Transcript

In June, 1852, we crossed the Missouri river and started across the plains to Salt Lake City, Utah, my father, mother and five children, Mary Frances, Richard Lovell, John, Elizabeth Wells and I. We traveled a distance of over 1,000 miles in one wagon which contained our family of seven and all our earthly possessions. Our team consisted of two yoke of cows and two yoke of oxen. We traveled about twelve or fifteen miles a day. Each evening and morning we milked the cows, mother put the milk in the churn, in the morning and at night it was churned into butter. Thus our cows served as a team and furnished the family with milk and butter.

Our journey was a peaceful one for the Indians gave us no trouble. Nothing of importance occurred until we reached the Sweetwater, here one of our oxen died and the rest of the trip was made with three yoke of cattle.

At the head of Emigration canyon, as we began our journey into Salt Lake valley, we came over the "Big Mountain" and here father unyoked the two yoke of cows, and told me to walk and drive them while he drove the oxen on the wagon. As I started down the mountain, someone in the brush shouted. I stopped and found it was William Streeper. The Streeper family had already reached Utah and Bill Streeper had come to the canyon for a load of wood. He was our guide into the valley.

We arrived in Salt Lake City September 18th, 1852.