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Hosting us this evening. A big round of applause. [applause] some great partner ships with them over the year and. How many of you is your first time here . Okay. Thats a great sign. Those who just raised your hand please come back and visit the place. All great exhibitions. Those who did not raise your hand you know what a special place this is in our community on. June 6th, the annual she tack would event is coming back, if you dont know what it is, its living history, people and usually academics bringing history to life. This is years theme is the chisolm trail. Its free and open at the think. At tulsa history. Org. If you have not been there before, check it out. If you have been you know how great it is. A couple of other fun thing is wanted to mention. Thank you to friends at the barbecue for all the beautiful ribs. [applause] and we have a lot of fun things this year. Dont want to go through the whole list. You can find out more at book smart tulsa. Com. Everything from David Sedaris and we hope youll stay tuned. The biggest thing is were opening a new book store in downtown tulsa. And its got magic city books and going to be around the corner of archer and detroit in the brady art district. We hope to see you there were doing great events leading up to them. Every book you purchased tonight was purchased through magic city books so youre not just buying a great book, youre supporting a local business and supporting a nonprofit venture. So thank you for that. I talk about shataqyu i. If heat had the chance to know Michael Wallis and had times to break bred with him break bread with him which is a treat because you can dive deep into the amazing brain and hear wild exteriored about this youthful misadventures in new mexico and writing about these great characters and bringing them to life, and we have hear about this donor party book. He would say im working on a donner party book and you would say when is this book coming . We know that such a fascinating topic the hands of such a talented i writer, its going to be something quite special. Theres a microphone next to me. The reason why this is here is because whether you knew it or not, youre on National Television right now. We have cspan booktv right behind us there. And they are filming this. Which is quite an amazing thing. This event will be broadcast live throughout the country not live broadcast through the country no pressure we couldnt be more thrilled to have them here with us tonight, but we dont usually have this theatrical setup but when its time to ask question i ask you to come up the side and come to this microphone and then exit that way so youre not cutting in front of the camera there. So, we are thrilled and having a human crowd here a huge crowd here, too, sometimes going to a book signing its note the best place, but we couldnt do what we do without you guys coming out here. Michael writes books and we do events and you guys are the readers and the people that support what we do. So thank you to you guys for coming out and doing this weapon appreciate you guys. Thank you. [applause] i would like to introduce our good friend and someone who has such an important part of this community, this state, and this nation, for what he provides to us. Lets give a big tulsa welcome to our special guest, mr. Michael wallis. [applause] you always have to be marketing. Good evening. My friends. And fellow lovers of literature, history, the American West, and stories told, bold and true. Although i was a crack shot more than a half century past, while serving as a u. S. Marine infantryman i no longer have any need nor desire to possess a gun. However, with that said, it is important that this evening i take up an imaginary weapon and shoot squarely in the head of the proverbial elephant in this room. Cannibalism. Consider the ultimate abomination, just the mere thought of cannibalism brings up horrific images, along with insist and bestiality its one of the great cultural taboos and that is why when people hear the words, the donner party, cannibalism predictably the first thing that comes to mind. Most people if they heard of the donner party they invariably reply perspective Something Like, the donner party. Werent those the pioneers who got trapped in a blizzard in the mountains and ended up eating each other . It is true that if not for the acts of survival cannibalism the donner party would have been a mere footnote. One of the many wagon caravans of settlers that crossed over the high sierras of california. But thats not the case. Its indisputable that some members of the snow bound donner party in order to survive, did in fact resort to cannibalism of the dead, that dreadful winter of 18461847. As a result, basic human curiosity in the lure of the morbid have always drawn people to the story. Possibly comes from a yearning empathize with someone elses suffering. Some may find nourish nourishment in the dark. Rickburn said the cannibalism becomes like the barker outside the tent. Its what helps you bring people into the story but you end up telling them a story, once inside, thats actually quite different from that the barker has led people to believe, which is a story of really kind of infinite pain and sorrow and not a exterior story of immorality and ghoulishness but a story of suffering and survive in the face of adversary, its a story that ended for those who perished in the snowy mountained but fors it was the beginning of a new life. The fact is that survivors, desperate and