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27539
Letter from William W. Phelps, 2 June 1836
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a little more as a kind of appendix, for such
as wish information from this quarter.
Soon after our return, bishop [Edward] Part ridge and
myself started on a tour of land looking. We passed from Liber ty to the northwest corner
of Clay county,
and examined the mills and streams, and country around Mr. [Humphrey] Smith’s—generally
denominated “yan kee Smith.” It is customary,
you know, for the sake of provincialism among
nations, kindreds, and people, to nick-name by their religion, or pro vision, or ancestry—so
that one can be distinguished, by being an Israelite, a Canaanite,
a Christian, a Mormon, a Methodist, &c. or a corn-cracker, or a mighty
hunter, &c. according to fancy or favor. From Mr. Smith’s, we pro ceeded
northeasterly through some tim ber and some prairie to “Plattsburg” the
county seat for Clinton county; and although
this place may not come near er in resemblance to Plattsburg the cap ital of Clinton county (N. Y.) on Lake Champlain, than a cabin does
to Con gress hall, yet it seems to be quite “a smart little town,”—containing
from 15 to 20 hewed log cabins, and the brick body of a two
story court house, 32 feet square. This town is located on the
west side of Horse
and Smith’s fork of the Little Platt, contiguous
to the timber on these streams, 25 miles north of Liberty.
The timber and mill and water privileges may answer a very small
population, but for a large it
would be nothing. There are now three stores and soon will be four.— Clinton county is
mostly prairie with here and there a few fringes or spots of
timber on the creeks that run into the Little Platt and Grand River.
An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. JS appointed Edward Partridge as the first bishop in February 1831. Following this appointment, he functioned as the local leader of the church in Missouri. Later revelations described a bishop’s duties as receiving...
View Glossary27 Aug. 1793–27 May 1840. Hatter. Born at Pittsfield, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of William Partridge and Jemima Bidwell. Moved to Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio. Married Lydia Clisbee, 22 Aug. 1819, at Painesville. Initially a Universal Restorationist...
View Full BioLocated in western Missouri, thirteen miles north of Independence. Settled 1820. Clay Co. seat, 1822. Incorporated as town, May 1829. Following expulsion from Jackson Co., 1833, many Latter-day Saints found refuge in Clay Co., with church leaders and other...
More InfoSettled ca. 1800. Organized from Ray Co., 1822. Original size diminished when land was taken to create several surrounding counties. Liberty designated county seat, 1822. Population in 1830 about 5,000; in 1836 about 8,500; and in 1840 about 8,300. Refuge...
More InfoLocated in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...
More InfoLocated in western Missouri, thirteen miles north of Independence. Settled 1820. Clay Co. seat, 1822. Incorporated as town, May 1829. Following expulsion from Jackson Co., 1833, many Latter-day Saints found refuge in Clay Co., with church leaders and other...
More InfoFlows from current state of Iowa approximately 225 miles southeast through Daviess and Livingston counties in Missouri en route to its mouth at Missouri River near De Witt, Missouri. Adam-ondi-Ahman, Far West, Hawn’s Mill, Whitney’s Mill, Myers settlement...
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From this town we made the best course we could to the waters
of Grand river. We had a “sort of
road for a little bit” towards Brushy
fork, then we had to contend with naked prai rie,
patches of scrubby timber, deep banked creeks and branches, together with
a rainy morning and no compass; but, with the blessing of the Lord,
we came to “some house” in the afternoon, passed into Ray county.
On Shoal creek, when there is water, there are some
tolerable mill seats, but the prai ries,—those “old clearings”—peering one
over another, as far as the eye can glance, flatten all common calcula tion as to
timber for boards, rails, or future wants, for a thick population, according
to the natural reasoning of men.
Flows from current state of Iowa approximately 225 miles southeast through Daviess and Livingston counties in Missouri en route to its mouth at Missouri River near De Witt, Missouri. Adam-ondi-Ahman, Far West, Hawn’s Mill, Whitney’s Mill, Myers settlement...
More InfoLocated in northwestern Missouri. Area settled, 1815. Created from Howard Co., 1820. Initially included all state land north of Missouri River and west of Grand River. Population in 1830 about 2,700; in 1836 about 6,600; and in 1840 about 6,600. Latter-day...
More InfoStream that flows eastward for about forty-five miles from east central Clinton Co. through Caldwell Co. to confluence with Grand River in central Livingston Co. Thousands of Saints moved from Clay Co. to sites along Shoal Creek in Caldwell Co., beginning...
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What the design of our heavenly Fa ther was or is, as to these
vast prairies of the far west, I know no further than we have
revelation. The book of Mor mon terms them the land of desolation, and when I get into
a prairie so large that I am out of sight of timber, just as a
seaman is “out of sight of land in the ocean,” I have to exclaim, what
is man and his works, compared to the Almighty and his creations?
Who hath viewed his everlasting fields? Who hath counted his
buffaloes;—who hath seen all his deer, on a thousand prairies?
Well may his sacred word declare:— The cattle upon a thousand
hills are mine. All are God’s.
The pinks variegate these wide spread lawns without the hand
of man to aid them, and the bees of a thousand groves, banquet
on the flowers unob served, and sip the honey dews of hea ven,
far beyond the busy bustling scenes of aspiring man. O what a scene
for contemplation! What a good God all living have, to provide
for them in all capacities—in all conditions—and in all
ages against a day of trouble, and for a day of righteousness!
Nearly every skirt of timber to the State line, on the north,
I am inform ed, has some one in it, if
it has range and wood enough for their common custom. Some
people require more than others. It is astonishing to wit ness
how eager thousands are to be pi oneers into a new country; to be fron tiers;
to be on the outside; yea, to be, as one man said, in speaking of head men,
“what he was a mind to;” or, every man carry his own head. The back
settlers are generally very hon orable; and more hospitable than any people
I ever saw.
You are, in most instances, welcome to the best they have.
As ever.
W[illiam] W. PHELPS.
17 Feb. 1792–7 Mar. 1872. Writer, teacher, printer, newspaper editor, publisher, postmaster, lawyer. Born at Hanover, Morris Co., New Jersey. Son of Enon Phelps and Mehitabel Goldsmith. Moved to Homer, Cortland Co., New York, 1800. Married Sally Waterman,...
View Full BioTo O[liver] Cowdery,
Esq. [p. 341]
3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...
View Full BioWilliam W. Phelps, letter, Liberty, MO, to Oliver Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, 2 June 1836; Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate, July 1836, pp. 340–341.
17 Feb. 1792–7 Mar. 1872. Writer, teacher, printer, newspaper editor, publisher, postmaster, lawyer. Born at Hanover, Morris Co., New Jersey. Son of Enon Phelps and Mehitabel Goldsmith. Moved to Homer, Cortland Co., New York, 1800. Married Sally Waterman,...
View Full BioLocated in western Missouri, thirteen miles north of Independence. Settled 1820. Clay Co. seat, 1822. Incorporated as town, May 1829. Following expulsion from Jackson Co., 1833, many Latter-day Saints found refuge in Clay Co., with church leaders and other...
More Info3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...
View Full BioLocated ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...
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