MISSOURI MORMON

FRONTIER FOUNDATION

NEWSLETTER

Number 2 Jackson County, Missouri Winter 1994

Visiting Historian Series, VI active in driving the Mormons from Jackson County and H. Dean Garrett Missouri. There is much to be learned about the Tuesday, 17 August 1993 Mormons in Missouri in the early 1830's. RLDS Temple Topic: The Lamanite Mission ------� : �.. ·----- Dean Garrett and his son Brian were in The 1993 Annual Meeting of the John Whitmer History Independence to do research on the 1831 Mormon Association was held in the RLDS Temple on September mission to the Indians bordering Missouri. The Garretts 24-26, 1993. A sufficient supply of MMFF Newsletters had spent the day with Ron Romig at the RLDS Archives were available to introduce the MMFF organization to and touring Lafayette County. other potentially interested persons. It seemed to attract Most of the contemporary informationthat we have quite a bit of attention. today on the 1831 Mormon mission to the Indians in the area of Jackson County, Missouri is from Parley P. MMFFvice president, Ron Romig, presented a paper on Pratt's writings. Five Mormon missionaries arrived in the Lamanite Mission at the John Whitmer Association Independence in mid-January 1831, namely, Sidney Annual Meeting. Rigdon, P.P. Pratt, Oliver Cowdery, Ziba Petersen and Frederick G. Williams. No one had asked permissionfor them to visit Indian Territory to preach to the Indians. Isaac McCoy, who Visiting Historian Series, VII had established a mission to the Shawnee Indians under Roger Lannius government authority, was one who was not pleased to see them. While Parley P. Pratt went to St. Louis to seek Thursday, 23 September 1993 permission, which was denied due to the Indian agent's RLDSTemple letter ahead, and to Ohio and New York to confer with · Topic: AlexanderDoniphan , the rest stayed in Missouri. They turned their attention to converting the settlers already in this · Roger Lannius is the historian for NASA. He has area of Missouri. been asked to write on Alexander Doniphan forone in a Letters indicate they were being successful in series of books on famousMissourians. He was selected converting white settlers in Jackson and Lafayette due to a short published monograph he wrote about counties. Familial relationships seem to appear between Doniphan. the converts. A news article of October 1899 based on He shared his knowledge about this famed Missouri information from Mary Bums states that 44 were military leader and statesman who took on the task of baptized in the Lexington area. Who were they and what seeking justice for the Mormons. He presented some happened to them? A few names are Charles Hopper, theories about why Alexander Doniphan was willing to Rebecca Hopper who married Ziba Peterson, Thomas defendthe Mormons. Roger welcomed any information Hopper (uncle of Mary Burns), and William Jennings about Doniphan and about repositories with significant who married Elizabeth Hopper. Doniphan research material that the audience had to A connection also seems to appear in names of early share. converts or their families and people who were later MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER FOUNDATION Number 2, Winter 1994 Page 2

MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE FOUNDATION Ronald G. Putz is a duly organized GENERAL NOT FOR PROFIT CORPORATION This past year we put The Missouri Mormon under the Laws of Missouri Frontier Foundation on a firm footing. We went from The Missouri Mormon Frontier Foundation is a almost no members to over 60. We sponsored a nonsectarian organization dedicated to collecting and number of interesting speakers. We published our first preserving informationrelated to the Mormonexperience newsletter. We incorporated as a Not-for-Profit in western Missouri during the l 830's. Corporation in Missouri. We completed all The purposes ofMMFF are stated in the By-Laws as requirements to apply fortax-exempt status with the follows: IRS. 1. To promote the research, documentation, plan We are ready for more progress in 1994. We verification,renovation and restoration of events and to publish at least three more newsletters. We wish to sites associated with the Missouri Mormon Frontier. retain those members we already have and add many 2. To preserve documents, photographs, artifacts,sites will continue to sponsor speakers as they more. We and other historical memorabilia associated with that become available. We also will be forming interest period. groups of persons who wish to pursue specific areas of 3. To facilitate the gathering and preservation of interest which relate to our purposes. We also will be genealogical information from the affected ··publishing a Early Independence, Missouri "Mormon" geographical area. History Tour Guide of early Independence. Our February meeting (advertised in another All meetings, including Board meetings, are open to section) will focus on forming interest groups. These everyone.. You are invited to bring other interested interests can be as diverse as camping ( on LDS / people to any of our meetings. RLDS historical sites), artistry, memberships, long­ range plans, publicity, period clothing, period architecture, fund raising, newsletter, abstracting historical documents, scholarly research or any other First Annual Meeting subject that our members would like to participate in. The First Annual Meeting of the Missouri Mormon The Tour Guide features ten sites in Independence. Frontier Foundation was held on Tuesday evening Some of these are well known, others are more obscure November 9, 1993 at 7p.m. in the Mormon Visitors though not less important. Ron Romig, RLDS Center. By-Laws were approved and officers and Archivist, furnishes fascinating text about each site. boardmembers were elected as follows: Henry Inouye, a gifted local artist provides many Ronald G. Putz - President riveting illustrations. At a later date, pending Ronald E. Romig - Vice President permission from local jurisdictions andsufficient fund­ WilliamJ. Curtis - Secretary raising, we will mark each site. Publishing this booklet raises an immediate need. Jesse E. Ehlers -Treasurer It will cost about $1,000 to publish 1,000 of the 44 Board Members - Annette Curtis page booklets. We have arranged a loan from one of Alta Short our members to get the booklet in print before summer. Henry Inouye However, we need donations to pay offthe loan. This Drew Henson is a good arrangement because it enables us to get the booklet into your hands, still leaving time for Some readers may have noticed that the word "Mormon" contributions. The booklets will then be sold for $1.00 was missing from the MMFF incorporation certificate or $2.00 each to provide fundsfor reprints and printed on page 2 of our first newsletter. That was expanded editions. noticed and corrected. The second certificate was for the "Missouri MormanFrontier Foundation". The third one Tour Guide Donation form on page 7. got it all right. We are now duly and correctly incorporated. Papers are now being prepared for tax ------exempt status. Newsletter editor: AnnetteW. Curtis MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER FOUNDATION Number 2, Winter 1994 Page 3 Early Independence, Missouri "Mormon" History Tour Guide

It is coming! See the "President's Message" on page 2.

A sample of the artworkby Henry Inouye that will appearin the Tour Guide. The Guide promises to be both an attractive and an informativebooklet. ------...:.... -�------Who's Who in MMFF

Henry K. Inouye, Jr. • Honored with the Independence Beautification . award - 1993 and the Neighborhood Council's Henry K. Inouye, Jr. holds a B.A. degree in artand Beautification award, 1993. art history from the University of Hawaii and an • Currently writing a book on Roy Cheville to be M.A. in religion from the School of Theology at published in the winter of 1995 by Herald Claremont. He is a professional artist in both House. This is part of a series to be called commercial and finearts. His interest in aesthetics "Makers of Church Thought" edited by Paul ranges from theory to practice, from theological Edwards. studies to landscape design and beautification. He • A volunteer at the RLDS archives. grew up in Independence and is married to a • An instructor in the RLDS temple field school. wonderful lady named Helen. • A boardmember of MMFF and contributing the art work for a walking tour guide to Mormon Henry Inouye is: sites in Independence. MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER FOUNDATION Number 2, Winter 1994 Page 4 THEY LIVED IN ZION

Vignettes of Mormons in Jackson County 1831-1833 by Ronald G. Putz

SOLOMON CHAMBERLAIN and began to preach to them, in the words that the angel had made known to me in the vision, that all churches Solomon was from Connecticut. He was born in and denominations on the earth had become corrupt, Tolland, July 30, 1788. His fatherdied when he was 8, and no church of God on the earth, but that he would . his mother died about 10 years later. He states in his shortly raise up a church that would never be autobiography that he lived a very wicked life from the confounded nor brought down and be like unto the time his father died until he was 19 years old [about Apostolic Church. They wondered greatlywho had been 1807]. That year he had a vision of hell which alarmed telling me these things, for said they, we have the same him into reforming his ways. Then he had another things wrote [written] down in our house, taken from the vision, this one · ..... of three heavens, and their glories, Gold record, that you are preaching to us. I said, 'The and the third one, farexceeded the others." Now he truly Lord told me these things a number of years ago. " I then wanted to be saved and looked for someone to tell him said, "Ifyou are a visionary house, I wish you would what he must do. He asked forhelp from a Presbyterian make known some of your discoveries, for I think I can minister but wasn't satisfied. Later he joined the bear them.' They then made known to me that they had Methodists. obtained a gold record, and just finished translating it here. Now, the L_ord revealed to me by the gift and REMARKABLEVISIONS power of the Holy Ghos__t that this was the work I had been looking/or." He states that in 1816, "The Lord showed me in a After two days with the Smiths he went with them to vision, that there were no people on the earth that were the Palmyraprinting officewhere he procured 64 pages right, and that faith was gone fromthe earth, excepting of the manuscript and continued his journey to Canada. a few and that all churches were corrupt. Ifurther saw He preached what he had learnedto all who would listen. in vision, that he would soon raise up a church, that As soon as the book was printed he returned to would be after the Apostolic Order, that there would be Palmyra, took 8 or 10 copies, traveled for eight days and in it the same powers, and gifts that were in the daysof sold one copy. He attended a conference of his former

