Photo – Sweetwater River near Martin’s Cove – Courtesy churchofjesuschrist.org
The survivors of the ordeal at Martin’s Cove arrived in Salt Lake City after narrowly surviving the ravages of an early winter storm in Wyoming on November 30, 1856.
When rescuers were sent from Utah to find the missing pilgrims, they reported that they found the group in “perishing conditions”. Their camps had become graveyards. At least 145 and as many as 576 church members died. They either froze or starved to death on their journey to Utah to join other church members. Upon arriving, the rescuers had the pilgrims abandon the handcarts they were pushing across the rough Wyoming landscape. The handcarts were used to carry their belongings across the country to their new lives in Utah.
For many, the journey had begun in Boston or New York City, across northern Ohio and Indiana to Chicago. The trek continued to Iowa City and then they followed the handcart trail through Nebraska into Wyoming Territory, making stops at Fort Laramie and Fort Bridger.
The Willie Handcart Company reached Fort Laramie on September 30, 1856. They expected to resupply their food caches there, but little was available.
600 members of the Martin Company reached Fort Laramie on October 8, 1856. Their journey had begun too late to make the July 28th date for crossing the mountains safely. The late start caused hardships and death for many of the pilgrims.
Brigham Young knew the group would face perils and sent food, supplies, and wagons to help support them on their way. The supplies arrived within days of reaching Martin’s Cove. The Sweetwater River was running cold by time the pilgrims made it to Martin’s Cove on November 4th. The river crossing was treacherous for both the pilgrims and their rescuers that were sent from Salt Lake City.
Photo – Brigham Young about the time of the handcart tragedy. Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah – Courtesy wyohistory.org
As a storm settled on the area, the party took refuge in the cove. The cold Wyoming winds and heavy snows pounded the group for four days. Many of the groups cattle died, frozen to the ground. Finally, in typical Wyoming fashion, the storm passed and temperatures warmed again. But the damage was done.
On November 9th, the party set out once more for their Utah destination. An additional rescue party met them along the way. And on this date, three weeks after a winter storm had nearly taken them all, the pilgrims arrived in Salt Lake City.
Despite its religious significance, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) successfully sued the federal government over the way the memorial site is administered.
The public historic site is accessed through land owned by the LDS church. The ACLU filed the lawsuit in March 2005, stating the lease agreement between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the LDS church unfairly gives the Mormons “complete and unfettered control” of the land. Four Wyoming residents sued the federal government over the site, claiming the federal agency erred when it gave The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a 25 year lease to manage the Martin’s Cove site. The plaintiffs in Western Land Exchange Project et al v. Norton have common historical interest in the leased land and surrounding area, the ACLU said in legal papers. Each objected to what they believe was the misuse of federal lands by a religious organization to establish sole control over the land and to proselytize. The lawsuit claims visitors were subjected to religious overtures from Mormon tour guides. The BLM and LDS church denied those claims. The 2006 judicial ruling required BLM to remove religious references from the site and the church provide a public entrance to the cove through their property, but independent of the Bureau’s Visitor’s Center.
Martin’s Cove is located approximately 55 miles southwest of Casper at the confluence of the major 19th century migratory routes, the Oregon, California, Mormon, and Pony Express Trails. More than 100,000 visitors stop at Martin’s Cove annually.
And on this date in 1856, five years before the American Civil War would begin, the survivors of Martin’s Cove arrived to safety in Salt Lake City.
For more information: https://aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-wins-open-access-all-visitors-martins-cove-national-historic-site-wyoming?redirect=cpredirect/25807
