The 10 Handcart Utah Pioneer Companies

Summary of the 10 Handcart Companies

1856 Handcart Companies

1.  Edmund Ellsworth Company - Crossed the Atlantic on the ship “Enoch Train”.  Left Iowa City on 9 June with 274 individuals. 13 died. Arrived in the Salt Lake Valley 26 September.  Traveled with the Daniel D. McArthur Company.

2.  Daniel D. McArthur Company - 117 English who crossed the Atlantic on the ship “Enoch Train” plus 104 individuals from the ship “S. Curling”.  Left Iowa City on 11 June with 221 individuals. 7 died. Arrived in the Salt Lake Valley 26 September.  Traveled with the Edmund Ellsworth Company.

3.  Edward Bunker Company - Mostly Welsh who crossed the Atlantic on the “S. Curling”.  Left Iowa City on 28 June with 320 individuals.  Less than 7 died.  Arrived in the Salt Lake Valley October 2.

4.  James G. Willie Company - Mostly English with roughly 100 Scotch and 100 Scandinavians.  Crossed the Atlantic on the ship “Thornton”.  Left Iowa City on 15 July with 500 individuals. Left Florence with roughly 400 individuals.  62-67 died on the journey. Arrived in the Salt Lake Valley November 9 with the rescue party. 

5.  Edward Martin Company - Party similarly comprised as the Willie Company. Crossed the Atlantic on the ship “Horizon”.  Left Iowa City on 28 July with 576 individuals.  135-150 died on the journey.  Arrived in the Salt Lake Valley November 30 with the rescue party.

1857 Companies

(Traveling in the Shadow of Johnston’s Army)

6.  Israel Evans Company - Crossed the Atlantic on the ship “George Washington”.  Left Iowa City on 22 May with 149 individuals. Unknown deaths. Arrived in the Salt Lake Valley September 11.

7.  Christian Christiansen Company - Mostly Scandinavian Saints who crossed the Atlantic on the ship “Westmoreland”.  Left Florence on 7 June with 330 individuals.  6 deaths. Arrived in the Salt Lake Valley September 13.

(1858 There Were No Handcart Companies)

(Travel was discouraged until the Johnston Army situation was resolved during the summer of 1858)

1859 Company

8. George Rowley Company - English and Scandinavian Saints crossed the Atlantic on the ship “William Tapscott”. Left Florence on 9 June with 235 individuals. Suffered from starvation.  5 deaths. Arrived in the Salt Lake Valley 4 September.

1860 Companies

(“Up and Back” wagons were experimented with this year and took the place of handcarts in future years.)

9.  Daniel Robinson Company - Mostly English Saints. Crossed the Atlantic on the ship “Underwriter”.  Left Florence 6 June with 233 individuals.  1 child died.  One of the most successful handcart companies.  Arrived in the Salt Lake Valley 27 August.

10. Oscar O. Stoddard Company - Crossed the Atlantic on the ships “Underwriter” and “William Tapscott”.  Comprised of 126 English, Swiss, and Danish Saints. Left Florence on 6 July. No deaths. Successfully arrived in the Salt Lake Valley 24 September.

*Information summarized by Peggy Ash from Handcarts to Zion by Leroy & Ann Hafen

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