"Westward Ho: For Oregon and California!" In the early warm spring of 1846, George Donner placed this advertisement in a local newspaper as he and a restless caravan prepared for what they hoped would be the most rewarding journey of a lifetime. But in eagerly pursuing what would a century later become known as the "American dream," this optimistic-yet-motley crew of emigrants was met with a chilling nightmare. This hardbound book comes with a dust jacket, has 451 pages including an index, bibliography, and a list of the Donner Party members .