"The mule-driven covered wagons began rolling across America from Independence, Missouri on May 6, 1852. And despite sickness, hunger and the Indians, they pulled into Sacramento, California on August 7, 1852."

"The families and party of relatives made a large company, occupying twenty-seven wagons. This trip was made the more perilous on account of cholera and the Mormons, and they were three and a half months on the way, arriving in the Golden State August 27, 1852."

Remarkably, there are 27 covered wagons in the ring in the foreground of this old painting. I don't claim this is supposed to be "our" wagon train but what a coincidence!

Here are the participants that I can identify.

Frederick McIntosh Birth: April 22, 1796, in Pennsylvania, possibly Huntingdon County Died: May 16, 1854, near Redding, Shasta County, Calif. Rebecca Wolf Helphinstine Birth: March 8, 1804 in Bath County, Kentucky Died: November 28, 1888, Lone Tree Ranch, Colusa County, Calif. Frederick and Rebecca were married March 24, 1820 in Bath County, Kentucky. Later in life, Rebecca became widely known as Grandma McIntosh.   John Benham Fugett Birth: Died: Nancy McIntosh Birth: Oct. 12, 1805 Died: April 11, 1886 Nancy McIntosh, born Oct. 12, 1805. She was the sister of Frederick McIntosh. She married John Benham Fugett on Oct. 7, 1826. Nancy died on April 11, 1886 in Sacramento, Calif.     Frederick and Rebecca McIntosh's children    Elizabeth Agnes McIntosh Birth: Oct. 3, 1821, in Kentucky Died: Aug. 22, 1854, near Redding, Shasta County, Calif.     Oscar Frederick McIntosh Birth: July 7, 1822 in Kentucky Died: Oct. 30, 1852, in California   John William McIntosh Birth: July 16, 1825, in Greenup County, Kentucky Died: July 19, 1905, near Santa Rosa, Calif.   Sydnia Anne McIntosh Birth: June 3, 1832, in Kentucky Died: July 12, 1927, in Chico, Butte County, Calif.   Sarah Ann McIntosh Birth: Nov. 12, 1834, in Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky Died: June 25, 1910, in Chico, Butte County, Calif.   Lewis Harrison McIntosh Birth: Jan. 19, 1837, in Bath County, Kentucky Died: Oct. 11, 1908, in Chico, Butte County, Calif.   Anne Rebecca McIntosh Birth: July 14, 1839, in Kentucky Died: Nov. 17, 1852, Calif. Anne died only four months after arriving in California.   James Thomas McIntosh Birth: Feb. 24, 1842, in Kentucky Died: Jan. 29, 1895, in Chico, Butte County, Calif.   Mary (Molly) Catherine McIntosh Birth: Oct. 20, 1844, in Fleming County, Kentucky Died: Dec. 5, 1868, near Chico, Butte County, Calif. Mary was my great-great-grandmother.

Helphinstine Family Wagon Train Members   J. P. J. Helphinstine Birth: Oct. 14, 1811 in Kentucky Died: Jan. 1, 1885 in Los Angeles, Calif. Buried: Chico cemetery, Chico, Butte Co., Calif. Mary Ann J. Paden Birth:Sept. 2, 1823 in Kentucky Died: May 15, 1910 in California Buried: Chico cemetery, Chico, Butte Co., Calif.   John Peter Helphinstine married Mary Paden on Sept. 3, 1840 in Madison County, Kentucky. They traveled to California with their children on the wagon train in 1852. Also on the journey was Mary's sister Margaret (Paden). Margaret was married to John's brother Lewis Helphinstine. Children James L. Helphinstine, born Aug. 10, 1841 in Estill County, Kentucky Margret Helphinstine, born March 30, 1843 in Estill County, Kentucky Margret married John Jackson Waste on Aug. 5, 1858 in Princeton, Colusa County, Calif. She died Oct. 19, 1864.    Lewis Harrison Helphinstine Birth: May 4, 1813 in Kentucky Died: Feb. 17, 1893 in California Margaret Brown Paden Birth: Jan. 5, 1819 in Kentucky Died: Feb. 3, 1918, Berkeley, Alameda Co.,Calif. Lewis and Margaret were married on Sept. 8, 1839 in Estill County, Kentucky. Margaret was Mary Paden's sister. Mary was married to J.P.J. Helphinstine. Before traveling to California the family lived in Fleming County, Kentucky. Several of their children did not survive very long in California.       William Gilley Birth:about 1807, in South Carolina Died: 1856 Sarah Jane Helphinstine Birth: May 25, 1808 in Kentucky Died: July 2, 1896, in Butte Meadows, Butte Co., Calif. William and Jane were married in 1829. The Gilley family traveled to California and later kept the Sutton House in Butte Meadows. Children  John Gilley, born 1832 in Kentucky  Henry H. Gilley, born 1834 in Kentucky  Lucinda Gilley, born 1840 in Kentucky Mary Elizabeth Gilley, born Nov. 4, 1846 in Kentucky. She married Joseph Entler in 1878. She died July 2, 1924. Maria J. Gilley, born 1849 in Kentucky   Traveled to California after 1852 but before 1870 Benjamin Northcutt Helphinstine Birth: July 3, 1823 in Kentucky Died: Dec. 1, 1901 in Chico, Butte County, Calif. Emily Maxfield Veale Birth: Feb. 22, 1832 in Washington, Daviess County, Indiana Died: Aug. 27, 1920 in Chico, Butte, Calif. Their daughter Florence Helphinstine married John Jackson Waste