We travelled through Utah...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
pablo42
Always thought it was the Mormons that came over here Brian. Can't help you I'm afraid, if I had to post it I woulda gone to the post box.
...some 10 years ago, and stopped at many of the smaller museums in the small towns.
The Mormons recruited lots of English residents at this time, and promised them land and free passage. This was the era before the Western US became part of the USA, and it was a method for them to populate the land and drive the Indians off. Around the 1850's they were the main white population in a large area of the West, called the Mormon Corridor - from wiki -
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Jello_Belt.png
This was the time a lot of folks were leaving England/Scotland/Ireland (my American side of the family came from Scotland in 1852 - my side went down into Yorkshire) and the promise of a free passage must have been very enticing.
Apparently funds got low for the second part of the journey, the cross US trek (no train service then) and a few groups made the trip on foot pulling hand carts - quite an amazing feat.
Story here -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_handcart_pioneers
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...n_Pioneers.jpg
This is in the period 1856 to 1860 - a time of great emigration out of England via Liverpool and Glasgow - and of the settling of the Western US.
I am not Mormon, but you have to admire these early pioneers - setting out into spots that not populated and enduring harsh winters with no other families in sight.were there are many fascinating stories told in the smaller museums we visited.
If you think that the present cold Liverpool weather is bad - try a full winter on the US plains...:)
I am interested in this period of history - we know lots of folks moved, but we don't really know why - except for the Irish potato famine - which did not spread to Ayrshire where my family was.
My thoughts were that it was related to a rural life tuning into an urban life with the mill towns and industry forming - but who really knows...
It wasn't an easy trip like I did in 1970 - a BEA Viscount from Speke to Heathrow , and a 707 to Detroit, and even then the plane had to refuel in Maine.... We are spoilt for travel now, and loving it....:PDT_Aliboronz_24: