The First Wagon Train to Cross Utah, 1841

By David E. Miller

In 1841 the Bartleson-Bidwell party of California-bound emigrants drove the first overland wagons through Utah. This company was an offshoot of a larger expedition captained by John Bartleson, accompanied by Father De Smet, and guided by none other than that famous mountain man, Thomas Fitzpatrick. Several families, including some fifteen women and children, were in the original company which numbered over sixty persons. With the west coast as its destination, this pioneer band had left West Port, Missouri, in May, 1841. At his own insistence Bartleson had been named captain, but because John Bidwell had been an active organizer of the company and because he kept a daily journal of its progress, the expedition is always identified with his name. Sometimes it is referred to as the Bartleson- Bidwell company — sometimes simply as the Bidwell company.

As this group arrived at Soda Springs, Idaho, following the regular Oregon Trail, Bartleson and several others (including Bidwell) determined to leave the regular track and follow Bear River southward through Cache Valley. They planned to skirt the north end of Great Salt Lake and strike for the Mary's or Humboldt River which they would follow across Nevada and thence into California.

Some members of the company had been led to believe that one or more rivers flowed out of Great Salt Lake to the west coast, and that, if the going got too rough for wagons, boats could be built on the lake and the party could float downstream to San Francisco. Bidwell had brought tools for the purpose of constructing boats, should it become necessary. This fact alone shows how little any but the mountain men knew about the Great Basin a half-dozen years before the Mormon migration.

Fitzpatrick and Father De Smet would hear none of this nonsense of leaving a well-traveled route in favor of the supposed short-cut and so continued along the regular road toward Fort Hall, taking half the single men and all the families but one. However, thirty-two men and one woman (Nancy Kelsey) with her young daughter chose to try the new route. The woman and girl were the wife and child of Benjamin Kelsey and have the honor of being the first white females known to have crossed Utah and Nevada. There were probably ten wagons in this small train; the Kelsey family had two of them.

Like most students of Utah history, I had long known of this first wagon train to cross our state. That is, I had heard of it but actually knew very little about it. Just what route did this company follow? What were some of its major campsites? What was the nature of the country over which they passed? These questions I found vaguely and only partially answered. Charles Kelly had prepared the only available map showing the likely route of this expedition; but he had covered only part of that route in his study of early trails across the Great Salt Lake Desert. So as part of my larger project to explore and map the routes of early travelers who crossed Utah before the coming of the Mormons, I decided to include an examination of the Bidwell trail. Armed with a copy of the Bidwell journal, adequate maps and other equipment, our party picked up the Bartleson-Bidwell route at Soda Springs, Idaho, and followed and mapped it all the way across Utah and on to the Humboldt River in Nevada.

The Bartleson-Bidwell company left the big bend of Bear River at the present Alexander, Idaho, August 11, 1841, and headed downstream along the river's west bank. That night, after a trek of twelve miles, they camped opposite the present site of the Grace hydroelectric power plant. Bidwell and a companion (whom he identifies as J. John), after fishing unsuccessfully in the Bear River for some time, were intrigued by the snowcrested summit of Mount Baldy lying in clear view to the west and decided to hike up to the snow and cool off a bit. But the distance was deceptive; the two failed to reach the snow before darkness overtook them. After an unpleasant night on the mountainside, they succeeded in reaching snow early the following morning and finally returned to camp with as much of the white stuff as they could carry. In the meantime the company had been placed on close guard, in the fear that Indians had killed the two missing men who had left camp without disclosing their destination.

After this first rather exciting day and night, the company continued southward along the west bank of Bear River as far as the upper end of the Oneida Narrows. At that point they turned westward, up Cottonwood Creek, and followed a course more or less identical with that of present Idaho State Highway 34 to the vicinity of Banida. Bidwell's statement is quite descriptive: "Continued our journey over hills and ravines, going to almost every point of the compass, in order to pass them." Although wagons had certainly never gone that way before, a well-traveled Indian trail could not be mistaken. The same route had been used by Peter Skene Ogden and his trapping brigade in the spring of 1825, and it had doubdess been followed by numerous other fur men as they plied their trade along Bear River and into Cache Valley.

