--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Ellsworth, J. Orvall collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 27 number: 6 published: 1924-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "J. Orvall Ellsworth, “The Birth Place of the Church,” *Improvement Era 27, no. 6 (April 1924)*: 550–553." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2706unse 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: improvementera2706unse start_page: 550 end_page: 553 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1924-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2706unse publication_year: 1924 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 1924, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Birth Place of the Church THE BIRTH PLACE OF THE CHURCH By J. Orvall Ellsworth, College of Agriculture, Cornell University Reverence, curiosity and personal interest in the birth place of the Church, stimulate a desire on the part of its members to visit, when possible, the scene of its organization. We read in church history: "On the 6th of April, 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in the town of Fayette, Seneca county, State of New York." Most all maps of New York show the finger-lake region near the central portion of the state. By examination we find Seneca county includes the area between the two largest of these lakes, Seneca and Cayuga, and we readily find Waterloo, the county seat, located midway between RELATIVE LOCATION OF the JOSEPH SMITH FARM , hill CUMORAH PE TER WHITHER FARM Pal my fa. I lllillllll — — tranche iter the northern ends of the lakes mentioned. Only on a few of the larger maps is the village of Fayette indicated. Frequent reference to the town of Fayette throughout early church history leads the layman to conclude that that little hamlet was the home of Peter Whitmer and has resulted in past years, that many missionaries and tourists have sought in vain for the exact location of the birthplace of the Church. The writer, likewise familiar with only western phraseology, came to the same conclusion. Ac- cordingly, we visited the village and made inquiry concerning the possible location of the Whitmer Farm. No one seemed to have ever heard of such a name. We finally mentioned the word "Mormons," and one old gentleman recognized having heard the word before. He informed us that he thought the farm for which we were searching was located in the western part of the "Town." His use of the word "Town" stimulated further inquiry which revealed the fact that BIRTHPLACE OF THE CHURCH 551 in the early history of the eastern states the word "town",7 referred not to a village but to a township, an area of indefinite size usually depending on geographical location; in the case of Fayette a tract about six miles wide and thirteen miles long, extending from Seneca Lake on the west to Cayuga Lake on the east. Repeated inquiry finally led us to a farm only two miles south and one mile west of Waterloo and the one which was referred to as "Mor- mon Farm." Here we found a young farmer, Mr. George Kime, who treated us kindly and informed us that we were on the old Whitmer Farm, and pointing to an old tree then lying by the roadside said, "For years that has been known as the 'Mormon Tree,' Missionaries used to come and hold meetings by it." Mr. Kime explained that the The Peter Whitmer farm looking northwest, the birthplace of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, April 6, 183 0. old tree, possibly 200 years old, had served as a land mark for years, and had been cut down in 1922, having previously died. Mr. Kime led us to a place in the potato field where he said the old house of the Whitmers once stood. We found many pieces of pottery and broken dishes evincing a former door yard. The relative location of the Whitmer farm to Palmyra, the Joseph Smith Farm and Hill Cumorah is shown by the accompanying map. The Whitmer farm is only two miles south and one mile west of Waterloo. The road indicated by the double line is at present the paved state highway leading south and east to Ithaca, and is the location of the old turnpike or toll road, over which the Prophet ^Similar use of the word "Town" applies in reference to Harmony, Pennsylvania, Colesville, and Manchester, New York. In each case these places are tpwnships as we know them in the west. 552 IMPROVEMENT ERA The Lady shown in the picture marks the spot where stood the house occupied by the Whitmers. View is looking northeast. Joseph Smith made his many trips to and from Harmony, Penn- sylvania. Possible doubt of the farm described being the one occupied by the Whitmers, nearly one hundred years ago, was dispelled by ex- amination of the records on file in the County Court House, at Waterloo. The 100-acre farm was purchased by Peter Whitmer March 7, 1827, from Moses Miller for the sum of $500 and was sold by Mr. Whitmer April 1, 1831, to Charles Stuart for $2,200.5 The Whitmer farm is of historical interest to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, because of the incidents which happened there: 1. Completion of the translation of the Book of Mormon, June, 1839. 2. The Three Witnesses, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris were shown the plates by an angel of the Lord. 3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized as a command from the Lord, April 6, 1830. 4. First public discourse delivered by Oliver Cowdery, April 1 1, 1830. 5. First conference of the Church in this dispensation was held June 9, 1830. ^Transfers of the Peter Whitmer Farm: March 7, 182 7, From Moses Miller to Peter Whitmer consideration $500. (Book of Deeds S. p. 567). April 1. 1831, from Peter Whitmer to Charles Stuart for $2200. (Book of Deeds W. p. 318). May 16, 1831, from Charles Stuart to John Deshler for $2500. (Book of Deeds X. p. 2 5). May 2, 18 70, from Heirs of John Deshler to William Hogan for $9000 (Book of Deeds 79, p. 309). March 13, 1871 from William Hogan to John Tubbs for $10,000. (Book of Deeds 81, p. 39). February 8, 1876, from John Tubbs to Jessie Snook for $8000. (Book of Deeds 87, p. 561). March 25, 19 08, from Heirs of Jessie Snook to Jacob Christler for $6500. (Book of Deeds 125, p. 599). April 1, 1912, from Jacob Christler to Joseph H. Manges for $1.00. (Book of Deeds 131, p. 425). Mr. Manges is the present owner and father-in-law of George Kime, the present operator. BIRTHPLACE OF THE CHURCH 553 6. Second conference of the Church was held September 26, 1830. 7. Revelation of the Book of Moses (Pearl of Great Price) . 8. The following Sections of the Doctrine and Covenants were re- ceived at the Whitmer Farm: 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20(?), 21, 27 (fourth verse to end), 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40. Ithaca, N. Y. To Boys Eighteen (April 6, 1917— April 6, 1924) Seven years ago, as boys, you watched in wonder The giant maw of Death agape to fill; You heard the fife and drum, the cannon's thunder; Saw the young millions marching forth to kill. At first the splendid romance quite beguiled you; With eager heart you fought each battle o'er, And, boasting somewhat, grieved when someone styled you Child, and too young even to think of war. Then, one by one the older brothers leaving — Perhaps, you knew, to be deformed or killed — Left you to help a Mother hide her grieving, To fill a place that somehow must be filled. Without a thought of self, forgetting glory, You turned your eyes down to the daily task. Proud in the telling of another's story, No other honor did you take or ask. You comforted the Mother, brought glad tidings; You helped the lonely sister to have fun; And when upon the home gaunt Death came striding, All turned to you; you were the stalwart one! Until your boyhood slipped from you unheeded; You stood a man, equal to man's estate, Ready to do the immediate thing, the needed, Yet seeing through the near, the ultimate. For, unregarded, you had been regarding, Had silently been judging wrong and right, Had come to know when nations are discarding Traditions, patient care must displace might. And now, Eighteen! with steadfast eyes on duty, But seeing past today, your vision far unfurled, Revering work, and temperance, and beauty, You are our pledges for a better world! Neolin, Utah CLIVE F. WOOLLEY BURT