The Mormon Trail from Fort Bridger to Salt Lake City
Excerpts from journals, etc. --Compiled by Lamar C. Berrett
Fort Bridger
"Fort Bridger', as it is called, is a small trading post established and now occupied by messrs. Bridger & Vasquez. The buildings are two or three miserable log cabins, rudely constructed, and bearing but a faint resemblance to habitable houses."
--Journal of Edwin Bryant, July 17, 1846
"Bridger's Fort is composed of two double log houses about forty feet long each and joined by a pen for horses about ten feet high constructed by placing poles upright in the ground close together, which is all the appearance of a fort in sight. There are several Indian lodges close by and a full crop of young children playing around the door."
--Journal of William Clayton, July 7, 1847
"Beyond Fort Britcher (Bridger) there are two roads, the old one past the so-called Soda Springs and Fort Hall, and a new one called Captain Hastings' Cutoff which is said to be much shorter and passes by the Great Salt Lake. Many companies ahead of us already had chosen Hastings' Cutoff as their route, and we, too thought is preferable."
--Journal of Heinrich Lienhard, July 25, 1846
Brigham Young's Camp near Fort Bridger
"We went half a mile beyond the fort and formed our encampment after crossing three more creeks, having traveled this afternoon eight and three-quarter miles..."
--Journal of William Clayton, July 7, 1847
Bridger Butte
"After Johnston's army went into winter quarters at Fort Bridger (Camp Scott) in Nov. 1857, the forces at Echo Canyon returned home.
A guard of 50 men were kept at Camp Weber at the mouth of Echo Canyon, under the direction of Captain John R. Winder with 'instruction to keep a relay of ten mounted men on Yellow Creek, above the head of Echo Canyon relieved weekly.' The relay was occasionally to trail out towards Fort Bridger, 'and look at our enemies from the high butte near that place.' (4 miles SW of Bridger, called Bridger Butte)"
--Comprehensive History of the Church, 4:302
"This was the point from which the 'Expedition' encampment was watched. It was this situation which the London Punch afterward so graphically pictured in a cartoon where the 'flower of the American Army' half buried in the snow is seen herded by ten 'Mormons'."
--Atlantic Monthly, April 1859
Cottonwood Spring, Long Steep Hill, and Bigelow Bench
"After traveling six and a quarter miles, we arrived at the springs and halted a while to rest our teams. We then proceeded on three-quarters of a mile and began to ascend a long steep hill near the top of which and eight miles from Fort Bridger, Elder Pratt took an observation and found the latitude 41 degrees 16'11". Arriving on the top we found the table tolerably level for several miles then began to descend to the bottom again."
--Journal of William Clayton, July 9, 1847
"Ascended a steep hill covered with plenty of Cedar trees and Artemisia on it. Going in a westerly direction toward a square butte. Went to the foot of it, leaving it on our left (Sugarloof Butte). We came to a spring and small stream of water (after traveling 6 1/4 miles) where we halted and watered our cattle, where there was a tolerable good camping ground."
--Journal of Thomas Bullock, July 9, 1847
"in 6 1/4 miles came to a small brook, formed by a spring and melting snow, which lay in places upon its banks."
--Journal of Orson Pratt, July 9, 1847
"...came to a small spring creek where we halted a short time to water- a little further on we crossed the same creek which winds through a narrow valley with lofty hills on either side. Here we saw and gathered considerable snow."
--Journal of H.K.Whitney, July 9, 1847
"We then ascended a hill and descended to a small creek in a gully. we then ascended a very steep and long hill, gathered some Poplars, went on a bank of snow about 120 feet long and several deep, made two snowballs- a refreshing bite at this time of year."
--Journal of Thomas Bullock, July 9, 1847
Gravel Hill
"...we descended the longest and steepest descent I have seen since we left Winter Quarters."
--Journal of H.K. Whitney, July 9, 1847
"The descent from this hill is the steepest and most difficult we have ever met with, being long and almost perpendicular."
--Journal of William Clayton, July 9, 1847
"...came on 13 miles further over a high ridge and down the worst hill we have had yet...road nigh blocked up with cobble stones."
