Monday, April 8, 2013

Nauvoo


In Nauvoo, our fist stop was the record's office.  We wanted to know where our ancestors lived.

Amy's first ancestor's plot of land, William Stewart Seeley.

Sunset over the Mississippi river.

The Nauvoo temple at dusk. 

Joseph Smith and Hyrum's last ride as they left Nauvoo for Carthage jail.

This statue was to remember the pioneers laid to rest in the old Nauvoo cemetary.

There were lots of gravestones, but so many of them were so old, it was hard to make out names.  However, we found on a plaque many of our relatives who had been buried here.

Nauvoo temple from a distance.

This is one of the lots which Charles Shumway owned, both sides of the street and about two hundered yards down the road. 

The lot where Amy's ancestor owned a 4 acre lot, Jacob Lindsay Workman

The second lot of Charles Shumway.  Most parcels were broken up into 4 acre lots at that time.  This one consisted of the back yard of this house into the house behind it and also across the street infront of this house. 

One of the original sunstones carved out for the Nauvoo temple.  Amazing they could do such art with simple tools.

Anyone want to learn math this way?  I'm thankful for the math books now that seem to make a lot more sense than this one did to me.

Carthage Jail as it stands today.  All the stone is the original stone.

These stars located (two on each side) were actually bars that went through the upper floor to support the building structure. 

The wood finishings inside the jail were still the same wood finishings as before.

This was the cell where hard criminals were held. During the martyrdom of Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith, John Taylor and Thomas B. Marsh hid in here after having been shot five times, so that the men wouldn't come back and kill them.

This was the original door with bullet holes still in it.

This was the room that they were held and the window where Joseph Smith was shot from outside the jail. 

Our Eternal Family remembering the blessings of the Gospel which this special prophet restored.  Thank you Joseph Smith!
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Martin and Willie Hand Cart Groups


Our last two major stops, now in Wyoming, Martin Cove.

The boys had been waiting the entire trip to pull these. 

Brandt taking his turn in pulling the handcart. 

Zachary was excited to help his family pull the baby.....I wonder how he would be doing after mile 951?

Rex ready to help out in pulling the hand cart.

Inside the visitor center they had lots of neat things the pioneers used.  This being a small piano.  Looks like an accordian on a stand.

This was all a family of 5 could take on their trip.  So, I look at all our possessions and then take a look at this handcart and wonder how it's all going to fit.  The pioneers sacrificed in so many ways.

One more sacrafice.  only a few ounces of flower was all they got at this point in their trip, because they were afraid of running out of food, until Brigham Young sent rescue teams.

This is an intersting way to have a bed.  Tighten the roaps if you want a firm bed, if not, then loosen them.  I bet the pioneers would have loved to have this comfort.  This was from fifty years later after someone else settled here.

This was the Devil's Canyon which was a major land mark for pioneers and other groups traveling west. 

The boys even got a gift from the visitor center.

Just a small reminder of pulling handcarts in this harsh area.  Even during the spring it was a harsh place....I can't imagine trying to survive there in the winter. 

This trail was used by many, one of them being the Oregon Trail.

Picture of the Cove where the pioneers in the Martin Company faced so many troubles.

Last stop!  Willie Handcart Company

The boys were so excited to pull another handcart. 

If you ask me, this looks like tough terrain.  Not a place I'd want to be stuck over the winter.  Amazing to think of how strong their testimonies must have been to go through this.
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Easter Sunday


After the continued driving, this was the fist opportunity to have an easter egg hunt.  Look, Luke found one!

Brandt is ready to go hunting.

Rex was on his way to get more.

Even Spencer is still getting in the spirit of it all.

Zachary sure had fun.

Brandt found another one....run little boy!

Thanks Rebecca and CW for hosting our family on Easter Sunday and Spring Break.
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Liberty, Farr West, Hans Mill, and Adam Ondi Ahman


Next on our list was Liberty Jail.

This was the original key.  We thought that was neat that they were able to get a hold of that.

This was a replica of the original one built only a few feet from this one.   Take note of the thick walls.  approximately 5-6 feet wide.

The boys with their cousin Levi infront of the front door to the jail.

Joseph Smith and four others spent several months in the jail.  It was humbling to see the circumstances they lived in for so long.  The ceiling below is only about 5 feet tall. 

This is at Independence. This is a picture of the temple built on top of the original site of the LDS temple.  This land and temple are owned by the Community of Christ. 

One of the rooms of the museum had a before and after of Independence.  If you look closely in the distance of the middle of the picture, there are still stones where the early temple was.  Picture was taken in early 1900s.

This is a picture of after to be compared with the one above.  You can see where the old temple was and where now the Community of Christ temple stands.

Our beautiful family in front of the Christus at the Independence visitor center.

Outside of the visitor's center at Independence. 

Original corner stone which was laid for the building of the temple at Farr West. 

Farr West site of where the temple was to be built.

We almost made it to the Hans Mill, until we ran into this stretch of road.  We almost got stuck in the road where we were, so we decided not to push our luck.

Our family standing in Adam Ondi Ahman.

This little area was where Joseph Smith said stood an ancient Nephite Structure.

Pictures of the fields through the trees at Adam Ondi Ahman.  I'm sure during the summar the green is amazing.

A picture of another area within Adam Ondi Ahman.
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