Where did the Donner Party get trapped?

Led by brothers Jacob and George Donner, the group attempted to take a new and supposedly shorter route to California. They soon encountered rough terrain and numerous delays, and they eventually became trapped by heavy snowfall high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains

Sierra Nevada Mountains

The Sierra Nevada is part of the American Cordillera, an almost continuous chain of mountain ranges that forms the western "backbone" of the Americas.

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Sierra Nevada - Wikipedia

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Where did the Donner Party get stranded?

They took the survivors to Sutter's Fort, California by the route that is now known as Donner Pass. Stranded in the early snows of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, nearly half the travelers died of starvation and illness.

What caused the Donner Party to become trapped?

The party was trapped by exceptionally heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada, and, when food ran out, some members of the group reportedly resorted to cannibalism of those already dead. It was the worst disaster of the overland migration to California. Donner Lake and Donner Pass, California, are named for the party.

Where did they find the Donner party?

After suffering great hardships in the Wasatch Mountains, the Great Salt Lake Desert and along the Humboldt River, they finally reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains in early October.

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.

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.

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).

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.

What was the Donner Party's biggest mistake?

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 long were the Donner party trapped?

Rescuers from California attempted to reach the migrants, but the first relief party did not arrive until the middle of February 1847, almost four months after the wagon train became trapped. Of the 87 members of the party, 48 survived the ordeal.

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 did the Native Americans do to the Donner Party?

Once the migrant camps were deserted, tribal members returned to burn and bury objects left behind in a bid to drive away unwelcome spirits.

How much snow did the Donner Party get stuck in?

The winter of 1951-52 dumped nearly 65 feet of snow on Donner Summit and the snowpack reached 26 feet deep, the greatest depth ever recorded there. For three days rescuers battled heavy snow and 100 mile per hour winds. Two men died in the ultimately successful effort to save the 226 passengers and crew.

What was found at the Donner party?

They also found lead shot, musket balls, jewelry beads and wagon parts. If some of the bones are human, they would be the first physical evidence to back up survivors' accounts that some members of the Donner Party resorted to cannibalism to survive being trapped in snow during the winter of 1846-47.

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.

Is the Donner Party on Netflix?

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 close was the Donner Party to Lake Tahoe?

Donner – the summit as well as the lake — is merely a few minutes from downtown Truckee and only another 20 minutes from the shores of Lake Tahoe.

How many died in the Donner party?

On February 2, 1847, the first woman of a group of pioneers commonly known as the Donner Party dies during the group's journey through a Sierra Nevada mountain pass. The disastrous trip west ended up killing 42 people and turned many of the survivors into cannibals.

Is Donner Lake man made?

Today Donner Lake is approximately 2.6 miles long and . 75 miles wide with a maximum depth of 230 feet and an average depth of 108 feet. Snowmelt provides the majority of inflow to Donner Lake with the water level now controlled by a man-made dam built in 1928.