, ▁himself ▁recently ▁wid owed ▁with ▁two ▁daughters , ▁one ▁of ▁whom ▁was ▁an ▁invalid . ▁Mary ▁and ▁Al pha ▁Brown ▁had ▁two ▁more ▁children ▁of ▁their ▁own , ▁a ▁daughter ▁Julia ▁and ▁a ▁son ▁Or rin . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁the ▁Brown ' s ▁neighbor ▁Leonard ▁Rose , ▁a ▁wealth y ▁business man , ▁formed ▁an ▁em igr ant ▁party ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁California . ▁As ▁Rose ▁later ▁wrote : ▁ ▁... ▁some ▁min ers ▁who ▁had ▁just ▁returned ▁from ▁California , ▁so ▁fired ▁my ▁imagination ▁with ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁its ▁gl orious ▁climate , ▁wealth ▁of ▁flowers ▁and ▁l us cious ▁f ruits , ▁that ▁I ▁was ▁inspired ▁with ▁an ▁ir res ist ible ▁desire ▁to ▁experience ▁in ▁person ▁the ▁del ights ▁to ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁land ▁of ▁plenty . ▁The ▁Brown ▁family ▁were ▁also ▁attract ed ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁life ▁in ▁California ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁join ▁Rose . ▁Mary ' s ▁brother ▁George ▁and ▁her ▁married ▁sister s ▁were ▁already ▁living ▁there . ▁Al pha ▁Brown ▁was ▁taken ▁on ▁as ▁the ▁for eman ▁of ▁Rose ' s ▁w agon ▁train , ▁and ▁he , ▁Mary , ▁and ▁the ▁five ▁Fox - B rown ▁children ▁( S all ie ▁and ▁Soph ia ▁Fox ▁and ▁Rel ief , ▁Julia , ▁and ▁Or rin ▁Brown ) ▁began ▁their ▁tre k ▁west ▁in ▁late ▁April ▁ 1 8 5 8 . ▁S all ie ▁Fox ▁was ▁ 1 2 ▁years ▁old ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁Rose –