WEBVTT - The Wild West 8:  Transit

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<v Speaker 1>The eighteen forties brought forth a restlessness among Americans. Driven

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<v Speaker 1>by the promise of a more prosperous life, Countless settlers

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<v Speaker 1>embarked on treacherous journeys westward. Among all those pioneers, the

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<v Speaker 1>mention of one particular party always stands out, bringing chills

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<v Speaker 1>to those who hear the tale. The group derived its

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<v Speaker 1>name from George Donner, who set out from Springfield, Illinois

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<v Speaker 1>with his family and the Reed family in mid April

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<v Speaker 1>of eighteen forty six, heading towards California, and like other

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<v Speaker 1>wagon trains, they joined a larger party also heading west.

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<v Speaker 1>The first sign that things were about to go horribly

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<v Speaker 1>wrong happened in Wyoming. An experienced trail guide warned the

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<v Speaker 1>group about using a new shortcut they intended to take,

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<v Speaker 1>but the Donners in Reeds refused to listen, and that

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<v Speaker 1>caused a rift in the party. The two groups parted ways,

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<v Speaker 1>and the Donner Reed party set off toward the shortcut.

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<v Speaker 1>Shortly after another traveler got gave them the same warning. Unfortunately,

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<v Speaker 1>predatory business practices were common along the migration routes. A

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<v Speaker 1>local trading post operator, knowing both the dangers of the shortcut,

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<v Speaker 1>but also wanting to keep a steady flow of businesses,

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<v Speaker 1>had assured them that they were on the best route.

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<v Speaker 1>The pioneers took him at his word. The travelers learned

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<v Speaker 1>the hard way. New trails had to be carved out

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<v Speaker 1>and deep gorges had to be navigated with care. Even

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<v Speaker 1>as they slowly progressed, believing that things would eventually improve,

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<v Speaker 1>they faced even bigger difficulties on the trail ahead of them.

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<v Speaker 1>The path forward lacked water, and the group lost quite

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<v Speaker 1>a few oxen and other livestock, causing them to leave

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<v Speaker 1>behind wagons. In October, heavy snows blocked the path across

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<v Speaker 1>the Sierra Nevada Mountains, forcing them to make camp for

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<v Speaker 1>the winter. Nearly half of the party died from exposure

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<v Speaker 1>or starvation. Rescuers stumbled across a gruesome scene. The group

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<v Speaker 1>had taken to cannibalism to survive, but no amount of predators,

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<v Speaker 1>tretchist routes, or tales of tragedy could discourage the pioneer spirit.

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<v Speaker 1>The West was calling, so they would go there no

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<v Speaker 1>matter the cost. I'm Aaron Mankee, and Welcome to the

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<v Speaker 1>wild West. The West drew people like moths to a flame.

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<v Speaker 1>As Americans pushed further and further west. In the mid

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<v Speaker 1>nineteenth century, the allure of uncharted lands and better opportunity

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<v Speaker 1>beckoned pioneers from all walks of life. Families packed up

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<v Speaker 1>their belongings and embarked on long and dangerous journeys, seeking

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<v Speaker 1>to claim their slice of land and build a new future.

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<v Speaker 1>In the early nineteenth century, steamboats were the primary means

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<v Speaker 1>of travel and commerce, but as more frontiers opened up,

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<v Speaker 1>the wagon train became the icon of westward expansion and independence.

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<v Speaker 1>Missouri earned a reputation as the ideal starting point for

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<v Speaker 1>that westward migration. Merchants and tradesmen set up shops in

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<v Speaker 1>the town, offering travelers, wagons, draft, animals, and supplies. The

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<v Speaker 1>wagon train was a dynamic entity too, its size and

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<v Speaker 1>composition ever changing as the journey progressed. Families would join

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<v Speaker 1>or leave along the way, either merging with other trains

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<v Speaker 1>or striking out on their own. Now back then, there

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<v Speaker 1>were two types of wagons that were used for westward journeys,

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<v Speaker 1>the Conastoga wagon and the Prairie schooner. The Conastogo was

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<v Speaker 1>heavy duty and ideal for freighting, while the Prairie schooner

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<v Speaker 1>was lighter and more maneuverable, favored by immigrating families. Think

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<v Speaker 1>of the Conestoga wagon as the semi tractor trailer of

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<v Speaker 1>the wild West and the Prairie schooner as the station wagon.

