Transcript

Transcript for Jensen, Jens, Sketch of life of Jens Jensen 1941, fd. 2, 1

Outfitted in Omaha for crossing the plains to Salt Lake City. Distance about 1100 miles. Father bought a Schuttles wagon 4 oxen, 2 cows, a small cook stove, a camp kettle, a pistol and a few other articles on the journey and after reaching Utah

The train left Omaha July 7 & reached S.L. City Sept 12, 1863. There were perhaps 50 wagons and 100 to 150 persons in the Company. John R. Young, a nephew of Prest. Brigham Young, was captain of the train; and I believe the only person in the company speaking English, all of the immigrants were Scandinavians[.] Ours was an "independent" company, in that all owned their outfit and paid their way from Europe to Utah

Some of the Saints were aided by the Church, being unable to pay their way and were expected to repay when able, the means thus returned being applied to assist other migrating Saints to gather to Zion. This was named the Perpetual Emigration fund. Many were helped by this fund who otherwise were not able to gather to Utah from Europe

On crossing the plains besides father and his 2 children we had a young man and a young woman as members of our Family[,] the man drove the team most of the way, I suppose to pay his passage.