MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER Number 11 Jackson County, Missouri Summer 1996 Your Help is Needed! Shipps and John Welch, The Journals of William E. McLellin (Provo, UT: BYU Studies Brigham Young Mclellin Monument to Be Erected University, 1994). Information about McLellin can be found in Early The MMFF Board has approved a timely and Independence, Missouri "Mormon" History Tour Guide. exciting project. A suitable monument will be placed at On 18 July 1831 Illinois school teacher William E. the grave site of William E. McLellin in Woodlawn McLellin, heard David Whitmer testify "to having seen Cemetery, Independence, Missouri. The front will read: an Holy Angel." Intrigued, William E. McLellin followed "Mormon" missionaries to Jackson County, Missouri. He was baptized into the new movement in Kaw Township, (present day mid-town Kansas City, William Earl Mclellin Missouri)o n 20 August 1831, by Hyrum Smith, brother Born January 18, 1806 of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. Later, he served Smith County, Tennessee missions to the East with Hyrum Smith, Samuel H. Died March 14, 1883 Smith, Parley P. Pratt and was ordained one of the Independence, Missouri original twelve Apostles in the Latter Day Saint Baptized by Hyrum Smith in 1831 movement in 1835. Separating from the church, he held Jackson County, Missouri firmto his testimony of the Book of Mormon. McLellin affiliated witha variety of Latter Day Saint factions and Served on missions with movements throughout the remainder of his life. Upon Hyrum Smith, Samuel Smith his death, he was buriedin Woodlawn Cemetery on a lot and Parley P. Pratt which was purchased by his wife Ernaline. Ordained one of the original twelve Latter Day Saint apostles This marker project initiates part ofMMFF's master 1835 plan to place suitable historical markers at significant Erected by Missouri Mormon history sites around Independence, Missouri Mormon Frontier Foundation Jackson County, and the state ofMissouri. 1996 We believe many people will appreciate the opportunity to be involved in this exciting beginning. Trusting that you will respond to this fund raising MMFF is a not-for-profit foundation recognized by the appeal, the monument has been ordered. An historical State of Missouri and the Federal Government. MMFF marker dedication ceremony is planned for 2 p.m. memberships or donations to MMFF for the McLellin Sunday afternoon, 29 September 1996, immediately Monument project are tax deductible. Send donations following the John Whitmermeetings. This will enable to MMFF Marker Fund, c/o Drew Henson, MMFF JWHA attendees, as well as local MMFF members, to Treasurer, P.O. Box 3186, Independence, MO 64055. arrange their schedules so they can attend. Please be generous in your support of this important project. For more information about how you can be Interest inWilliam McLellin has recently increased involved, contact MMFF President, Ron Putz; or dramatically as a result of the identification and MMFF Secretary William Curtis. publication of McLellin's missionary journals by Jan MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER FOUNDATION Number 11, Summer 1996 Page 2 Tour Richmond, Missouri A tour of historic Richmond, Missouri, led by a MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER FOUNDATION descendant of Jacob Whitmer, is one of the exciting P.O. Box 3186 offerings at the upcoming John Whitmer meeting at Independence MO 64055 [ndependence, Missouri this September. Harold D. Barchers, past President of the Ray County Historical The Missouri Mormon Frontier Foundation Society, will lead a detailed tourof Richmond. Harold, is a nonsectarian organization dedicated to a life long resident of Richmond, is a most interesting collecting and preserving information related to guide. RLDS Archivist, Ron Romig, and local historian, the Mormon experience in western Missouri William J. Curtis will also assist with the tour. during the 1830's. It is a general not for profit The tour will visit many significant locations, organization under the laws of Missouri. including the Richmond Jail site where Joseph Smith Donations are tax exempt. was incarcerated in 1839; the Alexander Doniphan statue; David Whitmer's homesite and grave; The The purposes of MMFF are stated in the By­ Witnesses monument and Oliver Cowdery and Whitmer laws as follows: family grave sites in the Pioneer Cemetery. Less well 1. To promote the research, documentation, known sites will include the location of 1880s Whitmer verification. renovation and restoration of family Church of Christ meetings; local alternative events and sites associated with the Missouri ,Whitmer home and livery stable locations; grave Mormon Frontier. 