Rev. John Stout Reasoner with his wife and 8 children, left the nice home in Indiana in 1851 and traveled by wagon train to Oregon. The trip took a year. They spent the first winter in Nauvou, Illinois with a group of Mormons. He helped the Mormons shoe their horses and iron their wagons and she conducted a school for them. " In March 1852 they continued their trek west. They had one heavy wagon pulled by three yoke of oxen, one light wagon drawn by horses, eight children and extra cattle and horses which were driven across. Since he always stopped over Sundays it was impossible to remain with any of the trains, but in the end their animals benefited by the extra rest given them, and they caught up with and passed many who did not take the rest."