Nauvoo, Illinois

There is also a Nauvoo, Alabama, and a Nauvoo, Pennsylvania

Nauvoo (נָאווּ "to be beautiful", Sephardi Hebrew Nåvu, Tiberian Hebrew Nâwû) is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,063 at the 2000 census. The city was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr., also the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and named by him from the Sephardi Hebrew language with an anglicized spelling. The word comes from Isaiah 52:7, "How beautiful upon the mountains..."

Geography

Nauvoo is located at (40.544567, -91.380317).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.5 km² (4.8 mi²). 8.8 km² (3.4 mi²) of it is land and 3.7 km² (1.4 mi²) of it (29.88%) is water.

History

Commerce City

Hancock County was created in 1825 and organized in 1829, eleven years after Illinois became a state. In 1834, absentee investors A. White and J. B. Teas platted the town of Commerce on a bend of the Mississippi River in Hancock County, some fifty-three miles north of Quincy.Linn, p. 219 By 1839, the town had failed to attract settlers and only a few frame houses had been built. The hopes of commercial success, based on the townsite being a portage past seasonal rapids, were dashed by the fact that the site was mostly a malarial swamp.

Nauvoo founded by the Latter Day Saints

In early 1839, Latter Day Saints were fleeing Missouri as a result of the 1838 Mormon War. They regrouped in Quincy, whose non-Mormon citizens opened their homes to the refugees. Joseph Smith, Jr., president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, remained imprisoned in Missouri, but his chief counselor in the First Presidency, Sidney Rigdon, had been released and had rejoined the main body of the church in Quincy. A land agent named Isaac Galland approached Rigdon 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 plat in 1839, and Latter Day Saints began to settle the area immediately.Flanders, p. 32

Weak from months of mistreatment, Smith and other leaders were permitted to escape from prison in Missouri and they rejoined the Latter Day Saints in Commerce by May of 1839. He renamed the town "Nauvoo", meaning "to be beautiful"; the word is found in the Hebrew of Isaiah 52:7. Latter Day Saints often referred to Nauvoo as "the city beautiful", or "the city of Joseph", or a similar nickname.

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.Brooks, pp. 47–48

Building up the city

In the spring of 1840, John C. Bennett, the Quarter Master General of the Illinois State Militia converted to Mormonism and became Joseph Smith's closest friend and confidante. Bennett's experience with Illinois' government allowed him to help Smith craft a city charter for Nauvoo. Based closely on the Springfield, Illinois charter, the document gave the city a number of important powers, including the establishment of municipal court, a university, and an independent militia unit. At the time, the Illinois state government was closely balanced between members of the Democratic party and members of the Whig party. Both hoped to attract Mormon votes and both were quick to vote the charter into effect. After the charter was passed, Bennett was elected Nauvoo's first mayor and Smith made Bennett a member of the church's First Presidency. A militia unit, named the "Nauvoo Legion" was established, and Smith and Bennett were made its commanding generals.

Joseph Smith's generalized city plan, known as the "plat of Zion" was first introduced in 1833. Elements of this plat design are found in street layout and lot allotments in Nauvoo. The city grew quickly as Mormons gathered to the area, and at its height Nauvoo's population, although smaller than contemporary Chicago's, was as large as Quincy's or Springfield's.Arrington and Bitton, p. 69 Many of the new converts came from the British Isles, as a result of a successful mission established thereArrington and Bitton, p. 68 The church published two newspapers in the city, the Times and Seasons and the Nauvoo Wasp (later called the Nauvoo Neighbor). Although it mostly existed on paper, a University of Nauvoo was established, with Bennett as its Chancellor.

On April 6, 1841, the Nauvoo Legion drilled in a great parade to honor the laying of the cornerstone for a new temple and Sidney Rigdon gave the dedicatory speech. The foundation of the Nauvoo Temple was 83 ft. by 128 ft. and, when finished, its steeple rose to a height of over 100 ft.. Church elder Alpheus Cutler was put in charge of the construction of the impressive stone edifice. Another church committee began construction of a large hotel on the city's Water Street, to be called the "Nauvoo House." John D. Lee was put in charge of constructing a meeting hall for the quorums of the Seventies.

In October of 1841, a Masonic Lodge was established in Nauvoo. George Miller, one of the church's Presiding Bishops, was made its "Worshipful Master" or leader. The lodge admitted far more members than was normal Masonic practice and quickly elevated church leaders to high roles.

Developments in the Church

At the time of Nauvoo's foundation, the church was led by a First Presidency, consisting of a Prophet and two Counselors. The Presiding High Council (known as the Nauvoo High Council), led by Nauvoo Stake President William Marks was next in administrative authority, overseeing the church's legislative and judicial affairs. The church's "Travelling High Council" (or Quorum of the Twelve) led by President Brigham Young oversaw the church's missionary activities.

