Sweetwater Crossing

Above: The carved stone honors the young men who on November 4, 1856 carried those too tired or cold across the Sweetwater River.

The Sweetwater crossing is one of the spiritual activities that takes place on Trek. When the rescuers arrived to bring the suffering members of the handcart companies to safety, they determined that they should move them from the intense cold and exposure of Fort Seminoe to the more sheltered place now named Martins Cove. When they arrived at the river, many of the company, remembering the earlier crossing of the freezing, ice filled North Platte River simply sat down, too tired and fearful to cross. Many who had crossed the North Platte had fallen ill and some had died from the wet and cold.

Young men from the rescue party including George W. Grant, C.A. Huntington, David P. Kimball and Stephen W. Taylor began to carry the women and children across the freezing river. They would make the journey may times before all had crossed to the other side.

Above, a view from the middle of the bridge over the Sweetwater River.

The place where trekkers cross is called the "silent" crossing (at the top of the image). At this place, Trekkers re-enact the crossing with the young men carrying the young women across the river. You may also pull your handcart across the river.

Our group is crossing the Sweetwater at the silent crossing. There is a great opportunity to strengthen your testimony and feel the spirit by considering the sacrifice and suffering experienced by the pioneers and the service performed by their rescuers.

Above: This is the view from the other side of the "Silent" crossing on the Sweetwater River. The river is approximately knee deep and provides a cool refresher from the heat of the day.