Description

Donner Summit, the pass over Donner Peak in Northern California, has been a critical route across the Sierra Nevada Mountains for centuries.

It was first used by Native Americans, then early settlers, and eventually emigrant wagon trains such as those used by the ill-fated Donner Party, in whose honor the region is named. The first transcontinental railroad in the United States and the first transcontinental highway in America both made use of the Donner Summit route to gain access to California; even early aviators used a beacon at the Summit for guidance across the Sierras. Enjoy the rich history of Donner Summit in this collection of 15 historic black-and-white postcards.