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<v Speaker 1>Both required horses or oxen to pull them, though, and

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<v Speaker 1>could carry significant loads. Now, as you might imagine, the

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<v Speaker 1>westward journey was challenging. Wagon trains required leaders to ensure

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<v Speaker 1>order and coordination captain's life. Large groups decided routes, organized breaks,

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<v Speaker 1>and determined when to camp. The trouble was guidebooks were

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<v Speaker 1>not always reliable, so scouts and mountain men were often employed,

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<v Speaker 1>and wagon trains would vary in number, but twenty to

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<v Speaker 1>forty wagons was the easiest to manage. They traveled in

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<v Speaker 1>a straight line, formed a circle at night for protection,

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<v Speaker 1>and kept animals within the circle to prevent theft. The

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<v Speaker 1>wagon train symbolized hope, resilience, and the spirit of those

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<v Speaker 1>who sought a better life in uncharted lands. It represented

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<v Speaker 1>the unity of families and the courage to face the unknown. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>the first federally funded road, the National Road, had brought

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<v Speaker 1>some semblance of civilization to the west. The road stretched

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<v Speaker 1>from Cumberland, Maryland, to Saint Louis, Missouri. Don't think of

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<v Speaker 1>it as a highway like today, though. I mean it

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<v Speaker 1>was essentially a patchwork of sections built over decades, and

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<v Speaker 1>yet it served as a bustling highway for sprawling towns, villages,

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<v Speaker 1>and roadside establishments that provided respite for weary travelers. Travelers

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<v Speaker 1>had four main routes to the west coast. The Oregon

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<v Speaker 1>and California passages offered water and greenery, but they were

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<v Speaker 1>plagued by winter snow. The journey along the Old Spanish

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<v Speaker 1>and HeLa River trails had better weather year round, but

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<v Speaker 1>posed their own dangers, including extreme heat and long stretches

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<v Speaker 1>without water. But the Oregon routes probably carried the most risk.

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<v Speaker 1>The journey was fraught with diseases such as dysentery, cholera,

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<v Speaker 1>and smallpox. Accidents due to inexperience and exhaustion were just

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<v Speaker 1>as common, with unfortunate souls being crushed beneath wagon wheels

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<v Speaker 1>or accidentally shot to death. People in livestock frequently drowned

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<v Speaker 1>during river crossings, and yet the pioneers pressed on. They

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<v Speaker 1>left behind messages alerting followers to disease outbreaks, treacherous water sources,

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<v Speaker 1>and hostile Native American tribes. Dangerous, sure, but they all

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<v Speaker 1>shared the same vision, a land of riches looking back.

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<v Speaker 1>The spark that ignited this desire to move west occurred

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<v Speaker 1>in eighteen forty eight, when James W. Marshall stumbled upon

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<v Speaker 1>gold in the American River near Colomba, California. Despite attempts

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<v Speaker 1>to keep the discovery a secret, the news quickly spread,

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<v Speaker 1>unleashing a worldwide frenzy known as the California Gold Rush. Initially,

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<v Speaker 1>fortune smiled upon many as they mined streams and rivers,

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<v Speaker 1>but after a decade gold became more scarce. Disillusioned miners

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<v Speaker 1>set their sights on new horizons. In eighteen fifty eight,

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<v Speaker 1>a Georgian prospector named William Green Russell led a party

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<v Speaker 1>of adventurers to the Pike's Peak country of the Southern

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<v Speaker 1>Rocky Mountains. There they uncovered small deposits of precious gold dust.

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<v Speaker 1>The newspapers quickly dubbed the region the new El Dorado.

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<v Speaker 1>The call to action Pike's Peak or Bust, echoed across

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<v Speaker 1>the nation, and in the process, Colorado became host to

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<v Speaker 1>the second greatest gold rush in American history. A new

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<v Speaker 1>influx of fortune seekers raced to the area. Within a year,

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<v Speaker 1>the modest cluster of mud chink, log cabins and ramshackle

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<v Speaker 1>lean to is known as Denver, transformed into a vibrant settlement.

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<v Speaker 1>But the Rockies were aptly named, and it was only

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<v Speaker 1>a matter of time before disaster struck. It was too

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<v Speaker 1>good to be true. Back in eighteen fifty nine, the

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<v Speaker 1>discovery of gold and Cherry Creek near present day Denver

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<v Speaker 1>lured countless gold seekers to Colorado, but the San Juans,

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<v Speaker 1>with their towering mountains exceeding thirteen thousand feet, presented a

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<v Speaker 1>formidable challenge. The explorer John C. Fremont called them the highest,

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<v Speaker 1>most rugged, most impractical, and inaccessible of the Rocky mountains.

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<v Speaker 1>Surviving in this unforgiving landscape required skill and caution. Winter

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<v Speaker 1>could last up to nine months and brought the constant

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<v Speaker 1>threat of avalanches and rock slides. Navigating the conditions became essential.

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<v Speaker 1>Pack animals such as horses, mules, and burrows were relied

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<v Speaker 1>upon to transport supplies to high altitude claims along the

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<v Speaker 1>Coental Divide, and the perils of the terrain were relentless.

