Donner Lake

The lake was called Datsa’ shut by the Washoe people. In 1844, the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy party was the first wagon train to successfully cross the Sierra Nevada mountains. Before them, in January 1844, John C. Frémont and Kit Carson found the river, which Frémont named as Salmon-Trout River for the fish in it. They enjoyed the company of the Paiutes in the area, as did later pioneers seeking to cross at this pass.

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