A "Beautiful Place"

The bucolic small town of a thousand inhabitants hugging the bank of the Mississippi River has a tumultuous and complex past.  The Sauk and Fox Indians first called this area Quashquema.  Non-natives established a settlement there in 1824.  The population grew quickly, and by 1829 the area needed a post office.  As the town morphed, it was known, at various times as Venus (1832); Commerce (1834); and was finally re-named Nauvoo in 1840.

Nauvoo is located right on the Mississippi River. This is the view
of the river from just outside and in front of the Mormon Temple

The present temple is an exact reproduction of the Mormon Temple
built in 1840. The original was destroyed by arson in 1848

The town today is a beautiful, peaceful place as Joseph Smith
envisioned it, but that has not always been the case.

Chestnut trees cover the grounds.  These trees were
not here in the 1840s...this was all open farmland

This is what chestnuts look like on the trees...not exactly the picture one
envisions when one hears the lyrics "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."

Nauvoo, a Hebrew wording meaning “beautiful place,” was named by Joseph Smith.  It was a place where he aspired to create an ideal community for the early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the “Mormons”).  After being violently forced out of Missouri, nearly 10,000 Mormons moved to Illinois, most to settle in Nauvoo.  Here, the settlers practiced their religious and political beliefs while turning the swampland into a viable community.  The town grew quickly and by 1844 it rivaled Chicago.  But distrust and violence once again found the “Saints.”  Following the assassination (some said “martyrdom) of Joseph Smith in 1844, most of the Mormon population, led by Brigham Young, moved west, first to Winter Quarters, Nebraska, and ultimately to the Salt Lake Valley in the Utah territory.  Two years later, in 1846, again fleeing violence, the remaining Latter-day Saints left Nauvoo.

Brigham Young, who led the Mormons to Utah, lived in this home in Nauvoo



The George C. Riser Boot Shop

The shop of Jonathon Browning, Gunsmith

The Stoddard Tinsmith shop

Calvin Pendleton's home also served at one point as the town's school

The Samuel Williams home

The home of Sarah Granger Kimball, one of the few frame houses from the 1840s

Patty Sessions' cabin.  Even though she lost her husband and
her children\while living here, she never lost her faith. 



Nauvoo had 350 brick buildings before the Mormons left.  There were only 49 still standing when restoration of the city began in 1960.  Today, one can visit 40 historic sites from the 1840’s time period.  Demonstrations of spinning, candle making, rope-braiding, barrel making and other crafts and trades from the time period can be viewed in the Family Living Center.  Listen to a narrated account of the town while enjoying a carriage ride.  Learn about the history of the area during a wagon tour of the town.  Be transported back in time by attending the musical comedy “Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo” in the community theatre each evening.  Or simply pause to savor some quiet time in the Nauvoo groves or the Women Memorial Garden.  These activities are all free (although complimentary tickets must be obtained for the carriage and wagon rides and the play) courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Nauvoo was a "community" in every sense of the word, with
homes and businesses in close proximity to one another

Old barns are beautiful works of art

Bricks used to build in Nauvoo were made right here in
the Nauvoo Brickyard that operated from 1839 to 1846

An original cistern in Nauvoo, now covered for safety

When the Mormons left Nauvoo, they travelled in wagons like this...neither
large nor comfortable. Imagine starting a 1,200 mile journey in this wagon

There are any number of options in the area for overnight accommodations, including the historic Hotel Nauvoo, newer chain hotels, and several Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs).  If you want to really immerse yourself in the ambiance of the 1840’s, stay at one of the refurbished cabins operated by a company called Nauvoo Log Cabins.  Cabins of varying sizes will accommodate a couple or an extended family.  Each cabin’s extensive history adds dimension to the experience.

A butterfly lights on some beautiful flowers

The "Women Garden" honors the vital role that women play in society

 

More beauty...the gardens are gorgeous in the late summer

Hotel Nauvoo, approximately 175 years old. Construction was begun
by J.J. Brendt and completed by Adam Swartz, a German immigrant

Nauvoo Log Cabins.  This cabin can accommodate up to 10 people

My dad, Tracy, studying the history of some of the cabins

This was an actual log cabin, now reconstructed.
And yes, there is inside plumbing, too

Nauvoo Log Cabins has a museum on the property. This room
depicts a typical general store of the 1840s

Militia uniform and weapons of the 1840s displayed in the museum

Millstones and a period cart

My mom and dad, Dorothy and Tracy, outside of the Daniel Ison cabin
where we stayed during a recent visit to Nauvoo



Over the years we’ve enjoyed visiting Nauvoo several times, and each visit has added a little more history and a greater degree of understanding to our Road Stories.

"Mike", one of the Percheron draft horses (of French origin)
that pull the wagons and carriages in Nauvoo.

Learn more about Nauvoo at the town's official web site, Historic Nauvoo, at http://www.historicnauvoo.net/  or

the Nauvoo Tourism Office at http://www.visitnauvoo.com/

For information about Nauvoo Log Cabins, including the history of each of their restored log cabins, visit their web site at http://www.nauvoologcabins.com/