History Expeditions - Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum

Bringing Our History to Life!

On the morning of November 15, 1844, the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party gathered next to the river they had followed for the last 30 days up into the rugged Sierra Nevada. Here the river parted, the main branch of the Truckee River running south to Lake Tahoe. The smaller creek meandering towards what is now Donner Lake, and the imposing snow-covered summit which loomed twelve hundred feet above them. With supplies running low and many of their oxen either lost, killed or unable to continue, they made a critical decision – six of the members would split off and follow the river south, hoping to reach Sutter’s Fort and return with fresh oxen and supplies. The rest of the party would proceed to the summit, becoming the first emigrants to bring wagons into California ten days later.

While the path the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party took over the summit is for the most part known, for the past 180 years historians have conjectured, and debated, about the route the “Party of Six” followed to reach Sutter’s Fort on December 10, 1844. Only the party members – John Murphy, Dan Murphy, Ellen Murphy, Elizabeth Townsend, Francis Deland and Oliver Magnent – could tell us for sure. But without a time machine, it’s unlikely that will happen…

Retracing Their Path

On September 29, 2025, we may finally know the answer. Five intrepid explorers, known as History Expeditions, will follow what they believe is the route the Party of Six took after saying their goodbyes to their families, friends and fellow emigrants. Like the original party, the History Expeditions team will set out from Truckee on horseback to Lake Tahoe and then follow the rugged terrain across the forbidding Sierra Nevada summit, using data gleaned from Native American tribes, historians, archaeologists, party descendants, and their own “on the ground” research.

Founded in 2020, History Expeditions, whose motto is “Discovering America West Tales and Trails”, brings history to life by following in the footsteps of explorers and emigrants who traversed America West during the early to mid-1800s. Past expeditions include retracing the journeys of the Forlorn Hope and Donner Relief parties, the Grosh brothers, and Snowshoe Thompson.

Endurance athletes with a passion for history, co-founders Bob Crowley and Tim Tweitmeyer are joined by ultra-distance runners Elke Reimer and Jeniffer Hemmen, and endurance equestrian Hal Hall. These stellar athletes combine their physical skills with a desire to relive the struggles and successes of the pathfinders of the nineteenth century who opened the west – ensuring that their contributions to history are not forgotten.

Survivors & Heroes

According to Bob Crowley, for their Expedition 2025 titled “Survivors & Heroes”, the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party was chosen because “we are drawn to opportunities where there are outstanding historic discoveries, especially unknown and/or lost trails, combined with compelling and inspirational protagonists. The Party of Six was an ideal fit, especially since we focus on America West and the Sierra is our backyard.”

Teaming with fellow history enthusiasts, researchers and trail experts, History Expeditions dives deeply into the details of the “who, what and where, and often why” of each expedition, creating a detailed plan for faithfully recreating the experiences of the original pioneers and explorers. An important part of their process is “putting boots on the ground” to ensure that they have first-hand knowledge of the terrain and conditions that were in place over 175 years ago. For every hour of research they conduct, three hours are spent out in the field studying the landscape and looking for clues.

For the 2025 expedition the team will explore the Sierra Nevada west of Lake Tahoe. This includes the various valleys, ridges and creeks that the Party of Six would have encountered during their journey. A key part of their research will be determining the role that the major rivers – the Rubicon River and the American River – played in leading them west towards Sutter’s Fort.

Once they have devised their plan, they will pack up their supplies and head out on horseback from the junction of the Truckee River and Truckee creek, just as the Party of Six did over 180 years ago. Their goal is to reach Auburn, California in 5 days. Along the way their support team will record their journey and then produce a documentary-style account of their adventure.

Keeping History Alive

Featured on the Discovery Channel’s Expedition Unknown and numerous television and radio series, History Expeditions is recognized for its outstanding work in highlighting and preserving the historical significance of the pioneers and explorers who endured almost unimaginable hardships in opening the America West for settlement.

In the 2001 Forgotten Journey – The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Saga video documentary, noted historian Kevin Starr lamented “I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy is almost lost from California history”, and that their many accomplishments were “forgotten under the power, the dystopian power, of the Donner Party.” * Thanks to History Expeditions and their Expedition 2025, the story and contributions of the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party will once again be brought to the forefront.

You Can Participate!

During their expedition planning the History Expeditions team will host two “virtual town halls” to meet and engage with descendants of the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party. During these events which will occur in April and September 2025, the History Expeditions team will share their plans and findings, as well as capturing any family member stories about the original party. Often shared by the team while on the trail, these stories add a personal perspective to the journey that is frequently lost in the sterile text of history books.

If you are a descendant of the party or know descendants who might be interested in attending, please let us know! You can express your interest by emailing us at expedition@heritageparkmuseum.org.

Stay Tuned!

Over the coming months we will update our members on the progress of the History Expeditions team, so check our newsletter, website, Facebook and Instagram regularly. If you have specific questions related to the expedition, contact us at the email address shown above.
To learn more about History Expeditions visit www.historyexp.org, and join fellow America West history lovers in a conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/historyexpeditions. And mark your calendars for March 11, 2025 for the History Channel Hunting History episode with host Steven Rinella, featuring History Expeditions’ Forlorn Hope expedition.

On behalf of our membership and our team, Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum would like to extend our gratitude to History Expeditions for choosing the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party as their next expedition!