Christ, and that I should live to see the day, and that Methodist church and attempted to convert some of their there would a book come forth, like unto the Bible and ministers, but to no avail. Brigham & the people would [be]guided by it, aswell asthe Bible. " were at this conferenceand did not oppose him. On the About 1829 he felt that the time was drawing near way home he preached to a large congregation of Free for the Lord to bring forth his church. At this time he Will Baptists, many of whom accepted the work, but lived about 20 miles east of Palmyra, N.Y. and began since the Church had not yet been organized there was inquiring if there wasan y strange workof God going on. no one to baptize them. Nothing was reported. He began a trip to Canada, taking A few days afterthe Church was organized (April 6, a boat that passed through Palmyra. He was told by the 1830), Solomon was baptized in Seneca Lake by Joseph Spirit to leave the boat, travel south about three miles Smith. That same spring he moved to Kirtland, Ohio and and stayed overnightat a farm house. The next morning in the fall of 1831, emigrated to Jackson County, his benefactors asked him if he had heard of the Gold Missouri.1 Bible. A power like electricity went through his body In a petition dated Jan 6, 1840 he states that he when he heard it. He was now only 1/2 mile from the moved to Jackson Co. with a ton and a half of house Smith home.

1 THEFIRST MISSIONARY? Chamberlain, Solomon, 1788-1862. Autobiography (1788-1850) Source: Autobiography of Solomon p BYU. [This account was When he arrivedhe met Father Smith, , Chamberlain, copy of hologra h, writtenb y Solomon Chamberlainat Beaver City, , July l l, Christian Whitmer and two others, probably of the 18�8,] From: Milton Backman, Early Members Writinss, Whitmer family. He· states: "I then opened my mouth BYU.

I MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER FOUNDATION Number 2, Winter 1994 Page 5 furniture. He was driven from Jackson, Clay and MMFFINUTAH Caldwell counties. He lost seven houses and two or three plantations plus much else during his sojourn in During a mid-November trip to Utah, while 2 Missouri. participatingin the Mormon History AssociationCouncil He stated in another petition that he lost his meeting, Ron Romig had an opportunity to speak to a inheritance when driven from Jackson County and that gathering of LDS scholars and his crops were left on the ground, two houses were University History professors. The occasion was a burned and some cattle were lost. He estimated the weekly Brown Bag Lunch Lecture sponsored by the value of these losses at $2,000.3 Joseph Smith Institute on the BYU campus. Historian He became very upset at being expelled from Bill Harley hosted the session. Ron presented a slide Jackson County. He was 45 years old and should have show talk about the RLDS Library-Archives. The known better but while camped in Clay county he assembly heard an overview of the history of the RLDS decided to re-cross the Missouri and clean out the Library-Archives and a review of historical material in mobocrats ofJackson County single handed. the RLDS Archives. He armed himself with a rifle, three pistols, a Present in the audience was Professor Susan Easton broadsword and six dirks. He put on a full suit of Black, who during research visits to Independence has buckskin and a wolf skin cap with the ears on and called twice shared her knowledge as part of MMFF'sVisiting himself "old buckskin." He then crossed the river, Historian Series. Many thanks to Susan forher success apparently wandered around the county a day or two in encouraging a number of BYU colleagues to join without food or sleep. Before he could hurt anyone he MMFF. So, though many in the room were already was captured by the mobocrats who took him prisoner members, Ron took this opportunity to share a bit more and said they were going to kill him. He told them that about the foundation and distributed copies of the if they would give him a good supper and a good bed September 1993 newsletter. We arevery pleased to have they could kill him in the morning. When he woke, he these many friendsin Utah as a vital part of MMFF. told them that he was ready for his fate, but they had Ron enjoyed the gracious hospitality extended by been drinking and carousing all night so they just Susan Easton Black and her husband Harvey as a result 4 damned him and sent him on his way. of an invitationto stay at their home. During his week in He lived through this experience and continued Utah, Ron also had an opportunity to meet with Scott through all the trials in Missouri. He went to Nauvoo, Duvall, BYU Chair of Special Collections, and emigrated to Utah and died in Washington Co., UT in Archivists from the LDS Church to consider issues of 1863 at age 74. mutual interest in hopes of facilitating scholarly research Though never prominent in the Church, he is one of on the church's Missouri experience. the most colorful characters of the earlydays, and one of my favorites.