2. To preserve documents, photographs, locations for other Whitmer descendants; and the home artifacts, sites and other historical of George Schweich - David's grandson who sold the memorabilia associated with that period. Book of Mormon Printer's Manuscript to the RLDS 3. To facilitate the gathering and preservation Qf Church in 1903. Richmond is a fortyminu te drive from genealogical information from the affected Independence. The tour will begin at 2:00 at the geographical area. Richmond Courthouse. Transportation to Richmond will be by private car - we will make an effort to assist with President - Ronald G. Putz car pooling and rides for those without transportation of Vice President - Ronald E. Romig their own. Box lunches will be available to registrants. Secretary -William J. Curtis Treasurer -Drew Henson Cars (fill the gas tankb efore lunch) will leave from the Board Members -Annette Curtis RLDS Temple parking lot after lunch. Hope you will Alta Short join this adventure into the past. Henry Inouye Registration $14, Banquet $10 and Lunch Boxes $6. Helen Inouye Contact person: Alma R. Blair, John Whitmer Historical Ex-Offico - Jesse E. Ehlers Association, Graceland College, 700 College Ave., Lamoni IA 50140. All meetings, including Board meetings, are open. You are invited to come and bring other interested people to any of our meetings. NEWSLETTER Please send news and articles for the newsletter to the attention of Annette Curtis at the address above. To give items to her in person, Annette can be found working at Mid-Continent Public Library, NorthIn dependence Branch, in the Genealogy and Local History Department almost any Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Newsletter editor: Annette W. Curtis MISSOURI MORMON FRONTIER FOUNDATION Number 11, Summer 1996 Page 3 President's Message by Ronald G. Putz MMFF President This is an exciting time for the Missouri Mormon The members ofMMFF have long looked fonvard to Frontier Foundation. We achieved tax exempt status marking the Mormon historic sites in Independence and from the IRSover a year ago and now have also achieved other sites in Jackson County and elsewhere. Th.is will tax exempt status from the State of Missouri. Th.is be a major project which will cost thousands of dollars. means that people who donate to MMFF may deduct We hope to begin placing the firsthistoric site markers their donation on Federal income tax and that the next year. organization can purchase items and services without paying the Missouri sales tax. We are progressingsteadily. I want to thank all of you faithful members who piake this organization Our Visiting Historian series has been unusually possible. We appreciate your steady support. We successful. When Susan Easton Black was here a few welcome your suggestions and involvement. You are months ago, 175 people attended. One of the many welcome to attend any of our Board meetings. They are benefits of membership is that you are sure to be held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm at informed about upcoming speakers and events. the LDS Visitors' Center. Our current project is providing a marker for I would like to see the day when every authentic site William E. McLellin'sgrave in Woodlawn cemetery. He is marked. I would like to see the day when historic has a tombstone, but we will be adding a marker to point property, such as the Zion's Camp site, and the Battfe of out his position as one of the original Apostles of this Crooked River site, areproperly preserved. I would like dispensation as well as a few other accomplishments. to see the day when every person expelled from the Your donations toward this project would be most county in 1833 is remembered. I would like to see the welcome. day when the history of Jackson County, and all of western Missouri, is appreciated as much as that of The first pnntrng of our Walking Tour of Kirtland and Nauvoo is now. I would like to see the day Independence has sold out and we are now selling a when we can better understand the actions of the second printing of 1,000 copies. This publication was Missourians and that the rancor of the past, on all sides, written by MMFF's Vice President, Ronald Romig and can dissolve into today's kindly feelings. illustrated by board member, Henry Inouye. It provides excellent information not published elsewhere and Much progress has already been made, with the features the only published illustration of the Jackson Lord's guidance and your help, much more will yet be County Courthouse as it appeared in Joseph Smith's day. done. - Ronald Putz Editor's Corner Thank heavens the last issue of the MMFF Christmas. Meanwhile there are a million Newsletter was out before May 3rd! Due to a fire decisions to be made. on that day at our house, life has been utter confusion for us. Some things were packed out I sincerelyhope that I have not missed anyone for storage that should not have been and some in updating the membership mailing list. If you just are not where they should be after we moved know anyone who is a member of MMFF for 1996 out.