ACT ONE

    “WESTWARD, HO!  Who wants to go to California?”  Eventually 87 men
women and children answered the Springfield Gazette ad, in 1846.  As  the
families prepare for their long journey from Illinois, they sing and dream of
their own Eden of the West,  ‘WESTWARD,HO!”. 

Not happy to be leaving her friends and family, Margaret Reed expresses
her fears  about the trip to her husband James. But he reassures her     that
Lansford W. Hastings has written the book  “THE EMIGRANTS  GUIDE TO
CALIFORNIA AND OREGON” which will guide them safely West.  Hastings
Appears to talk about himself and his book,  “LANSFORD  W. HASTINGS.”
 
George Donner is now given the honor of having the wagon train named
after him,   The Donner Party. Too excited to sleep that evening, the emigrants
begin a square dance, “ CALIFORNIA BOUND.”

Two weeks later, on the trail, Luke Halloran who is dying from TB joins the
Donner Party.

In order to save 500 miles, they claim, James Reed and George Donner
Convince the wagon train to take Hastings Cutoff.  Trapper Clyman  and
Edwin Bryant  try to forward messages to the wagon train, but the messages
were lost, and never delivered to James Reed.   

Just before leaving Fort Bridger, Virginia meets Charles T.  Stanton, who
teaches her the survival of a dessert  scavenger,  ‘THE BUZZARD”.  She also
meets Old Bill Williams, a scruffy mountain man who gives Virginia  a
souvenir for her trip, a turquoise rock, and he tells her that he is  just like
the rock,  “ROUGH ON THE OUTSIDE”.

As the Donner Party prepares to leave Fort Bridger, Bill McCutchen joins
the wagon train.   

It is their last chance to  change their minds, but the 87 pioneers take the
left  trail onto Hastings   Cut Off.  Only it wasn’t as Hastings had promised,
as the pioneers slashed, hacked, and cut their own road, through the
Wastach Mountains.

Reed and McCutchen ride on ahead in search of Lansford Hastings for
his guidance back onto the main trail.

(click to continue)