From 8-year old Hilda’s diary:
This is our last day here. We are going to see Donner Lake. Donner Lake is named after the “Donner Party.” This kind of party was a group of pioneers and they were not having fun or celebrating. They had the worst time you can ever imagine…
Once upon a time, someone discovered gold in California and then everyone all over the country rushed here to grab as much of the gold as they could get. Some of those people were the Donners. They were a big family, a mother and father and lots of children and aunts and uncles and cousins. Lots of other families came with them. It was a big Wagon Train. One wagon behind the other. They probably thought it was going to be a lot of fun, but the truth is that they never got to California except just past the border. They traveled in great big covered wagons pulled by horses or oxen. The wagons were convenient because they could put so many things into them, like beds and rocking chairs and pots and pans and quilts and sewing things. In those days there were not any railroad trains to California and no nice Hotels or restaurants to stop at on the way. At night they had to build fires so they could cook their food and the fires helped to keep them warm too. Some of them had to stay up every night and watch for Indians. Some of the Indians in the West were friendly but a lot of them weren’t and when they weren’t they killed the white people and burned their wagons and stole their things. Of course, the Indians owned the land and they didn’t invite the white people to come and visit.
Alma always told me that it was very bad manners to go any place if you weren’t invited. You have to send a letter or your card, and now that we have telephones, you can call someone up and just ask if you can visit.
At this time the Donners were traveling it was hard to do these things, and the Indians had their own language. I don’t think the Donners knew it but that part was easy because the truth is the Donners never met any Indians. Everything would have been fine if Mr. Donner hadn’t tried to take a short cut and try to get to California before all the rest of his friends. He told them it would be easy and he was very sure it would be a short cut.
I must stop now because Daddy is ready, and we are going in a few minutes. I will finish this when I get back home.
You can see early 20th Century photographs from the area at this link to the Donner Summit Historical Society.
Hilda takes a break from writing and will return on July 24.