They came when Brigham called

Before rushing recklessly ahead with this historical account, it would be prudent to pause and explore some very important context surrounding the journey of the Ogden’s. The first matter to address is how they were able to afford financially to undertake the journey. They were a rather large family of nine people and although they had scrimped and saved for years, the economic collapse of the Manchester textile mills during the Civil War had taken a toll on that savings. In fact they were helped, as were many others during this period of time, by the Church’s Perpetual Emigration Fund or PEF. This fund was created through generous contributions of already settled saints which was then used to help fund the trip for those who could not otherwise afford it. Then once established, these grateful recipients would become gainfully employed and pay back the debt, which in turn would be used to help the next family come to Zion. The names of William and Mary Ogden are recorded on the ledger books of the fund, as having been assisted, but with no amounts indicated.

Brigham Young was a leader with vision, and even those who dismiss him as a prophet of God will admit to that fact. He could see clearly that once the transcontinental railroad was completed, probably somewhere in Utah in 1869, that this new transportation route would open up western migration to thousands more gentiles eager to claim land of their own. It therefore became urgent to hasten the immigrating saints to Zion to colonize as much of the Great Basin as possible. The invasion of the gentile competition was on the horizon, and the clock was ticking.

At the general conference of the Church in October 1867, President Young urged that every effort be made to bring more souls to Zion. After instruction regarding the laws of life and happiness, he added that he would send to every ward in the territory and ask men of wealth how many of the poor Saints yet in the old world they would help to emigrate the next year. The president's efforts succeeded beyond all expectations. $70,000 was raised, helping the largest surge of saints yet to make the trip. William and Mary Ogden and their family were right in the thick of those that would come. In fact, the English and Scandinavian saints that started on the Emerald Isle ship were the last two companies of "rail and trail" pioneers to arrive in the valley before the completion of the railroad a few months later.