Norton travels, USA and beyond: Historic Nauvoo

The storm front finally passed us so we were able to leave Springfield and head for Nauvoo, Illinois. Nauvoo is a very small town on the Mississippi River that has historic significance. It was settled in the late 1830’s by the LDS saints that had been driven out of Missouri. They built a city that had a population of 12,000 by the mid 1840’s. But persecution there caused them to leave in 1846 and head west. In the last few decades, the church has restored or reconstructed many of the buildings, which are open for tours. There are historic homes with many antiques from the original residents or from the time period. Also there are many businesses that don’t sell things but are there to demonstrate the trades that were practiced in pioneer times. We visited the print shop, blacksmith, wheelwright, shoe maker, apothecary (drug store), gunsmith, tinsmith and brickyard. Plus there are demonstrations about candle making, bread making, weaving and woodworking. We also went on a wagon ride and attended several performances by both youth and seniors that are there on missions. The Nauvoo Brass Band performs in several locations, and the BYU International Folk Dancers put on a performance. Plus, the weather was beautiful, there were no crowds (they come in July for the pageant) and everything is free. We also went over to Carthage, where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred, and attended the Nauvoo Temple. I also got some information at the Land and Records office about some ancestors that had lived there, which they put on a CD for me to read when I get time at home. We really enjoyed our time there, and would recommend it to anyone, not just LDS.

When we left Nauvoo, we drove to Des Moines, Iowa. We spent a day there going to the state capitol, which has to be one of the most beautiful in the country. It’s definitely worth a stop if you’re passing through on the I-80. The state museum also had an excellent display of Civil War history. Then today we drove to Council Bluffs, Iowa, just across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. We’ll be here a few days to see this area.