The pioneer woman has been neglected in our histories. Her story has not been fully written. The accomplishments of the common woman have gone unsung. Hopefully new generations will recognize the achievements, and thrill to the stories of these great women who lived in huts, cabins, wagons, and dugouts where they created homes from rude materials. This set of books is in memory of those great women who pioneered this westen territory.
In 1913 the book "Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah" was written about the founding fathers of this territory. It has taken much longer to write about the women who came. Even many of the obituaries of pioneer women identified them only as "wife of" or "the mother of" instead of by their given names. A woman was seldom recognized for her own accomplishments. While others have sung the praises of pioneer men it is our privilege to praise the glorious, common pioneer women with the stories in this set of books.
The years 1847-1869, years before the transcontinental railroad was finished, were known as the pioneer period. The women who came in this peiod walked beside wagons and handcarts for over a thousand miles to reach the valley of their dreams, often finding their dreams were not realized for many years after their arrival. They brought trunks--chests of treasures from their pasts--and other items to make a home in this new land, while leaving many treasures behind. For many the struggle of getting across the plains was nothing compared to the persecution they had suffered earlier. The persecutions had begun long before they started west. They had been driven from place to place. At the time of the final exodus, and in the depths of winter, women were driven from their comfortable homes in Nauvoo--many being forced to leave everything they owned behind. Eliza R. Snow, one of the early prominent pioneer women, writes, "We had been preceded from Nauvoo by thousands, and I was informed that on the first night of the encampment nine children were born into the world, and from that time as we journeyed onward, mothers gave birth to offspring under almost every variety of circumstances imaginable, except those to which they had been accustomed; some in tents, others in wagons--in rainstorms and in snowstorms."
They came to Zion to build homes and raise families. They walked and rode in covered wagons or pushed and pulled handcarts beside their men. They buried loved ones along the trail and still had to carry on. Three courageous women even came in Brigham Young's first wagon train to the valley.
Entering the valley was not the end of the trail for most of them. Many groups were sent out to settle other virgin areas. Settlement was difficult for these women as they bore large families and took responsibility for providing and caring for them when husbands were called to serve missions in distant places. In some of the journals the stories are told of the struggles the women had as they raised the gradens to produce food, made the clothing, and built the homes.
In spite of all the difficulties, in general, these women were loyal to their loved ones, to their church, and to their God as they endured untold hardships under such adverse conditions. The fact that they had been told earlier by their prophet, Joseph Smith, that "his people would yet be driven to the Rocky Mountains where they would build a city of their own, free from molestation" helped them accept the struggles. Then it was in the spring of 1836 that the words of their prophet became a reality when the new prophet, Brigham Young, and other church authorities realized a new home must be found for this people. Even with the thousand mile distance, rivers to cross, plains to traverse, and mountains to climb, these courageous people were willing to follow their leaders for the sake of their religion. The histories given in this publication are family narratives--family stories passed down through generations for descendants to enjoy--a way for descendants to learn about their ancestors.
It is hoped that this will be helpful to historians and researchers of pioneer histories.