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<v Speaker 1>A single misstep could send a pack animal plummeting through

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<v Speaker 1>the snow, and sudden storms only added to the danger.

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<v Speaker 1>During winters, settlers and prospectors turned to skis as an

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<v Speaker 1>indispensable means of travel. There were other hazards too. The

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<v Speaker 1>sun's reflection off the snow could burn a traveler's eyes,

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<v Speaker 1>disorienting them. Miners resorted to blackening their faces or wearing

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<v Speaker 1>dark clothing as protection, while others shielded their eyes with veils.

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<v Speaker 1>Survival also became a group effort. Miners kept their cabins

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<v Speaker 1>stocked with provisions for stranded travelers during snowstorms. Essentially, it

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<v Speaker 1>was dangerous, but people adapted. The tragic news of unfortunate

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<v Speaker 1>accidents kept everyone from becoming too complacent. But when it

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<v Speaker 1>comes to human ambition versus the environment, nature is often unforgiving.

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<v Speaker 1>Such was the story of Alfred Packer. He was born

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<v Speaker 1>in Alleghany County, Pennsylvania, back in eighteen forty two. At

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<v Speaker 1>some point the family moved to Lagrange, Indiana, where his

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<v Speaker 1>father worked as a cabinet maker. Like other young boys,

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<v Speaker 1>Packer looked for a trade, becoming a shoemaker's apprentice. If

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<v Speaker 1>you want to conjure an image of him in your mind,

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<v Speaker 1>descriptions of him say that he had a fair complexion

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<v Speaker 1>and blue eyes. He wasn't particularly tall either, standing just

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<v Speaker 1>over five feet eight inches. As time passed, he suffered

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<v Speaker 1>from violent seizures, the symptoms of grandma epilepsy. Unfortunately, there

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<v Speaker 1>was no effective treatment. Despite this, when the Civil War

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<v Speaker 1>loomed on the horizon, he joined the sixteenth Regiment of

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<v Speaker 1>the US Infantry in April of eighteen sixty two. While

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<v Speaker 1>other men looked to avoid enlistment, Packer embraced the life

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<v Speaker 1>of a soldier, but those seizures earn him a disability discharge.

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<v Speaker 1>In late December of the same year. Undeterred, Packer enlisted

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<v Speaker 1>once again, this time in the eighth Regiment of the

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<v Speaker 1>Iowa Cavalry. He made unfounded claims of serving as a

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<v Speaker 1>scout for George Armstrong Custer, yet no evidence supports this.

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<v Speaker 1>His darker sidemmer during his time in Tennessee, and he

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<v Speaker 1>faced accusations of stealing from Nashville residents, But life in

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<v Speaker 1>the military wasn't to be. After his discharge in April

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<v Speaker 1>of eighteen sixty four, Packer ventured westward, working various jobs

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<v Speaker 1>to pursue his fortune. He was a harness maker, teamster hunter,

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<v Speaker 1>and wilderness guide. Each job required him to travel across

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<v Speaker 1>the rugged landscape, though he continued to grapple with his

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<v Speaker 1>debilitating epileptic Seizures and lead poisoning plagued him during his

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<v Speaker 1>copper mining endeavors in Bingham County, Utah, but Packer remained

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<v Speaker 1>resilient and he recovered by the fall of eighteen seventy three.

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<v Speaker 1>It was just in time, too, there was news of

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<v Speaker 1>silver strikes in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. You see,

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<v Speaker 1>it was at this fateful moment that he crossed paths

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<v Speaker 1>with Bob McGrew and George Tracy, two men preparing to

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<v Speaker 1>join a group bound for Colorado. Impressed by Packer's apparent health,

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<v Speaker 1>intelligence and claims of experience along their route, McGrew offered

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<v Speaker 1>him a place in their expedition, provided that he contributed

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<v Speaker 1>as a guide and helped with the horses and so

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<v Speaker 1>Magru Tracy, Packer, and sixteen others embarked on their expedition

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<v Speaker 1>from Bingham Canyon on November first. Along the way, Preston

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<v Speaker 1>Nutter and Oliver D. Lutzenheiser joined the group when one

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<v Speaker 1>of the men expressed concerns about their inadequate provisions. Packer

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<v Speaker 1>reassured him, claiming his familiarity with the terrain and ensuring

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<v Speaker 1>a trouble free trip of roughly four hundred miles in

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<v Speaker 1>just twenty days. But little did they know that their

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<v Speaker 1>journey would soon take an unimaginable turn. They carried hope

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<v Speaker 1>with them. The twenty one Explorers left on the treacherous

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<v Speaker 1>journey from Bingham Canyon to the San Juans in the

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<v Speaker 1>late fall of eighteen seventy three, but Alfred Packer's false

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<v Speaker 1>claims of experience led the men astray, and the party

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<v Speaker 1>quickly fell into misfortune and distrust. Packer's lack of competency

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<v Speaker 1>as a trail guid wasn't the half of it either.

