Pioneers

Today, in Utah is a state holiday called Pioneer Day.  It honors the entrance of the Brigham Young and the Mormon Pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley.  So I am posting a few new pioneer drawings and some that were posted previously.

My own great great grandfather was here a day two before and was plowing and planting potatoes. (I read this in Amasa Lyman's journal..the transcript is available at the BYU Library Special Collections room.)  By the way, what Brigham Young actually said was, "This is the right place, drive on."  He was leaning up on his elbow in a wagon because he was sick.   Just goes to show that you can do great things even when you do not feel 100%.

Brigham Young Entering the Salt Lake Valley

The handcart groups were mostly pioneers who hand emigrated from Europe to join the saints in Zion...AKA Utah.  Zion is now wherever a Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is located.  A stake is a group of congregations in a specific area.

Handcart Pioneer Family Crossing the Plains

Two companies of handcart pioneers were caught in early winter snows and suffered terribly.  My great great grandmother was in one of those companies.  She lost all of her toes.  But she married her rescuer.   Their names are Lucy Ward Cole and James Barnett Cole.  I think they went on to have like 13 children.  SO...I am here because of them.  I will post theit story sometime.

Handcart Pioneer in the Snow

Pioneer Boy Thomas Dobson dancing the jig

Thomas Dobson was a pioneer boy who came across with a handcart company.  He loved to dance the Irish jig.    They were about to amputate Thomas' feet because they were frozen.  His handcart company had got stuck in the snow on their way to Utah.  Instead, he was given a blessing and was miraculously healed.  They did not have to amputate his feet.  He even was able to dance the jig for other pioneers to cheer them up.  He continued to dance for much of his life.   

Pioneers crossing the Plains and then the Valleys of Wyoming

Most of the pioneers came across the plains in covered wagons.  I think that it is important to remember to honor pioners that went to Oregon, Washington, California, and even places like DeSmet, South Dakota. (One of the places Laura Ingalls Wilder lived...my family loves those books...and my wife is from South Dakota.)