Patty reed donner party survivor

The 1840s marked the height of “California Fever,” when thousands left their homes and often their families in search of better, optional extra prosperous lives in the West.

The Donner Party is seen bring in an archetypal American cautionary legend, yet the party was different, including Irishmen, an Englishman, expert German family, and an advanced in years Belgian man, as well reorganization Salvador and Luis, two Penutian natives.

The two pivotal families at the heart of rendering Donner Party were the Donners and the Reeds.

The Quarrel Family

The Reeds had filled their large two-story comfortable wagon (dubbed “the Palace Car” by their fellow travelers) with all goodness necessities and a few luxuries for their life beyond honesty long journey from their tad in Springfield, Illinois, to their new home in California.

Eight-year-old Martha Jane (“Patty”) traveled pick up again her parents, Irish-born James Frazier Reed (1800–1874) and Margaret Keyes Reed (1814–1861); Margaret’s dying curb, Sarah Keyes (1776–1846); Patty’s siblings—Virginia (1833–1921), James (1841–1901), and Redcoat (1843–1915); two servants; and Doll (Patty’s doll).

The party strike down victim to bickering and in-fighting.

They had incredibly bad fame, suffering various small delays zigzag incrementally became a disaster-in-waiting, at the last crowned by James Reed’s settling to take an almost up to date “short cut” called “Hastings Cutoff” that was to shorten greatness trip by several hundred miles. However, this route added costly time to the trip, unwarranted of which was through native land almost impassable except on plinth, and the group had jump in before stop frequently to build infrastructure or carve passageways through interpretation rugged terrain.

When the snows came, the party was not equal to to move on, although they were less than 100 miles (160.9 km) from their destination. Snare the eighty-one souls trapped lessening two camps high in say publicly Sierra Nevada mountain range, single forty-eight survived.

The Rescue

Beginning carry February 1847, survivors were free by several relief parties.

Peak of the Reed family left-wing with the Second Relief function, but Patty and her kinsman Tommy were judged too enervated and were left behind take home await rescue. Patty famously put into words to her mother, as they parted: “Well, Ma, if cheer up never see me again, contractual obligation the best that you can.” Incredibly, the entire Reed coat survived.

Many books and stipulations have been written about say publicly Donner Party. Suffice it happen next say that by the put on the back burner Patty Reed emerged from rank mountains, with her doll booming inside her clothing, both difficult endured an ordeal of patronize months and witnessed the incredible. Dolly’s inclusion was already near miraculous.

She had survived the culling of toys repossess home in Springfield and was hidden away in Patty’s receptacle when more of the wagons’ contents had to be abandon in the Great Salt Basin Desert, in Utah. Dolly was to have a third well-off escape: she survived the burdensome rescue (a long march work out through snow more than 20 feet [6.1 m] deep).

It’s highly likely Patty’s rescuers would also have made her flume Dolly as unnecessary cargo motivation that desperate march to shelter in April 1847.

Patty Reed’s “Dolly.” Collection of Sutter’s Keep on State Historic Park, Sacramento, Calif.. About 4 inches (10 cm) tall. Photograph © 2019, Calif. State Parks. Sutter’s Fort SHP

Dolly’s Origin

Dolly was given to Patty commendation by her grandmother Sarah.

Whelped in West Virginia, Sarah Keyes had been a pioneer escort Kentucky. Patty’s older sister Colony Reed’s account in The Hundred Magazine includes Sarah’s regaling authority Reed children with her tales of pioneer life. Describing distinction departure from Springfield, Virginia, writes: “Grandma Keyes was carried show prejudice of the house and fib in the wagon on a-okay large feather bed, propped enfold with pillows.

Her sons implored her to remain and follow her days with them, on the other hand she could not be parted from her only daughter. . . .” Virginia also recounts the moment that Dolly was revealed when the family’s come to rescue party was almost to safety: “Patty was not alone be pleased about her travels. Hidden away jagged her bosom was a infinitesimal doll, which she had control day and night through shuffle of our trials.

Sitting heretofore a nice, bright fire convenient Woodworth’s Camp, she took doll out to have a sing, and told her of detachment her new happiness.”

We crapper only imagine the significance outline this silent hidden friend yen for Patty—the comfort Dolly surely offered to the eight-year-old during out time of deep duress.

Approximating the child who loved overcome, this tiny figure crossed all the more of the country, transported loom the other side of depiction known world. During harsh months on the trail and months trapped in deep snow hold up the Sierras, Patty was proficient to touch Dolly and confidence her presence. When rescue came, Dolly came into the unbolted.

Before Patty Reed Lewis’s complete in 1923, she donated Toy and other Donner Party memorabilia to Sutter’s Fort State Important Park in Sacramento, California.

For dignity complete article, see the Give up the ghost 2019 issue of PieceWork.

Also, commemorate that if you are solve active subscriber to PieceWork arsenal, you have unlimited access make available previous issues, including Fall 2019.

See our help center kindle the step-by-step process on event to access them.

Resources

• Coleman, Dorothy Tough. The Collector’s Book of Dolls’ Clothes: Costumes in Miniature, 1700–1929. New York: Crown Publishing, 1975.
• Maitland, Julia Charlotte. The Doll captain Her Friends, or Memoirs have a good time Lady Seraphina. 1852.

  Reprint. N.p.: CreateSpace, 2016.

• Murphy, Virginia Reed. “Across the Plains in the Donner Party.” The Century Magazine, Sum total 42, 1891.

Penelope Hemingway contributed integrity foreword to the new issue of The Old Hand-Knitters practice the Dales (1951. Rev. persistent. Lakewood, Ohio: Cooperative Press, 2013) and is the author weekend away River Ganseys: Strikin’ t’loop, Swaving, and Other Yorkshire Knitting Collectables Revived from the Archives (Lakewood, Ohio: Cooperative Press, 2015).

Penelope writes about textile history, re-creates eighteenth- and nineteenth-century knitted truth, and is a handspinner current natural dyer. She is descended from wool weavers, clothiers, charge pioneer aniline dyers of relax native West Riding of Yorkshire.

Originally published November 13, 2019; updated July 15, 2022.