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<v Speaker 1>He also squandered provisions and stole from other travelers. But

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<v Speaker 1>most unsettling to the group was their trail guide's fascination

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<v Speaker 1>with their financial assets. And yet despite it all, Magru

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<v Speaker 1>showed compassion for Packer and his struggle with epilepsy. Challenges

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<v Speaker 1>mounted as the journey progressed. Packer's lack of knowledge about

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<v Speaker 1>the Colorado terrain proved disastrous, exacerbating the scarcity of wild

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<v Speaker 1>game and the rapid depletion of their rations. Frustrations reached

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<v Speaker 1>a breaking point, and the desperate prospectors were left to

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<v Speaker 1>contemplate killing and consuming their own horses. Their dire circumstances

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<v Speaker 1>led them to the Chief Ourey's winter camp along the

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<v Speaker 1>Uncompagre River in January of eighteen seventy four. Offering shelter

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<v Speaker 1>and safety. The chief implored the prospectors to stay until

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<v Speaker 1>spring because of the dangers of winter travel in the area. Initially,

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<v Speaker 1>they heated his counsil and accepted the chief's hospitality, but

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<v Speaker 1>some of the men grew restless and decided to continue

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<v Speaker 1>their journey. Chief Ouray advised them about nearby outposts, warning

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<v Speaker 1>them of the hazardous routes, and shared information about a

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<v Speaker 1>cowcamp maintained jointly by the US government and the Ute tribe.

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<v Speaker 1>Despite the chief's repeated cautions, though the men dismissed his wisdom,

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<v Speaker 1>in early February, a small party led by Lutzenheiser broke away,

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<v Speaker 1>setting off on foot toward the cowcamp. Initially, Packer tried

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<v Speaker 1>to join them, but Lutzenheiser's distrust escalated to threats. He

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<v Speaker 1>even forbade Packer from following them. The group endured a

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<v Speaker 1>treacherous ordeal. Nonetheless, battling starvation and bitter cold, it took

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<v Speaker 1>them three weeks to reach the cow camp, and some

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<v Speaker 1>members teetered on the brink of death. Packer led a

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<v Speaker 1>second party of five men into the unknown. Ignoring Chief

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<v Speaker 1>Oui's warnings and drawing on his supposed knowledge, Packer guided

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<v Speaker 1>them across the snow covered mountains. Tragically, it would be

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<v Speaker 1>the last time anyone except Packer would be seen alive.

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<v Speaker 1>A month or so later, in late March or early

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<v Speaker 1>April of eighteen seventy four, a small band of utes

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<v Speaker 1>came upon a solitary white man camping by the Gunnison River.

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<v Speaker 1>Unbeknownst to the camper, the utes witnessed his every move.

0:14:13.120 --> 0:14:17.160
<v Speaker 1>They watched the man hastily discard an object into the river. Later,

0:14:17.320 --> 0:14:21.000
<v Speaker 1>that object was discovered to be a human arm. In

0:14:21.040 --> 0:14:23.840
<v Speaker 1>the harsh winter of eighteen seventy four, at the remote

0:14:23.880 --> 0:14:28.400
<v Speaker 1>Los Pinos Indian Agency near Koachitopa Pass, a shaggy, unkept

0:14:28.440 --> 0:14:31.560
<v Speaker 1>man stumbled upon the compound, and while he appeared like

0:14:31.600 --> 0:14:35.720
<v Speaker 1>any other weary traveler, something about him aroused suspicion. The

0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:39.000
<v Speaker 1>man identified himself as Alfred Packer and He said that

0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:42.240
<v Speaker 1>he'd been on a prospecting expedition with five others. The

0:14:42.320 --> 0:14:45.160
<v Speaker 1>men left him behind with a few provisions while they

0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:48.160
<v Speaker 1>went to find a settlement, but they never returned. He

0:14:48.240 --> 0:14:52.320
<v Speaker 1>bragged about surviving on rosebuds during his two month wilderness ordeal,

0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:55.920
<v Speaker 1>contradicting his well fed appearance. But it was here the

0:14:55.960 --> 0:14:59.960
<v Speaker 1>Packer's story really began to fall apart. Lutzenheiser's group Quinn,

0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:03.040
<v Speaker 1>incidentally arrived at Los Pinos around the same time, and

0:15:03.160 --> 0:15:06.400
<v Speaker 1>as you'd imagine, they had questions about their missing companions.

