
the crossing. See the message HERE
missionaries and “go-backs” or Mormons who
decided to return—traveling east.
Unlike many American pioneers of the 1800’s
who came from hardy frontier stock, large num-
bers of Mormon pioneers were poor city dwellers
from Europe without any practical experience
living in and traveling through the wilderness.
As expansion continued west the Pony Express,
transcontinental telegraph line and the Union
Pacific Railroad often followed the Mormon Trail.
The Mormons not only watched these new enter-
prises emerge but often helped build them.
During the Mormon exodus railroads gradually
extended farther and farther west. In 1856 the
poor emigrants from Europe were able to ride the
trains to Iowa City, Iowa where they were outfit-
ted with handarts for the trek west. By 1867 a
group of 500 emigrants rode the trains to North
Platte, Nebaska where they continued west in
wagons. Finally, when the Union Pacific Railroad
reached Utah in 1869, the days of walking to
Utah came to an end.
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