From the vicinity of Banida the company continued southward through Weston, crossed the 42nd Parallel into Utah on August 16, and camped just north of Clarkston. Bidwell made special mention of the "abundance of Choke Cherries, very large and exquisitely delicious, better than any I ever ate before, . . ."

The company had intended to stop and rest a few days in Cache Valley, but passed along the west side of it and over into the valley of the Great Salt Lake via the Long Divide (north of the gorge through which Bear River has cut its way into Great Salt Lake Valley) without realizing that they had by-passed their objective. Today this is difficult to understand. But no member of the 1841 expedition had ever been in that vicinity before. They had no real concept of the terrain, and, of course, had no maps. What they saw from its west side evidently did not coincide with their mental pictures of what Cache Valley should look like. Furthermore, "a large smoke" observed rising from the mountain slopes immediately before them indicated that Indians were aware of the trespass of strangers through their domain. Even though the natives were believed to be friendly, the observance of what appeared to be smoke signals would tend to make the trekkers nervous. The evening of August 17 found the expedition camped on the ridge northeast of present-day Fielding. One of Bid well's important journal entries is that of August 18:

Traveled but a short distance, when we discovered that a deep salt creek prevented our continuing near the [Bear] river. In ascending this stream in search of a place to cross it, we found on its margin a hot spring, very deep and clear. The day was very warm and we were unable to reach the river, encamped on this salt creek and suffered much for water, the water being so salt we could not drink it, distance 15 miles.

This "deep salt creek" that halted the company's progress southward was surely Malad River whose waters are often found to be extremely brackish. After searching up and down that stream, they finally located a place to ford, probably near the hot spring mentioned in Bidwell's journal. In 1958 we identified this "spring" as the Udy Warm Spring. There are actually several springs quite close together located on the west bank of Malad River, a short distance southwest from the town of Plymouth.

As far as I am able to determine, the "hot spring" of Bidwell's journal has never before been properly identified. Prior to our research there was quite a prevailing notion that the spring referred to by Bidwell was the one located at the south base of Littie Mountain some ten miles northwest of Corinne. But this is impossible; it simply does not fit the journal descriptions whereas the Udy Warm Spring does fit perfectly.

Once across the Malad the Bidwell company continued southward through present-day Garland, Tremonton, and Bear River City, then skirted the east side of Little Mountain and soon found themselves heading into a trackless salt desert. Says Bidwell of this day's march:

T. 19. Started early, hoping soon to find fresh water, when we could refresh ourselves and animals, but alas! The sun beamed heavy on our heads as the day advanced, and we could see nothing before us but extensive arid plains, glimmering with heat and salt, at length the plains became so impregnated with salt, that vegetation entirely ceased; the ground was in many places white as snow with salt & perfectly smooth — the midday sun, beaming with uncommon splendor upon these shining plains, made us fancy we could see timber upon the plains, and wherever timber is found there is water always. We marched forward with unremitted pace till we discovered it was an illusion, and lest our teams should give out we returned from S. to E, and hastened to the river which we rached [sic] in about 5 miles.

A high mountain overlooked us on the East and the river was thickly bordered with willows — grass plenty but so salt, our animals could scarcely eat it; salt glitters upon its blades like frost. Distance 20 miles.

The journal needs little elaboration. Completely confused by mirages and the ever worsening condition of the salt impregnated terrain south of Little Mountain, the company turned in desperation toward the east and soon reached Bear River a short distance downstream from the present site of Corinne. The Wasatch Mountains stood out in bold relief directly to the east. Exploration conducted the following morning disclosed the fact that they had reached Bear River some ten miles above its mouth and for the first time the disappointed leaders realized that they had passed through Cache Valley without recognizing it.

After a day's rest the company turned again to the northwest, paralleling the route later followed by the transcontinental railroad and currendy by Utah State Highway 83. After traveling some eight miles they bisected their own tracks of August 19 and realized that they had negotiated a complete triangle in the salt desert.

When the original expedition had divided at Soda Springs on August 11, some members of the Bidwell company had been sent on to Fort Hall to purchase supplies, and possibly obtain a guide. The least that was hoped for was some much needed information regarding the terrain through which the wagons would have to pass. It was expected that these men would soon catch up with the rest of the company so, says Bidwell on August 21: "At this intersection of the trails, we left a paper elevated by a pole, that the men, returning from Fort Hall, might shun the tedious rounds we had taken."