delirious from star vision and hypothermia, were forced to consume the flesh of the dead out of sheer necessity, and thats only a small part of the story. There is so much more. No matter if they lived or died, everyone who was a part of that journey were forever guaranteed a place in annals of American History. Among the more than 300,000 people in the mid1800s who in the words of the old frontier saying, were willing to cross heaven to get to the Promised Land of california and oregon, no single wagon train garnered as much attention as the juan that ultimately became known as the donner party. Their travels and travails are considered the best documented and famous of all the pioneer narratives. Yet, their story has always been snarled in myth, exaggeration, and often outright lies. This book tells the complete story, and not just the obvious. This is the story of that band of people with no moses or job joshua to lead them in their quest to remake themselves in a new place on the distant edge of the continent. A story of missed opportunitiess and unspeakable honors as well as realized dream and human triumphs. Full of what ifs, maybes, could have businesses, and if onlies. It tells of how they died but more importantly tells the story of who they were and how they lived and how they came to end up in the predicament that haunted the survivors the rest of their lives. This story symbolizes both americas westwards expansion and the Frontier Foundation myth. It is a story of the foibles and follies of manifest destiny, the widely held belief that the United States had been mandated by god almighty to embark on a mission to expand to spread the government and way of life across the rest of the continent. The movements name came from a catch phrase, a new york publishers coined the rallying cry in an editorial, when he proclaimed that it was by the right of our manifest destiny to overspread and to the whole of the continent which providence has given us for the depth of the great experiment of liberty. And that, my in friends, is why the donner story is relevant today as we now witness similar attitudes, and valuable lessons of history being ignored and the sins of the past repeated. Then, as now, we see the danger of a lethal combination of ignorance and arrogance. A frightening reminder of what could be. This is also a story that has been told and retold as both gospel truth and camfire yarns. Like most good stories it has changed with each telling. But now its my turn. And it all begins with the land. It starts on the endless prairies of illinois, on the prairie carpet and the rich soil beneath that was the flesh of the earth. In april, 1846, a company of expatriates, the early foot soldiers of map fest destiny that came to be commonly nope in American History as the donnerreid party. Departy springfield, illinois, headed for the mexican province of alta, california. Like so many more to come they were also inspired to head west by the promise of a richer life offered by americas grand expansionist movement. The america they were leaving behind in 1846 was a nation of some 20 million people, including indians and others, held in bondage as slaves. Plantationsplantationsplantatiol dominate bid the fast pace of growth was transforming the landscape, the surge of cities, the stirring of industry and the rush of transportation and commerce marked the times. There was no Holding America back in 1846. The nation beings fictionalled on extending its borders. It was a watershed area, said the late, great ben understand devoto and would later call it the year of decisions. And indeed it was, and not all those decisions proved wise. America was changing from struggling new nation into the new bully on the block. The sovereign nation of texas was annexed the year before and became a slave state. America wanted more. Present day california, arizona, new mexico, nevada and utah. So the nation, leafed by the bellicose and landhungry president james k. Polk, known to be single minded and fanatical in the purpose of acquire thing west went to war with mexico. The u. S. Lost to 2,000 men in action and more from disease but got all the land. Some political leaders, such as the Young Abraham lincoln, new Whig Congress momentum front illinois and a friend of the donner party bleeped the content of the Country National character was changed and for the worse. But some of lincolns acquaintances back in springfield did not share those feelings. As more than a million starving refugees from irelands potato blight and killing famine came to america, thousands of americans experienced a different sort of hunger. Theirs was an appetite for land and opportunity. A wave of people, including the band of citizens who gathered in springfield, were eager to become part of what they thought to be a grand adventure. But donner partys collective dream, however, marked into a collective night nightmare when because of poor timing, terrible advice, and even worse weather, only part of those who started the journey reached their final destination. After becoming snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountains near the border of arent day nevada and california, the party soon ran out of food and ultimately resorted to feeding off the flesh of their dead companions and family members in order to survive. Again, its this aspect of the Donner Party Story that make is grotesquely fascinated and why ill city looms large in american folk lo rethe donner partys fate while chasing their fantasy and americas continental dream high lyinged the