The Forlorn Hope Expedition brings two diverse universes together: ultra-distance runners and historical pundits; the latter have been asking for more details about the Expedition itself. Here's a look into…
If you were to travel to Wheatland today in search of the original Johnson’s Ranch site, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything that resembled that location, considering that in 1846…
35 year old Patrick Dolan was born in Dublin, Ireland act 1811. He became A bachelor farmer where he met and became a friend of the Breen family. We do not…
What can the Forlorn Hope Expedition teach us? There are differences between the Forlorn Hope Expedition of 2020 and the Forlorn Hope of the Donner Party in 1846. The four…
Franklin Graves was born in the Green Mountains near Wells, Rutland County, Vermont abt 1789. He was raised an authentic backswoodsman, hearty New Englander. He married Elizabeth Cooper abt 1820…
You never know where life’s opportunities will lead you. 5 weeks ago, I received an attention catching text: I have an adventure I want to discuss. Of course, I called…
The second member of the Forlorn Hope to perish was Antonio, a 23 year-old Spaniard. Antonio was born in Mexico. In April 1847, Lilburn W. Boggs numbered among the casualties…
Charles Stanton is regarded by many as one of the "heroes" of the Donner Party. A bachelor with no particular incentive to take extraordinary risks, he volunteered to ride ahead…
Lead by Bill Oudegeest Q1: Examples of inconsistencies among sources? A: Example #1 - Sun December 20th: Sinclair (Eddy’s journal) reports 8 miles travelled this day. Reed’s diary reports 4…
By Bill Oudegeest, Donner Summit Historical Society On December 16th, presuming the weather cooperates, four extreme athletes will leave Donner Lake on snowshoes to cross the Sierra in a reprise…