Author Archives: Side Job

George Donner wasn’t a reckless man; he was a successful, well-regarded farmer from Illinois, the kind of patriarchal figure people trusted. That’s why, in the spring of 1846, dozens of families elected the 62-year-old as their captain for the trek west to California. His journey began with optimism, wealth, and three fully stocked wagons—a trueContinueContinue reading “The Donner Party and the Shortcut to Death”