aim business is in, physically, ruthlessness spanned by manifest destiny. And this way, then, the donor party becomes a metaphor for manifest destiny and a microcosm of the United States, which at the time was busily consuming other nations, mexico, and indian tribes, standing in the way of westward migration. That meant that we had the potential to consume ourselves. This is a gothic talesent on the american frontier draws real parallel when individuals consuming flesh and the desire of a country to consume the continent, and in truth this party of trailweary pioneers became victims of their own ambition. When there are many reasons why the story of the donner party is a tale of tragedy and misfortune. One explanation thats hassenning ford is that the members of the group lost all notion of their sense of plate. Lie the multitudes that soon followed the donner party believed the west would soon become the most american part of america. That is to say the part those feet the part where those features that distinguished america from europe comes out in the strongest relief. Decade after the drama of the donners played out, british historian, lord james bryce observed, the west may be called the most distinctly american part of america, because the point in which it differs from the east are the points in which america as a whole differs from europe. That statement perfectly fits the members of the donner party. Yet, perhaps, Wallace Stegner said it best no place is a place until things that have happened in it are remembered in history, ballad, yarn, legend, monuments. History was part of the baggage we threw overboard when he launched ours in the new world. We threw it away because it recalled old tyrannies, old limitations, obligations and bloody memories, plunging into the future through a landscape that had not history, we did the country and ourselves some harm along with the good. Personal motives of the immigrants varied. Some planned to build permanent homes or farms but others hoped to enhance their fortunes and then return east. For you of the younger single mensah the journey into the unknown as the adventure of a lifetime. To bulk of the donner party lift the country of the fathers to dwell in the land they sincerery believed their children were destined to inherit. They were living examples of those who lived in the future and make their country as they good along. Often the voices of the donner party survivors are not heard because people continue to ignore what those voices actually said. There is so much more to this story than the often told and misinterpreted tales of death and cannibalism. Their legend is a long and complex story of how a group of people, from varied backgrounds, stratified in age, wealth, education, and ethnicity, headed west following different dreams. Out of necessity, they were made to unite and battle against the unknown, weather, nature, and finally, life and death. If not for a few wrong turns, the choice of bad directions and a winter storm the likes of which had never been seen, the donner party would have been an unremarkably successful wagon train but as it happened it became a lesson of what can happen when everything goes wrong. A cautionary tale of manifest destiny and an unforgettable camllty. It backs a story of madness, murder, love, hate, and survival, they the american dream, sometimes nightmare of are the consequence, and now, my good friends, a few spoonfuls. I must tell you, ive become very good friends with some of the donner party descendents, the very active and actually large group, a very bright people, varied as their ancestors, and all of them possess a great sense of humor. Which i think is sometimes necessary. The first spoon. Comes early in at the start a chapter entitled queen city of the trails. May 10 to 12, 1846. On may 10th, the donnerreid wagons rolled into the bustling Jackson County seat of independence, missouri. And it was a sabbath and no doubt prayers of thanksgiving were raised. At last, after 25 days of travel, they had arrived at the place where they believed their grand adventure would start. Beginning with the lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804 mod played a key role in western expansion. Fur trappers and traderred helped st. Louis become known as the gate away of the west. St. Charles, later part or kansas city, became popular parting points for emigrants who settle the expanse between missouri and the pacific. Yet independence deserved special credit for missouri having earned its distinctive moniker, ive got a ive got my own do rag. Right here. Im kind of like a politician. It just rolls off me. [laughter] no more interruptions. It was matter of geography, founded in 1827 a few miles from the south bank of the Missouri River the farrest point the seem beats could navigate. I it was the epicenter. Wagon trains dud nod leave until the middle of may when to there was enough green grass to provide pasturage for animals. The original town site was the eastern terminus for the santa fe,s oregon, and california trails thats why independence has all its own. Queen city of the trails. Chief among the caravan supporters were was james maxie, james reids masonic brother, who ran a general store in independence. Maxie and his business partner, william s. Stone, were delighted to sell fresh good tuesday familiar faces. Reid later noted that maxie and stone treated us as if we were brothers. When the wagon caravans reached independence Public Square, the emigrants were astounded to find by what they beheld. They