Transcript

In 1868 father decided to quit the railroad and come to Utah. We went into Denver and there he bought a new wagon. A span of government mules and a bay mare and we came on to Salt Lake City. We traveled alone from Denver until we reached the main road for emigrants traveling from Omaha to Salt Lake City. Here we met a wagon train of emigrants under Captain [Edward T.] Mumford and we traveled along with them. Father had made money while he worked on the railroad and he had about $3000 when he came to Utah so we were well equipped. Besides the wagon and mules, we had a stove, water barrel, bedding and plenty of food. Just before we reached Green River, we were about two days travel east of there, my brother Alfred contracted mountain fever and died. We had to bury him out on the plains just beside the road without a coffin or anything. We often wished that we could locate his grave but being the route has changed some along there it would be impossible. There was also a Mrs. [Elizabeth Ketteringham] Dunn, whose folks live in Plain City now, and she died when we reached Green River. There they were able to get boards with which to make her coffin and they buried her there. In later years, the family returned and brought her body to Utah and buried it in Plain City. We go out there and visit her grave and place flowers on it in respect for my brother.

We reached Salt Lake City in October 1868 just in time for Conference.