Today is what we Mormons call Pioneer Day. On this day in 1847, the first wagon train of Saints entered the Salt Lake Valley.
They traveled through five states; that's 1297 miles from Nauvoo, IL.1 And that's not including the travels of others Saints who crossed the Atlantic or came from New York and other eastern states.
Trek by Covered Wagons
The trek by
wagon was hard. At first everyone went by wagon. The only thing was, it was
expensive. In 1856 it cost $93 per person
to go by wagon.2
The Brooklyn Saints
The Handcart Pioneers
Handcarts
were used by Saints who didn't have enough money for wagons and this way the
Church could get more people to Utah. Handcarts were cheaper but harder.
These determined Saints came across
the plains pulling and pushing handcarts; a wooden box on two wheels. (This is the part where I would have a picture but it didn't work out. Don't you love technology?)
Because of the size of the "vehicle", you couldn't exactly pack
up your house and take it with you. Even with a wagon, you had a certain weight
each person could take along.
So on this
day, July 24th, we Mormons celebrate our ancestors and early Brothers and
Sisters who pushed and pulled, walked and struggled, all the way to Zion. Thank you.
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1. lds.org.
2. https://history.lds.org/bc/content/images/historic-sites/handcart-trek/handcart-infographics-wagons-vs-handcarts-luke-perkins.jpg
If you're interested in learning more about the Mormon pioneers you can go to this website: https://history.lds.org/article/remembering-handcart-pioneers-in-the-sweetwater-valley?lang=eng. This page specifically focuses on the handcart pioneers.
