A Quiet and Restful Place

A Quiet and Restful Place. . , To cross the high western mountains before the fall snow storms arrived, many emigrant wagon trains headed for the Oregon or California territories left Independence, Missouri, in mid April to early May. The downside to leaving too early often meant encountering heavy spring thunderstorms and flooded river and stream crossings on the prairie. On such an occasion, nearly a hundred emigrant wagons crowded this meadow for several days in May, 1846 while waiting to ford the "Independence Crossing" on the Big Blue River., For most of these emigrants, keeping busy with chores or exploring the area provided a means to quickly pass the time. Some wrote in their journals and diaries, while others spent time constructing rafts to float their wagons across to the west, washing their laundry, cutting timber for firewood, or making wagon repairs that would get them through to the next stop. George McKinstry, traveling with the Donner and Reed wagon train, took time to carve the name "Alcove Spring" in the rock ledges above the waterfalls., Whether they stopped to rest in the pleasant surroundings or camped out for several days waiting for the flood waters to subside, emigrants found Alcove Spring a place with good drinking water, timber for building a campfire to cook a meal, forage for their livestock, and wild game for subsidizing their food cache. Today, Alcove Spring visitors still find quiet and peaceful surroundings - a place to reflect on the history of America's westward expansion as well as the stamina and rugged character of the pioneers who opened the west., Emigrant journals and diaries provide us with a glimpse into the experiences they encountered at Alcove Spring in the 1840s and early 50s., Myra Eells, May 9th, 1838. Wednesday. All is hubub and confusion; camp wants to move early, horses bad to catch, dishes not packed in season. Oh, how much patience one needs to sustain him in this life... Moved camp at half past seven, ride 7 hours, 21 miles without food for ourselves or animals. Encamped on the west [side] of the Blue. The scenery is so grand, together with a plesant sun and burning prairie, that for a moment we almost forgot the land of our birth., Edwin Bryant, May 27th, 1846. This afternoon, accompanied by several of the party, I strolled up the small branch,... emptying into the rivers just above the ford. About three-fourths of a mile from our camp we have found a large spring of water, as cold and pure as if it had just been melted from ice. It gushed from a ledge of rocks,.... A shelving rock projects over this basin, from which falls a beautiful cascade of water, some ten or twelve feet.... So charmed were we with its beauties, that several hours unconsciously glided away in the enjoyment of its refreshing waters and seductive attractions. We named this the "Alcove Spring;" and future travelers will find the name graven on the rocks, and on the trunks of the trees surrounding it.., Eliza P. Donner Houghton, May 27, 1846, (68 years later). Messrs. Grayson and Branham found a bee tree, and brought buckets of delicious honey into camp. Mr. Bryant gathered a quantity of wild peas, and distributed them among the friends who had spices to turn them into sweet pickles.... The evening was devoted to friendly intercourse, and the camp was merry with song and melodies dear to loved ones around the old hearthstones., Background painting is courtesy of Kenneth Winkenwader.