The Bixbys are a legendary name in the history of Long Beach and the Rancho Los Alamitos, and deservedly so. The true start of the family fortune goes back to the early 1850s when cousins Benjamin and Thomas Flint and Lewellyn Bixby returned home to Maine from Gold Rush California, where they had some success as merchants. After visiting with family, they took the train to Indiana, Illinois and Iowa and bought 2,000 sheep and drove them 2000 miles overland to California, parallelling the Oregon Trail, dealing with friendly and hostile Indians, new Mormon converts on their way to Salt Lake City, and making their way south from Salt Lake City along the Old Spanish Trail (roughly today’s Interstate 15) through the Las Vegas and Mojave deserts before arriving in San Bernardino area on New Year’s Day 1853. Thomas Flint kept a diary of that trip. Here are the August 1853 excepts.
August — Monday 1st:
Started at sunrise. Drove to Greasewood Creek where we found feed for our stock and camped for the night. Weather pleasant and cool, though windy and rainy in P. M. Had a sage hen for supper. A large species of grouse nearly the size of a turkey. Cows ran away with a drove passing us and had some trouble getting them back as the party passing claimed them as strays.
Tuesday 2nd :
Travelled leisurely along to the Sweetwater River and drove up near to Independence Rock a large oblong granite boulder about 650 yards long and forty in height entirely bare except a little spot on top in a depression where there was a few shrubs and a solitary pine. It was named “Rock Independence” by a party of explorers camped there on 4th July, about 1840. Many names of explorers are painted on the Rock. Latitude 42° 29′ 36″, Fremont August 1, 1842. Passed on the way a high granite bluff. Camped on a bench overlooking the valley where our stock were turned out to feed. Numerous alkali lakes northeast of camp where crystalized carbonate of soda of unknowndepth shows on surface like snow ice and when dug into looks clear as ice. We shovelled out a hole the depth of a spade handle and filled a grain sack with it for future use.
Wednesday 3rd:
Did not move today so as to let our animals recruit a little. Had to keep guard over the animals because they would scatter in feeding, hunting for best grass. Ben and John Trust fishing but caught nothing. Some fish to be had at the trading post near by. Lewell and I more lazy than the others stayed in the tent reading and snoozing. Mrs. Johnson did some washing. 3 of our horses stampeded at dark. Ben followed them but returned at 11 o’clock without them. Pleasant.
Thursday 4th:
Ben left at sunrise in pursuit of horses. Found them 30 miles back on the road caught by a company bringing a lot of horses through to California. Lost 7 sheep from poison. Sent a letter to be mailed at Fort Laramie to Dr. Gould by a mountaineer with whom I swapped a blanket for a buffalo robe. At 2 o’clock moved camp. Passed Devil’s Gate and made camp for the night.
Friday 5th:
Followed the bank of the Sweetwater. Passed Devil’s Gate entrance to a rough, deep canon to the north of the trail in the Wind River range of mountains and on south are the Green River Mountains. The former nearly bare granite, the latter wooded on summits and sides. Camped near an alkali lake. Pleasant and cool as usual along here.
Saturday 6th:
At noon I climbed a nearby peak of the mountains from which the snowy summits of the Rocky Mountains could be seen. Found rugged and deep canons into which I fired my pistol several times to hear the reverberations rattle among the crags like thunder. Found some ripe, wild gooseberries which came in very opportunely to quake my thirst. They were smooth and of a deep garnet color. Gathered some for seed. In the afternoon passed some peculiar bluffs of various colors. Camped in the valley of the Sweetwater. Pleasant.
Sunday 7th:
The feed being poor did not stop at noon but drove 11 miles and camped in good grass. Windy in the P. M. raising dust which was decidedly unpleasant for those driving sheep. Met the Salt Lake 4-horse mail stage east bound. Clear weather.
Monday 8th:
Moved on leisurely. Took dinner on the bank of the Sweetwater and let our animals lay in food and water for a 17 miles drive in soft sand. Here Mr. Biddell, U. S. Indian Agent for Utah passed us from Warsaw, Illinois since July 4th. At 2 o’clock the wind blew almost a hurricane for 15 minutes piling the sand into drifts. Snow-capped peaks of the Rockies between us and sunset and to the east a splendid rainbow, which of course was preceeded by a shower. Camped on an open plain.
Tuesday 9th:
Struck camp at sunrise. Moved on, hoping to find feed. Drove to Ford No. 6. Some poor grass. Stopped for dinner. Remained here over night. Mr. Johnson sick. Now the Sweetwater looks like a New England brook — clear water with rocky bottom. No fish but suckers. Pleasant
but cool at night.
August 10th :
Pleasant. Mr. Johnson still ill. Lewell with his team. Took dinner at Ford No. 7 Sweetwater. Air full of grasshoppers, partially obscuring the sun. Road leaves river for a long distance. On my watch I cooked some ducks for breakfast time. Found strawberries on a creek by that name.
