Mormon Pioneers, Porters, Binghams, and Craguns Included People Of Great Faith



Some Pushed and Pulled Handcarts

Pioneer John R Young quotes in his journal, "We outlived the trying scenes. We felt contented and happy. The songs of Zion resounded from wagon to wagon, from tent to tent, the sound reveberated through the woods, and its echo was returned from the distant hills; peace, harmony, and contentment reigned in the habitations of the saints.

The God of Israel is with us, and as we journey, as did Abraham of old, to a distant land, we feel that, like him, we are doing the will of our Heavenly Father and relying upon His word and promises and hope, and that the great Jehova is our God.

J R Porter, traveling in the Charles C Rich Company spent the winter before their trek across the plains at Winter Quarters, (now Florence Nebraska) on the west bank of the Missouri River. Even here education was important and a school was formed to teach the chidren. Great grandfather J R was too young to attend yet, but no doubt he found amusement in wathci such tings as the thousand of head of cattle taht were driven across the river. Good swimmers would climbe upon the backs of some of the strongest oxen andslapping them on the sides fo the tfaces wuld guide them into the current.  Soon a string of animals would reach the other shore.

J R's mother Nancy, was not in good health. When they left Winter Quarters to cross the plains she was pregnant. With two children under 3 years old, traveling in a coverd wagon was very difficult, however, most of the Porter clan and the Rich clan were in the same company, paternal and maternal grandparents. the stron among them would help bear the trials of the weak.

Along the trail the children saw many animals, but the most exciting were the buffalo.



Sometimes thousands of the huge animals stampeded and would run madly across the plains, leaving the air full of dust clouds. The wagons had to stop; and there was always the danger that the herd would run right across their camps. Sometimes they would come so close to the wagon trains that it was difficult to keep the cattle and horses of the camp from mixing with the buffalo.

Continuing postings from Joseph Rich Porter Descendants and Ancestors by Bertha Cragun