0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:11.200
<v Speaker 1>Seeking answers, the prospectors organized a search party. Along the way,

0:15:11.520 --> 0:15:15.080
<v Speaker 1>Packer's story changed. He claimed that one of his companions

0:15:15.120 --> 0:15:19.359
<v Speaker 1>had died due to starvation. Suspicion grew, and the expedition

0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:22.680
<v Speaker 1>was called off, sending Packer back to Suwatch, where he

0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:27.480
<v Speaker 1>was imprisoned. Not long after, though he escaped, The truth

0:15:27.560 --> 0:15:31.320
<v Speaker 1>unraveled when an artist on assignment for Harper's Weekly stumbled

0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:34.960
<v Speaker 1>upon the remains of the missing prospectors. The bodies showed

0:15:35.000 --> 0:15:39.240
<v Speaker 1>signs of violence, contradicting the original account. It would be

0:15:39.360 --> 0:15:43.200
<v Speaker 1>ten long years before authorities recaptured Packer, this time in

0:15:43.280 --> 0:15:48.200
<v Speaker 1>Wyoming during his transport back to Colorado, he provided another confession,

0:15:48.480 --> 0:15:51.800
<v Speaker 1>claiming a storm and lack of provisions drove the men

0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:54.800
<v Speaker 1>to desperate measures, and he admitted to killing a man

0:15:54.840 --> 0:15:58.400
<v Speaker 1>in self defense and then later eating the body to survive.

0:15:59.360 --> 0:16:02.400
<v Speaker 1>During the trial, well he was portrayed as a ghoulish fiend,

0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:06.520
<v Speaker 1>and the prosecution emphasized his violent behavior and greed. On

0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:09.600
<v Speaker 1>April thirteenth of eighteen eighty three, the court found him

0:16:09.600 --> 0:16:13.920
<v Speaker 1>guilty of premeditated murder. Judge Melville B. Jerry delivered the

0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:18.280
<v Speaker 1>grim verdict, condemning the Colorado Cannibal to hang just like

0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:21.880
<v Speaker 1>the Donners. Alfred Packer's story haunted those who set out

0:16:22.000 --> 0:16:26.160
<v Speaker 1>in an unforgiving landscape to seek their fortunes, and thanks

0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:37.680
<v Speaker 1>to his actions, he would never be forgotten. It was

0:16:37.760 --> 0:16:40.720
<v Speaker 1>never easy in the rugged and treacherous world of the

0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:44.600
<v Speaker 1>San Juans in the eighteen seventies, travelers faced significant risks

0:16:44.600 --> 0:16:48.119
<v Speaker 1>in their pursuit of gold and silver, withstanding the elements

0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:51.120
<v Speaker 1>and environment, met relying on others to come to their

0:16:51.160 --> 0:16:54.840
<v Speaker 1>aid if needed. The common need to survive instill the

0:16:54.880 --> 0:16:58.520
<v Speaker 1>sense of responsibility and trust among the miners, But Alfred

0:16:58.560 --> 0:17:03.640
<v Speaker 1>Packer's cannibalistic act shattered this trust, endangering the newcomer's fragile

0:17:03.680 --> 0:17:08.240
<v Speaker 1>control over their natural and social world. The case sparked

0:17:08.240 --> 0:17:11.720
<v Speaker 1>a series of legal appeals. Packer's lawyers argued that he

0:17:11.760 --> 0:17:14.640
<v Speaker 1>could not be charged under the new state laws since

0:17:14.680 --> 0:17:18.920
<v Speaker 1>the murders occurred before those laws were passed. Despite those appeals, though,

0:17:19.040 --> 0:17:22.160
<v Speaker 1>he was tried again in eighteen eighty five and found guilty.

0:17:22.400 --> 0:17:25.119
<v Speaker 1>He received the longest sentence ever handed down by an

0:17:25.160 --> 0:17:28.920
<v Speaker 1>American judge, as well a forty year imprisonment that likely

0:17:28.960 --> 0:17:32.840
<v Speaker 1>amounted to a lifelong sentence. Yet forty three year old

0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:35.879
<v Speaker 1>Packer refused to give up his fight for freedom. Something

0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:40.600
<v Speaker 1>totally unexpected happened. He gained public attention when a muckraking reporter,

0:17:40.960 --> 0:17:44.720
<v Speaker 1>Polly Prye, took up his cause. She championed his innocence,

0:17:44.840 --> 0:17:48.480
<v Speaker 1>highlighting character witnesses and appealing to the public sympathy for

0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:52.240
<v Speaker 1>his declining health. Packer suggested that his release could be

0:17:52.359 --> 0:17:56.480
<v Speaker 1>a profitable business venture, capitalizing on his associations with the

0:17:56.520 --> 0:18:00.280
<v Speaker 1>Wild West. Although he found some support, most residents of

0:18:00.280 --> 0:18:04.760
<v Speaker 1>the San Juans and other mountain communities strongly opposed Packer's release.

