--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Brown, John Z. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 12 number: 11 published: 1909-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'John Z. Brown, "Nauvoo Today," *Improvement Era* 12, no. 11 (September 1909): 858–865.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera12011unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera12011unse start_page: 858 end_page: 865 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1909-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera12011unse publication_year: 1909 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1909, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Nauvoo Today NAUVOO TODAY. BY PROFESSOR JOHN ZIMMERMAN BROWN, OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH. IV. On January 21, 1845, the Illinois state legislatuie passed a bill taking away the charter from the city of Nauvoo, thus de- priving the citizens of this means of protection together with the other advantages of an incorporated city. The measure had been in exist- ence since December 16, 1840, a little more than four years, during which period the city had developed as if by magic. In the year 1840 alone, over twelve hundred houses were built. The original city limits embraced about seven square miles and the city charter included among other provis- Back to boyhood scenes. F. W. Cox of ions charters for the follow- Manti and B.W. Driggs of Pleasant Grove ing: The Nauvoo Legion, nearing Nauvoo on a steamer after an ab- sence of sixty-two years. Nauvoo House Association, Agricultural and Manufacturing Association, and the University of the City of Nauvoo. In accordance with the latter a board of regents was appointed with John C. Bennett as chancellor. A location for the University was selected and plans for a building NAUVOO TODAY. 859 were drawn, but the troubtesome conditions prevalent prevented further progress in this line. However, the city continued to grow, property did not de- preciate in value, as might have been expected; in fact, the prosper- ity in the past had not depended entirely on the city charter nor the favor of the legislature. At the April conference in 1845, three months after the taking away of the city charter,the name of the plac^ was changed and Nauvoo was called the City of Joseph, in honor of the martyred prophet. After the temple was dedicated May 11, 1846, the mobs resumed hostilities which continued during the summer, culminating in the Nauvoo Battle on September 16 and 17, of that year, at which time the destitute Saints were driven across the Mississippi. Their landing place on the Iowa shore was one "f the interesting points of our visit. We were taken across the river on the old- The old state road between Hancock and Adams counties, 111. fashioned paddle-wheel ferry boat "The City of Nauvoo:' From Montrose we rode by rail to the little town of Thayer in western Iowa, and then drove to "Mount Pisgah" which with "Garden Grove" was in 1846-48 one of the temporary homes of the "Mormon" people. The site is a narrow ridge lying between Grander River and the Pisgah Creek and was located and named in 1846 by Parley P. Pratt. This settlement was presided over by Willi jm Huntington, with Ezra T. Benson and Charles C. Rich as his counselors. At this place is a peaceful little cemetery where 8ti0 IMPROVEMENT ERA. we found the graves of a great many Saints and a stately monu- ment erected by their loving friends in Utah. The monument is a square shaft standing about twenty feet high with the following inscription: "This monument was erected A. D. 1888, in memory of those members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who died in 1846, 1847 and 1848 during their exodus to seek a home Photo by C. W. Carter. Ruins of the Nauvoo Temple in 1854. beyond the Rock Mountains. Interred here are: William Hunting- ton, the first presiding elder of the temporary settlement called Pisgah, Lenora Charlotte Snow, daughter of Elder Lorenzo and Charlotte Snow, Isaac P. Richards, son of Elder Franklin D. and Jane Snyder Richards, Hyrum Spencer, Alioh Hancock, Gardner Edmuson, Philando G. Jorden, Joseph S. Billingsly, Elkano Kelh r, Mrs. Bawldin and oaby, Mr. Hess, Mr. Hays, buried on west side Wm. Brown, Mr. of river, Joseph Merryfield, Mr. Cook, wife of Thompson, Wm. S. Bishop, Joseph F. Bishop, Angelia Carter,. Henry Judson, Alex Gray, Benjamin G. Johnson, Emma Pane, Martha A. Davis, Betsy G. Shipley, Nephi Shipley, David McKee, Polly Sweat, Louisa Cox, Eliza Cox.Henry Davis, Joel Campbell, Emily Whiting, Elisha Whiting, Salley Whiting, Widow Head NAUVOO TODAY. 861 Whiting, Elizabeth David, Rebecca Adair, Wm. P. Mangum, Jane Ann Mangum, Emma M. Adair, Wm. J. Adair, Eliza T. B. Adair, Nancy Workman, Samuel Workman, Samuel Steele, Simeon Thayer, Claugh Thayer, Jesse Hitch- cock and wife, Clark Hallet, Phoebe Hallet, Ann G. Hal- let, Louise Hallet, Sarah Hal- let, Sarah Ann Hallet, Noah Rogers, Amos P. Rogers, Mary Bryant Ensign, Mar- garet J. Billingsly." Mount Pisgah is situated in Union county, Iowa, 160 Iowa shore of the Mississippi, where the miles west of the Mississippi "Mormons" landed on leaving Nauvoo, 1845-6. River and about 92 ailes east of the Missouri. It can be reached via the Burlington Route, from Thayer, or the Chicago St. Paul and Kansas City railway which passes within a few rods of the cemetery. This his- toric spot is enclosed in a field forming a part of a homestead. Many of the graves are sunken and others are obliterated. We found one large tomb-stone showing the square and compass, but the letters on it had com- pletely disappeared. Only one o ( the old "Mormon" houses, On the Mississippi below Nauvoo. a small dilapidated structure, remains. For many years the large "Mormon" mill stones lay on the pretnises,but now they occupy a conspicuous place on the state capitol grounds at Des Moines. Garden Grove, the other "Mormon" stopping place lies about 30 miles to the south east. We next visited Council Bluffs where we spent several days looking over the old "Mormon" land marks: Winter Quarters, the old grist mill, and the "Mormon' ' ferry. 862 IMPROVEMENT ERA. An interesting spot is the site of the temporary "Mormon" settlements on the "Big Pigeon." Here Brother Driggs identified his father's big field, the site of their home and the wagon shop, the hills and hollows, and the cemetery to the north little where his grandmother is buried. The Big Pigeon lies in Pottawattamie county, Iowa, which was organized in 1848. From this county his father, Shadrack F. Driggs, together with the late Ebe- nezer Richardson of Ogdea, and others, went as delegates One of the old fashioned steam boats that still runs on the upper Mississippi. to the Iowa state convention at which time the state capi- tal was moved from Iowa city to Des Moines. Here in Pottawatta- mie county Shadrack F. Driggs resumed his trade as wagon maker, building wagons for the Saints. Timber for this pur- pose was cut along the streams emptying into the Missouri, while the necessary iron was brought up the river from St. Louis. This man Driggs built wagons for five Orson Hyde who was publish- ing the Frontier Guardian at Kanesville, now Council The last of the ' 'Mormon" houses at Mt. Pisgah. Bluffs. Brother Driggs also found the place where the Big Pigeon log meetinghouse stood, and while we were going over these historic spots, two men drove up in a buggy. One of them, a Mr. Boren, was at one time a school mate of the Driggs boys on the Big Pigeon; and he and Brother Driggs recalled many incidents of their boyhood days here on the The Borens were among those upper Missouri fifty- six years ago. who did not come to the Valley but remained in Iowa. The Saints made other temporary settlements along the east NAUVOO TODAY. 863 banks of the Missouri among which were Thorn's Camp, Galland's Grove, McCellar's Camp, on the Little Pigeon, Honey Creek, etc. And it was while the Saints were located in these temporary quarters in Iowa, almost destitute of the necessities of life, that a callwas made upon them by the Federal government to furnish 500 young men to march to California and assist in the war Building a cyclone well near Mount Pisgab, Iowa. against Mexico. Brother Blood ot Kaysville told me recently that as a boy he remembered seeing Brigham Young and other "Mormon" leaders going among the camps from wagon to wagon in the role of recruiting officers. In less than a month's time the battalion was raised and on the march. Though deprived of so many able bodied men in such a time of need, the Saints continued to advance. The factors which had made Nauvoo a prosperous city continued to operate. The exiles pushed on to the west and founded a commonwealth here in the 864 IMPROVEMENT ERA. mountains, the like of which was never heard of before ; a common- wealth that is destined to exert an immense influence for good in the progress and development of our country. These concluding thoughts suggest the words of Governor Thomas Ford in his History of Illinois: 'The Christian world which has hitherto regarded 'Mormonism' with silent contempt, unhappily may yet have cause to fear its rapid increase. Modern sociology is full of material for such a religion. At the death of the Prophet fourteen years after the One of the old "Mormon" tombstone?, Mt Pi.^gah, Iowa. 'Mormon' Church was organized the 'Mormons' in all the world first numbered about 200,000 souls. A number equal perhaps to the number of Christians when the Christian church was of the same age. It is to be feared that in the course of a century some gifttd man like Paul, some splendid orator, who will be able by his eloquence to attract crowds of the thousands who are ever ready to hear, and be carried away by the sounding brass and tinkling cymbal of sparkling oratory, may command a hearing, may succeed in bringing a new life into this modern Mohammed- NAUVOO TODAY. 865 .-iniMti and make the mighty name of the martyred Josefh, ring as luiid, and stir the souls of men as much, as the mighty name of Mount Pisgah Cemetery. Grand River in the distai ce. Christ itself. Sharon, Palmyra, Manchester, Kirtland, Far West, Adam-ondi-Ahman, Ramus, Nauvoo, and Carthage Jail may become Scho ilmates meet on the Big Pigeon after fifty-six year?. People from left to right: Mr. M^Imosh and Mr Boren of Io>va, and B. W. Driggs of Utah. holy and venerable names, place3 of classic interest in another age; like Jerusalem, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives and Mount Calvary to the Christian, and Mecca and Medina