Features From the Stacks: Harrowing story comes to life in historical fiction In 1846, a large party of emigrants left Springfield, Illinois, for a new life in California. The farther they went, the more perilous their passage became. by Courtney Waters - For the News Tribune Jul. 24 2021 @ 11:05pm In 1846, a large party of emigrants left Springfield, Illinois, for a new life in California. The first part of their journey went more or less as planned with few casualties. The farther they went, however, the more perilous their passage became. The routes at the time took groups of settlers over dangerous mountain passes, across raging rivers, and through the dry and deadly salt flats near the Great Salt Lake. Tales of shortcuts passed from party to party but were largely theoretical and potentially more dangerous than the established routes. This particular party, however, followed the established Oregon Trail until they got to the Rockies, at which point they decided to split into separate groups. One of these groups would eventually become cemented in history as the ill-fated Donner Party.