A present day picture of a covered wagons on display at Ragtown.

Fresh animals would be traded for the animals the pioneers had used during their difficult journey across the 40 mile desert. Due to the hardship of the desert crossing by the time the animals arrived at the Truckee River at a place called Ragtown they were completely exhausted. The name of the place was called Ragtown due to the clothes the pioneers hung on the brush next to the river that was worn on the 40 mile desert crossing. The difficulty of the 40 mile desert took it's toll on man and beast. By the time the pioneers arrived at Ragtown and washed off the dirt of the desert and rested for a few days it was time to continue their journey to the Sierra mountains. When they arrived at the base of the mountain range it was with a certain amount of trepidation that they discovered that had another hugh obstacle to overcome. Mormon Station served as a way station for helping with the final leg of the journey, there was some who made this trip that believed the Mormon's profited to much from the misfortune of the pioneers. For a detailed account of this and what happened go to The Mormon War The Mormon settlement continued to prosper and in 1854 Orson Hyde which was a high official in the Church in Salt Lake was sent to what was considered western Utah to establish some form of justice and government in the western Utah territory. He was sent as a probate judge for the settlements around what had come to be known as Reese's Station at that time.