On a road trip that is alternatively hilarious and harrowing, writer Colleen Scriven follows in the footsteps of the Donner Party from Missouri to California in a camper van with her friend and co host, Hope Andrejack, in an attempt to better understand the true horror story like never before. Along the way their friendship (and at times, lives) are threatened by snowstorms, desert winds, strangers, and their own increasingly unreliable mental states... Not unlike the Donner Party itself. The events of 1846 become all the more poignant as the women reexamine who is really to blame for one of America's earliest civilian tragedies amidst the COVID19 pandemic, which once again pits propaganda against truth and sacrifice against accountability.
A 3,000 mile journey to find the
people behind history’s
most unwilling monsters.
-
Episode One: The Why of It
The unlikely duo prepares to set off on a journey into one of America’s darkest stories.
-
Episode Two: Westward, ho!
Colleen and Hope begin their adventure in Independence, Missouri. They meet the leaders of the Donner Party as well as the man who would lead them to their doom. Featuring Alaina Rook.
-
Episode Three: The Warning
As Colleen and Hope follow the Donner and Reed families West through Nebraska and into Wyoming, they meet more future members of the Donner Party- and one of our friends will receive a crucial warning.
-
Part Four: Miserable Whiskey, Worse Company
Hope and Colleen journey to the center of Wyoming to find the desolate (and kinda terrifying) Parting of the Ways, where our families will leave the Boggs party to form their own group; The Donner Party.
Soon after, they reach Fort Bridger where competing interests will have deadly consequences.
-
Part Five: Salt and Blood
Hope and Colleen make their way through the Wasatch Mountains and across the Salt lake Desert as tensions flare in the new Donner Party when catastrophe occurs. One Overlander's desire to lead will prove to be his greatest mistake.
-
Part Six: Purgatory
After a difficult drive, Hope and Colleen finally reach the Sierra where frazzled and tired, the Donner Party make an ill-timed mistake that will lead them to be trapped in the mountains. As the Party settles in for winter- one Bachelor will begin to plan their escape.
-
Part Seven: The Forlorn Hope
Colleen and Hope retrace the footsteps of The Forlorn Hope and recount their brave escape from the Seirra. Meanwhile, and old friend prepares to return to the Party.
-
Part Eight: From Heaven or California
As word of the Donner Party's plight begins to spread and rescue missions are planned, the people trapped in the Seirra are forced to make desperate decisions.
-
Part Nine: The Californians
Hope and Colleen reach the end of their journey with the Donner Party, as its members disappear into new lives both grand and small.
What is the Donner Party?
Hi, what are you doing here?
Kidding. Thanks for the blind click.
In the winter of 1846, a wagon train made up of almost 90 men, women, and children became trapped by twenty or more feet of snow. For reference, in the photo to the right, the stone base of the monument is as high as the snow that winter.
For over 100 days this group of immigrants, mormons, school teachers, brewers, farmers, families, and would-be adventurers were subjected to unspeakable conditions and hopelessness. As the days grew long and their hunger grew, the survivors turned to eating the bodies of their deceased friends, parents, and children.
Both before and after their rescue, the story of the Donner Party became a media sensation and the young United States’ first mass civilian tragedy. But as the story spread, the blame conveniently shifted to those who were no longer alive to defend themselves. To tell the truth.
Instead the Donner Party became a gruesome myth about fate and hubris. And the true story and those truly responsible for the tragedy slipped in between history pages. Until now.
Independence, MO to Los Angeles, CA
And basically everywhere in between.
Want to learn more about the Donner Party? If you must- Here are some things we read and loved:
-
The Indifferent Stars Above
Daniel James Brown’s gorgeous exploration of the Donner Party focusing on the experience of Sarah Graves. Buy it here
-
Donner Party Diary
Daniel M. Rosen’s incredible day by day compilation of diaries, accounts, and more of those traveling with the Donner Party. Available for free!
-
The Best Land Under Heaven
Michael Wallis’ detailed look at the Donner Party. Buy it here
-
History of the Donner Party, A Tragedy of The Seirra
The original, indispensable book about the Donner Party from C. F. McGlashan
-
Letter from California: A New Look at the Donner Party
The absolute game changing work of Julie Schablitsky and her archaeology team to reexamine the events of 1846.
Who are we?
Colleen Scriven: Creator, Co Host, Writer, Editor, Clearly Mentally ill
Colleen Scriven is a writer and comedian originally from New York. Her indie narrative podcast, Lesser Gods, was optioned for television by HBO. Colleen has worked on shows for Showtime, Amazon Prime, and Apple. She is an alum of the Young and Hungry and WeForShe WriteHer lists.
Hope Andrejack: Co Host, Superior Driver
Hope Andrejack knows that horses gotta run (which you will too after we visit Rock Springs, WY).
Hope Andrejack is an actor from NY, now living in LA. She worked as a model in NYC. Now a recent graduate from UCI with a MFA in acting. While studying she worked on Company the musical as Joanne, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood playing Penelope, and numerous Shakespeare shows.
Liv Benger: Producer, Editor, Reason the Show is Not 100 Hours
Based in Boston, Liv is an operations manager at a venture capital firm by day and MBA student at Boston College by night. In a previous life she worked at Creative Artists Agency and ITV America in LA. In her free time, Liv is either practicing yoga or listening to true crime podcasts. Like her friend Colleen, Liv is clearly mentally ill but making it work.
Alaina Rook: Expert (our words not hers)
Alaina has been a researcher for digital media companies for the past six years, most recently at Amazon Prime Video and BuzzFeed, where she was a senior researcher and co-writer on the hit series Unsolved. Ironically, true crime does not mix well with her gentle disposition, and her true passions are ABBA, astrology, critical race/gender theory, and Timothee Chalamet. She knows a little about a lot, but she’s still not very good at bar trivia because she hates team sports and lacks competitive drive.
Art by Kennedy Daniels