Pioneer Day 24 July

DearREADERS,
Ol' Myrt just spoke via cell with her 7-year-old granddaughter Aubrey who often asks about our family’s pioneer ancestors. I had forgotten that today was the 24th of July, which is an official holiday in Utah commemorating the arrival of the first Mormon pioneers as they first looked upon the Salt Lake Valley, and leader Brigham Young stated “This is the right place”. Aubrey and family are going on a picnic with neighbors for dinner tonight to celebrate.

Thanks for writing to include your suggestions of online resources for early LDS Church genealogy researchers.

• SamanthaR suggests: Tracing LDS Families, the Early Church Information File and Utah Statewide Indexes and Collections.
• Tom Kemp suggests: www.GenealogyBank.com/Free It has the petition to Congress for relief from the mob persecutions.
• John in New York suggests Members of the Church Susan Easton Black's collection of 200 sources.
• John in Maryland suggests: Nauvoo Endowments
• MaryC suggests: BYU Trail of Hope “Sponsored by the Utah Academic Library Consortium, with the Lee Library, Brigham Young University as the lead institution, the diaries, photographs, maps, and trail guides were contributed by Brigham Young University, the University of Utah, Utah State University, the Church Archives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Utah State Historical Society, the University of Nevada, Reno, the Churchill County Museum in Fallon, Nevada, and Idaho State University. Further releases will include additional essays, photographs, trail guides, and diaries.”
• Barb suggests: Daughters of Utah Pioneers History Card Index & Photo Index
• Sef554L suggests: Journals, Diaries, Biographies and Autobiographies of Some Early Mormons and Others
• FamilySearchR suggests: Jeff Lindsay’s The State of Illinois Officially Apologizes to the Church - "In March 2004, a resolution was passed by the Illinois Legislature asking for "the pardon and forgiveness" of the Mormon Church for persecution that led to the expulsion of 20,000 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1844 from Nauvoo, and the 1844 vigilante murder of Mormon leader Joseph Smith. Thank you, Illinois! (Here is another source for the article about the Illinois apology.) See other resources at: http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/FQ_Missouri.shtml
• Sam suggests: Warnes Genealogy Links – LDS and LDS to Zion
• Myrt suggests Ancestry.com databases including
  o Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah
  o Messenger & Advocate 1834-1837 transcriptions
  o Utah State Divisions of Archives & History including digital collections.
  o LDS Church History Library & Archives Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel 1847-1868 “Between 1847 and 1868, Mormon emigrants traveled on the pioneer trail in more than 250 companies departing from various outfitting places. These companies in which about 60,000 LDS Church members traveled include freight trains, independent companies, handcart companies, and various types of other Church companies. By its very nature, travel on the trail was unavoidably informal and disarrayed which may account for discrepancies in reports and accounts. After beginning their travels, companies often divided into small divisions or traveled in a scattered condition, thereby arriving in the Salt Lake Valley over the period of several days. The database is a compilation of names obtained from rosters and other reliable sources of individuals that traveled on the pioneer trail during this 22 year time period. It does not focus on railroad travel, but rather trail travel. It identifies the companies in which approximately two-thirds of the Mormon emigrants traveled on the trail. The captain's name is the name the company is listed under and basic information is provided for each company, including a photograph of the captain where available. Where possible, a bibliography containing diaries, journals, letters, and reminiscences written by company members or contemporary reports about the company is also listed. The bibliography includes the institution(s) that have copies of the sources cited. Methods of travel and advancement in transportation, technology, knowledge, and skills changed over the 22-year time period, resulting in different experiences for the companies over the years. By looking at the sources found in various repositories, one can get a glimpse of the experiences each company encountered in traveling overland.”
  
  The following are a few of DearMYRTLE’s ancestors in this database:
  Brigham Young Company (1848) Departure: 5 June 1848 - Arrival in Salt Lake Valley: 20-24 September 1848 Company Information: 1220 individuals were in the company when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Winter Quarters, Nebraska.Yearsley, Nathan (12)
  
  Unidentified Companies (1850) Yearsley, David Dutton (5) Yearsley, Emma Smith (7) Yearsley, George Hoopes (10) Yearsley, Heber Chase (1) Yearsley, Lavenia Hoopes (16) Yearsley, Mary Ann Hoopes (39) Yearsley, Mary Jane (12)
  
  James C. Snow Company (1852) Departure: 5 July 1852 - Arrival in Salt Lake Valley: 9-10 October 1852 Company Information: 250 individuals and about 55 wagons were in the company when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Kanesville, Iowa (present day Council Bluffs). Player, Betsey (23) Player, Charles Warner (25)
  
  Edward Stevenson Company (1859) Departure: 26 June 1859 - Arrival in Salt Lake Valley: 15-16, 28 September 1859 Company Information: 285 individuals and 54 wagons were in the company when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Florence, Nebraska (now Omaha). Wasden, Alice Penniston (16) Wasden, Arson (7) Wasden, Ellen (10) Wasden, Frederick Louis (13) Wasden, John Brooks (15) Wasden, Mary (1) Wasden, Mary Coucom (43) Wasden, Thomas (37) Wasden, Thomas Nephi (infant)
  
  Horton D. Haight Company (1863) Departure: 8-9 August 1863 - Arrival in Salt Lake Valley: 4 October 1863 Company Information: About 200 individuals were in the company when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Florence, Nebraska (now Omaha). Player, William (Age Unknown).

Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
Your friend in genealogy.
Myrt@DearMYRTLE.com
http://www.DearMYRTLE.com

(c) 2007 Pat Richley All Rights Reserved.