The Lost 49ers
Christmas Eve 1849 wasn’t merry for the Bennett-Arcan party. Their wagons sat broken at Furnace Creek, oxen dying in the brutal desert heat.
These gold seekers had followed a fake shortcut map instead of staying with their guide Captain Hunt. Two men, William Manly and John Rogers, walked nearly 300 miles to find help.
They returned 26 days later to rescue the survivors. As they escaped, someone called out “Goodbye, Death Valley.
” Here’s how desperate pioneers named America’s hottest place, now a national park you can visit.
107 Wagons Set Out From Salt Lake City With Big Dreams
Gold fever grabbed hundreds of pioneers who met near Salt Lake City in fall 1849.
They formed seven groups with 107 wagons led by Captain Jefferson Hunt, who charged $10 per wagon to guide them on the Old Spanish Trail.
The group left Hobble Creek near today’s Provo on October 9, after writing their travel rules just days earlier.
The Donner Party deaths from 1846 were still fresh in their minds, making this southern route seem safer than crossing the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains.
A Hand-Drawn Map Changed Everything
On October 22, pack train leader Orson K. Smith rode into camp waving a rough map.
The shortcut, drawn by former trapper Elijah Barney Ward, claimed to cut 500 miles off their trip to California’s goldfields.
Hunt told the group he’d never heard of this route and doubted any white man had actually traveled it.
He was already annoyed after fixing problems at Beaver River, and many travelers started to question if he knew what he was doing.
The Pioneers Split Up At A Tiny Utah Settlement
Most of the 107 wagons chose to follow Smith’s pack train west, while only seven wagons stuck with Hunt’s southern route.
This split happened at what’s now Enterprise, Utah in early November, where the Jefferson Hunt Monument stands today.
The shortcut-takers soon hit a big problem: Beaver Dam Wash, a huge canyon with 1,000-foot cliff walls. Most got scared and 80 wagons rushed back to rejoin Hunt on November 7, but 27 wagons pushed ahead.
Wandering Lost In Unknown Territory
The remaining group picked Jim Martin as their new leader and headed north to find a way around the canyon.
Scout William Manly soon realized they were actually going back toward Salt Lake City and convinced Martin to turn west. They met up with a group of men calling themselves “The Jayhawkers” who joined them.
The combined group spent several days finding a wagon route around the canyon before passing through what’s now Panaca, Nevada.
Arguments Led To Another Split In The Desert
Near Groom Lake, after two months of aimless wandering, the group fought about which way to go. The Bennett-Arcan Party wanted to head south toward Mt. Charleston for clean water, while the Jayhawkers pushed to go southwest.
Both groups were saved from dying of thirst by a surprise snowstorm in the desert. They eventually found their way to what’s now Death Valley Junction before entering the valley that would soon get its grim name.
Christmas Eve Brought No Joy At Furnace Creek
The tired travelers reached Travertine Springs near today’s Furnace Creek on December 24, 1849. They had crossed desert for about two months since leaving the Old Spanish Trail.
Their oxen could barely stand from hunger, their wagons were breaking down, and the people were worn out and losing hope.
The massive Panamint Range mountains blocked their path like a wall stretching north and south as far as they could see.
Desperate Choices Tore The Group Apart
The Jayhawkers headed northwest toward Towne Pass near today’s Stovepipe Wells but found it too steep for wagons.
They made the tough choice to leave their wagons, kill several oxen for food, and cross the mountains on foot. The Bennett-Arcan party with 5-7 wagons and families with children couldn’t follow.
They tried to get through Warm Springs Canyon but failed and had to return to the valley floor, running very low on supplies.
Two Men Volunteered For A Suicide Mission
As 1850 began, the Bennett-Arcan party sent William Lewis Manly and John Rogers on what looked like a suicide mission. The two men left with just two weeks of supplies and $30 in their pockets.
They thought the Panamint mountains were actually the Sierra Nevada and hoped to return quickly.
Manly climbed what’s now called Manly Beacon and looked across Death Valley through his spyglass but saw no easy way out. Their rescue trip would cover nearly 300 miles of unknown wilderness on foot.
The Rescue Journey Crossed Harsh Mojave Desert
Manly and Rogers walked almost 300 miles to Mission San Fernando, crossing the rough Mojave Desert. They got supplies from Mexican ranchers at Rancho San Francisquito near today’s Newhall.
With their new horses and a one-eyed mule, they turned around and headed back to the trapped families.
Along the way, they passed strange-looking Joshua Trees that the families later called “Cabbage trees” because of their odd shape.
The Heroes Returned After A Month To Find Survivors
After 26 long days, Manly and Rogers made it back to find the camp looking empty. Manly fired his rifle in the air, and families came out of their wagons.
Sarah Bennett yelled “The Boys Are Here, The Boys Are Here! ” Only one person from the Bennett-Arcane group had died during the month-long wait.
Several other survivors had given up and left to find their own way out.
Just two families remained: the Bennetts (Asabel, Sarah, and three children) and the Arcans (John, pregnant Abigail, and their son Charlie).
Someone Said “Goodbye, Death Valley” As They Left
On February 11, 1850, Manly and Rogers led the remaining families out of the valley.
As they left the desolate place behind, someone reportedly said “Goodbye, Death Valley,” giving the area the name it bears today.
The Bennett-Arcan party finally reached Rancho San Francisco on March 7, 1850, ending their four-month ordeal.
This amazing rescue ranks as the fifth most heroic deed in California history, saving two families from certain death in what became known as the most forbidding place in America.
Visiting Death Valley National Park
You can explore Death Valley’s 49er history by entering at Death Valley Junction via CA Highway 190 to Furnace Creek. Pay the $30 vehicle fee at visitor centers for seven days access.
Start at Furnace Creek Visitor Center for 49er exhibits and ranger talks, then visit the Death Valley 49ers Gateway Historical Marker at CA-190 and Badwater Road.
Hike Golden Canyon Trail to see Manly Beacon, named after rescuer William Lewis Manly.
This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.
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