How long was the Donner Party stuck?

Of the five months the Donner Party spent trapped in the mountains, nearly half of it took place after they had already been located by rescuers.

How many people got eaten during the Donner Party?

Many in the Donner Party refused to cannibalize at the cost of their lives. No cannibalism took place among the Donner Party members trapped by the lake until at least late February, after at least 13 people starved and died. Don't be one of them. There is frozen food buried by the lake.

How many people survived out of the Donner Party?

Five of the emigrants died before reaching the mountain camps, 34 at the camps or on the mountains while attempting to cross, and one just after reaching the settlements. Two men who had joined the party at the lake also died. The total of deaths was thus 42, with 47 survivors.

Did the Donner Party eat each other?

Thanks to letters and journals kept by members of the Donner Party and their rescuers, it has long been accepted that cannibalism occurred at the party's main camp at Truckee Lake (later renamed Donner Lake) and among a smaller group that tried to escape the mountains to get help.

Who was to blame for Donner Party misery?

Years later, Franklin Ward Graves, the 57-year-old patriarch of the family, would complain that James Reed was at fault for the delays and hardship they all faced in the Wasatch Mountains. The delays there, in his view, contributed to their becoming trapped by snow east of Donner Pass later in the year (1846).

All the Mistakes That Doomed the Donner Party

Who rescued the Donner party?

It was several weeks until a second rescue party arrived, led by none other than James Reed, who'd finally raised enough money and men to go rescue his family. This time, 17 people were evacuated — leaving only a few members of the Donner Party behind.

How did George Donner hurt his hand?

The Donner family

The Donner children lost both of their parents in the tragedy. George Donner accidentally cut his hand, which became infected and spread gangrene up his arm. He died in March 1847 in between relief parties. Wife Tamsen died shortly after.

How accurate is the Donner Party Movie?

It is full of inaccuracies. While it is true some of the party resorted to eating human flesh to survive, no one was killed to do so. It left out the struggles of those left behind, waiting to be rescued and what they endured.

Are there any descendants of the Donner party alive today?

Nearly half never left alive. And up to 200 descendants are expected to gather in August in Truckee and Reno, Nev., for what's being billed as the year's premier event California Trail Days 96 and the Donner Party Sesquicentennial.

How deep was the snow for the Donner party?

The peak snow depth was somewhere between 15 to 20 feet deep at Donner Lake. Trees cut off at snow level by the emigrants ranged from 15 to 18 feet in height when the snow was gone, indicative of the exceptional snowpack that winter.

What religion was the Donner party?

Back in Utah, the road the Donner Party blazed from Fort Bridger into the Salt Lake Valley in 1846 was a godsend to the Mormon pioneer companies of 1847. It became part of the Mormon Trail, and for twenty years was the main route to Salt Lake City.

Why is it called Donner Pass?

The pass gets its name from the ill-fated Donner Party who overwintered there in 1846. Today the area is home to a thriving recreational community with several alpine lakes and ski resorts (Donner Ski Ranch, Boreal, and Sugar Bowl).

What mistake did the Donner party make?

Most historians agree that the Donner Party's fatal mistake was taking the Hastings Cutoff. It put them almost a month behind schedule and severely depleted their resources before the critical last stage of their journey.

How did the Donner Party get saved?

As the Donner Party fought to survive in the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains, four brave rescue missions ensured some traumatized members made it out alive. As the Donner Party fought to survive in the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains, four brave rescue missions ensured some traumatized members made it out alive.

How did they find the Donner party?

The dig is taking place at a picnic area at Alder Creek Camp, where it's believed the George and Jacob Donner families were trapped. A Discovery Channel team found the site last summer by using ground-penetrating radar.

Who was eaten in the Donner party?

A Donner Party member murdered two people for use as food.

The Indians were then butchered and eaten by the hikers. It was the only time during the entire winter that people were murdered for use as food.

Is the Donner Party on Netflix?

Rent The Donner Party: American Experience (2000) on DVD and Blu-ray - DVD Netflix.

Who narrated the Donner party?

They spent four days resting their oxen and making repairs. James Reed (Actor, voice-over): July 31st, 1846.

How did the Reed family survived the Donner Party?

5. They Survived Without Eating People. Only two nuclear families in the entire party—the Reeds and the Breens—made it through the horrible winter without a single death.

What happened to Virginia Reed Donner Party?

A group of California-bound American emigrants known as the Donner Party, who after becoming snowbound in the Sierra Nevada in the winter of 1847, resorted to cannibalism. Virginia Reed and the other members of the Donner-Reed Party had been suckered into a supposed shortcut to California that had led them to disaster.

Who died first in the Donner party?

Reed wrote in his journal, "Left camp early this morning. In the evening, a gentleman by the name of Luke Halloran died of Consumption having been brought from Bridger's Fort by George Donner a distance of 151 miles.

What became of the survivors of the Donner Party?

The two Donner families suffered greatly; all four of the parents perished. The surviving children reached Sutter's Fort as orphans, but they all found good homes. Like the Breens, all of the Reed family members escaped the disaster alive.

How many were alive when the 3rd relief party reached the lake?

The four men of the third relief each carried a child, namely the three Donner girls and Simon Murphy. Five survivors were left behind high in the mountains: Louis Keseberg and Levinah Murphy at the lake, and three Donners at Alder Creek--George, Tamsen, and their little nephew Sammy.

Did the Indians try to help the Donner party?

Native Americans tried to help the starving Donner Party, research shows. They faced gunshots. The familiar story of the Donner Party is one of misfortune, madness, and profound isolation.