Peter Nebeker (1822 - 1885) Profile

Individual

death-date-qualifier-death

Peter Nebeker

birth-date-qualifier-birth

Historical Record Book

List of Missionaries White Mountain Mission

"List of Missionaries White Mountain Mission", Historical Record Book, 1855.

Historical Record Book.

Manuscript history of White Mountain Mission

Manuscript history of White Mountain Mission, May 28, 1855, Page 3.

Manuscript history of White Mountain Mission.

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959, Vol. 1, Page 10, Line 425.

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959.

Camp of Israel schedules and reports, 1845-1849

Ezra T. Benson's 100, report

"Ezra T. Benson's 100, report", Camp of Israel schedules and reports, 1845-1849, September 24, 1849, Page 8.

Camp of Israel schedules and reports, 1845-1849.

Cross, Louise Gulbransen, Reminiscences, in Nettie Hunt Rencher, Sketch of the life of Louise Gulbransen Cross [n.d.], 1-2

Cross, Louise Gulbransen, Reminiscences, in Nettie Hunt Rencher, Sketch of the life of Louise Gulbransen Cross [n.d.], 1-2.

They took trains to where they met teams sent from Salt Lake Valley to meet them.
The ox teams were to haul the food, bedding, and clothing but the people must walk. Although Louise was only 11 years old she walked all the way across the plains. Mathia and Bernard [Gulbransen] both died on the way and were buried 100 miles apart.
After suffering all the hardships incident to such a trip and spending six months on the way they reached Salt Lake Valley October 20, 1863. She remembers how they used to laugh about the way the drivers talked. It sounded so different from good old Norwegian. They came in Capt. [Peter] Nebekers company. She says it is not one bit funny to come to a country where everyone speaks a different language from yours, but they tried to make a joke out of it. Louise remembers very well the great crowds of people who came out to Emigration canyon to meet them with great baskets and boxes of good things to eat. They felt they truly had reached Zion.

Transcript for Cross, Louise Gulbransen, Reminiscences, in Nettie Hunt Rencher, Sketch of the life of Louise Gulbransen Cross [n.d.], 1-2

Deseret News, 16 Sep. 1863, 64

Deseret News, 16 Sep. 1863, 64.

Dorius, C. C. N., [Journal], in Earl N. Dorius, The Dorius Heritage [1979], 107

Dorius, C. C. N., [Journal], in Earl N. Dorius, The Dorius Heritage [1979], 107.

During our stay at Florence, making ready for our trip across the plains, the Civil War was raging. Although Florence was some distance from roaring cannons and shooting guns, the people were in a state of excitement and confusion. John [Johan Frederick Ferdinand Dorius] and I [Carl Christian Nikolai Dorius] bought a yoke of oxen and a wagon, for our transportation to Salt Lake City. It seemed much better to be crossing the plains with oxen and wagon than when we covered the same route six years before with handcarts.
When all was in readiness we left Florence on July 24, 1863, under the guidance of our captain, Peter Nebaker [Nebeker]. Our company was well organized. We made good progress, traveling from 12 to 16 miles per day. The trip was not without some tragedy. Some sickness was experienced. Two women and seven children died on the journey. We arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on September 25, 1863. . . .
As the wagon came closer I recognized my dear wife Ellen, sitting in the front seat with our little boy, Charles, now nearly four years of age. She had come to meet us with someone who was traveling East. The happy surprise she gave me will always remain vivid in my memory. John was disappointed that Kaia did not come also.
We came into Salt Lake City, and proceeded to the campgrounds with our oxen and wagons. I waited to see that our people had places to stay.

Transcript for Dorius, C. C. N., [Journal], in Earl N. Dorius, The Dorius Heritage [1979], 107

George Benjamin Wallace Emigrating Company journal

George Benjamin Wallace Emigrating Company journal, June 1847.

Transcript for George Benjamin Wallace Emigrating Company journal, 1847 June-September

George Benjamin Wallace Emigrating Company journal.

George Washington Hill collection in Cache Valley Historical Material, circa 1955, reel 4, item 57, 18-31

George Washington Hill collection in Cache Valley Historical Material, circa 1955, reel 4, item 57, 18-31.

Transcript for George Washington Hill collection in Cache Valley Historical Material, circa 1955, reel 4, item 57, 18-31

Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008

Peter Nebeker letter

"Peter Nebeker letter", CR 100 137: Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008, August 25, 1863, Page 1.

The "Deseret News" published the following:FROM THE PLAINS
 
Fort Laramie, Aug. 25, '63.
 
Editor of the Deseret News:
 
	
Sir—Knowing the anxiety of the Saints in the mountains to learn the progress of the several trains enroute for Salt Lake, I embrace this opportunity of sending a few lines from this point. The company over which I have charge left the Elk Horn on Monday the 27th of July, and arrived at Laramie, Aug. the 25th, in the morning. It includes fifty church wagons, loaded with machinery and passengers, and eighteen independent wagons. There are about five hundred souls under my charge. The names of the Church emigrants I expect you have received a list of before this time.	
During the two first weeks of our journey the weather was very wet, not affording us dry roads two days together; notwithstanding the health of the company has been very good considering the state of the people when we left the Missouri river. There has been eight deaths—two old persons, five children and Amelia Stumpf, aged 28, killed by lightning. We experienced, last Friday the 21st inst. one of those sudden and terrific thunder storms, killing the young woman, leveling to the ground, as though dead, seven of the cattle in the lead team and shocking both man and beast for quite a distance down the train. Our cattle are in good traveling order and all the teamsters in good spirits. There is but very little water in the Platte river, which indicates a very dry season in the upper country.	
Elders Needham, [Jacob B.] Bigler and [George] Peacock are in company. We have all safely forded across the Platte this morning. 			
<center>Peter Nebeker, Capt. 4th com.</center> (Deseret News; 13:71)

Transcript for Nebeker, Peter, Letter, in Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 25 Aug. 1863, 1

Historical Department journal history of the Church, 1830-2008.

