The Untold Truth Of The Donner Party

The idea for the group that would become infamously known as the Donner Party was started by an Illinois businessman named James Frazier Reed (via Legends of America). Reed, like so many before him, wanted to travel west in search of riches, but he was also incentivized by the prospect of a better life for

The idea for the group that would become infamously known as the Donner Party was started by an Illinois businessman named James Frazier Reed (via Legends of America).

Reed, like so many before him, wanted to travel west in search of riches, but he was also incentivized by the prospect of a better life for his wife, Margaret. She experienced severe headaches, and Reed thought that perhaps the West Coast climate would help her health. Reed read through a copy of Hastings' "The Emigrants' Guide to Oregon and California" and was inspired to put together a group for a westward journey.

The initial group consisted of nine wagons and 32 people, with nine of them being members of the Reed traveling party, which included James, Margaret, their four children, Margaret's mother, and a pair of hired servants. While the trip was no doubt going to be arduous, James Reed paid to make sure that his family traveled comfortably. They did so in a two-story wagon that took eight oxen to pull and featured a stove, cushioned seats, and even bunks. It was so extravagant that Virginia Reed, who was 12 years old at the start of the trek, called it the Pioneer Palace Car.

Over time the group would expand ​​as several other families joined what became known as the Donner Party: the Graveses, Breens, Murphys, Eddys, McCutcheons, Kesebergs, Wolfingers, and, of course, the Donners.

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