Daniel D. McArthur

In the 1850s intensive missionary work in England and Europe produced a flood of converts to Mormonism. These new converts were eager to cross ocean, rivers, and plains to get to the New Zion in Salt Lake City. Thousands arrived on the East Coast and traveled by rail to the jumping-off point at Council Bluffs, Iowa on the Missouri River. Most of these pioneers were very poor. The Mormon Church set up an immigration fund to assist the new "saints" as the Mormons called their members. When wagons became too expensive, Brigham Young, the Mormon leader, decided to provide the settlers with handcarts to transport their possessions. These "handcart pioneers" as they were called walked and pulled their handcarts on the thousand-mile journey to Salt Lake City. The handcart companies also included a few covered wagons...