Part I: The Donner Party Story You Haven’t Heard Before

Bay Curious

KQED

Places & Travel, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 29 October 2020

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

You probably know the broad strokes of the Donner Party Saga: In 1846, a group of migrants traveling to California got stuck in a surprise October snow storm. After exhausting all their resources, they turn to cannibalism to survive. It's a grisly tale ... but the way it's often told is incomplete. We’ll delve into the details many leave behind. This is part one in a two-part series. Part two follows the Donner Party survivors after they escaped the mountains, and explores the fallout for the entire state of California. Find it now in the Bay Curious podcast feed. Additional Reading: Part I Endless Winter: A Fresh Look At The Donner Party Saga Part II: Surviving the Donner Party -- California, Gold and Lifelong Secrets Reported by Carly Severn. Featuring the voices of: Lina Blanco, Gabe Meline and Mike Hanlon. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Rob Speight. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Michelle Wiley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	From K-QED.
0:06.0	I was in middle school when I first heard about the Donner Party.
0:10.0	And like most kids, I was particularly interested in the ghoulish cliff notes.
0:16.0	A group of migrants traveling to California get stuck in a surprise October snowstorm, then eat each other to survive.
0:27.0	It's an eerie tale.
0:32.0	Even if these days you only know the Donner Party for the cannibal punchlines.
0:36.0	But if you've ever been over Donner Pass near Lake Tahoe, you'll know.
0:41.0	This infamous disaster happened not so far from our home in the San Francisco Bay Area.
0:47.0	That's what made this big curious listener reach out to us with her question.
0:51.4	My name is Afifa Twill,
0:53.1	and I want to know how the Donner Party impacted the Bay Area.
0:56.8	This story is a big one, so we've got a two-parter for you.
1:01.2	In this episode, Part 1, we'll learn what happened to those 81 people up in the mountains,
1:08.4	where hope turned to misery, and misery became desperation.
1:13.0	We'll also uncover a part of the story that you may not have heard about.
1:18.0	I'm Olivia Allen Price and you're listening to Bay Curious.
1:29.0	Support for Bay Curious is brought to you by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, still family owned, operated, and argued over.
1:32.0	Explore their brews wherever fine beverages are sold. owned, operated, and argued over.
1:32.6	Explore their brews wherever fine beverages are sold,
1:35.8	and taste how trailblazing runs in the family.
1:38.9	Visit Sierra Nevada.com
1:40.7	to find your new favorite beer today.
	...

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