Nauvoo (continued)

For those reading who don't know, Nauvoo is a historical city which was very important in the history of the Latter-day Saints.  After being kicked out of Missouri in 1838/39, Saints came into Illinois and were welcomed and cared for by the citizens of Quincy, Illinois, before they eventually settled into the swamp bend in the Mississippi which Joseph Smith named Nauvoo.  As the Saints moved to the area, it became the second largest city in Illinois and an important stop along the Mississippi River. The city prospered until Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, were killed and again in 1846, the Saints were again forced to leave their homes in the winter and seek refuge to the west. The Church has bought most of the historical area and rebuilt many of the homes and filled them with items from that period.  Senior missionaries serve here and tell the stories of life in Nauvoo and in this section of the US in the 1840s.  In addition to the many restored buildings, you can take wagon rides around and learn other interesting things about the people and the places of the times.  And on top of all of that, there are the shows which include not only the senior missionaries but a group of Young Church Performing Missionaries who serve for 3 1/2 months and perform in 3-5 daily shows throughout the summer.  If you like history and theater, Nauvoo is a great place to be.  Everything is free and it is great family fun.

Our wagon ride through some of the unrestored areas of the city-

A typical wagon of the times

The Women's Garden outside of the Visitors Center---these statues were done in the 1980s, I believe, and represent some of the significant aspects of women.

Joseph and Emma Smith

 Gary decided we should pose like them and Jena took this picture.

Then things got silly as Gary's head became Jena's model while she posed as "Creativity". (GAry can be silly)

Another wagon ride through the restored area of town on Friday morning--

Many of the houses were done in this red brick because there was a perfect mud nearby for making it.  Now the senior missionaries make little bricks and provided them for all of the visitors who come to the Brick yard.

Some of the houses are actually still private residences where people live.  In addition, some of the buildings were restored on the outside but set up on the inside to house the missionaries who serve at the temple.

This is the dance hall on the third floor of the Cultural Hall.  Dancing, music and acting were important parts of life in Nauvoo and that continues today.

Through the dance hall's windows you can see the top of the Nauvoo Temple.  The senior missionary said that served as a good reminders to the couple courting during the dances.  The goal was the temple.

Just a sample of inside the tinshop--this is an old fashion mouse trap.  They would put a small piece of food on top of the stick and then the mouse would follow into the water and drown.  Uck!!

The tinshop--it is hard to imagine that EVERYTHING they used was mostly made locally, either by themselves or by a craft men.  Even to make a simple pan was quite a process when it was done by hand.

Here is one of the senior missionaries who explained the process of making bricks to us.  He and his wife were also in charge of teaching dancing to all of the senior missionaries.  These senior missionaries were very impressive--learning the long stories they told and the information that they shared plus dancing and singing and acting in the shows.  Gary's dad also served in the brick yard and his mother worked in Lands and Records and also the bakery.