Content preview - You need a premium account to view this content.

Eastern Iowa

Stanley B. Kimball

The eastern part of Iowa, especially eastern Lee County, was considered part of greater Nauvoo, Illinois. Land was purchased on both sides of the Mississippi River at the same time from the same person, stakes were established in both places, Mormons lived on both sides of the river, Masonic lodges were founded in both places, Joseph Smith preached and visited in Lee County, the Iowa settlements were connected to Nauvoo by ferry, the Sugar Creek camp and staging ground for the 1846 trek across Iowa lay seven miles west of the Mississippi River, and the September 1846 miracle of the quails took place on the Iowa shore, as did Joseph Smith's well-known healing of Brigham Young and Elijah Fordham in July 1839.

The first Mormons in Lee County were exiles from Missouri during the expulsion of 1838-1839. Most Missouri refugees headed for ferries at Quincy, Illinois, and at Louisiana, Missouri. But some did not. Israel Barlow, for example, was made welcome at Montrose in Lee County, Iowa, on the Mississippi River directly opposite what became Nauvoo, Illinois. He was attracted to Montrose because of the abandoned Fort Des Moines, which he judged could house 40 or 50 refugee families. Among those who found temporary housing there were Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Orson Pratt, John Smith, Elijah Fordham, and Joseph B. Noble. This sudden influx of Mormon squatters, however, alarmed some of the old settlers, who grew antagonistic.

Despite this local antagonism, the Church soon purchased the undeveloped town site of Nashville (now Galland) and 20,000 surrounding acres located on the Mississippi River, three miles south of Montrose. An additional 30,000 acres were purchased in and near Montrose, and some Mormons acquired land in Keokuk, Ambrosia, and elsewhere in Lee County. Of these communities, Montrose became most prominent. Mormon settlement commenced there in May 1839. By October of that same year there were so many Mormons in Lee County that the Zarahemla Stake, one of the 11 pre-Utah stakes, was organized there (see D&C 125:3-4).

John Smith, uncle of Joseph Smith, was set apart as (that is, designated) president, with Reynolds Cahoon and Lyman Wight as counselors. Erastus Snow, Elijah Fordham, William Clayton, and Asahel Smith served on the high council, and Alanson Ripley was called as the bishop. Montrose was the center of the stake, and the high council met regularly in the home of Elijah Fordham.