An excerpt from William Clayton’s booklet, “The Latter-day Saints’ Emigrants’ Guide,” 1848.

William Clayton accompanied Brigham Young in the first wagons to reach Salt Lake in 1847, making detailed notes about the route for those to follow. He compiled those notes into a twenty-four-page booklet, published in St. Louis, that served as the authoritative trail guide for later wagon and handcart companies along the Mormon, Oregon, and California trails. The booklet noted the locations of water, campsites, timber, and other trail features.

Citation Information
Clayton, William, excerpt from “The Latter-day Saints' emigrants' guide,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/bf445667bfca7887b064dcc5a2d23889.
Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.
Courtesy of Brigham Young University - Harold B. Lee Library via Mountain West Digital Library.

Tips for Students

For this source, consider:

  • the author's point of view
  • the author's purpose
  • historical context
  • audience