THE WORLD RUSHED IN … AND SO DID DANIEL STARK
This is a continuation of the diary that Daniel Stark kept on his journey from Auburn, Illinois to Sacramento, California in 1850. Daniel and his company had just traveled through Soda Springs, Idaho and they were about to enter Nevada. They had lost one of their party to cholera on July 11, and on July 16 he says in his journal, “We have sage for wood tonight which burns as well as dry hickory.”
July 17, 1850…Marched to day 20 miles. The road tolerable good and passed several springs and creeks of first rate water and grass plenty
July 18…Marched today 20 miles and campt at a spring off to the left of the road 1 mile. We past over some tremondendious roughf road to day. We come down a sloap for a mile or more and there is no water today.
July 19…Marched today 16 mile and in campt on a small streame in the mountains. I am getting better of my sickness. I think that I will git well now if I can take care of myself but I am verry weak
July 20…Marched today 10 miles and in campt on a small streeme and there was another train a head of us and after we campt there was a woman who died by the name of Humphas from mo and they buried her wright by the side of us. If it hant a solum thing to see a person buried in this wild and savage country then I will give up that I know nothing. S. Thompson is sick a gain but not verry bad yet and I hope he wont. The rest is well at this time.
July 21…Marched today and nite 16 miles and in campt on a fork of the Raft River. We did not start un till two oclock. We gathered some goose burry an M. Giltner made us some pies which went fine sure. We marched the streeme 4 miles and then we left it and struck on a desert for 12 miles and got to our present in campment.
July 22…Marched to day 20 miles and in campt on a small streeme that runs from the mountains. We come to Raft River this morning from the place that we campt last night and come to the junction of the roads where the cut-off intersects the Fort Hall Road. We traveled up the Raft River a bout 12 miles and left it to the write and struck a crost to our present in campment. We saw some horney toads and they have a tail. They are a curiosity.
July 23…Marched today 25 miles and in Campt on Goose Creek. We past the Junction of the roads to day where the Salt Lake Road intersects ours. We past several small streems along un till 4 oclock and then we had seven miles to come which took us till after dark and we had the worst road that we have had since we have been out but we got over it verry well. But it worried our cattle verry much I will assure you.
July 24…Marched to day 18 miles and in campt on Goose Creek again. We had verrry good roads to day. We are getting to where the mountains are smaller. We travel up this and left it once to day about 1 mile and past over a hill. This streeme is a bout 10 to 16 feet wide and there is verry good grass on it.
July 25…Marched to day 25 miles and in campt on what is cald the thousand Springs Creek. We had a desert to day from the Goose acrost the hills to the head of this which is about thirteen miles. These deserts there is nothing groes on them but wild sage except some cedar bushes and no water.
July 26…Marched to day 20 miles and in campt on a small streeme called gold creek. The water is as warm as milk or milk warm. We marched down Spring Creek and then up Gold Creek. It appears that they run together and sink. M Giltner is sick tonight
July 27 (Sat)…Marched to day 20 miles and in campt on a small streeme called Henon. We have had tolerable good roads to day. We past a hot spring so that we cold not hold my hand in it. It is 4 months to day since we left Auburn and it appears that we are five hundred miles from Sacromento City and we are about out of provisions and it puts us to our studys. I can’t tell how we will come out but hope that we can get along some how but provisions is scarce.
July 28…Marched to day about 12 miles and in campt on a branch of the humbolt on Marys River. We laid up the most of the day to rest our oxen. Michael Giltner is sick yeit but I think he is getting better sloly.
> Read More Information About Us
> More Articles Written By Our Staff
- Community Invited To Paint Rocks For Urban League Project - April 26, 2024
- The “Bad Guys” In Your Garden & What To Do About Them - April 26, 2024
- Why Voting In The Primary Election Matters - April 26, 2024