Pioneers

I ponder now and think about,
Those hardy pioneers.
Who braved the wilds of wilderness,
And fought the pangs of fears.

How every heart was laiden,
With tragedy and woe.
How they tried to live in places,
But were always forced to go.

Their truths within the gospel,
Were a very treasured part.
And the will to bear it onward,
Was strongly bound at heart.

They left their home and ventured,
With the magnitude of test.
And were guided by kind Providence,
To the valleys of the west.

Out there among the mountains,
With thanks unto their God.
They made the lovely fragrant rose,
To bloom on barren sod.

E.P. 1908 - 989

Our friend, Michael Robertson, overlooking City of Rocks National Reserve in Almo, Idaho.

By 1843, the trail through the City of Rocks was officially known as the California Trail, and the area became a landmark for emigrants to mark their progress as they neared their final destinations.

"We encamped at the City of the Rocks, a noted place from the granite rocks rising abruptly out of the ground. They are in a romantic valley clustered together, which gives the appearance of a city." James Wilkins, one of the first wagon travelers through the area in 1849.