As expected, the men returning from Fort Hall picked up the Bartleson-Bidwell wagon tracks and followed them southward into the valley of the Great Salt Lake. However, they had become separated en route, and over-anxious as they were, the ones in the lead failed to notice the Bidwell signpost and followed the wagon tracks around the triangle through the mud. All arrived in camp, probably at Connor Spring, on August 22 with the disheartening report that neither guide nor definite information had been obtainable at the Fort.

Continuing in a northwesterly course, a long day's journey (August 23) took the wagons over Promontory Mountain (via the pass later used by the transcontinental railroad) and on to Cedar Spring west of the summit. Bidwell's journal entry for the day is of interest:

M. 23rd. Started, bearing our course west, in order to pass the Salt Lake—-passed many salt plains and springs in the forenoon, the day was hot — the hills, and land bordering on the plains, were covered with wild sage. In passing the declivity of a hill, we observed this sage had been plucked up, and arranged in long minows [windrow], extending near a mile in length. It had been done by the Indians, but for what purpose we could not imagine, unless it was to decoy game. At evening we arrived in full view of the Salt Lake, water was very scarce. Cedar grows here both on the hills and in the valleys, distance 20 miles.

Although the company had been traveling along the north margin of the lake, they obtained their first clear view of it from the summit above Cedar Spring. The small trickle of water furnished scanty supply for the personnel of the outfit but not enough for the stock which strayed in search of a drink.

After a ten-mile trek the following morning the expedition arrived at the Salt Wells. Bidwell's description is significant:

. . . day was warm — traveled about 10 miles in a W. direction, encamped where we found numerous springs, deep, clear and somewhat impregnated with salt. The plains were snowy white with salt. Here we procured salt of the best quality. The grass, that grew in small spots on the plains, was laden with salt which had formed itself on the stalks and blades in lumps, from the size of a pea to that of a hen's egg, this was the kind we procured, it being very white, strong and pure.

After a day of rest and salt gathering August 26 turned out to be one of the longest marches of the whole trek.

T. 26th. Traveled all day over dry, barren plains, producing nothing but sage, or rather it ought to be called, wormwood, and which I believe will grow without water or soil. Two men were sent a head in search of water, but returned a little while before dark unsuccessful.

Our course intersected an Indian trail, which we followed directly north towards the mountains, knowing that in these dry countries, the Indian trails always lead to the nearest water Having traveled till about 10 o'clock P.M. made a halt, and waited till morning — distance about 30 miles.

In retracing the Bidwell track I concluded that this day's long march had taken the company around the north end of Great Salt Lake, past Monument Point and on toward the present location of Kelton. A few miles east of Kelton, after traveling some twenty miles, they intersected the trail (doubtless used by Indians in their frequent trips to and from Locomotive Springs) and started to follow it northward toward the Raft River Mountains. However, darkness overtook them, and the weary, thirsty company bedded down for the night about midway between Kelton and the mountains.

Daylight disclosed a beautiful bright green area on the southeast slope of the mountain, so the expedition headed for it, and the spring was found to be about five miles distant from the campsite. This was the Ten Mile Spring where Peter Skene Ogden had twice camped more than a decade earlier. Bidwell's reports of some experiences of his party while camped there convince me that this campsite was indeed at the Ten Mile Spring and not at the Pilot Spring west of Snowville, or some other spring found in the Hansel Mountains, as some persons have supposed. The cedar groves, Indians visited on the mountain, other springs of water, and the general description of the country lead definitely to this conclusion. Furthermore, distances are just right for the preceding day's travel as well as those of later movements.

From this point (August 29) Captain Bartleson and Charles Hopper went ahead to seek out a route to the Humboldt River, while the body of the company remained in camp at Ten Mile Spring. However, by September 5, after a week of waiting, the anxious campers became restless and decided to start moving slowly in the direction the scouts had taken. Thus they passed through Park Valley, somewhat south of the present town. On September 9, Bartleson and Hopper returned to report that the Humboldt was still five days away. So the company pushed forward as fast as possible, skirting the east end of the Bovine Range rather than negotiating Emigrant Pass, later used by the stage and freight lines.

