Tragedy Spring facts for kids

The memorial at Tragedy Spring, as it appeared in 1940.

Tragedy Spring is a small, cold spring located high in the mountains of eastern Amador County, California. It's right next to Highway 88, not far from Silver Lake. This place got its name from a sad event that happened on June 27, 1848. Three Mormon men were killed near the spring. Their names were carved on a large tree nearby. The men were Henderson Cox (who lived from 1829-1848), Ezra Hela Allen (1814-1848), and Daniel Browett (1809-1848).

The Story of Tragedy Spring

A Journey to Salt Lake City

In 1848, a group of Mormons was getting ready to leave the gold fields near Placerville, California. Some of these men had been soldiers in the Mexican–American War as part of the Mormon Battalion. They planned to travel to a new Mormon settlement in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Scouting Ahead

Daniel Browett was the leader and scout for his group, called the Browett-Holmes Company. He decided to ride ahead with two friends to check the snow and find a good path over the Sierra Nevada mountains. Other people in the group thought this was a risky idea.

A Sad Discovery

The scouts did not return by July 5. A search party of ten men went looking for them but found nothing. On July 19, the main group, now on their way to Utah, arrived at the spring. There, they found a newly dug, shallow grave. Broken arrows were scattered around it.

When they looked closer, they found the bodies of their three scouts in the grave. Because of this sad discovery, they named the spring "Tragedy Spring."

The Carson Trail

The path the Mormon group took out of California became very important. It was known as the Carson River Trail, or the Carson Trail. This trail later became one of the main routes for many people coming into California. They were all hoping to find gold.

Remembering the Men

The Memorial Site

Today, the Tragedy Spring picnic ground is located at the grave site. The Eldorado National Forest maintains this area. It sits on a hillside near the entrance to the picnic spot.

The Grave Marker

The grave itself is a rock cairn. A cairn is a pile of stones. This one has been cemented in place. It also has a special plaque attached to it. This plaque remembers the three men who died: Henderson Cox, Ezra Hela Allen, and Daniel Browett. In 1967, the burial site became a monument cared for by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers.