John Franklin Sanders (1830 - 1896) Profile

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John Franklin Sanders

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DUP Pioneer History Collection

John Lingren Tells His Story

"John Lingren Tells His Story", DUP Pioneer History Collection, Page 4-5.

We stayed here among the hills and hazel brush for little over two weeks when Camptain Sanders with his Mountain Boys gathered us up and started us across the plains. Here on this journey our trials and patience commenced and through hardships which were mostly born with joy of in Utah. Regain our reward. We struck out now for good, traveled some 25 miles a day, once in a while we had to ford a stream, the men would wade across while the women would wait for their wagons and ride across and here we would camp for the night. Chuck cherries and currents were plentiful. Rations were served out consisting of bacon and flour and some soda to make the bread light. I was selected as assistant commissary to deal out the same twice a week. I also tried my hand at bull whacking where the road was good. As soon as we arrived in Laramie plains we beheld buffalo in several directions but too far off to shoot at. Antelopes were plentiful and many were killed. Buffalo chips (the excrete of Buffalo) often was used as fuel and made our fires along the Platte. It burns like turf when dry. We often on our journey found human skulls and bones, the bones of animals were scattered along the road on both sides.


Signs of the vast immigration that had traveled the road before us was seen right and left. Pararie fires had blackened the country for miles so that feed for cattle was scant, otherwise the grass was belly deep over the whole country. Approaching Laramie the country became more broken, here and there small herds of buffalo were grazing upon the hills and in the valleys. It was a new experience.


From the hills near the road the prospect was often very extensive and beautiful. There was wild weird romance about the country like some dream, some imaginary scene materialized. During the evenings the sound of music in different parts of the camp seems strangely harmonious with the almost deathlike solitude of these uninhabited regions. At this time game was plentiful, buffalo, deer, antelope, geese and ducks. Rattlesnakes were numerous. They inhabited the prarie dog villages. We crossed rattlesnake Creek, Crab Creek and passed Chimney Rock.


Our motto was forward, onward and we did advance briskly. We soon arrived at Sweet Water River, crossed a salaratus lake and several bushels were gathered by the teamsters and taken along to Utah. We camped at Devils Gate for the night. I will here endeavor to give a description of the beautiful country, as I had a brother who died and was buried there September 13, 1864, whose bones were dug up and carried off by the wolves. Let this be as it may, he died a faithful member of the Latter Day Saint Church and was obeying the commandment to gather to Zion. His most wish was to see the City of Salt Lake that he might be buried there when he died. He also prayed that he might live long enough to have a talk with me, I having emmigrated the year before and lived in Fort Ephr[i]am Sanpete County, Utah. He died at the age of 17 years, 7 months, 10 days. He was tall and slim in stature, of light complexion. He was baptized when he was 14 years old.


Devils Gate Rock is two perpendicular walls found by measurement to be four hundred feet above the river, which runs thru a chasm one thousand feet in length, and one hundred thirty feet in breadth. In this chasm the water tumbles and foams with the noise of a cataract over massive fragments of rock which have fallen from above. This valley of the Sweet Water is from five to ten miles in breadth. Bounded on the north and south by mountain ridges, isolated hills and rugged summits of massive granit varying from twelve hundred to two thousand feet in height. The Wind River chain of mountains in the distance north of the road exhibit their towering peaks whitened by perpetual snow which glittering in the sunbeams resembles white fleecy clouds. Independence Rock is about one mile above on the left.


In continuing our travels, we came to the south pass two 100 and 75 miles from Fort Laramie. The elevation of the altitude above the sea is 7,088 feet. This is a dividing point of land which separated the waters flowing into the Pacific, from those flowing into the Atlantic. Resuming our journey we get to Muddy Fork, a little over 100 miles from Salt Lake City. Now we have a continuous mountain chain to cross till within Salt Lake Valley. In advancing thru we came to the open valley twenty miles below us. To the northwest the waters of great Salt Lake Glimmered in the bright noonday sunbeams. A little this side of the base of the mountain we see the City of Great Salt Lake. It resembles in the distance below something like a village where every house was surrounded by a ten acre lot. Arriving in the church pasture on September 5, 1863.

Transcript for "John Lingren Tells His Story," 4-5.

