▁He ading ▁for ▁their ▁families ▁in ▁Ut ah , ▁they ▁car ved ▁the ▁first ▁w agon ▁road ▁over ▁the ▁Sierra ▁Nev adas ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁used ▁by ▁thousands ▁of ▁west ward ▁bound ▁travel ers ▁including ▁the ▁gold ▁r ush ▁" F ort y - N in ers ." ▁ ▁Sometimes ▁called ▁the ▁" 4 9 er ' s ▁Highway ," ▁it ▁is ▁officially ▁called ▁the ▁M orm on ▁Em igr ant ▁- ▁Kit ▁Car son ▁Highway . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 8 5 6 , ▁George ▁Q . ▁C annon ▁began ▁publication ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Standard , ▁a ▁week ly ▁period ical ▁support ive ▁of ▁the ▁Church . ▁ ▁San ▁Bernard ino ▁L DS ▁col ony ▁Main : ▁History ▁of ▁San ▁Bernard ino , ▁California : ▁M orm on ▁San ▁Bernard ino ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁colon ization ▁from ▁Ut ah ▁to ▁California ▁came ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 1 ▁when ▁a ▁company ▁of ▁about ▁ 4 5 0 ▁sain ts ▁and ▁slaves ▁under ▁direction ▁of ▁E ld ers ▁Am asa ▁M . ▁L yman ▁and ▁Charles ▁C . ▁Rich ▁of ▁the ▁Qu orum ▁of ▁the ▁Tw elve ▁Apost les ▁settled ▁at ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁San ▁Bernard ino . ▁ ▁The ▁col ony ▁was ▁the ▁final ▁settlement ▁in ▁a ▁string ▁of ▁M orm on ▁communities ▁extending ▁ ▁from ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁City ▁in ▁an ▁area ▁known ▁as ▁Des er et . ▁ ▁The ▁community ▁th riv ed , ▁and ▁on ▁July ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁the