Footnotes
JS, Journal, 29 June 1842; “Clayton, William,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:718.
Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.
See the full bibliographic entry for Helen Vilate Bourne Fleming, Collection, 1836–1963, in the CHL catalog.
Footnotes
Portrait and Biographical Record of Adams County, Illinois, 308; U.S. Post Office Department, Record of Appointment of Postmasters, reel 27, vol. 12B, p. 472.
Portrait and Biographical Record of Adams County, Illinois, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, together with Biographies and Portraits of All the Presidents of the United States. Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1892.
U.S. Post Office Department. Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832–September 30, 1971. National Archives Microfilm Publications, microcopy M841. 145 microfilm reels. Washington DC: National Archives, 1977.
JS encouraged church members to gather to the Nauvoo area beginning in 1839. British converts to the church began migrating to Nauvoo in 1840, and their numbers increased in early 1843. (Letter to the Saints Abroad, 24 May 1841; “Emigration,” Wasp, 16 Apr. 1842, [2]; JS, Journal, 12 Apr. 1843.)
The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.
Federal law permitted postmasters to send letters via the post office free of charge. (An Act to Reduce into One the Several Acts Establishing and Regulating the Post-Office Department [3 Mar. 1825], Post-Office Laws, Instructions and Forms, pp. 15–16, sec. 27.)
Post-Office Laws, Instructions and Forms, Published for the Regulation of the Post-Office. Washington DC: Way and Gideon, 1828.
For example, just days after Cyrus wrote this letter, Brigham Young published an advertisement in the Nauvoo Neighbor informing new immigrants that he had “a few lots on hand” to “sell very cheap.” (Brigham Young, “Look Here,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 3 May 1843, [3]; 10 May 1843, [4].)
Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.
For information on the process of gaining a land patent, or deed of title, see Application for Land Patent, 22 June 1836.
This probably indicates that an individual or family previously built on this tract of land but that the federal government’s General Land Office still held the patent title to the land. (See Letter to Stephen Post, 17 Sept. 1838; and Land Patent, 7 Sept. 1838.)
Ewell was a church member who was ordained an elder by JS in 1840 and who bought land from JS in that same year; Ewell owned land located diagonally from some of the land listed by Cyrus for sale. (License for Pleasant Ewell, 20 Apr. 1840, in General Church Recorder, License Record Book, 35; Hancock Co., IL, Deed Records, 1817–1917, vol. L, p. 246, 24 July 1841, microfilm 954,599, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; JS, Sidney Rigdon, [and Hyrum Smith] to Pleasant Ewell, Bond, [31 Mar. 1840]; Pleasant Ewell to JS, Sidney Rigdon, and Hyrum Smith, Promissory Note, 31 Mar. 1840–A, Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU.)
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
Golden owned land adjacent to some of the land listed by Cyrus for sale. (Hancock Co., IL, Deed Records, 1817–1917, vol. C, pp. 316–317, 7 Apr. 1837, microfilm 954,193, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
Cyrus was likely referring to the economic downturn that grew out of the nationwide financial panic of 1837. The economic recession that followed the panic continued to impact western Illinois in 1843. Many Illinois banks failed in 1842, and by February 1843, legislative enactments ordered the state-sponsored banks to cease operations because of the dismal economic climate. (JS, Journal, 21 Feb. 1843; “Gov. Ford’s Inaugural Address,” Wasp, 24 Dec. 1842, [1]–[2]; An Act to Diminish the State Debt, and Put the State Bank into Liquidation [24 Jan. 1843], Laws of the State of Illinois [1842–1843], pp. 21–26; An Act to Put the Bank of Illinois into Liquidation, [25 Feb. 1843], Laws of the State of Illinois [1842–1843], pp. 27–30.)
The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.
Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835. Vandalia, IL: J. Y. Sawyer, 1835.