Reddick Newton Allred: He Held the Mountain Pass Open in a Blizzard — Saving Hundreds Who Didn't Know He Was There

Reddick Newton Allred (February 21, 1822 – October 10, 1906) was born a twin in Nashville, Tennessee. He joined the Mormon Battalion as quartermaster during the Mexican-American War, marching to California. He served a mission to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) in 1852–1855. He was by 1856 a seasoned military man and veteran church servant.

During the handcart rescue of 1856, Allred's miracle was not the dramatic act of carrying people across a river or riding express through blizzards — it was something quieter and more essential. He was positioned at a mountain pass on the trail back to Salt Lake City.

A severe storm hit. The rescue party captain instructed all wagons to park and wait out the storm before proceeding. Reddick Allred defied this order. He alone kept his wagons moving, breaking trail through the snow to keep the pass open. He understood that if the trail closed over with fresh snow, hundreds of survivors in the wagons behind — already near death — would not survive the delay.

His unilateral decision to push through, against orders, is credited with saving the lives of those who followed. He kept the road open through the storm so that the wagons carrying the Martin and Willie Company survivors could continue to the valley without a deadly halt.

In later life, Allred served as Bishop for 10 years, Patriarch, and five terms in the Utah Territorial Legislature. He died in Chester, Utah, at age 84. His story is documented in detail in the TellMyStoryToo database and Living Heritage Tours as a lesser-known but crucial act of the handcart rescue.