The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers led by George Donner—who became stranded en route to California in late 1846. The party was trapped by exceptionally heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada, and when food ran out, some members of the group reportedly resorted to cannibalism of those already dead. It was the worst disaster of the overland migration to California.The following panels in the museum provide details to the Donner’s plight.
The Washoe natives
The Chinese
Chinese immigrant workers were crucial to the building of the Transcontinental Railroad.
