Documentary Donner Pass
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishVoice Age
Middle Aged (35-54)Accents
North American (General) North American (US General American - GenAM) North American (US West Coast - California, Portland) North American (US Western)Transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
Donner Pass, scratching diagrams on the ground and changing the path of American history. An elderly Indian named Truckee and an even older mountain man named Caleb Greenwood squatted in the dust of Humboldt sink around them on that October day in 18 44 where the 11 wagons of the Elijah Stevens party bound for California, two earlier immigrant trains had made it on foot and horseback over the Sierra Nevada, but had failed to get their wagons across. Now Stevens was following the south bound tracks of the most recent group. But after meeting Truckee, Stevens turned due west, whipped his wagons across a 40 mile desert and found the river. The old Indian had told them off. They named the River Truckee, and racing Winter followed it and a tributary to the granite wall of the Sierra. They're the party split up, six on horseback, circled over the mountains for help. The others got five wagons up the cliff, oxen hauling from above and men pushing from beneath in groups. They straggled into Sutter's fort. The California trail had been opened during the next two years, 18 45 and 46. Hundreds of covered wagons rolled over the long trail to California. The Truckee River route was shifted. Some new trails were blazed up the past as immigrants lined up their wagons beside the lake, waiting their turn to tackle the Great cliffs ahead. The westward tied went smoothly, except for the Donner Party tragedy in 46 misguided onto a short cut, the costume weeks of time. With tempers frayed and auction worn with death and violence already dogging them, members of the Donner Party were caught by winter. Their story of heroism and suffering is history of 87 the party five died on the trail and 35 in the terrible snows. They gave the pass a name and a reputation.