Days of 47 Parade

Each year since the 1930s there has been an annual parade that starts from South Temple and State Street and goes to Second East and then turns south and goes down Second East to Ninth South. The parade then turns east and goes to Liberty Park.

The parade starts at 9:00 AM sharp. Our Salt Lake City chapter of the Sons of Utah Pioneers started the parade, so in honor of that, we are near the front of the parade, number five, this year.

The sons of Utah Pioneers chapters over the years have pulled handcarts in honor of the ten handcart companies that came into the Salt Lake valley. I have ancestors that came in three of the companies, the Willie, the Martin and the ninth handcart company.

My great great grandmother, Elizabeth Robinson, came on the Martin handcart company. Her brother Solomon died in Martin's Cove. Elizabeth wore his heavy hat, coat and boots which saved her life. She gave a second pair of his boots to a sister who had no shoes and had wrapped her feet in rags.

Another great great grandmother, Sarah Choules, from Burbage, England, came across the plains in the Willie handcart company. She froze her feet and lost the front half of each foot. She married Isaac Smith who had come earlier and settled in Lewiston, Utah, and had four children.

On my mother's side of the family, the Meldrum came from Scotland and came ton Utah on the ninth handcart company. They did not have any trouble. They left the East with 13 cents in their pocket.