Did Jacob and George Donner survive? George and Jacob Donner, both of their wives and four of their children all perished . Pioneer William Eddy, meanwhile, lost his wife and his two kids. Nearly a dozen families had made up Donner wagon train, but only two—the Reeds and the Breens—managed to arrive in California without suffering a single death.
Did any members of the Donner Party survive?
Five of the emigrants died before reaching the mountain camps, 34 at the camps or on the mountains while attempting to cross, and one just after reaching the settlements. Two men who had joined the party at the lake also died. The total of deaths was thus 42, with 47 survivors .
Did George and Tamsen Donner survive?
Did any of the Donner family survive?
Rescuers from California attempted to reach the migrants, but the first relief party did not arrive until the middle of February 1847, almost four months after the wagon train became trapped. Of the 87 members of the party, 48 survived the ordeal.
Who got eaten in the Donner party?
There’s also reason to believe one of the hikers, a man named William Foster, shot two Miwok Native American guides named Louis and Salvador for food, which is the only instance anyone in the Donner Party was killed and eaten. The rest of the cannibalized were already dead.
Who was to blame for Donner Party tragedy?
The party began to blame James Reed for the decision to go this way, even though they all voted and made their own choice to follow. Fear was also prevalent, as food and other supplies were running out and they had traveled only thirty-six miles in twenty-one days.
Who saved the Donner Party?
It was several weeks until a second rescue party arrived, led by none other than James Reed , who’d finally raised enough money and men to go rescue his family. This time, 17 people were evacuated — leaving only a few members of the Donner Party behind.
How accurate is the Donner Party Movie?
It is full of inaccuracies . While it is true some of the party resorted to eating human flesh to survive, no one was killed to do so. It left out the struggles of those left behind, waiting to be rescued and what they endured.
What happened to the Donner daughters?
Daughter, Ada, 3, was taken out by the First Relief, but died on about February 25, 1847 , near present Kingvale. Son, Lewis, Jr., new born on the Trail, died at the Lake cabins on January 4, 1847. Teamster Charles Berger (or Karl Burger), 30, died at the Lake cabins on December 29, 1846.
Did William Eddy survive?
The only men who survived were Eddy and William Foster (he of the borrowed rifle) and the five women . Yes, the Forlorn Hopers had to resort to cannibalism, but Eddy tried to hold out as long as possible (of course he retold this to Bryant).
How many of the Donner Party died?
On February 2, 1847, the first woman of a group of pioneers commonly known as the Donner Party dies during the group’s journey through a Sierra Nevada mountain pass. The disastrous trip west ended up killing 42 people and turned many of the survivors into cannibals.
Where is the Donner Party buried?
Donner Memorial State Park is a state park of California, US, preserving the site of the Donner Camp, where members of the ill-fated Donner Party were trapped by weather during the winter of 1846–1847.
How did George Donner hurt his hand?
The Donner family
The Donner children lost both of their parents in the tragedy. George Donner accidentally cut his hand, which became infected and spread gangrene up his arm . He died in March 1847 in between relief parties. Wife Tamsen died shortly after.
Did the Donner Party actually eat each other?
Thanks to letters and journals kept by members of the Donner Party and their rescuers, it has long been accepted that cannibalism occurred at the party’s main camp at Truckee Lake (later renamed Donner Lake) and among a smaller group that tried to escape the mountains to get help.
What happened to George Donner?
After becoming snowbound in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, many died and some of the emigrants resorted to cannibalism. George died at his camp in the Alder Creek Valley in Nevada County, California in March 1847 .
How did the Reed family survived the Donner Party?
They Survived Without Eating People
Only two nuclear families in the entire party—the Reeds and the Breens—made it through the horrible winter without a single death. According to a letter by Patty Reed, her family was the only one that refused to eat human flesh despite facing starvation.
What was another mistake the Donner Party made?
2. An intercepted letter may have sealed the Donner Party’s fate. Most historians agree that the Donner Party’s fatal mistake was taking the Hastings Cutoff . It put them almost a month behind schedule and severely depleted their resources before the critical last stage of their journey.
How did members of the Donner party know they were in trouble?
How did the Donner Party get saved?
As the Donner Party fought to survive in the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains, four brave rescue missions ensured some traumatized members made it out alive. As the Donner Party fought to survive in the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains, four brave rescue missions ensured some traumatized members made it out alive.
What two families within the Donner Party survived without losing any family members?
Only two families survived the Donner Party without losing a single member: the Breens, who refused to share their supplies with others, and the Reeds .
What really happened to the Donner Party?
Is the Donner Party on Netflix?
Rent The Donner Party (2009) on DVD and Blu-ray – DVD Netflix .
Who narrated the Donner party?
They spent four days resting their oxen and making repairs. James Reed (Actor, voice-over): July 31st, 1846.
What religion was the Donner party?
Two of the seven men who risked their lives to rescue the emigrants were Mormons , John and Daniel Rhoads.
What happened Tamsen Donner?
Tamsen Donner died at Donner Lake, following the death of her husband . The lone survivor at the camp, Lewis Keseberg, later confessed to cannibalizing her body. Newlin is proud to be associated with the valiant Tamsen Donner, but she doesn’t want to be linked through her ancestors to cannibalism.
What conditions did the Donner Party face both before and after getting trapped?
Shortly before, the Donner family had suffered a broken axle on one of their wagons and fallen behind . Also trapped by the snow, they set up camp at Alder Creek six miles from the main group. Each camp erected make-shift cabins and horded their limited supply of food.
What happened to Virginia Reed?
Virginia died of old age when she was 87 . She loved her family, which were her husband and the Donner Party because they all helped her survive. Virginia spent the little pastime that she had writing in her journal about her hard life.
Where did the Donner Party get stranded?
How much snow did the Donner Party get?
From Jan. 10 to Jan. 17, nearly 13 feet of snow fell. The winter of 1951-52 dumped nearly 65 feet of snow on Donner Summit and the snowpack reached 26 feet deep, the greatest depth ever recorded there.
Did Mr Eddy survive the Donner party?
The only men who survived were Eddy and William Foster (he of the borrowed rifle) and the five women . Yes, the Forlorn Hopers had to resort to cannibalism, but Eddy tried to hold out as long as possible (of course he retold this to Bryant).
Who saved the Donner Party?
What happened Jacob Donner?
On 5th October, 1846, another disaster struck the Donner Party. James Reed and John Snyder had an argument about one of the wagons. Snyder lost his temper and hit him over the head with a bullwhip. Reed drew his knife and stuck it into Snyder’s body.
How many people were eaten in the Donner party?
When rescue expeditions finally reached the the Donner Party the next spring, they found evidence of murder and cannibalism. Of the nearly 90 members who left Illinois, only around 45 made it to California. As many as 21 members had been eaten.
