Summary
Although The Donner Party of 1846-7 is the most famous of the emigrant parties to cross the Sierra Nevada along the 'Truckee Route', they were not the first. The Stephens-Murphy-Townsend Party succeeded in crossing two years before in the severe winter of 1844-5.
The Donner Party became stranded and met only tragedy two years later. Where the Stephens Party was led by experienced mountain men and included a physician among its members, the Donner Party was composed of farmers and a high proportion of women, elderly and children.
The party was organized by the Donner brothers, Jacob and George, along with James Reed, all of Illinois. They set out in April of 1846 and in a reasonable amount of time had reached South Pass, a landmark on the trail west where they inadvertently made their first fatal error.
A trail guide or promoter named Lansford Hastings had produced a leaflet claiming he had found a shortcut to California. The Donners decided to attempt to follow that cutoff through Utah into Nevada. They lost much precious time and suffered through severe desert conditions. The physical condition of both humans and animals began to deteriorate as did their emotional stability. A stabbing occurred and as a result James Reed was banished from the party.
The party was bady demoralized before they ever reached the Sierra. Due to the 'short cut' they arrived at the Sierra late, out of provisions, and faced with an early snow. They did not have the strength to ascend through the snow to the summit and most of the party returned to winter over at what was known as Truckee Lake. The Donner brothers and their family were in even worse condition. They had had wagon problems and George Donner injured himself trying to make repairs. The family was forced to endure the winter in tents at Alder Creek.
Apparently none of them had the will or perhaps the skill and knowledge to hunt or fish in the harsh Sierra environment. They had lost all their stock and were essentially without food. The stories of survival by boiling hides and even cannabalism are legendary.
A small group of 15 from within the party elected to attempt to cross the Sierra on foot to seek aid. They have been called "the forlorn hope." Seven of these made it to Sutter's Fort. Meanwhile the banished Reed had made it across on his own and then tried to recruit relief parties. Ultimately four relief parties were sent, but it was not until March that the first party reached the survivors at the Lake.
The tragic story has been pieced together from diaries and interviews of party members and told and retold, with many different interpretations over the years. The first comprehensive History of the Donner Party was researched and produced by the prominent Truckee attorney, Charles F. McGlashan in 1880. A popular book, Ordeal by Hunger was written by historian George Stewart. Another version, Winter of entrapment was published by Joseph King. The McGlashan book attempts to present the facts of the journey without making moral judgement. The Stewart book presents a dramatized version, showing the weaknesses and strengths of the various members. In response to the Stewart book, Joseph King's book presents an alternative view of the supposed villains and heroes of the party.
Many more books--too numerous to mention-- have been written on the subject. One little-known brief history written by Doris Foley of the Nevada County Historical Society is available from that Society's book page. Books are also available from the Truckee-Donner Historical Society.
Survivors
Key to codes:
| Name | Age | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Breen, Isabella (2 & 3) | 1 | Daughter of Breens |
| Breen, John (2 & 3) | 14 | Son of Breens |
| Breen, Simon (1) | 8 | Son of Breens |
| Breen, Edward (1) | 13 | Son of Breens |
| Breen, James (2 & 3) | 5 | Son of Breens |
| Breen, Margret (2 & 3) | 40 | Wife of Patrick Breen |
| Breen, Patrick (2 & 3) | 51 | Husband of Margaret Breen |
| Breen, Peter (2 & 3) | 3 | Son of Breens |
| Breen, Patrick Jr (2 & 3) | 9 | Son of Breens |
| Donner, Eliza (3) | 2 | Daughter of George Donners |
| Donner, George(1) | 8 | Son of Jacob Donners |
| Donner, Elitha (1) | l3 | Daughter of George Donner by a former marriage |
| Donner, Frances (3) | 6 | Daughter of George Donners |
| Donner, Georgia (3) | 3 | Daughter of George Donners |
| Donner, Leanna (1) | 11 | Daughter of George Donner by a former marriage |