were assaulted by the smells of toiling men and overworked beasts, fresh manure, tobacco and wood smoke, and many exotic aromas they could not place. The dirt streets steam evidence with people speaking spanish, german, italian and indian languages, including osage, choctaw and chickasaw. The town of independence was at this time a great babble bon the border of the wilderness is how immigrant Jessie Quinn Thornton described independence in may 1846. Thornton and his wife were eager to leave the United States and move to what was soon to become oregon territory. He had been practicing law and editing a newspaper in missouri. Because of their staunch abolitionist views, thornton and his life left pro slavery missouri in 1841 and moved across the mississippi to quincy, illinois, where he continue his work as a lawyer. Thornton corresponded regular live with influence sat newspaper editor Horace Greely and mad a close relation with senator benton and steven douglas, political rival of abraham lincoln. On april 18, 1846, just a few days after the donner party left springfield, thornton and his infirmed wife set out for independence with her noble greyhound, prince darko, and two young hired men to handle their wagons. Most of the emt grants had already departed, thornton wrote. Where an even larger caravan awaited them later the kansas river. Certain advice made good sense. We agreed that they would all meet again soon. And then the read and don our family continued their inspection of independence. The panorama was nothing like they never seen on the Public Square in springfield the fact that the many immigrant wagon trains. They have just arrived after 46 days on the santa fe trail. After three weeks on the trail they were especially excited among those in independence who took notice of the donner in reed family arrival. He was starting a twomonth adventure that he described as a tour of curiosity and amusement in the rocky mountains. Destined to become one of the historians as a result of his experiences in the American West he published in 1849 the oregon trail. The sketches of prairie and rocky mount life. The book, despite the most distal leading misleading title inspired many people to move westward and have a profound impact on generations of readers. The clamor of the town square was enough to give margaret read one of her crippling migraines. The parties campsite with was not far away at the public spring. For as long as anyone could remember the many springs in this area have provided portable water. In any travelers who dared to venture from the land. By sunrise on may 12 the donner reed camp was stirring. He bit his ailing mother and sister farewell. They have gone all the weight from springfield. It was almost time for them to go home. They would ride with the wagons away and then they would have east to illinois the departure from independence was emblazoned and the memories the many members of the party. As we drove up main street drove up main street waved us a lighthearted goodbye. And as we approach the american track society. They put into the hands of each child a new testament and gave them. We parted from there and took a last look at independence and turned our backs to the morning sun and became pioneers indeed. To the far west. Much later on in october from a chapter called snowbound november 1846 death no longer startled the party but it continued to stock them in california. Now death tracked them from the gulf of it last the tidewater glaciers. That spelled spilled onto the coastal plains. As clouds grew and low pressure strengthened the dread stream was forged south along the coastline. Clouds loaded with moisture rolled over see inshore and the storm punched to the east cascading over the coastal ranges. It climbed the highest cascading over the coastal ranges. It climbed the highest the temperature was below freezing changing it to icy droplets. The crystal soon turned into snowflakes and a furious list that reduced the heaviest snowfalls. One such star would have made the crossing over the sierra challenging but possible. That was not the case in the autumn of 1846. Starting on october 16 much earlier in the season than usual a large snow storm struck snowstorm struck the crs. Another big one soon followed. Between mid october and early april 184710 major snowstorms descended on the sierras. Each storm brought huge snowfalls. It was almost in november when the first two parties almost two thirds of the company approached the lake later named donner lake. It was called the gem of the sierras it was slightly less than 3 miles long and about three quarters of a mile wide. By snowmelt in numerous creeks and springs it was at the foot of the east flank of the sierras. An almost vertical massive wall of a smoothly rounded granite boulders to enter the Promised Land the immigrants had to ascend more than 7,000 feet to see mont pass. It was less than 90 miles away. The remnants of an early snowfall remain. They were confident that it would not last. Even blizzards where they came from and the midwest. Until the next star. But the weather system in illinois missouri or kentucky were not the same as in the high sierras where fierce storms could come in rapid succession and with a vengeance. And finally im going to conclude with the prologue of this book. Donner lake june 6, 1918 on an unseasonably hot thursday morning below the crest of the Sierra Nevada into valley sculpted by ancient glaciers a cloud of 3500 people gathered for a ceremony to unveil a towering granite monument. The 18ton