Donner party was a group of settlers who became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada, a mountain range in eastern California, in the severe winter of 1846-1847. Of the 81 members of the party, only 45 survived. They took shelter in log cabins and crude constructions of canvas and tree limbs. When their food ran out, they ate their animals, including bones and hides; twigs; and leather. Finally, some of the settlers ate their dead companions.
Brothers George and Jacob Donner, their acquaintance James Reed, and their families prepared in 1846 to emigrate to California for its mild climate and economic opportunities. The families and some hired workers formed a wagon train of 31 people. The group, including numerous livestock, left Springfield, Illinois, in April and headed west. Others joined them along the way.
In late October, the party reached a pass (now Donner Pass) in the Sierra Nevada, but a snowstorm had closed the pass. Some settlers were stranded at Truckee Lake (now Donner Lake) and others nearby at Alder Creek. In December, 15 members of the party set out to get help. Eight of them died, but seven got through and sent back rescuers. In February 1847, the rescuers brought the remaining survivors to safety. Donner Pass lies 7,088 feet (2,160 meters) above sea level, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of Reno, Nevada.
