Video Librarian, a national magazine for libraries, has awarded Forgotten Journey its top, Four Star, "Highly Recommended, Editor's Choice" rating in a review published in its July/August issue.

July 2002 FORGOTTEN JOURNEY * * * *

"The true story of the first overland migration to California in 1844, Forgotten Journey sports motifs of a near-biblical scale. Inspired by an itinerant Jesuit priest who spoke of rich lands, a troupe of eastern greenhorns set out for the West under the direction of Elisha Stephens, an eccentric old mountain man who saw the way over the Sierra Nevadas in a prophetic vision. Trials and tribulations along the way included wandering in the desert, wading in icy mountain streams, and floundering in chest-deep winter snows. One woman, considered too delicate for the trip, ended up crossing the Sierras on horseback and being among the first whites to see Donner Lake and Lake Tahoe. A teenage orphan boy survived the long mountain winter alone with nothing but a few books, animal traps, and the unending silence. Then there’s the final entry into the Promised Land (Sacramento Valley) after a weird military digression. During the whole journey, two babies were born, but—incredibly—no one in the party of 50 died. Why hasn’t the story of the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy journey been remembered? Because the second group to embark on the trip was the tragic Donner Party. Beautifully filmed and presented with clear maps, prints, photos and interviews, this Telly-award winning documentary is highly recommended. Editor’s Choice."

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