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Marries third wife, Tamsen
George Donner marries Tamsen Eustis, his third wife. She would accompany him on the Donner Party journey. Her three daughters would survive, but she would die in the mountains after staying behind with George. Note: No pictures of Tamsen herself have been found, but shown here is one of her daughters whose appearance "strongly resembled" hers. -
Donner and Reed families depart
The families of George Donner, Jacob Donner, and James Reed start their journey from Independence, Missouri. The group starts with 33 people, but grows to more than 80 at its largest. Many members would die, making the Donner Party migration one of America's foremost westward migration tragedies. -
Donner Party forms to take Hastings Cutoff route
Part of the wagon train breaks off to take the Hastings Cutoff after receiving a letter from Lansford Hastings about the route. George Donner is elected leader. The Donner Party heads towards Fort Bridger, where Hastings is leading emigrants on his new route. -
Party reaches Fort Bridger
The Donner Party reaches Fort Bridger. Lansford Hastings had already left to lead another group, so the party stays at the fort for a few days. The fort's owners say that the Cutoff is a good route. -
New note from Hastings, party crosses Wasatch Mountains
The Donner Party finds a note from Hastings advising them to change their route, and they send three people ahead to meet with him. They return with Hastings' guidance. The party then crosses the Wasatch Mountains in Utah and continues through the Great Salt Lake Desert. -
Caught in Sierra Nevada
The party reaches the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and snow begins to fall. Party members stop in nearby cabins to survive the winter and the Donners are held up by a broken wagon axle at Alder Creek. George suffers a gash in his hand while repairing it, and his family sets up a camp where they are. -
"Forlorn Hope" party begins mountain journey
17 people with snowshoes leave the party and start a journey on foot to find safety. Two of the people turn back on the first day, and the rest of them are caught in a blizzard nine days later. Eight people die by the end, and the rest of the party resorts to cannibalizing the dead after food runs out. They eventually reach a ranch and ask other nearby settlements for help. -
First Relief
A relief party arrives and finds the Donner Party members starving at the lake. Their only sources of food are mice, dogs, boiled hide, and bones. The party leaves with 23 people from the camps. -
Second Relief
A second relief party led by James Reed arrives. They find evidence of cannibalism from the Donners and others. Reed leaves with 17 people, but some of them are left behind at "Starved Camp" after a blizzard traps the party on the way out of the mountains. The Starved Camp people would eventually use cannibalism to stay alive. -
Third Relief, George left behind
The third rescue party arrives in the mountains. They help the Breens leave and depart with Tamsen Donner's children. Tamsen stays behind with George, who is bedridden and dying. A fourth relief party arrives one month later and sees only Lewis Keseberg alive among mutilated corpses.
