Over Bidwell Pass to the Humboldt
Before you is Bidwell Pass, named for the Bidwell-Bartleson Party,
the first emigrant company to journey overland to California. In
August and September of 1841, this group of 32 men and an 18-year-
old mother with her baby daughter, left the oregon Trail at Soda
Springs, Idaho, and crosses Utah north and west of the Great Salt
Lake. At Big Springs, in eastern Nevada, they abandoned their
remaining seven wagons and pressed on to California.
In the summer of 1846, the Bryant-Russell pack party and the
Harlan-Young, Hoppe-L [damaged], and Donner-Reed wagon companies
followed the Hastings Cutoff around the south side of the lake. The
two trails merged before crossing Bidwell Pass. Ensuing years saw
other California emigrants and gold seekers travel the cutoff. The
route, however was no shorter. In fact, because of the long drive
without water or feed for animals crossing the Great Salt Lake
Desert, it was more difficult. The route was abandoned after 1850
in favor of the safer Hensley Salt Lake Cutoff, north of the
Great Salt Lake.
"Passed a number of good springs. Took dinner at one of them. [Halls
Spring]. We traveled on the border of the salt plain until night... These
plains border on the salt lake. In the evening we left the salt plain,
turned our course to the west, crossed the mountain through a gap
[Bidwell Pass] and could find no water."
-James John, September 14, 1841
"After travelling ahead ten miles we struck a wagon trail, which evidently
had been made several years before. From the indentations of the
wheels, where the earth was soft, five or six wagons had passed here...
Following this old trail some two or three miles, we left it on the right
and crossed some low and totally barren hills..."
-Edwin Bryant, August 5, 1846
