User:CactusJack/Moses Schallenberger

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Moses Schallenberger (1826 – 1909) was an American pioneer and farmer who migrated to California as a member of the Stephens–Townsend–Murphy Party of 1844. Orphaned at a young age, Schallenberger was taken in by his older sister Elizabeth. About a decade later, Elizabeth's husband John Townsend played an instrumental role in forming the Stephens–Townsend–Murphy Party, the first party of overland pioneers to successfully cross the Sierra Nevada into California. Schallenberger joined the Townsends, traveling westward with the party.

When the party reached the eastern slope of the Sierra late in the fall, Schallenberger was chosen as part of a three-man rear guard to watch over the party's wagons. The rest of the pioneers continued over Donner Pass to wait out the winter, intending to return for the wagons in the spring once the deep snows covering the high passes melted. After the area's scarcity of food in wintertime became clear, Schallenberger's two companions trekked over the pass, leaving him behind. Schallenberger, only 18 years old, built a cabin and survived the winter of 1844–45 completely alone, sustaining himself on local game. Two years later the Donner Party would experience their infamous ordeal in the same location. Later in life, Schallenberger settled in Santa Clara County, where he established a farm and became a prominent and respected member of the local community.

Early life
Moses Schallenberger was born to Jacob and Barbara (née Miller) Schallenberger near Canton in Stark County, Ohio on November 9, 1826. He was the last of their seven children. Both of Moses' parents were immigrants; Jacob from Switzerland and Barbara from Germany. Moses' parents both died when he was six years old. His older sister, married to Dr. John Townsend, took him in. He soon became effectively a member of the Townsend family. Schallenberger "had only a frontier schooling", with little if any formal education. During his childhood and adolescence the Townsend family moved frequently and across long distances. Starting out in Pennsylvania, they first moved to Indiana, then to Ohio.

Westward journey
In 1842 the Townsends moved again, this time to Buchanan County, Missouri. In its position on the east shore of the Mississippi River, Buchanan County sat at the edge of what was then the "Wild West". Mrs. Townsend was in poor health, and Dr. Townsend was intent on making the westward journey to settle in a more suitable climate.

Alone in the Sierra
Schallenberger did not anticipate the magnitude of the difficulties he would face during the harsh winter that was to come. Being "unacquainted [...] with the climate", he "did not suppose that the snow would at any time be more than two feet deep, nor that it would be on the ground continually." The east end of Donner Lake, in fact, averages over fifteen feet of winter snowfall.

Later life
1861 legal papers - Townsend estate

Told story to Bancroft (?) in 188x

Legacy
Unlike the infamous Donner Party two years later, the Stevens party and its key players, including Schallenberger, have been mostly forgotten to historical memory. Historian George R. Stewart noted that the Stevens party was well-planned and well-executed, and without the death and carnage of the Donner Party it failed to capture popular attention. However, a few things have been named in Schallenberger's honor. The mountain that rises from the south shore of Donner Lake is named "Schallenberger Ridge" in Moses' honor. Willow Glen Elementary School, which opened in 1955 to serve the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, is also named for Schallenberger.