Donner State Park is more than a memorial to that tragedy

The visitors center at Donner Memorial State Park delves into history beyond the tragedy of that crossing. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

You know how you have places you want to visit, but you keep putting it off? The Donner Memorial State Park visitor center is now checked off my “to visit” list.

Unfortunately it took me 10 years for me to get there. I have no good excuse for the delay.

My friend, Denise, covered it for Lake Tahoe News at the time. She also wrote about it on her blog.

I don’t have a lot more to share beyond what she has written, other than to say it’s worth going to. Being right off I-80 it’s easy to get to when in the Truckee area, and it certainly is not that far of a drive from the South Shore.

I’m sure many people believe they know enough about the Donner Party. That may be true, but I’ve always found that there is some nugget to discover about a topic I think I’m well versed in.

I learned about the attempted rescues, how help was limited because so many were fighting in the war between the U.S. and Mexico.

I suppose I should not have been surprised to learn that some people profited off the tragedy.

“Despite winter storms, several rescue parties trudged toward Donner Pass. The desire to help motivated some. Others wanted the Donner Party’s wealth and property,” a display reads. “In one case, Tamsen Donner paid two men $500 to rescue her children. The men abandoned the girls after a few miles and left with the money.”

Until now I had never equated the journey of these pioneers to the migration of immigrants today.

Doesn’t the above sound like what some of the “coyotes” do to those trying to cross the southern border?

The monument for pioneer families was unveiled in 1918. Donner Memorial State Park has more than 3,500 acres and is one of the oldest state parks in California. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Another display reads: “The 2,500-mile journey took them beyond flooded rivers, windswept plains, stark deserts, and steep mountains. If they had stayed on the main emigrant trail, their dreams might have come true. Instead, they tried an unproven shortcut. That decision led to the nightmare they suffered.”

This struck a chord with me. These were immigrants. They were leaving hardship in search of dreams in a far off land. After all, California was not yet a state when the Donner Party began crossing the Sierra in 1846.

These migratory souls like the ones of today were willing to put their lives on the line in search of a better way of life.

The United States has been that beacon on light, the land of opportunity, the country where dreams come true. I hope that light is never extinguished.

The museum also talks about the contribution of the Chinese to the local area, in particular for building the railroad. Native people are also part of the exhibit.

Repeatedly I was reminded how Indigenous people were here first and that immigrants built this country.