First Relief sets out for the Donner Party

Background. The Donner Party, delayed by a multitude of mishaps, spent the winter of 1846–1847 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada. Rescuers from California attempted to reach the migrants, but the first relief party did not arrive until the middle of February 1847, almost four months after the wagon train became trapped. Seven members of the ill-fated party had earlier staggered into Johnson's Ranch in 1847, seeking help for those left in the snowbound Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Expedition Details. The first rescue party comprised seven men, among them Daniel Rhoads, who is identified in a statement regarding the relief of the Donner Party as a member of that party. On February 18, 1847, the seven-man rescue party scaled Frémont Pass, now Donner Pass. As they neared where Eddy had told them the cabins would be, they began to shout. The party was dismayed to find that the first cache station had been broken into by animals, leaving them without food for four days.

Historical Context. Johnson's Ranch was the first settlement reached by emigrant trains using the Emigrant Trail. It was originally a Mexican land grant awarded to Pablo Gutiérrez in 1844. After Gutiérrez's death, the property was sold to William Johnson, who built an adobe house in 1846. This ranch served as a base for survivors seeking help for those left in the snow.