One hundred and 80 years ago, on July 4, 1836, a party made up of men from The American Fur Company and a small group of missionaries crossed over the Rocky Mountains through South Pass in what is now the state of Wyoming. As we know, among the missionary group were two young wives, Narcissa Prentiss Whitman and Eliza Hart Spalding, and they changed everything. When Narcissa and Eliza crossed the Rockies through South Pass, they were the first two non-Indian women to do so, at a time when it was unimaginable that a woman from the East would survive the trip. Their achievement was to open the west for women and children and, ultimately, settlement. ...

The American Fur Company party, including the missionaries, arrived at the Green River Rendezvous on July 6. Hundreds of Indians and trappers came annually to trade pelts, skins, guns, jewelry, clothing, saddles, bridles, tobacco, whiskey and more with representatives of the American Fur Company, which brought in wagonloads of items to trade. In addition to the trading, activities included horse racing, gambling, drinking, wrestling and even jousting in medieval armor and could continue for a few weeks. When the missionaries arrived, the Indians crowded around to get their first view of white women. Narcissa’s strawberry blond hair amazed them ...

Whitman and Spaulding had decided to take the southern route through the mountains to Walla Walla even though they would be a small party. Their concerns about their next move were assuaged when John McLeod of the Hudson Bay Company, invited them to travel with his group to Walla Walla. The Nez Perce Indians, who had wanted the missionaries to travel with them on the northern route, were worried that they would lose the missionaries to another Indian tribe if they took the southern route. The various tribes were eager to have the missionaries settle on their land, perhaps because they wanted to learn about their religion, perhaps because ...

Let’s let Narcissa write this week’s Facebook post (her spelling and punctuation!). “Dearest Mother. We commenced our journey to Walla Walla July 18th 1836, under the protection of Mr. McLeod & his company. Came ten miles, in a southwesterly direction. The Flat Head and Nez Perces Indians & some lodges of the Snake tribe, accompany us to Fort Hall. While they are with us, we shall make but one camp in a day. On the 19th we did not move at all. 20th Came twelve miles in the same direction, as on the 18th over many steep & high mountains. On the 21st our course was southeast in the morning. Traveled fifteen miles. Yesterday the ...

Narcissa: 25th Came fifteen miles today. Very mountainous. Encamped on Smith’s creek a small branch of Bear River. Bear River emties into Salt Lake (called on maps, Timpanogos) That Lake has no outlet & is said to be a great curiosity by those who have visited it. Large quantities of Salt may be obtained form the shore and that of the finest quality. We do not expect to pass it. ….. Endured the ride today very well notwithstanding its difficulties. Very mountainous. Paths winding on the sides of steep mountains In some places the path is so narrow as scarcely to afford room for the animals to place his foot. One after the other, we pass along ...

From Narcissa's journal: August 2nd Had an unusual long ride today. Heat excessive. Truly I thought "the Heavens over us were brass, & the earth iron under our feet." Our route for two or three days past has been quite level. But the same scenery prevails, rocks & sandy plains covered with a species of wormwood called sage of a pale of green, offensive both to the sight & smell. We meet with frequent fertile spots however, often enough to furnish us & our animals with a comfortable Inn for the night. Had a feast of service berries today the first ripe ones we have seen. They are a small black berry, very sweet, something like the Pear ...

Narcissa’s journals are so rich with descriptions in this final leg of the journey that we are truly overwhelmed by the need to edit and extract. If we have piqued your interest, her journals are published in books and online: onelink:http://www.pbs.org/…/th…/resources/archives/two/whitman1.htm . Food, understandably, is often a topic! Aug 8 “Have come eighteen miles today & have taken it so deliberately that it has been easy for us. The hunters came in last night well loaded. They had been in the mountains two days after game. Killed three Elks & two Antelopes. This is the first Elk meat we have had, & is the last opportunity ...

Approaching Snake Fort, McLeod went ahead with most of his men, so the missionaries were able to slow their progress down to the speed of the cattle. On the 15th, Narcissa wrote “We have had such a cool wind today & it has been so comfortable traveling that we have made better proggress than usual. ….. We passed the hot Springs just before noon which are quite a curiosity. Boiled a bit of dry Salmon in one of them in five minutes.” The hot springs are nine miles east of Mountain Home, Idaho. 16th “Our route on this side of the river is less hilly & difficult than on the south side & said to be two days shorter.” 19th ...

After a restful Sabbath on which Mr. Spaulding was invited to preach in the Fort, they left for Walla Walla on the 22nd. One branch of the river was too deep to cross on horseback, but they found an Indian canoe made of rushes & willows. Narcissa and Eliza sat in the canoe and two Indians on horseback towed them over. Narcissa wrote “O, if Father Mother & the girls could have seen us now in our snug little bark floating on the water, we are favourites of the company no one else was privaledged with a ride on it.” The canoe was “simply bunches of rushes tied together & attached to a frame, made of few sticks of small willows.” ...

Sorry this one is longish, but Narcissa is so happy for the journey to be ending that I had a hard time leaving her words out! Aug 28th "After dinner we left the plains & ascended the Blue Mountains. There a new & pleasing scene presented itself, mountains covered with timber thorough which we rode all the afternoon, a very agreeable change, the scenery reminded me of the hills in my native county Steuben." Aug 29th "Had a continuation of the same scenery as yesterday afternoon. ….. Here I frequently met old acquaintances, in the trees & flowers, & was not a little delighted. The singing of birds, the woods, all had a strong ...