At the age of eighteen William left England for America. He immediately started west, arriving at Iowa City late in June. Here he and the group of immigrants had to delay their journey to Utah until they could get proper supplies and handcarts. The seasoned wood had been used before and the blacksmiths had to use green timber in making the handcarts. Three companies had left before and at this time there were two companies leaving about the same time. They were the fateful Willie and Martin Handcart Companies.
After this very costly delay, the companies started on their long trek to Utah. They travelled during August and the early fall in the hot sun. The green timber of which the wagons were made shrunk and they spent many weary hours repairing their carts.
As they reached the Platte River an early snowstorm caught them. Approximately eighteen inches of snow fell. They had very little food and clothing as they had discarded all possible to make their loads lighter for travel. The Willie Company, which had left Iowa a few days ahead of the Martin Company, were caught between the Platte River and the Sweet Water. Many of the saints perished because there was no natural shelter and they had no protection from the storms. Many of the older people, as well as children, died before they even reached the mountains.
When the Companies left Iowa they rationed their food supplies. Each person was allowed one pound of flour a day, but before long they received only one-fourth of a pound and the people were hungry as well as cold. William Page was so hungry that one night as he sat guarding the camp, he took a pair of buffalo moccasins he had made for a lady and soaked them to remove the hair then boiled them. He ate the broth he made. There was an elderly lady who shared the wagon with them. He gave her his flour and lived off the bark of the trees and roots he could dig.
The people were dying so rapidly at this time that a community grave of circular shape was dug by William Page and three other men. This was a very slow tedious task as these men's bodies were so weakened by hunger and cold. Two of the diggers were buried in the grave that they had helped to dig.
Relief finally came to the starved and dying saints. Franklin D. Richards and his missionary company on their way to Salt Lake had passed the two companies and had promised to have President Brigham) Young send relief wagons to meet them by the time they arrived at Fort Laramie. This they did and by the end of October approximately 250 wagons were on their way. The first wagons leaving Salt Lake were about October 8th and they met the Willie Company on October 20th. Other wagons pushed further on to take relief to the Martin Company. Over two hundred dead remained to mark the scenes of these two tragedies.
The Willie Company arrived in Salt Lake November 9, 1856 and the Martin Company entered Salt Lake valley on Thanksgiving Day which was November 30, 1856.
William Page stayed with Henry Lawrence until he had regained his strength. He obtained a jobherding sheep out on the flats west of Salt Lake. In the spring he went to Bountiful to live. William obtained work as a Pony Express rider and he had the privilege of carrying President Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address to Utah. He later married Mary Anne Clark and they became the parents of 11 children, 8 daughters and 3 sons. He died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 55.
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