Thursday llth:
Passed today the Soapsuds Lakes. Three of them. Road hilly and ledgy in places in forenoon’s drive. Camped on Quaking Asp Creek, so called from the species of poplars on its banks, the leaves of which move in the slightest breeze. Johnson still on sick list. Snow peaks of Rocky Mountains close by. Pleasant. Warmest night that we have had for a long time.
Friday 12th:
The warm temperature of last night modifies the cool air from the snowy summits, makes delightful mornings. Breakfasted on beans cooked in the ground, a hole heated and filled in with the coals, with tea, coffee, bacon, warm bread, pepper sauce and pickles. Dined at Ford No. 9 Sweetwater. Elk and antelope getting scarce. Johnson better. Had cold beans, bread, etc., from breakfast cooking. Drove out 7 miles expecting to find feed to camp on,according to Horn’s guide book. Found none so camped in sage brush on sand. All hands growling about the uncertainty of guides.
Saturday 13th:
Up and off early. Soon bid adieu to waters that flow to the Atlantic and crossed the summit of the South Pass in the Rocky Mountains and drank from Pacific Springs the head water of the Colorado River of the West which flows into the Gulf of California. Camped at lower end of the first bog. Sheep could feed on the bog by keeping them from getting huddled together; if they did the sod would give away and they would sink with it into the water — cattle, horses had dry picking on the outside. At night we could hear beavers fling into the air holes their flat tails, striking like a board on the surface. Light showers passing along the ridges. Grey wolves numerous. Brilliant meteors seen on my watch — 9 to 12 o’clock P. M.
Sunday 14th:
Drove today over barren waste. No water or grass. After making about 16 miles camped. Wolves plenty. They stole my whip and ate it, leaving only the stock. Cattle and sheep uneasy for want of grass and water. Fed our horses a little meal. Warm and pleasant.
August — Monday 15th:
Johnson better today and drove his team a part of the day. Palmer spilled most of the water we had taken along for breakfast coffee, into the fire. Being the last one on guard it was a part of his duty to heat water as a starter for the morning meal. This caused some cuss words and
long faces. Enough was saved for a pot of tea. About 11 o’clock reached the Little Sandy. Cool forenoon as usual because at night the wind changes and blows from the snow-capped mountains. Was overtaken here by a Mormon train of seven small wagons. Took dinner and moved down river 3 miles to good feed for stock.
Tuesday 16th:
Laid by to recruit a little. Sold Mormons a 50 pound sack of flour, calculated to be enough with what they had to take them to Salt Lake City. Snow-capped mountains to northwest and south of us. Water cold from melting snow. We shot a dozen sage hens and chickens among us. This bird is a large species of the grouse family and good eating. Cool at night as usual but pleasant at night though windy in the afternoon.
Wednesday 17th:
Arrived at Big Sandy (river) in the forenoon. Found good feed for sheep and laid by until 3 o’clock P. M. Started out for a drive of 17 miles from Big Sandy across a desolate country. Camped at 9 o’clock. Wind blowing a gale directly in our faces all the afternoon filled with dust. Calculated to start by 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning. Clear — not very cold. Indians in sight. None came into camp.
Thursday 18th:
Through the negligence of the last guard we were not called until 5 o’clock this morning, giving us the prospect of a long drive under a hot midday sun to strike the river again, which made us all cross, etc. Struck the river about 2 o’clock and camped. Feed for sheep, none for the other animals. Showers passed around us and light clouds at night.
Friday 19th :
Drove to Green River — properly named from the color of its waters. Some 50 settlers below the lower ferry where we are, composed of hunters, Indian traders, frontier desperadoes, etc. Some rice at 35c per Ib. Tea at $1.25 and a few other articles at same rate of prices. 4 or 5 houses and blacksmith shop here. Camped. Had a shower with hail towards night. Pleasant afterward. All O. K.
Saturday 20th :
Could not make a trade with the ferry owner that we thought reasonable, he evidently thinking we would have to come to his terms because sheep were not swimmers. We reconnoitered a little way below and found a place where we could ford by raising the wagon beds a little and the current set across to opposite side, so taking advantage of the current the sheep followed the wagons with a little urging and swam across nicely about 200 feet from bank to bank. Found good grass on the west bank so camped to give the stock chance to recruit a little for we had had a desert drive of 75 miles. Pleasant weather.
Sunday 21st:
Some mountaineer visitors enjoying their own voices very much, especially as they made our boys’ eyes bulge out with naratives of hair breadth escapes, etc. Found by three dead sheep and as many cows of our Mormon fellow travellers that we were in midst of poisonous weeds, so pulled out and down river about 9 miles and camped on a bluff near a grassy bottom on which there were some Mormons camped. Had a rattle with Indian dogs that were hungry for a feed on mutton. Cross, Livingston and Co.’s train with merchandise for Salt Lake City arove in their camp. Pleasant.
