13 members of Murphy Family of Weakley County join Donner Party.
Weakley County’s connection to the ill fated Donner Party of 1846
By MaryCarol
I took the following photos summer of 2003. The Murphy Family traveled from what is today Reno, Nevada, along the Truckee River. Near the eastern shore of todays Donner Lake, they used the boulder above for one side of their make shift cabin. The huge boulder allowed them to build a fireplace and to provide insulation. Today this boulder has a bronze plaque in it with all the names of the Donner Party….MaryCarol
| DONNER LAKE – Along side Hwy 80 between Sacramento and Reno. |
| DONNER LAKE – covered train tracks |
| Path to MURPHY Cabin |
| Donner Party PLAQUE |
| Donner Party Plaque – MURPHY family noted with red * |
| Murphy Family Cabin – FRONT view |
| Murphy Family Cabin – LEFT view |
| Murphy Family Cabin – RIGHT view |
| Lavinah MURPHY’S lavender flowers |
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| MONUMENT to imigrants – 22 ft high snow mark |
| CABIN SITE built 1844, before the Donner Party and used by one Donner Party family |
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| SNOW – Still around the Murphy Cabin April of 2002 – plus icey stream. |
| Tombstone of Sarah MURPHY FOSTER – Ft. Bragg, California + ground Plaque. |
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| Beautiful Old Photo of MARY MURPHY COVILLAUD & husband, Charles Julian Covillaud, with 2 of their children. Photo courtesy of Charlotte Couillaud of France and the Couillaud family. Thank you, Charlotte! |
