During the course of your Mormon genealogy research you will likely find that you must trace the path of your family members as they made their way from a variety of settlements across the plains, toward the West. The massive migration of Mormon immigrants began in the year of 1846. The first trek over the trail was known as the Vanguard Company, comprised of 143 men categorized into 14 military companies.
Between 1846 and 1869, more than 70,000 Mormons would travel west over what would become known as the Mormon Pioneer Trail. The trail began in Nauvoo, Illinois; snaking its way across Iowa toward the Great Platte River Road and ending at the Great Salt Lake in Utah Territory. While 500,000 immigrants of various faiths and backgrounds would eventually make their way West for a variety of purpose, the Mormons quickly became known for their ability to organize extremely well.
Typically, they traveled in groups that were known as companies. These companies commonly consisted of groups of 100s as well as 50s and 10s. Fully believing that others would follow in their wake, the earliest immigrants made a strong effort to improve the trail they traveled as well as construct support facilities. In order to finance their trips, ferries and other businesses were established. Semi-permanent camps were also constructed. Two of the most well known were Mount Pisgah and Garden Grove.
While a great number of the Mormon pioneers who made their way west traveled by wagon, there were also a great number who also traveled using handcarts. Compared to the thousands of immigrants who eventually traveled west, the use of handcarts was somewhat unique to the Mormon immigrants. Handcarts, which are two-wheeled carts, were actually pulled by the immigrants themselves rather than draft animals due to the fact that they could travel far faster than wagons. They were primarily used between the years of 1856 and 1860 by European converts. Almost 3,000 of the immigrants making their way west did so by way of handcart.
Throughout the number of years that the Mormons migrated west, an estimated six thousand died along the way. In most cases, these deaths were due to illness as well as accidents.
The Mormon trail ceased to be needed in 1869 when the transcontinental railroad was finally completed. After that time, immigrants primarily traveled by railroad.
Mormon Pioneer Companies Crossing the Plains by Marvin Lee Bashmore is considered to be a valuable resource for those researching their Mormon genealogy. The book contains information on the pioneer companies that make their way over the trail, names of company leaders and information regarding location of departure and arrival date in Salt Lake.