Jenson, Olof, Autobiographical sketch, 3, in Olof Jenson, Family papers

Jenson, Olof, Autobiographical sketch, 3, in Olof Jenson, Family papers.

When we started for Salt Lake City, Peter Nebeker of Willard [Utah] was captain of the entire company. There were forty-eight teams, and each team consisted of two yoke of oxen for each covered wagon. Each wagon was loaded with merchandise and provisions, besides our luggage. All those who were able to walk, were expected to walk all the way to Salt Lake City. Mother [Martha Esbjorsson] and father [Jons Olofsson] rode part of the way and on the latter end of the trip, mother was sick and had to ride. We boys walked all the way.
Carl Loveland and Charlie Valentine of Brigham, were night herders. The oxen had to be herded as the Indians might drive them away. But the Indians were friendly and came to us only once on the trip. They wanted food, clothing, guns and ammunition. The only thing we could give them was a sack of flour. After accepting it, they peaceably left us. When camping at night a corral was made using the wagons and arranging them with the tongues inside, with no opening at each end of the corral. The object of the corral was to protect ourselves and enclose the cattle, when necessary, from the Indians.
William Packer of Brigham was teamster of our wagon. We traveled on an average of ten miles a day. Bread was made in Dutch Ovens and buffalo chips were used, at times, as fuel. When fording the Platte River, the bottom was very uneven and it was necessary to put five or six yoke of oxen on a wagon, so that some could pull while others had to swim in places. I remember the wagon box, load and all, was lifted from the gear and it floated down the river some distance before it was rescued. As we young boys could not swim, we would cling to the rear end of the wagon box. Mother was a small woman. Consequently father had to hold to her or she would have been carried down the stream. After reaching the other side of the river, we had to pause for a few days to dry our clothes. The weather was good throughout our entire journey across the plains. We saw herds of buffalo. We reached Salt Lake City, Saturday, Sept. 29, 1866.

Transcript for Jenson, Olof, Autobiographical sketch, 3, in Olof Jenson, Family papers

Our Pioneer Heritage

Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 2, Page 262.

Our pioneer heritage, Vol. 7, Page 26.

Our Pioneer Heritage.

Passey, Thomas, [Reminiscences], in Archibald F. Bennett and Blanche Bennett Nordgren, comp., Our Legacy from William and Elizabeth New, 2 vols. [1984], 1:63

Passey, Thomas, [Reminiscences], in Archibald F. Bennett and Blanche Bennett Nordgren, comp., Our Legacy from William and Elizabeth New, 2 vols. [1984], 1:63.

In the spring of 1863 I was called on a mission to go to Florence, Nebraska as a teamster to bring saints from there to Utah as that was the only way they had to cross the plains. My brother Frederick and I went with Brother John W. Wooley; who was our captain going down. We had to take our own provisions with us going and coming back. They were donated by the members of the ward, consisting of flour, potatoes, bacon, eggs. We had to cache part of it on the road to come back on. The most was eggs. They were worth 5 cents a dozen. We had them three times a day for six weeks, four at a meal. If you don't think we were sick of eggs just try it and see. We had to camp at Florence for six weeks watching for the saints to come that were emigrating from other places. There were a good many teams, but I have forgotten just how many. I came home with Brother Peter Nebeker, as captain of the company.
I arrived home Sep. 23, 1863. In my wagon there were three ladies. Mrs. Cole, her daughter Angeline, the other young lady is now Mrs. Taipps, she being a school teacher. Mrs. Cole's husband was a tanner living in Salt Lake. He fitted out the team I drove. These people all being very good friends of me and my family. . . . 
While I was in Florence it rained a good deal. We had to take turns at night herding out stock. One morning as I was coming back to camp I picked up a little roll of paper. It had been raining all night and the paper was so wet I couldn't unroll it, so I put it in my pocket until it dried. When I unrolled it I found it was $18.00 in green backs. I could not find the owner so I bought a stove. The stove had a high back like they did at that time. I was allowed to take it home with me; that was all I received for my summer wages. I had a little work all winter that kept us, with what help Brother Cole and his family gave us. Flour was scarce at that time. We lived on corn bread all winter, except when Mrs. Cole sent us a loaf of white bread, baked in a bake kettle. It was salt risen and like cake to us. We had meat but no butter.

Transcript for Passey, Thomas, [Reminiscences], in Archibald F. Bennett and Blanche Bennett Nordgren, comp., Our Legacy from William and Elizabeth New, 2 vols. [1984], 1:63

Peter Nebeker

Birth Date

Death Date

Gender

Sources