The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party's 1844 expedition was the first successful wagon crossing of the Sierra Nevada. This achievement is attributed to the collective leadership of several key individuals with diverse skills and unwavering resilience in the face of significant challenges.

This week we crack open the Survivors & Heroes Expedition, which launches on Monday, September 29th from Donner Memorial State Park at 7am. For five days the six-member expedition team will ride and run for 120 miles, Donner Lake to Auburn, CA, retracing the hoofprints and footsteps of the advance party which come from the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party in November 1844. They were called the Horseback Party of Six.

Be sure to follow the Survivors & Heroes Expedition beginning Monday, September 29th at 7am with their live tracker whose link can be found on their website or their History Expeditions Facebook group.

History Expeditions

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Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum

The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party's 1844 expedition was the first successful wagon crossing of the Sierra Nevada. This achievement is attributed to the collective leadership of several key individuals with diverse skills and unwavering resilience in the face of significant challenges.

This week we cover the Survivors & Heroes Expedition. For the past twelve months, six adventurers have been living and breathing 1844. Their preparation reads like a graduate-level history seminar crossed with extreme sports training. Beginning September 29th, these endurance athletes will attempt something that's never been done: a 135-mile horseback crossing of the Sierra Nevada following the exact route of the 1844 Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party's "Horseback Party of Six". Yes, the same route that included two brave women, Elizabeth Townsend and Ellen Murphy, who chose to ride through winter wilderness rather than stay with the main wagon train. We hope you enjoy!

History Expeditions Website

Our Youtube Channel

Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum

The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party's 1844 expedition was the first successful wagon crossing of the Sierra Nevada. This achievement is attributed to the collective leadership of several key individuals with diverse skills and unwavering resilience in the face of significant challenges. In this episode we highlight six figures whose contributions in terms of decisiveness, communication, and grit were crucial to the party's triumph.

In this episode, we explore the lasting legacy of the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party after their 1844 overland journey to California. While their pioneering trek opened the West to thousands, their true impact unfolded after their arrival. From founding towns and shaping early politics to igniting California's agricultural economy and supporting education, these trailblazers—especially the influential Murphy family—played a vital role in building the foundations of modern California. Discover how their courage, vision, and community spirit helped shape the Golden State and the American West.

Interested in learning more? Read the full story here!

History Expeditions Website

Our Youtube Channel

Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum

The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party's 1844 expedition was the first successful wagon crossing of the Sierra Nevada. This achievement is attributed to the collective leadership of several key individuals with diverse skills and unwavering resilience in the face of significant challenges. In this episode we highlight six figures whose contributions in terms of decisiveness, communication, and grit were crucial to the party's triumph.

When the men of the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy party reached Sutter's Fort in mid-December
1844 they thought their 2,000 mile journey from Missouri was almost over. Joining the six
members of the party who had reached the fort on horseback a week earlier, they planned to get
supplies and go back into the Sierra Nevada to rescue the rest of their party. But it didn't quite
work out that way.

Interested in learning more? Read the full story here!

History Expeditions Website

Our Youtube Channel

Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum

Welcome to episode 7!

In late 1844, the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party was forced to make tough decisions when snow trapped them near Truckee Lake in the Sierra Nevada. With limited oxen and supplies, 17-year-old Moses Schallenberger, along with Allen Montgomery and Joseph Foster, stayed behind to guard abandoned wagons while the rest of the group continued on.

Interested in learning more? Read the full story here!

History Expeditions Website

Our Youtube Channel

Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum

In late 1844, the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party became the first to bring wagons over the Sierra Nevada. Exhausted, they established a winter encampment on the Yuba River. Facing snow, dwindling food, and separation, they endured starvation and hardship until a rescue in early 1845 brought them to safety.

Interested in learning more? Read the full story here!

History Expeditions Website

Our Youtube Channel

Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum

In November 1844, the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party became the first to haul wagons over the Sierra Nevada, overcoming snow, exhausted oxen, and a ten-foot granite wall using ropes and teamwork. Their success opened the California Trail, proving wagons could cross the mountains and paving the way for future westward migration.

Interested in learning more? Read the whole story here

History Expeditions Website

Our Youtube Channel

Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum

In 1844, six pioneers from the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy wagon train became the first non-Indigenous people to cross the Sierra Nevada via the Truckee River corridor. Guided by Washoe people and driven by necessity, their journey shattered gender stereotypes and debunked myths of lone heroism. Their success opened a vital route for future emigrants and highlighted the crucial role of Indigenous knowledge and collaboration in westward expansion. Their legacy endures as a testament to courage and cooperation.

Want to learn more? Read about the whole story here!

History Expeditions Website

Our Youtube Channel

Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum