Others were in it for religious reasons; he was there for the horses and scenery. He got all of the above. He proved useful for the many novice horsemen in the company, helping them to ferry rivers and doctoring sick animals. The wagon master begged him to stay and, truth is, Van Fleet didn't take much convincing. They traveled across Iowa in '96, and the following spring they went from Winter Quarters to Salt Lake City. Now Van Fleet wants to do it all over again, beginning May 31 (for more information, see www.vanfleetwagontrain.com). "I want others to have the opportunity to experience what we did 10 years ago," he says. "We all had such a warm feeling." He still gets choked up when he recalls those days. Along the trail, friendships were forged, even marriages were made, and to this day many of the travelers gather for annual reunions.

A couple of years ago, Van Fleet was asked to serve as a pallbearer for a man he befriended on the trail. After the funeral, which was in Farmington, he was walking to his car when he noticed a historical marker for the Van Fleet Hotel. After some research, he learned that the hotel had been owned by Hyrum Smith Van Fleet, who was the son of Elijah Van Fleet, who, he discovered, was a member of Brigham Young's second wagon train to Salt Lake City.

"I can tell you more about the background of my stud horses than my own ancestry," says Van Fleet. "But I'm going to find out if we're related."

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E-mail: Doug Robinson's column runs on Tuesdays. Please e-mail drob@desnews.com