bronze statue depicts a Pioneer Family facing the mountain that needed to be cross before striding boldly into the future. It sits atop a 22foot tall pedestal the same height as those winter snows of 1846. That came as silently as a serial killer. On this very ground one stood the cabins that sheltered the trapped immigrants and what came to be known as the donner reed party. The day before many of those were treated to a crowd banquet although it was not stated in newspaper reports. Many believed this event will help restore the names and reputations of both those who perished in those who survived that terrible winter see more than 70 years before. The audience of dignitaries reporters and visitors from afar now await the unveiling of the monument dedicated to the pioneers who crossed the plains to settle in california. There is a band music provided by that native sons of the golden west. Followed by speeches from the governors of california and nevada. And then the onlookers erupt in thunderous applause. They pull the drape off of the grant bronze statue. Below the monument standing with the notables our special guest of honor three old women wearing their sunday best. They are survivors. They were fighting to stay alive. Frozen and famished. In famished. They huddled together day after day week after week for long hard months while the snow kept coming and almost all hope was gone. They were here when there was no more game no more oxen or horses to eat. They were here when they and their families the via road mice and chewed on boiled hides. And then they ate their pet dogs. Finally, they watched as others cut flushed from the dead and eight members of their families and their friends. Now they are back. Representing the eight remaining survivors from that horrific time they gave far beyond the crowd before them. They look out to where the launch pool poke out and the bedrock is exposed by erosion and time. They see the meadows were buttons, spoons remain deep in the earth. They do not cry all other tears are gone used up over the years while they grew up into women and married and have children and grandchildren. They learned to listen. As they cheer and for tarvers record at the scene they feel the crackers in bits of peppermint. They have always carried the morsels of food since the date she was rescued from this place some years ago. She squeezes it tight in her fists and she smiles. Thank you. [applause]. [applause]. We will open it up to questions now this will weed out the timid but i suggest you come up. I know the audience is filled with questions. Good afternoon. I would just like to ask if you could give us some insight into how you conduct your research to go into Something Like this. I would be happy to. This is generally true for all of my books but this one specifically. I turn to known research that is archival files on the treasure troves in this case everywhere from yale to california and all places in between. And of course anymore because of the internet that part of research is made much easier. I can now assess files that i used to have to go to the place and so forth. It is a lot of work. Some of it very tedious. But then what i always do writing these books about figures of history and places and events that are snarled and missed. With all of the books. Thats what i look for. With this book i searched out the buried treasure that i knew was out there it is always there. And you are just having to be diligent and find it. I wentto the family and i sought out descendents of the party. I was able to form a relationship with a man named bill springer. He is a great grandson of george donner. He is a bit crusty and curmudgeon which i like he was convert raised eyebrow type of thing. I did just as i did with pretty boring family. Im all about telling the truth and telling the true story chips fall where they may. And so he liked that. They spend a lot of time and then that opened up reservoirs of material that no one have seen. What i said earlier is that they are already existing and i knew of a great many pieces of diaries and correspondence and things out there and some of it have not been looked at by being able to get into this family so close was very important. And then the other thing as i always had to go where my subjects are or where they had been or when they travel. And its very important. I already knew a lot about the donner trail from having done a book on the lincoln highway. The father wrote. I already have walked in a lot of places where their wagons has rolled. But we went back again. And it is an interesting part of that story and mentioned three moments when we were on the trail. One was coming out of this. No one until now. Everyone assumed that they left springfield and went down a known trail to st. Louis. And crossed the mississippi. That was not true. What we found is and this took a little bit of time that they were a beeline out of springfield and classed the mississippi where they had three blocks from where they landed. He was sleeping in his family home. Dreaming of the west and of course im talking about Samuel Clemens mark twain. And then they took a diagonal path across the missouri and then into independence. So we were on that lake when one dark and stormy night. The two of us bouncing along in our car and one of the most and weve have some recently but this was an unbelievable thunderstorm and went hit us on the twolane road we couldnt see anything. I stopped several times. It was just remarkably bad. But we inched through the night and finally