0:18:05.280 --> 0:18:08.639
<v Speaker 1>His guilt lay not in cannibalism, but in his betrayal

0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:13.200
<v Speaker 1>of the group's well being and the shared code of hospitality. Eventually,

0:18:13.240 --> 0:18:17.240
<v Speaker 1>though pressure from outside the Mountain communities led Governor Charles S.

0:18:17.320 --> 0:18:20.600
<v Speaker 1>Thomas to pardon Packer in nineteen oh one, he finally

0:18:20.600 --> 0:18:23.720
<v Speaker 1>gained his freedom, but it came at a cost. His

0:18:23.840 --> 0:18:27.560
<v Speaker 1>actions and reputation condemned him to an isolated life all

0:18:27.600 --> 0:18:30.639
<v Speaker 1>the way until his death in nineteen oh seven, but

0:18:30.720 --> 0:18:33.600
<v Speaker 1>stories like his and the Donners tend to live on.

0:18:34.160 --> 0:18:37.240
<v Speaker 1>Over time, Packer's name transformed from a symbol of horror

0:18:37.400 --> 0:18:40.960
<v Speaker 1>to an unlikely Western folk hero. In an unlikely twist,

0:18:41.119 --> 0:18:44.480
<v Speaker 1>the Colorado Cannibal became a source of pioneer pride, with

0:18:44.560 --> 0:18:48.680
<v Speaker 1>his name adorning various establishments and even a bust installed

0:18:48.720 --> 0:18:53.560
<v Speaker 1>at the Colorado State Capitol. Films, songs, and merchandise further

0:18:53.640 --> 0:18:58.120
<v Speaker 1>cemented his place in pop culture. In nineteen eighty nine,

0:18:58.320 --> 0:19:00.919
<v Speaker 1>Packer's supposed victims were exact doomed by a team of

0:19:00.920 --> 0:19:05.639
<v Speaker 1>forensic anthropologists led by James Starrs. The examination revealed extensive

0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:09.280
<v Speaker 1>evidence of violence and the removal of flesh from the bodies.

0:19:09.880 --> 0:19:13.600
<v Speaker 1>Most intriguing, the cut marks on the victim's backs, suggested

0:19:13.600 --> 0:19:15.920
<v Speaker 1>that the killer did not want to face them directly

0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:20.280
<v Speaker 1>during the gruesome act. Stars concluded that Packer was the killer.

0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:26.280
<v Speaker 1>Innocent or not, the story remains complex and unsettling. Either way,

0:19:26.600 --> 0:19:29.000
<v Speaker 1>it's a reminder of just how fragile our trust in

0:19:29.080 --> 0:19:40.000
<v Speaker 1>others can be, especially in times of survival. I hope

0:19:40.000 --> 0:19:43.280
<v Speaker 1>you enjoyed today's exploration of just how difficult the westward

0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:45.959
<v Speaker 1>journey was in the early days of the Wild West.

0:19:46.200 --> 0:19:49.320
<v Speaker 1>The risks they took, the pain they suffered, all of

0:19:49.359 --> 0:19:52.000
<v Speaker 1>it represented the costs they had to pay for a

0:19:52.080 --> 0:19:55.600
<v Speaker 1>new chance at a better life. But Alfred Packer and

0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:58.840
<v Speaker 1>even the Donners before him, weren't the only travelers worn

0:19:58.920 --> 0:20:02.000
<v Speaker 1>down by their journey. In fact, we've saved one more

0:20:02.040 --> 0:20:04.680
<v Speaker 1>tale of difficult travels, and if you stick around through

0:20:04.720 --> 0:20:08.200
<v Speaker 1>this brief sponsor break, my teammates Ali Stead will tell

0:20:08.240 --> 0:20:09.320
<v Speaker 1>you all about it.

