Mormon Pioneer Emigration Facts

The period of overland emigration of the Mormon pioneers is generally defined as 1847 through 1868. That is when organized companies traveled to Utah by wagon or handcart. After the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, Latter-day Saint emigrants who traveled to Utah generally came by train.

It is difficult to identify an exact number of individuals who came to Utah from 1847 through 1868 because not all the company rosters were turned in to the Church. An estimated 60,000 to 70,000 pioneers traveled to Utah during those years. Hundreds of thousands of other emigrants traveled to other points in the West, primarily California and Oregon.

Handcart companies were few. Of the more than 250 organized Latter-day Saint companies that came to Utah during the pioneer era, only 10 companies, consisting of about 3,000 people total, were handcart companies. Five handcart companies came in 1856, two in 1857, one in 1859, and two in 1860. Each of these companies had accompanying supply wagons to carry the heaviest items, such as tents, food, and other supplies. One wagon was provided for every 100 people.

Emigration methods evolved between 1847 and 1868. During the entire period, emigrants traveled in organized wagon trains and in independent companies. Many people also joined freight wagon trains that were delivering goods to Utah. From 1856 to 1860, handcart companies were organized as a more economical means of travel. From 1861 to 1868, down-and-back wagon trains became the main means of gathering to the Salt Lake Valley. Teamsters from wards in the Salt Lake Valley filled wagons with supplies, drove them east to the outfitting posts, and led emigrants in their journey to the valley.

Companies were organized according to the “Word and Will of the Lord,” as received by Brigham Young (now found in Doctrine and Covenants 136). This was the same model used by Joseph Smith during Zion’s Camp in 1834. Brigham Young appointed captains of hundreds, fifties, and tens. One Church historian noted, “The revelation helped transform the westward migration from an unfortunate necessity into an important shared spiritual experience.”1

Each company had rules for the journey. The following rules were established for the Willard Richards company in 1848 and were followed by other companies in subsequent years. One company member described them as “rules adopted for the benefit of the Camp of Israel in travelling from Winter Quarters to the Salt Lake city.”2 A member of a later company recorded:

Some people have a perception that tragedy and death were common among the emigrating companies. However, the average death rate was less than 3 percent. One-third of the companies, including the 1847 vanguard company, did not have any deaths. We often hear of the death and suffering of the handcart companies. While tragedy hit the Willie and Martin handcart companies in 1856, and more than 200 people died before they could reach Zion, most members of these two companies survived. The leading cause of death on the trail was sickness, such as cholera or diarrhea. The second-highest cause of death was accidents (such as being run over by wagons or being stampeded) and weather-related events.