- Ronald Putz ADDITIONS & CORRECTIONS Your editor neglected to include the date of the event which commemorated the explosion of the 2 MormonRedress Petitions, Clark V. Johnson, ed. 1992, steamship, Saluda. The commemoration ceremony Religious Studies Center, BrighamYoung Univer sity. pp. 428- was held September 19, 1991 at the Machpelah 9. Cemetery, 20th Street and Jefferson, Lexington, g 3 Missouri. Followin the ceremony, a reception was MormonRedress Petitions , Clark V. Johnson, ed. 1992, held in the Hall of Honor at Wentworth Military Religious Studies Center, BrighamYoung University. p. 159. Academy, where those attending had a chance to 4 visit Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, 2:605-6. mingle, and enjoy refreshments. Special thanks are due to Lindii Dc1y for many things, including the table decorations, steamship replicas in paper. Also see: Frank Haight Jr.s "Residents research explosion of Saluda" The Independence Examiner, June 9, 1992, page 3. MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER FOUNDATION Number 2, Winter 1994 Page 6

MMFF ABSTRACTING PROJECT A LITTLE GEM

The Missouri Mormon Frontier Foundation has adopted Pertinent information is often found in strange places. as a project the creation of abstracts of relevant They are unindexed and only found accidentally. The published and unpublished materials dealing with following excerpt is a case in point. While indexing a historical evidences of the "Mormon" activities in scrapbook, Annette Curtis found an article from the Missouri. This project is an important part of MMFF's Independence Examiner of 17 November 1899. It was goal of promoting and publishing scholarly writings to headlined "Visit from Martin Rice: The Bard of Lone advance understandings of the early "Mormon" Jack in Independence.--Oldest Teacher in Jackson experience in the larger culture of the State of Missouri. County." Martin Rice, the aged bard of Lone Jack, his Every member has the potential to contribute their own mind as clear and logical as when a pioneer. .. was in unique perspective and understanding to our mutual Independence Monday. ... endeavor. Important historical informationoften pops up MartinRice will be eighty-five years of age next Wednesday an completed in October his sixty-third in the unlikely places or circumstances. As members d year in Missouri. ... encounter · and record these historical "gems," a The article goes on to quote Martin Rice, who refutes the significant compilation of data will occur over time if 'earliest teachers in the county' mentioned in a recent article MMFF develops a systematic way of gathering and titled "Pioneer Teachers" in the Oak Grove Banner. arranging this information. "Sometimes [sic] during the summer of 1833 when I was yet in Tennessee the few settlers in the This abstracting project is an important step in achieving vicinity ofthe Lone Jack, thought it advisable to start the organization's larger goals in that it invites iv1MFF their childrento school and a teacher was soon found members to participant as fully as their time and in the person ofa Mormon elder, Tibi Peterson by opportunity allows in the creation of a valuable body of name, one of the first five emissariesit was said that resource materials about the period. As an ongoing had been sent west to preparethe way ofthe saints in the New Jerusalem. The teacher found, a house in project, MMFFmay eventually publish the accumulation which to teach was hurriedly built by the neighbors of these abstracts in book form which will provide coming together, cuttinga few hickoryhouselogs and improved access to important historical data to all splitting them so as to make two out of one and interested researchers. notching them up, making a pen twelve or fourteen feet square, and five or six in height, covered it with A good abstract is a concise summaryof the substance of clapboards, ribs andweight poles; cut a door in one an article or work focusing on the essence of its thesis, side and the first schoolhouse in that part of the narrative, scope, and conclusions. Anabstract, "Includes county was finished; but the school progressed for enough supporting detail to present the summary as a a few weeks only. Everybodyknows that in the fall complete thought to the reader... And, it mentions ofthat year the Mormons bade adieu to the county of Jackson and the Mormon teacher bade adieu to his important aspects of the article, [significant or] newly school. discovered primary sources utilized, and unusual "One year later when I proposed to teach their methodology, reprints of original documents, or the school, it was resolved to move the site and build a like," [Peter S. Quimby, Managing Editor of America: house a little larger. The school, however, Historyand Life and Historical Abstracts]. commenced in the same little pen with the dirt floor which stood in what is now J. D. Kreeger's woods Brevity is recommended to promote consistency and pasture, and at theend of the firstweek the teacher minimize editing. MMFFabstracts shouldinclude: The and the larger boys, on Saturday cut another set of names of people, places, events, organizations, etc. Date logs and with a yoke of oxen dragged them together and time span indications. Locations. A summary of at the new site, near where Wesley Yankee's fine residence now stands, and on the next Saturday, after the main thesis, argument, opinion, reminiscence, anotherweek ofschool, we met andraised the house, conclusion, etc. Source citations. covered it withthe boards from the old one, cut out a door, and that house was finished and school Members and friendsof the organization are invited to commenced in it the next Monday morning and pre-pare and forwardall abstracts of interest to MMFF continueduntil, forwant of a fireplaceor a stove, the -P .o.Box 1059, cold weatherm October -put anend to it ....'' 'i\a R,m Romi�, RLDS Archives, awe -re-r Independence, Missouri 6405 \. MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER FOUNDATION Number 2, Winter 1994 Page 7