Daughters of Utah Pioneers. DUP Pioneer History Collection.

Jensen, Sophus E., [Interview], in "Utah Pioneer Biographies," 44 vols., 15:119-20

Jensen, Sophus E., [Interview], in "Utah Pioneer Biographies," 44 vols., 15:119-20.

They traveled by train from New York, to Florence, <Missouri> (or Nebraska). From there the family crossed the plains with an ox-team, to the Salt Lake Valley with Mr. John Sanders of Fairview, Utah, as its leader, and captain. Sophus and his sister [Ida] were obliged to walk the distance from Missouri to Salt Lake Valley.	
This ox-train of emigrants saw the Indians at different times but was never molested by them. On one occasion the Indians came into their camp[.] An oxen had died, and the Indians wanted to eat it, but they were stopped from doing so by one of their chiefs. This incident happened close to Fort Rawlings, Wyoming.	
While crossing the plains Mr. Jensen saw thousands of head of Buffalo. Mr. Jensen said that when a herd of buffalo would come stampeding through they would clear everything in their path. They ran in herds, bulls, calves, and cows all together. These buffalo would for the rivers at will, regardless of high water.	
Many times while on this journey, Mr. Jensen with others, went to the river and caught fish to eat.	
The ox train reached Echo Canyon, and made camp, while Mr. Jensen's mother [Mette Marie Pedersen Jensen] was cooking supper on an open fire, some bacon she was frying caught fire, the pan of hot greese [grease], and bacon was accidently spilled on Mr. Jensen's foot, causing a major burn. He was unable to walk, so rode in the wagon to Salt Lake Valley.	
The company arrived in Salt Lake in September 1862.

Transcript for Jensen, Sophus E., [Interview], in "Utah Pioneer Biographies," 44 vols., 15:119-20

Oveson, Lars Peter, Autobiography, 1941, 2-3

Oveson, Lars Peter, Autobiography, 1941, 2-3.

In the spring of 1863, Father [Jens Andreas Oveson] sold his home, and make preparation to immigrate to Utah. In the early part of April, we bade farwell to dear old Denmark, the land of our birth, and after a stormy voyage over the North Sea, landed in Grimsby England, and by rail from there to Liverpool, where we went on board the old sailing vessel, B. S. Kimble, together with 654 Saints from Scandanavian and Great Britain. 
After a voyage of nearly six weeks, we landed in New York on the 15th of June, all well. We only had three deaths on the voyage, which was considered very fortunate, and we were all glad to set foot on land again. We left New York the same evening, by rail, for St. Joseph, Missouri, where we was crowded onto a river flat boat, without any railing around the sides. The engine was fired with wood, and one night they laid to, to take on wood. We were aroused from our sleep, to clear the way, for the sailors to carry on the wood. A boy about twelve got up, I suppose half asleep, and walked right into the river and was lost. The current was so swift that he was swept away in an instant and every effort made to find him was without avail. This was on the Missouri river, From St. Joseph to Florence, Nebraska, here we were met by teams, that had been sent from Utah, for over a thousand miles, to bring the Saints to Utah. That year (1863) there was sent from Utah after immigrants, 384 wagons, 488 men, 3,604 oxen, bringing 235,969 pounds of flour. At Florence we stopped a couple of weeks to clean up and rest for the long overland journey ahead.
On the 6th of July, we started from Florence, with Captain John F. Sanders train of about 50 wagons. Our teamsters name was Louris Jacobson, of Moroni, his home was later in Pleasant Grove, Utah. He was a very kind man, and as my mother [Kirsten Marie Pedersen Oveson] was not very strong and could not walk much, he was always willing for her to ride. You can imagine that it was pretty crowded, as there was three families in our wagon. as I now remember there were fifteen persons, besides the teamsters, with our belongings. To me this was a pleasure trip. We hadn't been many days on the road before I had learned the language that it took to drive oxen. In two or three weeks, I was ready for graduation as a full fledged Bullwhacker. 
After a long and wearisome journey, we arrived in Salt Lake City on the 5th of Sept. After a couple of days rest, we continued our journey to Ephraim, Sanpete County, where we made our home, and where I spent the rest of my boyhood days.

John Franklin Sanders

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