0:20:15.720 --> 0:20:21.360
<v Speaker 2>George Washington Bush led an extraordinary life filled with daring escapes, courage,

0:20:21.640 --> 0:20:24.320
<v Speaker 2>and a quest for a better future. He was born

0:20:24.320 --> 0:20:27.000
<v Speaker 2>in the late seventeen nineties to a British West Indies

0:20:27.040 --> 0:20:31.520
<v Speaker 2>sailor of African descent and an Irish American servant. Little

0:20:31.560 --> 0:20:33.800
<v Speaker 2>is known about his early years, and what we do

0:20:33.960 --> 0:20:37.479
<v Speaker 2>know is that his Pennsylvania upbringing embraced the Quaker faith's

0:20:37.600 --> 0:20:41.960
<v Speaker 2>rich traditions, leaving him hungry for knowledge and adventure. His

0:20:42.080 --> 0:20:44.560
<v Speaker 2>search led him across the country, where he spent time

0:20:44.560 --> 0:20:47.119
<v Speaker 2>in the fur trade, and, like many men of the period,

0:20:47.200 --> 0:20:49.959
<v Speaker 2>he served in the military. Some even say he might

0:20:50.000 --> 0:20:51.920
<v Speaker 2>have fought in the Battle of New Orleans during the

0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:55.920
<v Speaker 2>War of eighteen twelve. Following the war, Bush was fascinated

0:20:55.960 --> 0:20:59.440
<v Speaker 2>by the world of fur trappers and voyagers. He joined

0:20:59.480 --> 0:21:02.760
<v Speaker 2>several ex peditions with esteemed companies like the Robudoux and

0:21:02.840 --> 0:21:06.240
<v Speaker 2>the Hudson's Bay Company. For a time, these travels took

0:21:06.320 --> 0:21:10.280
<v Speaker 2>him to the wild western plains and across towering mountain ranges.

0:21:10.640 --> 0:21:12.960
<v Speaker 2>At some point, the call to adventure might have taken

0:21:13.040 --> 0:21:16.360
<v Speaker 2>him all the way to the Puget Sound region. Over time, though,

0:21:16.400 --> 0:21:18.920
<v Speaker 2>he became tired of trapping, or maybe he just wanted

0:21:18.920 --> 0:21:21.800
<v Speaker 2>a change of pace. He settled the Missouri, becoming a

0:21:21.840 --> 0:21:25.480
<v Speaker 2>farmer and rancher, But life in the Midwest wasn't what

0:21:25.600 --> 0:21:30.520
<v Speaker 2>he'd hoped. Racism was a constant challenge. It didn't take

0:21:30.560 --> 0:21:33.600
<v Speaker 2>long for tales of the Oregon territory, with its plentiful

0:21:33.640 --> 0:21:37.920
<v Speaker 2>resources and boundless opportunities to captivate him. As he worked

0:21:37.920 --> 0:21:40.399
<v Speaker 2>in his fields and fed the cattle, he began to

0:21:40.440 --> 0:21:44.960
<v Speaker 2>imagine a new life on the West coast. Bush's longtime

0:21:45.000 --> 0:21:47.800
<v Speaker 2>friend Michael Simmons, also had his eye on the West coast,

0:21:48.040 --> 0:21:51.040
<v Speaker 2>and before long a few other families mentioned they were

0:21:51.040 --> 0:21:54.679
<v Speaker 2>thinking about moving. As plans began to come together, they

0:21:54.720 --> 0:21:57.520
<v Speaker 2>decided to call it the Simmons Party. Although the two

0:21:57.520 --> 0:22:01.480
<v Speaker 2>men would share leadership responsibilities. Bush had more money than

0:22:01.480 --> 0:22:03.960
<v Speaker 2>his fellow travelers and might have supplied the wagons for

0:22:04.000 --> 0:22:07.240
<v Speaker 2>the journey. It said that his wagon contained a false

0:22:07.280 --> 0:22:11.160
<v Speaker 2>floor where he hid his silver dollars. The Oregon trail

0:22:11.280 --> 0:22:13.760
<v Speaker 2>was treacherous, to say the least, and there was safety

0:22:13.760 --> 0:22:16.760
<v Speaker 2>in numbers. The Simmons Party joined up with another larger

0:22:16.880 --> 0:22:20.000
<v Speaker 2>wagon train, and the journey westward began in May of

0:22:20.040 --> 0:22:24.600
<v Speaker 2>eighteen forty four. The two thousand mile long trip took

0:22:24.680 --> 0:22:28.200
<v Speaker 2>many months, finally arriving at the Dales late that year.

0:22:28.760 --> 0:22:32.000
<v Speaker 2>Every one was filled with hope except the Bush family.

0:22:33.200 --> 0:22:35.359
<v Speaker 2>See Oregon prohibited black settlers.

