Part 1 1805 - 1831 Youth

Part 2 1831 - 1847 Army

Part 3 1847 Courtship & Marriage

Part 4 1847 - 1852 Marriage, Baptism and the End of a Career

Part 5 1853 - 1855 Isle of Malta mission

Part 6 1855 - Going to Zion

Part 7 1855 - 1857 Hard times

Part 8 1857 - 1860 (?) Johnson's army and back to Rush Valley

Part 9 1866 - 1867 Patriarchal blessings, Mission call and departure

Part 10 1867 Journey to the British mission

Part 11 1867 - Mission

Part 12 1868 - Mission

Part 13 1868 - Return Home

Part 14 1868 - 1888 Bishop, Storekeeper, and Iindians - oh my

Part 15 As seen by others

Part 16 1880 -1888 The culmination of a lifetime

Part 17 1888 -1891 Patriarch and Death

Part 18 Miscellaneous

On a warm day in April when the spring winds softly caressed their cheeks they went aboard the ship Samuel Curling - destination New York! On ship board that 20th of April was a company of Saints, Israel Barlow was the Elder in charge.

As usual George sought work and found it. During all the days of sailing over the many miles of rolling waves he worked making tents and wagon covers and other useful things.

Just one month from the day the breezes had stiffened to a wind strong enough to billow out the white sails and send the Samuel Curling out of the safe harbor to breast the crashing waves to America, this staunch seaworthy vessel made its way to the dock in New York, U. S.A.

Customs behind them, they went by rail to Philadelphia then on to Pittsburgh, from there they continued on to the fast growing town of St. Louis which was the link between the east and the far west.

They spent sixteen frantic days in this seething town making arrangements for the next step of their long, long journey to Zion.

It was back to the water for them. Only this time a river steamer, Nebo, was the way they choose to travel to Atchison, Kansas Territory where they landed. Mormon Grove was their next stop where they remained to make arrangements for the journey across the vast, sun-drenched plains.

George searched in vain for enough and proper equipment to take them. His efforts were finally rewarded with one wagon to be shared with another family.

Loading what things they could haul they left Mormon Grove August.1, 1855, with the last Emigration Company of the season headed for Utah.

Milo Andrus was the Captain of the company. The pace he set was as hurried as he could urge, push, and cajole, the group over the plains, up and down the mountains, through the canyons, across the rivers, and through the miles of the thick dust of the trails.

[editor's note - Apparently in 1854 - 1856 many immigrant parties bound for Zion started at Mormon Grove and travelled to Fort Riley then North to Fort Kearney. There is some discrepancy as to whether they followed the Republican River and then jumped across to the Platte or went directly to Ft. Kearney.]

It was not an altogether unpleasant trip through to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, it had its moments of happiness, beauty and pleasures.

[Editor's note - This map shows the original Mormon Trail. The 1854 - 1856 trains started lower down along the Missouri and joined the original Mormon Trail around Ft. Kearney.]

It was the twenty-fourth of October, the feel of fall was in the air, the leaves had donned their brilliant dress of autumn and the air was brisk with the promise of winter as they walked awe-struck along the wide unpaved streets of Great Salt Lake City in the year 1855.

[Editor's note - Milo Andrus wrote in his autobiography:
In the spring of 1854, I was sent to Saint Louis to preside over the stake there. Stayed there one year, rebaptized and confirmed about 800 saints. Was sent up the river to buy cattle for the emigration of 1855, and in the fall was appointed by E. Snow and D. Spencer to bring the last company of 63 wagons home.
See Infobase Library Classics at http:www.ldsworld.com ]

Family Newsletter
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