ultimately found some shelter and i couldnt help but think about what that trip wouldve been like inside of a canvas covered wagon. Where you have children and older people and you have herds of cattle and animals and many people and how difficult that may have been its just amazing. Jump forward to another place to the platte river. Across nebraska and then you will read about their experiences. The big wide shallow river. So we have to go to it. I have to put my hands in that water and i have to see those pools of water and see what it was like and what was growing on the bank then. They have just missed the they were open game back then. This is when the party was still fat and happy. They were just eager to start killing bison. Which they did with great relish. And then dreamed about years later. A few weeks later when they have nothing to eat. That is a whole other story. We waited through all of these weeds and so forth with only the red wing blackbirds around us again down to the water and took some pictures and spent some time just soaking it in. And on the way back to kearny to our motel where it was awaited our bodies were covered with tics and chiggers it was just awful. But where are we going. Back to our lovely airconditioned suite with a hot shower. A nice steak that evening. These are the things. Its like when the horrible ice storm headed that way. We live in the sophie and plaza. Its a grand old building. It was all dark and no electricity and no elevators or anything. What it did was bring out a sense of community in the building didnt even know them very well. They have candlelight dinners together. And people stashed some perishables and wine out on the outside stairs. But every time when it got dark at night this went on for days i have lived in candles. Im thinking i get really depressed. I thought to myself my god this is how my grandparents lived. How soft are we. All of that experience is a part of the thing also. Its probably more than you need to know. Good evening. The subject with all that has been said been as wellknown as it is. What was it about this topic was something that that was something that needed to be untangled. The main thing is back to the original premise of mine. Just like billy the kid have. I like to see it told. So from the beginning i thought i saw a bigger picture. I sought as a way ample examples but tell it through the eyes of this original foot soldiers. That was always essential in my mind. It was fit to a t the way i like to work. You have done Extensive Research and you spent hours upon hours on days and months writing the books. How hard is it to put the end. See mac i know what you mean they are absolutely correct. In this case it was really easy. Thankfully its not bad for a guy who has been married three times. I probably wouldnt be celebrating my 36 of this went on any longer. I know exactly what youre talking about. There are times when it is difficult to say goodbye. And an author never really says goodbye to his subjects. I remember when i was writing my very first book the biography of Frank Phillips the oilman. As when we lived over here by philbrook. Its a day the day i wrote about his death. When i was writing it i had been living with this since he was born on the frontier of nebraska. And you get to know these people when i wrote that. Suzanne looked over at me and saw there was tears in my face. She said frank died. Those are those moments. That are incredibly poignant its hard because this party varied and didnt really become the train to donner party until way out west. Things fluctuate. Theres all kinds of things going on. I focus of course on some of the primary characters. And some you get to like it sometimes you dont much care for it but you stay objective and i think the most compelling character in this book is james reed. It shouldve been called the reed party they were fine men and if you read it was the donner party in name only. Interesting figures from history that you dont think what but come into the story. When someone died or something tragic happened. It is bound to affect my emotions but ultimately i was really glad when i finished. [applause]. They recently visited capitol hill to see what they were reading this summer. I was very interesting. Some things i didnt know about the whole plot that was unfolded. Leisure and finish a good book that many of us in the Freedom Caucus he gave me a copy and i read it. Troublesome young men and it was about the back ventures in parliament and 38 and 39 and 40. And they have to move chamberlain out of power. He just is not standing up to hitler like he thought they needed to. And bringing churchill to paris. It was an interesting book that i read just in the last congress. Simpson i cant remember all the ones that i read in between there. This weekend at the airport because i finished the book on lincoln i picked up the 1984 book. Its different. Its kind of dark but im going to wade through that one as well. You seem to enjoy reading history books. What is it about them the captivate you. I read some of the novels. I try to read the scripture each week as well. I think you learn from it. Its always enjoyable. We will see about this. But tv wants to know what you are reading. Send us your Summer Reading list via twitter. Or instagram. Or posted to our facebook page. Television for serious readers. Youre watching book tv on cspan two. We are on the campus of university of arizona talking with professors here who are also authors

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