Willie and Martin handcart companies facts for kids

The Handcart Pioneer Monument in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Willie and Martin handcart companies were two groups of Mormon handcart pioneers. They were traveling to Salt Lake City, Utah. These pioneers used handcarts to carry their belongings. This way of traveling started in 1856 and lasted until 1860.

The journey was very hard for these two groups. They started their trip too late in the year. Heavy snow and very cold weather caught them in central Wyoming. Even with a big rescue effort, more than 210 of the 980 pioneers died. A survivor named John Chislett wrote, "Many a father pulled his cart, with his little children on it, until the day preceding his death."

The handcart pioneers are an important symbol for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They show the strong faith and sacrifices of the early pioneers. People still remember and honor them on days like Pioneer Day.

Why People Moved West

The Latter Day Saints church began in 1830. Its members faced many problems and violence in states like Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. In 1846, their leader, Brigham Young, led them to a new home. They settled in the Great Basin, which is now Utah.

When the first pioneers reached Utah in 1847, the church asked its new members in Europe to move to Utah. From 1849 to 1855, about 16,000 European Latter-day Saints traveled to the United States. They came by ship, then by train, and finally by ox and wagon to Utah.

To save money for the church members, most of whom were poor, Brigham Young suggested using handcarts. He sent a letter about this plan in September 1855. The plan was published in the Millennial Star, a church newspaper in England. This new way of travel was expected to cut costs by one-third. Many poor church members were excited about the idea. In 1856, a fund helped 2,012 European travelers, much more than the year before.

The first two ships with about 815 travelers left England in spring 1856. They arrived in Iowa City, Iowa. There, they formed the first three handcart companies. All of these groups safely reached Salt Lake City later that year.

Starting the Journey

The last two handcart companies of 1856 left England late. The ship Thornton carried the people who became the Willie Company. It left England on May 4. James G. Willie was their leader. The ship Horizon left eleven days later. It carried the people who formed the Martin Company. These late departures happened because it was hard to find enough ships.

Because communication was slow back then, the church leaders in Iowa City did not expect so many extra travelers. They worked very fast to get ready for them. Weeks were spent quickly building carts and getting supplies. When the groups reached Florence, Nebraska, they lost more time fixing the poorly built carts.

A traveler named John Chislett described the problems with the carts:

The axles and boxes being of wood, and being ground out by the dust that found its way there in spite of our efforts to keep it out, together with the extra weight put on the carts, had the effect of breaking the axles at the shoulder. All kinds of expedients were resorted to as remedies for the growing evil, but with variable success. Some wrapped their axles with leather obtained from bootlegs; others with tin, obtained by sacrificing tin-plates, kettles, or buckets from their mess outfit. Besides these inconveniences, there was felt a great lack of a proper lubricator. Of anything suitable for this purpose we had none at all.

Before the Willie Company left Florence, they discussed whether to keep going or wait until spring. The travelers did not know the trail or the weather. So, they listened to the church leaders who were returning from missions. One leader, Levi Savage, told them to stay the winter in Nebraska. He warned that leaving so late with old people, women, and children would cause much suffering and death. But all the other church elders said the trip should continue. They believed God would help them. About 100 people decided to stay in Florence or Iowa. But most, about 404 people (including Savage), kept going west. The Willie Company left Florence on August 17. The Martin Company left on August 27. Two ox-wagon groups followed the Martin Company.

Near Wood River, Nebraska, a group of bison caused the Willie Company's cattle to run away. Nearly 30 cattle were lost. Without enough cattle for the wagons, each handcart had to carry an extra 100 pounds (45 kg) of flour. In early September, Franklin D. Richards, a church leader, passed the groups. He and 12 other leaders, traveling in carriages, rushed to Utah to get help for the travelers.

Disaster and Rescue

In early October, the two companies reached Fort Laramie, Wyoming. They hoped to get more food, but there was none. The groups cut their food to 12 oz (340 g) per person. They hoped their supplies would last until help arrived from Utah. To make their loads lighter, the Martin Company allowed only 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of luggage per person. They threw away clothes and blankets.

Dramatization of a man pulling a handcart through snow.

On October 4, the Richards group reached Salt Lake City. They told Brigham Young and other church leaders what was happening. The next morning, the church held a meeting. Young asked church members to give wagons, mules, supplies, and drivers for a rescue mission. On October 7, the first rescue team left Salt Lake City. They had 16 wagons of food and supplies. These were pulled by four-mule teams, with 27 young men as drivers and rescuers. More wagons were sent throughout October. By the end of the month, 250 relief wagons were on their way.

