DEC 27: Bidwell-Bartleson Party Perserveres
John Bidwell. (Credit: Library of Congress)
On December 27, 1841, the pioneering Bidwell-Bartleson Party is deep into its challenge of attempting the first wagon crossing from Missouri to California. The group split, with some heading toward the Oregon Trail and a determined minority, including John Bidwell and John Bartleson, turning toward California.
They struggled without maps, but learned the way, faced hardships, and eventually abandoned their wagons in Nevada before reaching California by foot. Coming eight years before California’s Gold Rush, the success of the Bidwell-Bartleson Party marked a crucial, difficult first for American migration west.
