About the Pioneer Dataset

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Brief History of the Dataset

The period of Latter-day Saint (or “Mormon”) overland trail migration, or pioneer trek, is generally defined as beginning in 1847 and ending in 1869 with the completion of the transcontinental railroad. In the fall of 1845, Church leaders began to plan the Saints’ departure from Nauvoo and westward migration. Their efforts would culminate with the arrival of the Brigham Young Vanguard Company to the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847 and would continue for twenty-two years until 1869, with more than 250 organized Latter-day Saint companies making the journey. After 1869, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who were traveling to Utah generally came by rail. It is difficult to identify the exact number of individuals who came to Utah, because not all wagon and handcart companies turned in a company roster. We estimate that approximately 65,000-70,000 individuals traveled to Utah between 1847 and 1869.

Companies were organized according to the “word and will of the Lord,” as received by President Brigham Young (Doctrine and Covenants 136). Brigham Young appointed captains of hundreds, fifties, and tens. Church historian Chad Orton noted in Revelations in Context, “the revelation helped transform the westward migration from an unfortunate necessity to an important shared spiritual experience.” Each company had rules for the journey that were usually conveyed by the company’s leadership.

Emigration methods continually evolved over the twenty-two years. Leaders organized independent wagon and handcart companies; however, many individuals and families also joined wagon freight trains delivering goods to Utah. Handcart companies, devised as a more economical means of travel and used between 1856 and 1860, represented a relatively small number of groups. Of the more than 250 organized Latter-day Saint pioneer companies that came to Utah, only ten were handcart companies, consisting of approximately 3,000 individuals.

From 1861 to 1868, as the transcontinental railroad neared completion, down-and-back wagon trains became the primary method for gathering individuals to the Salt Lake Valley. As the railroad came closer to Salt Lake, teamsters from the Salt Lake Valley filled wagons with supplies, driving east to outfitting posts in Wyoming and then leading companies of emigrants on the remainder of emigrantsontheremainderof their journey into the valley.

The following resources can provide more information about the pioneer migration experience:

• Ask Us: Top Five Reference Questions about Pioneer Day
• International Pioneers’ Experiences: The Pioneer Database
• Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company
• Pioneer-Era Journals Research Guide
• Pioneer Poetry at the CHL
• The Church History Biographical Database (Formerly the Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database)
• Think you know pioneer history backwards and forwards? These 3 facts will make you think again
• Who’s That Pioneer?: Reconstructing a Life Using the Church History Library
• Woman’s Exponent – Pioneer Day!

Research Process for Collecting the Data

Church History Library historians began collecting data about Latter-day Saint pioneers as early as the 1980s. By examining primary sources such as company rosters, trail diaries, autobiographies, newspaper articles, local Church records, and other contemporaneous documents, historians were able to group individuals into distinct pioneer companies, identify company captains, and determine when and where each company began its overland journey, creating database entries for each individual and company. In some cases, they were also able to identify additional traveling groups and leadership roles beyond the company captain. Although this initial research uncovered many pioneer names, significant gaps remained.

Church History Department historians also worked to systematically create database profiles for Latter-day Saint pioneers who arrived in the Utah Territory in a known year, but whose specific pioneer company remained unidentified, placing them in the “Unknown Company (Year)” organization. To accomplish this, they examined Church census records and cross-referenced land and deed information from the Salt Lake Valley, along with consulting local directories and other research sources. If an individual’s year of travel was also unknown, their profile was placed in the “Unknown Companies (1847–1868)” organization.

In 1998, the Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel database was introduced as a digital research resource available to Church History Library visitors. In 2004, the widely used tool was released online, expanding access to researchers around the world. It was renamed the Pioneer Database in 2018 and later integrated into the Church History Biographical Database in 2021.

Today, the Biographical Databasecontainsapproximately60,000pioneer profiles. Historians estimate that between 65,000 and 70,000 Latter-day Saint pioneers migrated to the Utah Territory between 1847 and 1868. We recognize that some individuals remain unidentified or unlinked to the database, and our research team continues to search for and verify as many pioneers as possible.

Collections Used to Compile the Data

• Brigham Young office files, 1832-1878 (bulk 1844-1877) (CR 1234 1)
• Census returns, 1856 February (MS 2929)
• Consecration deeds, 1854-1867 (CR 5 53)
• General Tithing Office tithing labor time books, 1850-1854 (CR 104 28)
• General Tithing Office tithing labor time books, 1854-1865 (CR 104 27)
• Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company financial accounts, 1849-1886 (CR 376 2)
• Record of members collection, 1836-1970 (CR 375 8)
• Utah Territorial census, 1851 (MS 2672)
• Utah Territory census schedules, 1850-1860, 1870 (MS 9234)
• Utah 1856 territorial census index (929.3792 J13u 1983)