Transcript

Transcript for Joel Hills Johnson, "A Journal or sketch of the life of Joel H. Johnson (ca. 1857)-1859" in Cache Valley historical material, circa 1955, 20

In the Spring of 1848 I sold the land that I obtained in exchange for my Hancock property for the some [sum] of ninety dollars in cash and trade[.] I then made every nessesary arrangement in my power for my removal to the west, And having obtained three waggons five yoke of oxen and steers a few cows and sheep, with nessisary provisions etc I loaded my waggons and started on the 6th day of May 1848 for the city of Great Salt Lake in upper California and came to David Rows [Rowe] in Tutton [Fulton] county the first night and on the 7th David Rowe and his family started with me for the same place—My family consisted of myself and two women and six children[.] David Rows family consisted of himself wife and four children—We came to Nauvoo where I stop[p]ed and visited my friends[.] we then crost over the river to Montrose and stopped with my brother Joseph one week[.] sheard my sheep[.] sold the wool etc[.] We then started for winter Quarters and had a very crooked bad road and had to repair and build many bridges—We arrived at winter Quarters the first week in June[.] here we tarried four weeks waiting for Doctor Richards and Amasa Lymans company.

We started from winter Quarters in Willard Richards company on the 5th day of July for the place of our destination and after much fatigue many hard ships and difficulties and the loss of one yoke of oxen one heifer and twentytwo sheep we arrived in the City of Great Salt Lake on the nineteenth day of October 1848 having accomplished a journey of fifteen hundred miles from Knox county Illinois to Great Salt Lake City in upper California.