William Thacker & Rachel Tonks

WILLIAM THACKER & RACHEL TONKS

In l856, William and Rachel embarked on the ship, Amason. We landed at Philadelphia after six weeks on the ocean. We spent a little over 4 years in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  During this time, William and Rachel worked at a bucket factory.

In the spring of l861, we started on the trip to Utah in wagons with oxen to pull them. The Captain's name was Joseph Horne. The teamster's name was Charley Cowley. They were both fine, good men. We had plenty to eat all the time. I remember the horsemen chasing the antelope and other wild game. There were herds of buffalo. I remember seeing these people, men and women, wade the river; some holding to each other's hands. They would sing as they walked along. Mostly the Mormon hymns. Father had an old musket he used to carry with him. One day he killed a Prairie Dog and we cooked it. It was good meat. One day Father was walking along as usual and he saw what he thought was a bunch of mushrooms. He took them to camp and cooked them. We all ate some except the baby; and were all very sick. But the Elders administered to us and we vomited them up and were all soon well again. Just as we were starting out, the United States officers took charge of Father and was going to draft him into the army; but the emigrant agent got him free and we were all very thankful. We traveled on an average of fifteen miles per day. Some days we would lay over for washday, and to rest the oxen and cows as well as the people. Mother had a nursing baby. She was a very fleshy woman and couldn't walk very much. The rest all walked most of the time. I walked some, but not much. The last day's travel was Emigration Canyon. Soon after leaving the head, we could see down through the mountains and see the Salt Lake, and how the people did cheer! That night we reached Salt Lake City. 

Excerpt from William Timothy Thacker's autobiography about 1940.