--Journal of George Shepard, June 19, 1850
"Coolish and very windy. Soon descend "The Muddy Hill", crooked and rough with cobble stones. In about 3/4 miles strike Spring Creek (Musselman Creek) at the foot of Muddy Hill."
--Journal of Albert Carrington, August 14, 1851
"After passing the Mormons we came upon a descent which appeared little removed from an angle of 35 degrees, and suggested the propriety of walking down. There was an attempt as a zigzag, and for the benefit of wagons, a rough wall of stones had been run along the sharper corners."
--Richard F. Burton, (The City of Saints, 199) August 24, 1860
The Muddy
"At three O'clock p.m.we crossed Muddy Creek, a beautiful clear stream of water with a pebbly bottom, and camped on the west side after traveling 13 miles during the day...we had a pretty campground... I made another copy of the Word and Will of the Lord for President Brigham Young; he was very much pleased and told me to make a copy for myself... The brethren sand hymns for the President; it was a delightful evening."
--Journal of Thomas Bullock, July 9, 1847
"...descended a long steep hill, and found our way down a hollow to a creek called Muddy Fork, which here runs north and winding around the hills to the north of Fort Bridger, forms a junction with Ham's fork and so flows to Green River. Upon this stream we camped..."
--Journal of Erastus Snow, July 9, 1847
"the supplies of provisions and animals having all arrived, the line of march was taken up with the Dragoons in front [we traveled] 12 miles and camped on the Muddy."
--Journal of Charles A. Scott, July 13, 1857
"Little Muddy [Pony Express Station] was dept by a Canadian, a chatty lively good-humored fellow blessed with a sour English wife. Possibly the heat- the thermometer showed 95 degrees F. in the shade- had turned her temper; fortunately it had similarly affected the milk and cream, which we both usually good."
--Journal Richard F. Burton (The City of Saints, 199) August 24, 1860
Giant Sage Brush
"Yesterday we went through a growth of giant sagebrush which often reached the height of more than 4 feet and grew so close together that one could scarcely go between them."
--Journal of Heinrich Lienhard, July 27, 1846
Copperas Springs
"After traveling three and a half miles we passed a small copperas spring at the foot of a mountain a little to the left of the road. The water is very clear, but tastes very strong of copperas and alum and has a somewhat singular effect on the mouth. It runs a little distance over the red sand which abounds in the region and where it is saturated with water almost looks like blood at a distance."
--Journal of William Clayton, July 10, 1847
"In about 3 1/2 miles reach a good cold spring just east of the Copperas or Red Spring or 6 1/2 from Table Creek. Good place to camp."
-- Journal of Albert Carrington, September 4, 1850
Rough Rocky Place
"On arriving at the west side of the ridge two and a half miles from the last mentioned spring we found a very steep rough place to descend and found it neccessary to halt and fix the road. About half way down there is a place over huge rocks, leaving barely enough room for a wagon to get down, but by labor it was soon made passable. A little farther, the brethren had to dig a place considerably to make a pass between the mountains. President Young and Kimball labored hard with a number of others and in about a half an hour made a good road."
--Journal of William Clayton, July 10, 1847
"the descent on the western side of which is abrupt and precipitous, and is covered with gnarled and stunted cedars, twisted by the winds into many fantastic shapes. Descending with some difficulty this steep mountainside, we found ourselves in a narrow hollow."
--Journal of Edwin Bryant, July 21, 1846
"We again had to cut away part of a hill to descend. President Young and Elder Kimball assisting the brethren. They made a road wide enough for the wagons to pass, locked wheels, and descended into a beautiful valley with good grass; cedar trees were growing on the hills."
--Journal of Thomas Bullock, July 10, 1847
"On arriving at the west side of this ridge 2 1/4 miles form the last mentioned spring, we found a very steep rough place to descend. We halted some time to fix the road. About half way down is a place where the road runs over huge rocks, leaving barely room for a wagon to get down, but by the labors of the brethren, it was soon made passable. A little further we had to dig down a pretty high bank which occupied sometime. President Young and myself assisted in the digging.
--Journal of Heber C. Kimball, July 10, 1847
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