The Willie and Martin companies were running out of food. They were also facing very cold weather. On October 19, a snowstorm hit the area. It stopped both companies and the rescue party. The Willie Company was near the Sweetwater River, close to the Continental Divide. A small group from the rescue party found them. They gave them a little flour and told them help was close. Then they rushed on to find the Martin Company. The Willie Company had no flour left. They killed the few weak cattle they still had.

On October 20, Captain Willie and Joseph Elder rode ahead on mules through the snow. They needed to find the supply wagons and tell them how bad things were. They reached the rescue party's camp that evening. By the next evening, the rescue party reached the Willie Company. They gave them food and help. Half of the rescue party stayed with the Willie Company. The other half went on to help the Martin Company. On October 23, the Willie Company faced the hardest part of the trail. This was the climb up Rocky Ridge. They climbed in a strong snowstorm through knee-deep snow. That night, 13 travelers died.

On October 19, the Martin Company was about 110 miles (180 km) further east. They were crossing the North Platte River near what is now Casper, Wyoming. Soon after crossing, the blizzard hit. Many people got very cold or had frostbite after walking through the freezing river. They made camp at Red Bluffs. They could not move forward in the snow.

Meanwhile, the first scouting party reached a small empty fort at Devil's Gate. They had been told to wait there if they did not find the Martin Company. When the main rescue party joined them, another small group was sent forward. The Martin Company stayed at Red Bluffs for nine days. During this time, 56 people died. The scouts told the travelers to start moving again. During this time, Ephraim Hanks met them. He brought meat from a recently killed buffalo. This meat likely saved many lives. He also helped with some amputations to stop frostbite from getting worse. Three days later, the main rescue party met the Martin Company and the other wagon groups. They helped them to Devil's Gate.

George D. Grant, who led the rescue party, told Brigham Young:

It is not of much use for me to attempt to give a description of the situation of these people, for this you will learn from [others]; but you can imagine between five and six hundred men, women and children, worn down by drawing hand carts through snow and mud; fainting by the wayside; falling, chilled by the cold; children crying, their limbs stiffened by cold, their feet bleeding and some of them bare to snow and frost. The sight is almost too much for the stoutest of us; but we go on doing all we can, not doubting nor despairing.

Martin's Cove, Wyoming.

At Devil's Gate, the rescue party unloaded the bags from the wagons that had followed the Martin Company. This way, the wagons could carry the weakest travelers. A small group stayed at Devil's Gate for the winter to guard the supplies. The bad weather forced the Martin Company to stop for five days. The company moved into Martin's Cove, a few miles west of Devil's Gate. This spot was much more protected from the open plains. The river there was shallow, about 2 feet (0.61 metres) deep. But it was also 90 to 120 feet (27 to 37 metres) wide. The water was freezing and full of ice. Some of the rescue men spent hours pulling carts and carrying many travelers across the river. Many others crossed the river themselves, pulling their own handcarts.

The rescue teams helped the travelers from both companies get to Utah through snow and bad weather. When the Willie Company arrived in Salt Lake City on November 9, 68 people had died from sickness and cold.

Meanwhile, a second rescue team with 77 wagons was going east to help the Martin Company. After passing Fort Bridger, the leaders of this team thought the Martin Company must have stayed east of the mountains for winter. So, they turned back. When Brigham Young heard this, he told the messenger to go back and tell them to turn east again. He told them to keep going until they found the handcart company. On November 18, the second team met the Martin Company with supplies. This allowed them to continue their journey.

The 104 wagons carrying the Martin Company arrived in Salt Lake City on November 30. At least 145 people from that company had died during the trip. Many survivors had to have fingers, toes, or limbs removed because of severe frostbite. People in Utah let the travelers stay in their homes during the winter. The travelers later moved to other Latter-day Saint towns across Utah and the West.

Why the Tragedy Happened

Some people wondered who was responsible for the problems. Brigham Young himself said that Franklin Richards and Daniel Spencer should not have let the companies leave so late. Many writers believed Young was responsible because he started the plan.

Wallace Stegner, a historian of the American West, said that poor planning caused the companies' struggles. He felt that Richards was blamed for Young's mistakes. However, Howard Christy, a professor, noted that Richards could have stopped the late departure. He was the highest-ranking church leader in the Florence, Nebraska, area. Christy also pointed out that Young had always said that groups needed to leave by the end of May to travel safely.