September 11, 1868
On this day, September 11, 1868, the four Thorsted siblings continue along the Mormon trail and through South Pass. South Pass is one of the most significant geological locations in the American West, as it was the only place along the Continental Divide that wagon trains could safely cross during the Great Western Expansion. This section of the trail is a crossroads of the Oregon Trail, Pony Express and Mormon Trail. I’m sure the Thorsted children would have learned by now their mother and two siblings had passed away in New York, but they walked on, still 250 miles from Salt Lake City.
After the wagon trains travelled through South Pass, they continued on to Big Sandy and then to Green River.
8th Drove to Sweet Water on the old road, end there the three waggons with clothes reached us.
9th Drove along the Sweet Water and camped by the same. Another died. A little angels girl broke her thigh. I set it and blessed her.
10th It was very cold. Strong head wind end the dust was very bad. Came to antelope Spring.
11th The weather was the same. We came over South pass. Brother Beken went to South Pass City with mail for us. I sent one to my family.
12th Drove to little Sandy.
13th Drove to Big Sandy, and there held a meeting, where I and brother P. Hansen talked with much enthusiasm to get unity and to strengthen the Saints.
14th Came to Greenriver. The waggons drove over but the people sailed over. There we bought the necessities and got fresh provisions, flour and a little
dried fruit.
One member of a wagon train, George Beard, who passed through during this same time wrote the following.
When we got our first view of the rockies showing the snow covered tips the trip became interesting. The travel across the rocky mountains on the eastern hills (through South Pass) … We were all notified that the pass was infested with rattlesnakes. As I had never seen a rattlesnake before I was very interested when I saw a genuine “diamond back” dead by the side of the trail. It caused a peculiar feeling and a shudder to go over me.
Our wagons crossed Green River on a ferry boat which was run by a couple of Mormons from Utah. They lived in a fresh, new log house (the first I had seen). The lady took a big pan full of hot biscuits from the oven and filled one with good fresh delicious butter and oh, how I did enjoy it, as it was the first hot biscuits I had seen. I was half starved and hungry and I must have eaten so ravenously that the husband laughed and told his wife to give me another.
September 7, 1868 – September 14, 1868
