Nauvoo - Little Town with a Big History

Richard and I love to go for drives out exploring the country side. One of my favorite finds is Historic Nauvoo. I had never heard of it before but when we got there it struck a chord in my heart. It was a drizzly day so we didn't get out of the car and walk around much. I took a few pictures and plan to go back on a warm sunny day to see more. The history of this "utopia" makes it even more special!

 (I am not a Mormon but I hold them all in the highest regard and I genuinely appreciate this history)

The first thing I saw as we got close to Nauvoo was this scene of log cabins which I thought must  be a movie set (since I am a Cali girl that is the most normal thought for me to have) but then I saw the wagon and the sign... This is not a set, it is a real thing.

"The area of Nauvoo was first called Quashquema, named in honor of the Native American chief who headed a Sauk and Fox settlement numbering nearly 500 lodges. By 1827, white settlers had built cabins in the area. By 1829 this area of Hancock County had grown sufficiently so that a post office was needed and in 1832 the town was called Venus. In 1834 the name Venus was changed to Commerce because the settlers felt that the new name better suited their plans."

"In early 1839, Latter Day Saints were forced to flee Missouri as a result of the 1838 Mormon War. They regrouped in Quincy, Illinois whose non-Mormon citizens were shocked by the harsh treatment given them in Missouri and opened their homes to the refugees.

Joseph Smith, Jr., Prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, remained imprisoned in Missouri, but his chief counselor  had been released and rejoined the main body of the church in Quincy. Church member Israel Barlow fled Missouri and entered Illinois further north than the main group of Latter-day Saints. Learning from Isaac Galland, a land agent, that a large amount of land was for sale in the Commerce area, he contacted church leaders in Quincy, Illinois and offered church leaders title to land in Hancock County and additional land across the river in the Iowa Territory's Lee County. Church leaders purchased this land as well as the mostly vacant Commerce in 1839, and Latter Day Saints began to settle in the area immediately."

"Physically weak from months of imprisonment, Smith and other leaders were permitted to escape from prison in Missouri. They rejoined the Latter Day Saints in Commerce by May 1839. He renamed the town "Nauvoo". The name Nauvoo is derived from the traditional Hebrew language with an anglicized spelling. The word comes from Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains...” It is notable that by 1844 Nauvoo's population had swollen to 12,000, rivaling the size of Chicago at the time."

"Despite the name, the site was, at first, an undeveloped swamp. Epidemics of cholera, malaria and typhoid took their toll on the struggling Mormons until the swamp was drained. The community was characterized by wood frame homes with outbuildings, gardens, orchards and grazing plots on large lots laid out on an orderly grid system. In general, the buildings were detached single-family dwellings reminiscent of New England construction styles with commercial and industrial buildings in the same pattern."

This is the Bakery

A residence

"After Joseph Smith's death in 1844, continuing violence from surrounding non-Mormons forced most Latter-Day Saints to leave Nauvoo. Most of these refugees, led by Brigham Young, eventually emigrated to the Great Salt Lake Valley. In 1849, Icarians moved to the Nauvoo area to implement a utopian socialist commune based on the ideals of French philosopher Étienne Cabet. At its peak the colony numbered over 500 members, but Cabet's death in 1856 caused some members to leave this parent colony and move elsewhere. In the early and mid 20th century Nauvoo was primarily a Roman Catholic town, and the majority of the population today is Catholic

Nauvoo today is an important tourist destination for Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and others who come to see the numerous restored historical buildings and visitors centers."

"On the city’s higher ground are the temple, residential areas, and the business district along Mulholland Street (Illinois Route 96), much of it devoted to the needs of tourists and those interested in Latter Day Saints history. The flatlands are occupied by a small number of 19th-century brick houses and other buildings that have survived the city’s vicissitudes, with large empty spaces between them where houses and whole neighborhoods have entirely disappeared."

"In June 2002, on the site of the original temple, the LDS Church completed construction of a new temple. The exterior, and much of the interior, is a copy of the original. The exterior matches the original exactly except in three ways: The temple was positioned 12.5 feet (3.8 m) south to allow for parking on the north side, there are two new exterior doors (with an entrance on the north for disabled persons and emergency exits in the basement on the east) and there is a standing Angel Moroni as is seen on most modern temples; the original was an unspecified flying angel, also with a horn in hand but in a horizontal position with the compass, square and flame above."

"The rebuilding of the Nauvoo Temple was an occasion of great joy and enthusiasm for members of the LDS Church. During the public open house prior to its dedication, 331,849 visitors toured the building. Following LDS Church custom, the temple itself is now used only by Church members."

Nauvoo has been dubbed the “Williamsburg of the Midwest.” In March 2007, Nauvoo was nominated to compete as one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois.

I adored Nauvoo. I loved the quaint, beautiful serenity of it and I wanted to learn the history of it. I would love to go back in the Summer and take more photos. 

The Hibiscus were so huge, about 10-12 inches across, the largest and most beautiful pink hibiscus I have ever seen. 

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