The camp journal kept by George Crooks for the Garden Grove Company is silent for the week leading up to their arrival in the valley. We shouldn’t be too surprised, this week’s trek was physically the most arduous of the journey and every one would have been busy during the day, and tired or exhausted in the evening.

However, it is possible for us to know what those last few days were like.

Traveling in a company just a few days behind the Carsons is Jean Rio Griffiths Baker Pierce, who made extensive daily entries in her journal for the last week of travel. Her experience is also relevant because there are close similarities between her and Ann Carson. Pierce had a daughter who had given birth to a little girl just a few days before. Remember that Ann Carson’s daughter Elizabeth had given birth to a little baby girl in the previous week.

In her journal, Pierce describes the scenery the Carsons would have seen on the 15th and 16th of September. She wrote: "very romantic scenery all day, mostly ascending until we arrived at the rim of the great basin, where we encamped, the feed being very good. We have had gentle but incessant rain all night to our very great comfort, as the dust has been almost choking us for the last three weeks, with a continued west wind which just blows in our faces... the scenery is sublime, our road being between and around high mountains. We crossed over one, so long and steep as to make it very hard on the oxen. We had 10 yoke to each wagon. On descending we came to Bear River, a swift stream, abounding with trout and thickly bordered with trees of various kinds."

On Saturday, the 20st of September, the Carsons were about seventeen miles from the valley. Here, the pioneers probably had their first view of the Salt Lake Valley. From the summit of a mountain which the Emmigrant’s Guide described as being 7245 feet high, it was possible to see in the distance the south part of the Valley.

Rio wrote that "here we met several men with teams ready to assist those who needed help. ... The descent of the mountain was awfully steep and dangerous for about four miles." For safety, Rio took her newly born granddaughter in her arms and walked the distance. The only person who stayed in the wagon was the new mother.

Little Louisa Emily Carson, who was a week old, was probably carried in the same way down the dangerous canyon. When they reached the base of the mountain, Rio said she " turned back to look at the coming wagons; and was actually terrified to see them rushing down, though both wheels were locked, but no accident occurred, and we are now at the entrance of a narrow defile between rocks measuring 800 feet perpendicular height, with a serpentine stream running through it which we shall have to cross 19 times."

Aside from their wagons and belongings, the Garden Grove Company was also bringing the first threshing machine to the Valley. Getting it down the canyon was difficult, and repairs had to be made to it after they arrived.

Rio described the next two days in these words. "Of all the splendid scenery and awful roads that have ever been seen since creation, I think this day’s journey has beaten them all. We had encamped last night at the foot of a mountain which we had to ascend this morning. This was hard enough on our poor worn-out animals, but the road after was completely covered with stones as large as bushel boxes, stumps of trees with here and there mud holes in which our poor oxen sunk to the knees. Added to this was the Kanyon Creek, a stream of water running at the bottom of the ravine interlacing our road in such a zigzag fashion that we had to ford it 16 times at a descent of 15 to 20 feet, and, of course, an equal ascent, and that in some places nearly perpendicular. ... The mountains on each side of us seem to be solid rock, but in the crevices on their sides, trees are growing in abundance, and the tops covered with groves of splendid fir trees. In some places pieces of large rocks have been detached and have rolled down the mountain side, many of them as large as a small house. In some instances these rocks lie directly across the road, which occasions much difficulty in traveling. In one spot the rocks had the appearance of a ruinous gateway through which we could pass. The opening was very narrow, only one wagon could go along at a time, and that through the opening I have described. It then turns off to the side of the road which is immediately under over-hanging rocks for some distance. The grandeur of the scenery to my mind has taken away all fear, and while standing in admiration at the view Milton’s expression in his Paradise Lost came forcibly to my recollection, ‘These are thy glorious works; parent of good in wisdom hast thou made them all.’ - and I seemed to forget all the hardships of our long journey. Suddenly, I heard a sound of rushing water on my left hand, and looking in that direction, I observed that there was one of the prettiest waterfalls I had seen yet. I cannot describe it, as it deserves, and alas! I am no artist or I would make a drawing of it. However, the cataract in itself was comprised of 15 separate falls over as many pieces of rock, the whole perpendicular height being about 35 or 40 feet. It struck me with both awe and delight, and I felt as though I would like to have lingered a long time watching it. I dare say many would laugh at me, and they are welcome, if doing so affords them any pleasure. However, the shouting of the teamsters warned me to keep moving, if I did not wish to be left behind.

"On going a quarter of a mile from this lovely spot we came upon 7 wagons all in a row, everyone with a broken wheel or axle. The sight made our company very careful for fear of being in the same trouble. Passing there as well as we could in the narrow road we came upon some others, and soon after some more in a like fix, making in all 17. We picked our way as well as we could, and about sunset we emerged from the canyon and caught a faint view of our destined home. We camped in a hollow just at the entrance of the Valley and night came on before we could obtain a good look around us."

Rio wrote that her daughter who had stayed in the wagon "suffered much from the jolting of the day’s travel. Thank God, however, it is over now, and they tell us that 5 miles tomorrow will bring us to the said Salt Lake City, and after crossing the hill, at whose base we are now resting, we shall have a road as smooth as a bowling green."

On Wednesday morning the Garden Grove Company of Saints had breakfast and then moved up and over the last hill. Crooks wrote in his journal "Arrived in Salt Lake today September 24, 1851 with 60 wagons."

Susan Zimmerman’s sister, Margaret, wrote in her journal for the 25th "Oh, what a beautiful sight! The peaceful valley of little houses and sleepy homes. Truly a haven of rest after a long and tiresome journey."

A few days later, Rio wrote that from the last hill she had her "first view of the city, which was laid out in squares, or blocks as they call them here, each containing ten acres, and divided into 8 lots, each lot having one house. I stood and looked. I can hardly analyze my feelings; but I think my prevailing ones were joy and gratitude for the protecting care over me and mine during our long and perilous journey...."

The long journey west, which for George and Ann Carson had begun 57 years before in Pennsylvania, was now over. The trek probably represented their last great effort as parents in behalf of their children. They had successfully brought their family to the new Zion, and established their posterity in a place where, they believed, "none shall come to hurt or make afraid."

 

Part 15

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