William Lewis Manly

William Lewis Manly (April 6, 1820 – February 5, 1903) was an American pioneer of the mid-19th century. He was a fur hunter, wagon train guide and gold prospector, and then a farmer and writer in his later years.

He wrote an autobiography about the pioneer experience in the Far West, in particular the 1848 California Gold Rush. It was first published with the title From Vermont to California, then in a second edition with the title Death Valley in '49.

Early years

Manly was born near St. Albans, Vermont, the son of Ebenezer Manly and Phoebe (Calkins) Manly. In 1829, at the age of nine Manly left for Ohio with his family. Later, as a pioneer, he went to Michigan, prior to statehood. He then went fur trapping in Wisconsin, in Ohio, and in what would be the Dakota Territory.

California gold rush

In 1849, at the age of twenty-nine, Manly joined the California Gold Rush, traveling overland from Wisconsin.

Floating the Green River

Upon reaching the Green River, just west of South Pass Manly and a half dozen other men tried to float to California by use of an abandoned ferry they found down the Green to the Colorado River, then on to California. They put in the river in Wyoming and floated downstream through the canyon of the Gates of Lodore and possibly behind to present day Green River, Utah On disembarking they were met by Chief Walkara, who helped them to travel overland to the Wasatch Front.

Overland to California

South of present-day Provo, Utah, Manly joined others traveling to southern California. In December they became lost in the Great Basin Desert and subsequently entered Death Valley in the northern Mojave Desert, having followed an inaccurate map for three weeks. Their food supplies were almost exhausted, and the oxen pulling their wagons were dying of starvation. Manly and his associate John Haney Rogers trekked 250 miles on foot across the Mojave to scout an evacuation route for the families trapped in Death Valley. Arriving at Rancho San Fernando near Los Angeles, California, they procured food and horses from Mexican villagers and backtracked to save the wagon train from starvation and to lead them to Rancho San Francisco.