- George Donner
George Donner (1784? – March 1847) was the leader of the
Donner Party , a group of 87 California-bound American settlers who became snowbound in theSierra Nevada in the winter of 1846–1847, resulting in the deaths of nearly half of the party and forcing some of the survivors to cannibalize the bodies.Birth
George Donner, born around 1784 in
Salem, North Carolina , was the third child and eldest son of George Donner (c1752-1844) and his wife Mary (c1755-1842), whose maiden name was probably Huff. George had three sisters and three brothers, one of whom, Jacob (c1789-1846), accompanied him on his fateful journey to California.Marriages
*Susannah Holloway on
12 December ,1809 inJessamine County, Kentucky . They had the following children: Mary Donner aka Polly; William Donner, Elizabeth Donner; Sarah Donner; Susannah M. Donner; and Lydia Donner.
*Mary Blue Tennant on10 June ,1829 inSangamon County, Illinois . They had the following children: Elitha Cumi Donner; and Leanna Charity Donner.
*Tamsen Eustis on24 May ,1839 inSangamon County, Illinois . They had the following children: Frances Eustis Donner; Georgia Ann Donner; and Eliza Poor Donner.Donner party
George, a prosperous farmer of German descent, lived just outside
Springfield, Illinois . On April 14, 1846, he, his brother Jacob, andJames F. Reed , along with their families and hired hands, set out forCalifornia in covered wagons. Three months later, at the Little Sandy River in southwestern Wyoming, several wagon trains regrouped and George was elected to lead a newly formed company, which thereafter was known by his name: the Donner Party.Death
George died at his camp in the Alder Creek Valley in
Nevada County, California in March 1847.Descendants
*Elitha Cumi Donner (1832-1923). She married a Wilder and died on
July 4 ,1923 ; and was buried in Elk Grove Cemetery inSacramento, California .External links
* [http://www.utahcrossroads.org/DonnerParty New Light on the Donner Party] by Kristin Johnson, a recognized authority on the ill-fated wagon train; features accurate biographical information, a chronology, primary documents, and much more.
* [http://www.donnerpartydiary.com/ The Donner Party] Dan Rosen's website features a comprehensive chronology of the disaster and much additional material.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
