Martin's Cove
We arrived in Utah for our much awaited vacation and found out that Nana, Marilee and Julie had planned to leave the very next day for Wyoming to visit Martin's Cove. I was not excited about getting the car for another day of driving (Grace and Ben both burst into tears when I told them the plan), but jump in the car we did, and I am glad we did.
We drove to Rawlins, spent the night in a hotel there and then got up the next morning to drive to the site. There is NOTHING in Wyoming. We decided that it is Montana's ugly step sister- all the big sky; none of the pretty scenery.
There were dozens of older missionary couples at Martin's Cove to guide and help all the visitors. Because the Church leases the property from the government, the missionaries can't proselyte on the grounds so you have to make sure to ask them to tell you the stories about what happened there. Nana talked to the kids about their ancestors- the McBrides- that were in the handcart company and as we met each set of missionaries and told them we were related to the McBrides they told us more stories. Even the movie in the visitors center is about Robert McBride's family. It made the whole experience even more thought provoking to know that Janet's great great grandmother had been in this very spot and suffered so much- all for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We used handcarts for about 2 miles of our trek. The girls pulled one and the boys another. We were walking on a trail that was dirt, but still a trail, and it was hard to pull those things! It was also an extremely hot day and the elevation is around 7000 feet above sea level which is pretty high for us Southern Californians. We pulled the little girls (Avery, Grace and Reece) in one cart and the boys took turns pulling each other in the other cart. We found out that each handcart usually weighed between 200-300 pounds once the supplies were packed. With help, I was exhausted just pulling our little girls. I can't imagine trying to pull that weight through snow and tall prairie grass.
Garett, Ben, Logan and Brady ready to pull
Grace, Avery and Reece ready to be pulled with Marin, Mickinley (Natalie's BFF) and Natalie peeking through ready to pull.
We borrowed a few bonnets from them missionaries to help with the sun and heat. They actually work really well. I can see why the pioneers wore them. I kept singing, "For some must push and some must pull as we go marching down the hill..."
This little pioneer was not happy and I had to bribe her with candy to wear the bonnet. I didn't want her badly sunburned. We did have sunscreen, but she seems to burn anyway.
A view from the trail. The river is the Sweetwater River that the pioneers had to cross 6 different times. No small feat with children, elderly, wagons and handcarts. In the case of the Martin handcart company, they had to do it in freezing weather with ice chunks flowing down river.
Once we reached a certain point we had to leave the handcarts and walk the rest of the way into the cove area. I ended up carrying Grace on my shoulders for most of the 3 mile hike. This picture was one brief moment when I wasn't carrying Grace.
At the top of the circular route around the cove area there are these benches to sit and rest upon. A nice couple form Calgary was there and after we figured out who they knew that Janet knew in Calgary, they told us some more stories. The factors that led to the Martin and Willie handcart companies being stranded here are many- a late start, lots of elderly and children, early winter storms just to name a few. The Martin handcart company finally camped here in the cove against these hills to be protected a little from a storm that blew in and lasted 4 or 5 days. At this point many were dying of starvation and exposure and many had already died, left in shallow graves because the earth was too frozen to dig proper ones. Food rations were down to 1/4 cup of flour a day per person. With the winter storms there was no wild life to hunt and the weather had slowed them down so much they were down to the last bits of food.
As hot as we were that day, we still had bottled water and air conditioned cars to go back into when we were done. The kids kept saying that if you are cold you can always just put on more clothes so that was better. We tried to explain that only works when you have more warm clothes to put on!
We saw many deer, chipmunks, lizards and other wildlife right on the trail.
These hills were their only protection.
Grace being tired and hot when we asked to take a picture!
This is one of the many plaques set out as historical markers talking about what happened to the handcart company. Brigham Young received word that there were two companies stuck out on the trail during General Conference. Many people recorded that he stood at the pulpit and said that Conference was over and asked all to go home and immediately prepare wagons, supplies and men to go and save those who were dying. Because of the storms it took the first men 5 days to find the stranded companies, more supplies and wagons followed. One of the sister missionaries shared a story with us that makes me tear up each time I think of it. The brother who wrote the hymn "Ye Elders of Israel" was living in Utah at the time and he and his family were desperately poor. He had saved a whole year to buy his wife a pair of shoes. She had saved every scrap of yarn she could find and had knitted herself a pair of striped socks to wear with the boots. When men came to their door asking if there was anything they could spare to donate to the rescue mission he replied that they didn't have anything extra (which they didn't!), but his wife took off her boots and socks donating them to the rescue effort. When the rescued handcart companies finally made it to the Salt Lake valley hundreds of people turned out to greet them. She looked for her socks knowing they would be easy to spot because of the stripes. When she finally saw a woman in a wagon wearing them she looked up at her and found it was one of her old friends from England. She had no idea her friend was even in the handcart company. Her socks and shoes so freely and generously given helped save her friend's life. Could there be a sweeter story about Christlike love?
We finished our 5 mile hike and were exhausted. I luckily had a bag in the car with snacks that we all munched on to get our blood sugar up and then we headed into the visitor's center that has old tools, maps, and much more. There are lists of names on the wall for those in the Willie and Martin handcart companies. There are also lists of the people who came to rescue them. Janet found names of her ancestors on each list. We watched a film about the McBrides taken from one of the boys journals. The 16 year old boy and his 12 (I think 12) year old sister had to lead their family across the plains as both of their parents became ill and their father died. They pulled the carts, took care of their younger siblings and helped their parents keep going. I thought so much about my children and I truly believe they would do the same. Those who survived the trek have written and said that there were angels all around them and that through their great trial they grew closer to God. Not one of them ever left the Church.
We took a few group pictures before we left.
Janet, and several of the missionaries, told the kids that when things get hard or they are tempted to turn against the commandments of God that they need to remember the family members we learned about at Martin's Cove. We need to remember their sacrifices. They sold all they had, left their homeland, and suffered well beyond anything we endure all so they could have the gospel of Jesus Christ. That they could live near the prophet and hear his words. We need to remember and continue their legacies of faith and obedience. Amen! I hope that my posterity will think of me with as much love, respect and admiration as I do upon my many pioneer ancestors.