EVERYONE CAN BE INVOLVED The MMFF Board is calling a public meeting of photographs, and very few accurate pictures, each members and friends in February to facilitate the drawing must be carefully researched and refined. formation of Interest Groups. This member interest RLDS archivist Ron Romig and Independence Artist meeting will be the third Saturday of February, 19 Henry Inouye would like to see an Interest Group February 1994, at 9 a.m. at the Mormon Visitors Center, working to develop a collection of descriptions of River and Walnut streets in Independence, Missouri. appropriate period clothing and building styles, i.e. Charter membership certificateswill also be distributed develop a visually descriptive history. In a related vein, at this meeting. the guide book could get into print much quicker if an Last year the Board surveyed the membership and Interest Group were working on soliciting donations found that many would like to serve on various for the guide book and alternative fund raising committees with various interests. You may be opportunities forMNIFF projects. wondering why the board has not already contacted you Other possible interest areas: * plan and facilitate or invited you to participate in these specific ways. the placement of appropriate markers forthe walking Organizing and planning, setting up Visiting Historian tour, * plan other tours throughout westernMissouri, * meetings, and our firstspecial project, the walking tour continue development of a master plan for future guide forIndependence, have kept the board occupied. MMFF goals and projects, * facilitate the abstracting As much as your help is needed the mechanism is not in project, * prepare biographical profiles of MMFF place to use the creative energy of the membership. We members and their interests forthe newsletter, * solicit believe that Interest Groups will allow all of our and prepare articles for the newsletter, * scholarly members to talk and work together in both small and the research, * publicity, * tour and travel, * camping for larger groups toward accomplishing the Foundation families to experience the historic sites. Other interests goals. may emerge fromour February public meeting. Come For example: The walking tour guide book is nearly and express your interest. ready forpress. Beforegoing to press, the illustrations ought to be as historically accurate as possible. This is -re-r not as easy as it might seem. Since there are no period MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER FOUNDATION Number 2, Winter 1994 Page 8

MMFF MEMBERSHIP MEETING 1994 Membership Dues Saturday, 19 February 1994 It is time to renew memberships for the 1994 9a.m. calendar year. Thanks to all who supported MMFF Mormon Visitors Center with Charter Memberships. Get your Certificate River & Walnut, Independence, Missouri on the 19th! Any Charter member who did not PURPOSE: To F�rm Interest Groups receive the first newsletter, please let us know.

All members and friends are invited. See the article on page 3 for details. Call Ron Putz at -----··. L:::=:::::::::.• .J ··----- (816) 228-3512 to say you are coming so we can ' -� arrange enough space and "donuts".

POSSIBLE UPCOMING EVENTS Get Involved - Help Make Them Happen

.,. Memorial Day Weekend - participation in Special for BYU Students Spring Rendezvous around the Independence LeMar C. Berrett Square. Wednesday, 26 January 1994 .,. MMFF tee shirt fundraiser. Mormon Visitors Center .. Camping trip to area such as Fishing River Topic: Mormons in Missouri with 1830's crafts for the kids.