Hand Cart Days

by Buck Conner 24/7/2023, 10:49 am

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Today we are having parades of the 1847 Hand Cart Days. Large numbers leaving their homes back East and heading to Utah.

The Mormon Church enacted many changes following the journeys of the Willie and Martin group. companies. Handcart companies were not to depart Florence after July 7. The construction of the handcarts was modified to strengthen them and reduce repairs, and they would be regularly greased. Arrangements were made to replenish supplies along the route. By 1857 the Perpetual Emigration Fund was exhausted; almost all of the handcart emigrants that year and in subsequent years had to pay their own way. With the increased cost, the number of handcart emigrants dropped from nearly 2,000 in 1856 to about 480 in 1857. In 1857 two companies made the trek, both arriving in Salt Lake City by September 13.

With the uncertainty caused by the Utah War, the church prevented European emigration for 1858. In 1859 one handcart company crossed the plains. The emigrants could travel by rail to Saint Joseph, Missouri, after which they went by riverboat to Florence, where they were outfitted with handcarts and supplies. When the 1859 company reached Fort Laramie, they discovered their food was running dangerously low, so they cut back on rations. The hunger worsened when expected supplies were not available when they reached the Green River. Three days later wagons from Utah carrying provisions arrived to be distributed to the emigrants. The last two handcart companies made the journey in 1860, following the route through St. Joseph. Although the journey proved to be difficult for the emigrants, these companies had relatively uneventful trips and experienced little loss of life.

You and me would not be able to handle such a trip because most of us have been spoiled to easier lives.

by Buck Conner 24/7/2023, 10:55 am

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This is interesting (the carts really got my attention), well built and able to carry heavy loads long distances. These would work very nicely for today's rendezvous, saving ones back ...

Many of the better advertised (organized) events (rendezvous, encampments, period gathering) have started to go back to the old rules of having the parking lots a mile back out of sight from their event. This means your going to have to pack your equippage from the parking lot to your camp site (going in and coming out). That's blows a half day for portage and setup or take down. Not counting the ackes and paind felt the next day ... We have done this back in the 70's throught the 90's more than once.

This would be an easy cart to build and think of the back aches you could save over doing it the old way of many trips being carried on one's back. Several guys could have their gear loaded and be period correct ...

by uffda 24/7/2023, 4:46 pm

Good post. Those before us faced the challenges of freedom in pursuit of freedom as our constituonal rights dictate. Each state in the union ratified this basic doctrine. However we must be mindful others wish to diminish. Trouble now is there is nowhere left to go. Hopefully society gets it figured out soon before we're buying a ticket to Mars on a billionaires space ship. When it gets tough enough, I have faith that it will all get sorted out!

by Mustang65 24/7/2023, 5:35 pm

I guess that would be a good way to lose not only Participants, but, also vendors.

by Buck Conner 25/7/2023, 9:12 am

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How come the old way were the simplest ways to do things, like using a hand cart rather than our backs to move goods! @#$%^&*

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by Mustang65 25/7/2023, 10:04 am

Buck Conner wrote:.

How come the old way were the simplest ways to do things, like using a hand cart rather than our backs to move goods! @#$%^&*

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I don't know about you, but, I use a dolly, wheel barrow, a cart hooked to my ATV, my skid steer, or my pick up to move goods around here. And if none of them are available I'll use Jonathan or Stan Jr...LOL!!!

by Buck Conner 25/7/2023, 10:10 am

Mustang65 wrote:
Buck Conner wrote:.

How come the old way were the simplest ways to do things, like using a hand cart rather than our backs to move goods! @#$%^&*

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I don't know about you, but, I use a dolly, wheel barrow, a cart hooked to my ATV, my skid steer, or my pick up to move goods around here. And if none of them are available I'll use Jonathan or Stan Jr...LOL!!!

Did anyone notice that using your spouse was never mentioned ... Shocked