0:22:35.600 --> 0:22:38.520
<v Speaker 3>It was a white's only territory, and any one who

0:22:38.520 --> 0:22:41.520
<v Speaker 3>broke that law would receive thirty nine lashes with a whip,

0:22:41.880 --> 0:22:45.480
<v Speaker 3>and not just once either. They'd be publicly beaten every

0:22:45.560 --> 0:22:49.040
<v Speaker 3>six months until they left. While that law was never

0:22:49.160 --> 0:22:52.960
<v Speaker 3>upheld and would much much later be repealed, the Bush

0:22:53.000 --> 0:22:57.000
<v Speaker 3>family took no chances. Instead, they decided to continue up north,

0:22:57.200 --> 0:23:00.600
<v Speaker 3>crossing into British Territory. Although they were hi white and

0:23:00.680 --> 0:23:03.680
<v Speaker 3>could have stayed put, the Simmons party chose to settle

0:23:03.720 --> 0:23:06.679
<v Speaker 3>near their friends and made the journey with them. The

0:23:06.680 --> 0:23:10.679
<v Speaker 3>party befriended the Nisqually tribe, even learning to speak their language.

0:23:11.000 --> 0:23:13.959
<v Speaker 3>Winters were hard, but the group quickly settled into their

0:23:14.000 --> 0:23:17.360
<v Speaker 3>new community. At long last, Bush and his family had

0:23:17.400 --> 0:23:20.480
<v Speaker 3>finally found the life they'd been searching for. Their farm

0:23:20.520 --> 0:23:23.920
<v Speaker 3>had acres of fruit trees, and he was becoming successful.

0:23:24.560 --> 0:23:27.720
<v Speaker 3>The two families erected a gristmill, allowing everyone to grind

0:23:27.760 --> 0:23:30.280
<v Speaker 3>their own flour, and set up a sawmill not too

0:23:30.359 --> 0:23:33.600
<v Speaker 3>long after. When others came to the area, Bush treated

0:23:33.600 --> 0:23:36.199
<v Speaker 3>them with the same generosity and acceptance he and the

0:23:36.200 --> 0:23:39.479
<v Speaker 3>Simmons party had received. But the racism that Bush had

0:23:39.600 --> 0:23:43.000
<v Speaker 3>escaped eventually caught up with him, nearly costing him his

0:23:43.119 --> 0:23:47.240
<v Speaker 3>claim on the farm he'd worked so hard for. Fortunately,

0:23:47.440 --> 0:23:51.440
<v Speaker 3>his reputation and the kindness he'd given others swayed legislators

0:23:51.520 --> 0:23:55.240
<v Speaker 3>to make an exemption. In eighteen fifty four, they unanimously

0:23:55.320 --> 0:23:59.200
<v Speaker 3>voted to grant special permission for George and Isabella Bush

0:23:59.280 --> 0:24:03.400
<v Speaker 3>to contind you owning their own property. In eighteen fifty six,

0:24:03.480 --> 0:24:06.040
<v Speaker 3>the couple continued to serve the community by providing the

0:24:06.040 --> 0:24:10.480
<v Speaker 3>first mower and reaper and more farm equipment down the line. Sadly,

0:24:10.720 --> 0:24:14.560
<v Speaker 3>a brain hemorrhage ended George Washington Bush's life on April

0:24:14.560 --> 0:24:18.639
<v Speaker 3>fifth of eighteen sixty three. An untimely death may have

0:24:18.720 --> 0:24:21.040
<v Speaker 3>taken him too soon, but the heart of his story

0:24:21.040 --> 0:24:24.360
<v Speaker 3>lives on. It stands as a testament to the resilience

0:24:24.400 --> 0:24:27.800
<v Speaker 3>and courage that defined the pioneers who ventured westward along

0:24:27.840 --> 0:24:31.639
<v Speaker 3>the Oregon Trail. It also celebrates the diverse individuals who

0:24:31.720 --> 0:24:36.440
<v Speaker 3>helped carve the foundations of the American West.

0:24:37.640 --> 0:24:40.840
<v Speaker 1>Grimm and Maud Presents The Wild West was executive produced

0:24:40.840 --> 0:24:43.679
<v Speaker 1>by me Aaron Mankey and hosted by Aaron Mankey and

0:24:43.800 --> 0:24:47.800
<v Speaker 1>Alexandra Steed. Writing for this season was provided by Michelle Mudo,

0:24:47.960 --> 0:24:51.760
<v Speaker 1>with research by Alexandra Steed, Sam Alberty, Cassandra de Alba,

0:24:51.960 --> 0:24:55.360
<v Speaker 1>and Harry Marx. Fact Checking was performed by Jamie Vargas,

0:24:55.440 --> 0:24:59.480
<v Speaker 1>with sensitivity reading by Stacy Parshall Jensen. Production assistance was

0:24:59.520 --> 0:25:04.040
<v Speaker 1>provided by Josh Thain, Jesse Funk, Alex Williams, and Matt Frederick.

0:25:04.359 --> 0:25:06.640
<v Speaker 1>To learn more about this and other shows from Grim

0:25:06.680 --> 0:25:12.760
<v Speaker 1>and Mild and iHeartRadio, visit Grimandmild dot com