Location:
Ash Hollow
(South side of the North Platte River)
Distance: 646 miles from Nauvoo

Ash Hollow, its original beauty ruined by thousands of passing emigrants, was noted by countless diarists. Many commented that Sioux Indians often were at the site and in September 1855 General William S. Harney's troops won a significant victory over the Sioux in the Battle of Ash Hollow. Ash Hollow also was a significant cholera graveyard during the gold rush years.

William I. Appleby

August 24, 1849

"Ten and a half miles traveled today; roads quite good; pasture but middling; weather continues hot. Encamped opposite to Ash Hollow on the banks of the north fork of the Platte. I was busy preparing dispatches for the city in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake to send by Brother Campbell. Near by where we encamped were the bones of Indians, sculls, buffalo robes, etc., supposed to have died of cholera last spring and the flesh eaten off by the wolves."

(William I. Appleby, Journal, 24 August 1849, as printed in the Journal History, 29 October 1849, HDC.)

Wilford Woodruff

August 5, 1850

"The first division left according to counsel, though with great reluctance. I spent the day at Ash Hollow mending waggons. We had good Cold spring water in this Hollow which was a great Benefit to the camp As most of the water we had to drink on the way was either slew [slough] or Platt[e] water And seemed to be unhealthy."

(Wilford Woodruff Journals, 5 Aug. 1850, HDC.)

Journal photographs courtesy of Infobases, Inc. [an error occurred while processing this directive]