An excerpt from A.T. Thatcher's journal

from his trip to the

California Gold Rush in 1850

Just after sunrise we arrived at the ferry.  There were a dense crowd at the ferry and some had been waiting 24 hours and but little prospect of getting over as it seemed to them.  There were 4 boats, 3 in active opperation, good boats and well man'd, 2 of them belonged to Mormons from Salt Lake.  Mr. Jones went and interceded with the Mormons and by hook and by crook we were soon over.  One boat our wagon pas'd over in and another our horses.  We could look back upon that dense group of men and teams all headed one way anxious and eager to be traveling towards the land where they supposed their golden harvest laid.  But alas! deaths laid many of them in their graves before they obtained a dollar and many before they even saw the land.  13th travel'd by a poison spring, also an alkaly spring.  Campt near Willow Springs.  14 campt on the east side of Independence Rock.  This rock is on the N. side of the sweet water and a few rods from it.  It covers several acres of land and is 75 or a hundred ft. high.  There are hundreds of names upon this rock, put on with tar and wagon grease that will stand the weather until the owners are no more.  There is a place in the Mts. 4 miles west of the rock cal'd the devil's gate where the sweet water passes through this gap in the Mts.  Is quite a distance and is said to be 400 ft. nearly perpendicular...