On Feb. 4, 1846, the first company of Mormon pioneers left Nauvoo, Illinois, under the direction of Brigham Young, who had been advised to leave in mid-winter due to tensions and conflict in Hancock County. The early Saints had planned to leave in the spring of 1846, but conflicts intensified their preparations and time frame.
On February 4, Charles Shumway and an advance party of15 wagons ferried across the mile-wide Mississippi River. Within a few days, Mormons crossed day and night using whatever craft they could find. On February 19, winds howled and snow fell, and no one could maneuver the river. Five days later, sub-zero temperatures caused the Mississippi to freeze over, and people walked to the Iowa shore. More than 3,000 Saints crossed the river that February.
Each year Historic Nauvoo commemorates this historic event under a variety of temperatures and weather conditions.
Mormon Exodus Re-enactment
This year on February 2, 2013, Historic Nauvoo will host a re-enactment of the Mormon exodus which took place 167 years ago. The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Faith to Follow the Prophet.” At 8:00 a.m. a continental breakfast will be served in the Family Living Center, and at 9:00 a.m. a procession of horse-drawn wagons, carriages, military units, and pedestrians will make the mile-long march from the Cultural Hall on Main Street to Parley Street along the “Trail of Hope” to the kiosk at the Mississippi River’s edge. Marchers will wear name tags representing ancestors and other pioneers who joined the migration from Nauvoo.
Participants selecting name tags
A short memorial service will be held at the end of the parade route.
Memorial service at the river’s edge
To conclude this year’s exodus commemoration, a dramatic vignette will be presented on Sunday, February 3, at 7:00 p.m. in the Historic Nauvoo Visitors Center. Mormon exodus activities are free to the public.
Untold Nauvoo Stories Symposium
Concurrent with the 1846 Mormon exodus re-enactment, the third Untold Nauvoo Stories Symposium will take place on February 1-2, 2013, at the Joseph Smith Historic Site Visitors Center (JSHS) in Nauvoo. The symposium celebrates lesser known stories of Nauvoo’s history and seeks to enrich the understanding of personalities, conditions, and social currents that converge in this Western Illinois community. This year the session presenters will discuss the Hopewell Indians and Mormon, Icarian, Catholic, and other early and contemporary Nauvoo individuals and families.
Session presenter Mary Logan, Nauvoo resident
Symposium registration begins on Friday, February 1, 2013, at 1:00 p.m. in the JSHS Visitors Center, with sessions continuing from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
On Friday evening, February 1, Hotel Nauvoo, normally closed for the winter, will open its doors for this year’s symposium dinner. After the meal, Brother Bill Meyers will deliver a keynote address on “Some Colorful Memories of Nauvoo Methodists.” Methodists have been part of Nauvoo’s history since 1846. German- and English-speaking Methodists formed two congregations, but merged together with hesitations and challenges in 1904. Ethnic customs and traditions, denominational assistance, and dedicated lay leadership have provided colorful memories which Brother Bill will add to Nauvoo’s untold stories. Brother Bill edited an in-depth history of this parish which was published in 2006.
2012 symposium dinner
Brother Bill Meyers, keynote speaker
On Saturday, February 2, symposium sessions will continue from 1:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the JSHS Visitors Center. Afterward, the Nauvoo Tourism Office will house the closing reception. Guests may share their own untold stories, listen to music by Tomasi and Irene Tukuafu, and learn more of Nauvoo’s past from storyboards created for the 2012 Smithsonian “Journey Stories” exhibit displayed in Nauvoo.
Harpist Irene Tukuafu
The 2013 Untold Nauvoo Stories Symposium offers an opportunity for individuals interested in Nauvoo history to gather together, expand their vision of this historic community, and visit sites where key events took place.
For additional information about symposium presenters, presentations, schedule, and registration, go to www.untoldnauvoostories.com. The City of Nauvoo, Nauvoo Tourism Office, Joseph Smith Historic Site, and Historic Nauvoo are sponsoring this non-profit event.
Rosemary Palmer is Nauvoo, Illinois, correspondent for Meridian Magazine.