On the evening of September 11, probably at Owl Spring, Benjamin Kelsey decided to abandon his two wagons, pack all his family's belongings on the backs of oxen and horses and continue the journey in that fashion. Charles Kelly reported the finding of the remains of an old linchpin type wagon hub at Owl Spring several years ago. This might very well have been the remains of one of the Kelsey wagons left there September 12, 1841. Of course, there is no proof of this.

From Owl Spring the course continued toward the south, through present Lucin and along the east base of the Pilot Range, "between Salt plains on the E., and high mts. on the W." September 13 found the company at one of the famous Pilot Springs, probably the one designated as Patter Spring on some maps, located eight miles north of the Tooele-Boxelder county line. It has been supposed by some writers that this Bidwell camp was at the main Pilot Spring at what is now Peter McKellar's ranch. But this seems quite unlikely since the following day's travel, which Bidwell estimated at twenty-five miles, would have placed the company too far west — beyond Silver Zone Pass. And we know that the party camped that night (September 14) a few miles east of that pass.

Furthermore, if the campsite of September 13 had been at the main spring (McKellar ranch) it seems quite probable that some evidence of their camp might have been noticed by Fremont in 1845 or by numerous others who passed that way in 1846. However, the only reference to the Bidwell wagon tracks is found in Edwin Bryant's journal of 1846, and he noticed them during the day's march, after having traveled ten miles southward from his camp at the main spring. The Bidwell wagons had evidently mired in the soft mud at the edge of the Salt Desert as the expedition skirted the southeast tip of the Pilot Range.

Obviously, the Bartleson-Bidwell party were the first white persons known to have visited these famous springs that flow from the east base of Pilot Peak. These springs were destined to be "rediscovered" by John C. Fremont's 1845 expedition — Kit Carson acting as guide — and would soon become a famous watering place as Edwin Bryant, the Harlan-Young, Lienhard, and the Donner parties of 1846, and numerous other California-bound wagon trains crossed the Great Salt Lake Desert in subsequent years. None of these later companies attempted to follow the Bidwell tracks to the springs, but rather reached the spot from the southeast, after having passed around the south end of Great Salt Lake instead of following the north shore as Bidwell had done.

Early on September 15, after spending the night "in the middle of a dry plain destitute of water," the Bidwell company doubtless found good water (although Bidwell does not mention it) at a small spring in Silver Zone Pass where the Western Pacific Railroad and U.S. Highway 40 cross the Toano Range today. Although unmarked, the spring is still flowing, and passing motorists occasionally obtain water from it to cool overheated automobile engines. This historic spring should be identified by a highway marker; after the Bidwell party passed that way it became a significant point on the Hastings Cutoff portion of the overland trail.

After refreshing themselves at the Silver Zone Spring, the Bidwell party climbed to the summit of the pass and pushed on across the Goshute Valley to the springs at the present Johnson ranch some ten miles away. Here they found water in abundance. But the strain of the past month had been too much for man and beast, and the decision was now made to follow the example of Benjamin Kelsey and abandon the rest of the. wagons at that point and continue the trek on horseback.

After a busy day of transferring the necessary baggage to the pack animals (many items had to be abandoned — to the great delight of a native recipient), September 17 found the mounted company headed southward from the springs. The expedition evidently crossed the Pequop Range by way of Shatter Pass westward into Independence Valley. This was the same pass used by Peter Skene Ogden in 1828-29 and John Work in 1831. We found a good road through it in 1958. Once inside Independence Valley the Bidwell company headed for the Humboldt Mountains in clear but distant view to the west. They evidently passed to the north of Spruce Mountain and thus missed Mound Spring which became an important campsite for later expeditions. From the springs at the present Warm Creek ranch in the south end of Clover Valley, the company crossed a south spur of the East Humboldt Range and entered Ruby Valley.

Bidwell's September 21 description of the hot springs located in Ruby Valley is the earliest known to me. Many future overland travelers would find them equally interesting — just as we did in 1958. On September 23 the Bidwell company crossed the Ruby Mountains by way of Harrison Pass and arrived at the south fork of the Humboldt.

It is not within the scope of this short report to trace the Bidwell route all the way to the west coast. Suffice it to say that on November 4, haggard and worn, they straggled into the ranch of Dr. John Marsh in the great valley of California. It had taken them six months to complete their tedious journey.

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