| Donner, Mary (2 & 3) | 8 | Daughter of Jacob Donners |
| Eddy, William (S) | 29 | Only survivor ofthe Eddy family |
| Fosdick, Sarah Graves (S) | 27 | Wife of Jay Fosdick; Daughter of Graves |
| Foster, Sarah Murphy (S) | 23 | Wife of William Foster, Daughter of Lavina Murphy |
| Foster, William (S) | 28 | Husband of Sarah Murphy Foster |
| Graves, Eleanor (1 ) | 15 | Daughter of Graves |
| Graves, Elizabeth (2 & 3) | 1 | Daughter ot Graves |
| Graves, Jonathon (2 & 3) | 6 | Son of Graves |
| Graves, Lovina (1 ) | 13 | Daughter of Graves |
| Graves, Mary (S) | 19 | Daughter of the Graves |
| Graves, Nancy (2) | 9 | Daughter of Graves |
| Graves, William (9) | 18 | Son of Graves |
| Herron, Walter (P) | 25 | Teamster for Reeds - Left group to join James Reed |
| Hook, Solomon (2) | 13 | Son of Elizabeth Donner by a former marriage |
| James, Noah (1) | 20 | Teamster for the Donners |
| Keseberg, Lewis (4) | 32 | Husband of Philipine: German |
| Keseberg, Philipine (1) | 22 | Wife of Lewis Keseberg |
| McCutcheon , William (P) | 30 | Husband of Amanda; went to Sutters Fort with Stanton |
| McCutcheon, Amanda (S) | 24 | Wife of William McCutcheon |
| Miller, Hiram (P) | 29 | Teamster for Reeds - Left group early |
| Murphy, Mary (1) | 14 | Daughter of Lavina Murphy |
| Murphy, Simon (3) | 9 | Son of Lavina Murphy |
| Murphy, William (1) | 11 | Son of Lavina Murphy |
| Pike, Harriet Murphy (S) | 21 | Wife of William Pike; Daughter of Lavina Murphy |
| Pike, Naomi (1) | 2 | Daughter of Pikes |
| Reed , James Jr. (1) | 5 | Son of Reeds |
| Reed , Viginia (1) | 13 | Daughter of Margaret Reed by a former marriage |
| Reed, James F (P) | 46 | Husband of Margaret Reed |
| Reed, Margaret (1) | 33 | Wife of James Reed |
| Reed, Martha (Patty) (2) | 8 | Daughter of Reeds |
| Reed, Thomas (2) | 4 | Son of Reeds |
| Trubode, John Baptiste (3) | 18 | Teamster for the Donners |
| Williams, Eliza (1) | 31 | Sister of Baylis Williams; worked for Reeds |
| Wolfinger, Doris (1) | 18 | Wife of Jacob Wolfinger |
Those who perished
| Name | Age | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Antonio ? (S) | 26 | Hired hand |
| Burger , Charles (Karl) | 30 | "Dutch Charley ' - Teamster for Keseberg |
| Denton, John (1) | 28 | Travelling with George Donners |
| Dolan , Patrick (S) | 35 | Popular Irish bachelor |
| Donner, Elizabeth (A) | 45 | Wife of Jacob Donner |
| Donner, Isaac (2) | 5 | Son of Jacob Donners |
| Donner, Jacob (A) | 65 | Brother of George Donne |
| Donner, Lewis (2) | 3 | Son of Jacob Donners |
| Donner, Samuel (A) | 4 | Son of Jacob Donners |
| Donner, Tamsen | 45 | Wife of George Donner |
| Eddy , Margaret | 2 | Daughter of Eddys |
| Eddy, Eleanor | 25 | Wife of William Eddy |
| Eddy, James | 3 | Son of Eddys |
| Elliot , Milton (Milt) | 2B | Teamster for Reeds |
| Fosdick, Jay (5) | 23 | Husband of Sarah Graves |
| Foster , George (1) | 4 | Son of Fosters |
| Graves, Franklin W , Jr. (2) | 5 | Son of Graves |
| Graves, Franklin W. (S) | 57 | "Uncle Billy" - Head of the Graves family |
| Halloran , Luke(B) | 25 | invalid travelling with lhe |
| Hardkoop , Mr. ? (B) | 60 | Friend of Keseberg; Belgian |
| Hook, William | 12 | Son of Elizabeth Donner by a former marriage |
| Graves, Elizabeth (2) | 47 | Wife of Franklin W. "Uncle Billy"Graves |
| Keseberg , Ada (l) | 3 | Daughter of Kesebergs |
| Keseberg, Lewis , Jr | 2 | Son of Kesebergs |
| Keyes , Sarah(B) | 70 | Mrs Reed's Mother |
| Luis ? (S) | ? | Indian guide - killed by William Foster |
| McCutcheon , Harriet | 2 | Daughter of McCutcheor |
| Murphy, Landrum | 15 | Son of Lavina Murphy |
| Murphy, Lavina | 50 | Widow - Matriarch of the Murphy clan |
| Donner, George (A) | 62 | Husband of Tamsen - Wagon Master |
| Murphy, Lemuel (S) | 12 | Son of Lavina Murphy |
| Pike , William (B) | 25 | Husband of Harriet Pike - |
| Pike, Catherine | 2 | Daughter of Pikes |
| Reinhardt, Joseph (A) | 30 | Spitzer's partner: German |
| Salvador ? (S) | ? | Indian guide - killed by William Foster |
| Shoemaker, Samuel (A) | 25 | Teamster for the Donner: |
| Smith , James (A) | 25 | Teamster for the Reeds |
| Snyder, John (B) | 25 | Teamster for Graves - Killed by Reed |
| Spitzer , Augustus | 30 | Partner of Reinhardt; Ge |
| Stanton, Charles (S) | 35 | No known family - returned from Sutter's Fort |
| Williams, Baylis | 24 | Worked for the Reeds |
| Wolfinger , Jacob (B) | 26 | Husband of Doris Wolfinger, German |