Joseph Smith, Jr. introduced and expanded a number of distinct practices while the Latter Day Saint church was headquartered in Nauvoo. These included Baptism for the dead, Rebaptism, the Nauvoo-era Endowment, and the ordinance of the Second Anointing. In addition, he created a new inner council of the church — containing both men and women — called the Anointed Quorum.

Although not publicly acknowledged, Smith had been practicing plural marriage for some time, and in Nauvoo he began to teach other leaders the doctrine. Controversy arose because Smith's counselor in the First Presidency and Mayor, John C. Bennett, was caught in adultery (which Bennett considered and referred to as "spiritual wifery" or having multiple "spiritual" wives) claiming that Joseph Smith endorsed it and practiced it himself. However, this was inaccurate as the doctrine of plural marriage involved an actual legal marriage whereas Bennett simply seduced the women for sexual favors. Bennett was subsequently expelled from Nauvoo in the summer of 1842 and Smith himself became the city's second mayor. Bennett's fall led to the beginning of Brigham Young's rise among Smith's confidents. In the end, Young proved more loyal than Bennett, helping Smith promote the practice of plural marriage with greater discretion.

In March of 1844, Smith organized council whose members were sworn to secrecy, known as the "Council of the Kingdom" or the "Council of Fifty".Quinn, p. 120 This council acclaimed Smith as "Prophet, Priest and King" of the "Kingdom"Quinn, p. 124—a practice later imitated by Smith's competing successors Brigham Young and James J. Strang.

Conflicts with neighbors

Whenever Latter Day Saints gathered in numbers, they met with opposition from neighbors who feared that Mormon bloc-voting would lead to theocracy. (In Nauvoo, Smith was not only President of the Church, he was Mayor, head of the municipal court, and general of the militia.) Non-Mormons in Hancock County, especially in the towns of Warsaw and Carthage, felt threatened by growing Mormon political power.

Throughout much of the Nauvoo period, officials from Missouri attempted to arrest Joseph Smith Jr., and extradite him on charges relating to the Mormon War. Whenever he was apprehended, Smith would routinely appeal to the Nauvoo Municipal Court, which would issue writs of habeas corpus and force his release. The court regularly did the same whenever non-Mormons tried to arrest Latter Day Saints on any charge, and Illinoians began to consider this a subversion of the judiciary.

Dissatisfaction with the theocracy also arose from within. In 1844, First Presidency member, William Law — an important merchant and counselor to Smith — broke with the church president over the issue of plural marriage. Law was excommunicated and founded a reformed churched called the True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He also established a newspaper named the Nauvoo Expositor which threatened to expose both the practice of plural marriage and Smith's title of "King" of the Council of Fifty. On June 10, Smith held a meeting of the city council which condemned the Expositor as "a public nuissance" and empowered him to order the press destroyed. (See Nauvoo Expositor for more information on this event.)

The destruction of the press was widely viewed as illegal and unconstitutional and non-Mormons throughout Illinois began to clamor for Smith's arrest. When he submitted to imprisonment in the county seat, Carthage, a mob attacked the jail and assassinated him.

The "Mormon War in Illinois" and the Mormon Exodus

After Smith's death, the conflict between Mormons and non-Mormons continued and escalated into what was sometimes called the "Mormon War in Illinois." Opponents of the Mormons in Warsaw and Carthage began to agitate for the expulsion of the Latter Day Saints from Illinois. In October of 1844, a great gathering was announced in Warsaw. Although it was purported to be a "wolf hunt," it was known that the "wolves" to be hunted were the Mormons. When Governor Ford became aware of it, he sent militia troops to disperse the gathering. However, as he later recalled:

"The malcontents abandoned their design, and all the leaders of it fled to Missouri. The Carthage Greys fled almost in a body, carrying their arms along with them. During our stay in the county the anti-Mormons thronged into the camp and conversed freely with the men, who were fast infected with their prejudices, and it was impossible to get any of the officers to aid in expelling them".Ford, p. 365

Vigilante bands continued to roam the county, forcing Latter Day Saints in outlying areas to abandon their homes and gather to Nauvoo for protection.

When the Illinois state legislature met in December of 1844, there was great support for the repeal of the Nauvoo Charter. Governor Ford conceded that the charter's privileges had been "much abused" by the Mormons, but he urged that the legislature merely amend the document, saying "I do not see how ten or twelve thousand people can do well in a city without some chartered privileges".Flanders, p. 324 However, on January 29, 1845, the repeal was overwhelming passed by a vote of 25-14 in the Senate and 75-31 in the House.

