This collection contains letters written by Virginia Elizabeth Reed (later Virginia Reed Murphy), a member of the Donner Party, at age 12, as well as manuscripts written about her by George Wharton James and Frances Watkins. It also includes magazine articles and newspaper clippings from 1912-1955 regarding Reed and other Donner Party survivors, and photocopies from about 1981 of two postcards Reed sent to her grandchildren around 1918.

Virginia Elizabeth Reed Murphy (1834-1921) was 12 years old when her family joined the Donner Party in 1846 to travel to California. Daughter of Margaret Reed, step-daughter of James Reed, Virginia and her family were among the few survivors of the unfortunate wagon train. Virginia later wrote about the events in her book Across the Plains in the Donner Party. Once they reached California, the family settled in San Jose, where Virginia met and married John Marion Murphy in 1850. They had nine children together.

0.2 Linear Feet (12 folders)

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