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PIONEERS
H I S T O R Y
Donner Party MaDe DeaDly Mistake
Learn More
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DONNER MEMORIAL
STATE PARK
VISITOR CENTER
Exhibit on Donner
Party & video.
Nearby are two of
the cabin sites.
Interpretive trail.
Located off I-80
near Truckee,
Donner Pass Road
(530) 582-7892
WAYDE CARROLL
DONNER CAMP
PICNIC AREA
Site of Donner
Family Camp.
Interpretive trail.
Hwy. 89 North, 4
miles north
of Truckee
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ODAY DONNER LAKE is a beautiful spot. It is enjoyed from sunrise
to sunset by hikers, fishermen,
water-skiers and kayakers, as well as
passersby who stop along I-80 to look
down on this scenic spot. But, the lake has
a darker side. For as its name implies, it
played a role in a tragic story that took
place in the cruel winter of 1846-47.
Before gold was discovered in California,
there were pioneers who set out across the
plains to make new lives for themselves in
the west. Among them was a group from
Illinois that would go down in history as the
Donner Party.
Organized by brothers George and Jacob
Donner, they set off from Springfield in
1846 and became part of a larger wagon
train. Had they chosen to remain with the
group instead of taking a “short-cut,” this
would be a very different story, for their
choice was a deadly mistake.
When they reached what is now Reno,
Nevada, the Donner Party was able to get
badly needed provisions. But, their three to
four day rest proved to be a fatal decision.
Storms were already brewing in the Sierra
Nevada ahead. In fact, one had set in on
October 28 as they reached Prosser Creek
just east of Truckee.
Despite the snow, they pressed on, but
could not scale the summit and returned to
Donner Lake where they set up camp in a
ferocious storm. The party built crude cabins with the main encampment near the
lake. The Donner brothers chose to camp
six to seven miles to the east.
Provisions in the main camp were soon
gone, and as they faced starvation, a party
was dispatched on December 16 to attempt
passage over the Sierra. Two returned, 15
continued including several women, eight
died along the way, but two men and five
women stumbled upon an Indian camp. One
man was then guided to Johnson’s Ranch
on the Bear River, a settlement located on
the western slope. The other six also made
it to the ranch. It had been a 32-day journey.
Help was summoned from Fort Sutter in
Sacramento. Within a week provisions
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