After its disincorporation, Nauvoo was forced to operate extralegally. The forms of civil institutions were eroded or dissolved and the church operated as the government. It was known informally by its residents as the "City of Joseph" while disincorporated. Brigham Young, who gained control of Nauvoo after a succession crisis, established what were known as "whittling and whistling brigades." These vigilante were made up of Mormon men and boys who "whistled" while "whittling" with large knives that they held close to any non-Mormons who dared enter Nauvoo. According to one witness:

"The process of whittling out an officer was as follows: A great tall man by the name of ^* Stout was the captain of the Whittling society, and he had about a dozen assistants. They all had great bowie knives and would get a long piece of pine board and get up close to the officer and pretend to be cutting the pine board, but would cut over it and cut near the officer. In the meantime, small boys would get tin pans, old bells and all sorts of things to make a noise with and surround the officer. No one would touch or say a word to him, but the noise drowned all that he would say".Hallwas and Launius, pp. 54–55

By the end of 1845 it became clear that no peace was possible, and Mormon leaders negotiated a truce so that the Latter Day Saints could prepare to abandon the city. The winter of 1845-46 saw the enormous preparations for the Mormon Exodus across the Great Plains. In early 1846, the majority of the Latter Day Saints emptied the city. After the departure of the Mormons, their great temple stood empty until destroyed by arsonists on November 19, 1848.

On April 1, 2004, the Illinois House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution of regret for the forced expulsion of the Mormons from Nauvoo in 1846.

Subsequent History

Emma Hale Smith, Joseph's widow, continued to live in Nauvoo with her family after the departure of the majority of the Latter Day Saints. In 1860, their son, Joseph Smith III claimed to receive a revelation to take his place as Prophet/President of a New Organization of the Latter Day Saint church. He continued to live in Nauvoo, which functioned as headquarters of this church (now known as the Community of Christ) until 1865. In 1866, Smith moved from Nauvoo to Plano, Illinois, where the church's printing house had been established. He personally took over the editorship of the Saint's Herald, and Plano became the headquarters of the church. In his final years, members of the church began to move to Independence, Missouri, which Smith's father had designated as the "centerplace" of the "City of Zion." Latter Day Saints had wanted to return to this theologically important ground since their expulsion in 1833.

Icarians

In 1849, Icarians moved from Icaria, Texas 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 dissension over legal matters and the death of Cabet in 1856 caused some members to leave this parent colony and move on to other Icarian locations in East St. Louis, Iowa and California. Descendents of this Icarian colony still live in Hancock and McDonough counties. The Icarian historical collection is located at the Western Illinois University library in Macomb.

Nauvoo Today

The Community of Christ owns and maintains a few central historic sites in Nauvoo, including the homes of Joseph Smith Jr., his store, and the Nauvoo House. Guided walking tours begin at a visitors center located near these buildings. The final resting place of Joseph Smith, Jr., his wife Emma, and his brother Hyrum is located in the Smith family cemetery overlooking the river adjacent to the Red Brick Store.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owns most of the historic sites in Nauvoo, including the homes of Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and other early members of the church, as well as other significant buildings. Most of these sites are open to the public, with demonstrations and displays, and there are self-guided driving tours as well as wagon tours. These tours are free, as are the stage and riverside theatrical productions. There is also a large visitors center complete with a relief map of 1846 Nauvoo and two theaters. In June 2002, on the site of the original temple, the church completed construction of a new temple, whose exterior, and much of the interior, is a re-creation of the original. The rebuilding of the Nauvoo Temple was an occasion of great joy and enthusiasm for Church members and some 350,000 people toured the temple between its completion and dedication.

The work to rennovate various sites of historical significance in the area are coordinated by Nauvoo Restoration, Incorporated. NRI is a nonprofit organization supported by both the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Community of Christ, as well as others interested in Nauvoo's history. Due to the work of NRI and its members, Nauvoo is now often referred to as the "Williamsburg of the Midwest."

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,063 people, 403 households, and 276 families residing in the city. The population density was 121.4/km² (314.4/mi²). There were 458 housing units at an average density of 52.3/km² (135.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.08% White, 0.28% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.94% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.

There were 403 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 6.9% have a female householder with no husband present and 31.3% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,519, and the median income for a family was $49,167. Males had a median income of $37,895 versus $24,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,150. About 5.6% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notes and references

Arrington, Leonard J. and Davis Bitton, The Mormon Experience: A History of the Latter-day Saints, Urbana, Illinois, University of Illinois Press, 1992.
Brooks, Juanita, John Doyle Lee, Zealot, Pioneer, Builder, Scapegoat, Glendale, California, 1962.
Flanders, Robert Bruce, Nauvoo: Kingdom on the Mississippi, Urbana, Illinois, University of Illinois Press, 1965.
Ford, Thomas, A History of Illinois: From Its Commencement as a State in 1818 to 1847, 1860, (reprint University of Illinois Press, 1995).
Hallwas, John F. and Roger D. Launius, Cultures in Conflict, A Documentary History of the Mormon War in Illinois, Logan, Utah, Utah State University Press, 1995.
Linn, William A., The Story of the Mormons: From The Date of their Origin to the Year 1901, Macmillan, New York, 1902.
Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1994.

External links

Nauvoo Charter from History of the Church, Vol.4, Ch.13
Explanation regarding the Hebrew origin of the city's name
Icaria movement
Icaria, Texas
Nauvoo & The Mormon Invasion

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