Monday 22nd:
Sheep in a contrary mood and hard to guard. Started at 10 o’clock to drive across south of main trail across the bluffs to Black’s Fork, about 6 miles to grass. Found an abundance of bunch grass all along to the Fork. Good feed for cattle and horses but we kept the sheep out of the bottom. Frosty on Green River. Pleasant in the afternoon. The Livingston train got across ahead of us.
Tuesday 23nd:
Started up Black’s Fork. Found our cut oif is making the 15 miles much longer, but there has been no lack of feed. Drove to where the main trail strikes the Fork and camped for the night. Water muddy — a small stream. As convenient camp for sheep as have had for a long time. Pleasant.
Wednesday 24th:
Moved out in good season, letting the sheep on the bunch grass which grows on the side of the bluffs. Water still muddy. Crossed Harris Fork, a beautiful clear stream with water of a greenish color. Dined on Black Fork and started out at 4 o’clock. Camped in the sage brush in a barren kind of an amphitheatre opening out on the Fork.
Thursday 25th:
Broke camp at 4 o’clock A. M. Pleasant but cold. So had our coats buttoned up tight and close, being the coldest morning we have had this side of the South Pass. Jim Palmer and John Trust had a regular squaw fight. At ten o’clock camped for the day on a small creek. Hildreth’s flock passed us. Met a pack train from Volcano, California. Windy and cold. Pleasant. Hard work to keep the stock together, the night being dark and stock hungry. Moon after midnight.
Friday 26th:
Being well refreshed, man and beast, we started for Bridgers Fort about 4 o’clock in the morning. John feeling mad, packed up, intending to leave us but by keeping Jim’s gun from him concluded to remain as we had taken his gun also. He said, “By tarn I can’t go way mit out my gun.” Hot day. Road to the Fort longer than we expected,but about sundown the stock began to smell water which proved to be about 3 miles off and they rushed for it, covering the intervening distance in short time comparatively. Struct the water about 1 mile below the Fort. Distance 20 miles instead of 14 as we supposed. Camped on a small bottom. All hands tired.
Saturday 27th:
Moved to a small creek bottom with our sheep for feed, opposite to the fort and to avoid poisonous weeds that grew in the larger bottoms in which Hildreth lost 13 sheep just below our last camping place. White went to the Fort for ammunition but found the Fort in possession of the territorial officer. Mormons who had 24 hours before driven old man Bridger out and taken possession. Fort made by setting in the ground two parallel lines of high posts and filling in between with gravelly clay. The location commanded quite an extensive view of surrounding country. Here Bridger had established his trading post many years before his fort had been taken by the Mormons, with a goodly supply of merchandise selected for the Indian trade.
At 2 o’clock started put on the trail. Rainy and cold. At the end of about 8 miles drove into a deep gulch in a high ridge. Altitude 6,700 feet where there was good grass
and water. Camped. Pleasant at midnight. Range of snow-capped mountains on the south.
Sunday 28th:
8 o’clock A. M. Am sitting on the lee side of a large sage bush with a cold wind at my back. Cattle, sheep and horses feeding in the gulch and on its sides. The smoke from our camp fire rises perpendicularly to the top of the bluffs before catching the wind. Very little wood in sight except some pines near the snow belt. Drove to Muddy Fork 4 miles. Camped on a small bottom near a soda spring, deep and muddy giving out a sulphur smell. Rainy.
Monday 29th:
Started out early. Crossed a ridge 7,315 feet altitude.
Drove along the ridge to next summit and dined on the side.
Here found a camp of 40 Mormons out hunting Indians and to assist their emigrants. 40 more at Fort Bridger. In the afternoon crossed the summit 7,700 feet altitude. Highest point on trail of the Wasatch Mountains and the divide between the waters of the Colorado River and of the Great Salt Lake basin. Having driven 15 miles, camped on Sulphur Creek. Pleasant and cold.
Tuesday 30th:
Snow near by. Water in spring close to camp very cold from melting snow. Another very strong with sulphur. Coal near by. Oil spring reported to be about a mile away.
Wrote a short letter to father. Started on our journey crossing Bear River in the morning. Took our dinner in a small valley where we found the best grass since leaving Green River. Short drive today. More Mormons. Camped on a grassy bottom. Pleasant weather.
Wednesday 31st:
Our drive this morning is down Yellow Creek past some curious conglomerate bluffs. Dined at the foot of a steep grade which we surmounted in the afternoon and found quite a change in the landscape. Hills covered with grass, trees and shrubs the first since crossing the Missouri River. Showery. Camped in Echo Canon, opposite Cache Cave— ^a small oven like shaped cave in the sand rock bluff in which many a traveller had inscribed his name and we did likewise.