The Baker/Fancher Wagon Train

The wagon train known as the Baker/Fancher wagon train was assembled in Carroll County, Arkansas in spring 1857.
The wagonmasters were Captain Alexander "Piney Alex" Fancher, experienced and trail-savvy, making his third trip to California.
This trip was special for him as he had along his own family, a wife and seven children, with plans to make California their new home.
Second wagonmaster was John T Baker, traveling with two grown sons, George and Abel, and George’s family.
Also from Carroll County were the Mitchells, Bellers, DeHazo, Prewit, Camron, Dunlap and Cecil families.
From Marion County came another family of Dunlap’s, along with the Woods and Wilsons.

From Johnson County came Jones, Tacket, Huff, and Miller families. The Sorrells and the Wassons joined soon after they left Carroll County.. Others joining enroute were the Mortons, Haydons, Hudsons, Stevensons, Hamiltons, and Smiths.
The Eatons joined the train in Missouri.

There were a couple of babies born along the way but I don’t know to which families.
There was a doctor, a Methodist minister and several hired hands to act as drovers, hunters and guards. Among the men were several who had served with the Arkansas Militia, sharpshooters, armed with Kentucky Longrifles, the most accurate weapon of the day.
This fact would prove significant at Mountain Meadows.

This was one of the finest trains to ever cross the Plains. These people were well-heeled and educated. They carried with them fine possessions in the way of wagons and household belongings. There were even three finely decorated carriages for some of the ladies. Brigham Young later be seen parading around Salt Lake City in one of these wagons.
But their finest possession was 800-1000 head of cattle which they planned to sell in California. The combined wealth of the train has been estimated to be $70,000.00. That’s a huge sum in 1850 Dollars.

A large wagon train is living dynamic entity, with people leaving the train and new people joining in all along the route. It made sense to travel with a group for protection, but some would drop behind or drop out entirely.
A group from Missouri joined up with the train somewhere along the Plains. This group was not so “Genteel” and became known as “The Missouri Wildcats”.

A widow, Mrs. Sally Cecil, traveling with her nine children left the train because she felt the rowdy Missourians would surely cause trouble.

As they neared Utah the two groups began to drift apart, the “Wildcats” arriving in Great Salt Lake City a day ahead of the Baker/Fancher’s.

William Aden, an artist from Tennessee who had been sketching in the desert joined the train in Provo. Read William Aden's story....