Wilford Woodruff Papers Wilford Woodruff Papers
About About Wilford Woodruff Volunteer Meet the Team Partners Impact Editorial Method
2023 Conference Articles Photos Podcasts Updates Videos Newsroom

Day in the Life

May 18, 1839

Journal Entry

May 18, 1839 ~ Saturday

18 We Travled to Commerce & called upon Brother Joseph & his family I also saw Brothers Clark Turley &
Ripley. Br Ripley was surveying out a city plot which included Joseph's farm Notwithstanding the Saints are
driven from city to city & from place to place yet they are not discouraged but are determined to build a city
wharever their lot is cast showing themselves to be industrious & determined to maintain the kingdom of God. I
next visited President Rigdon & Hyrum Smith & Elder George Robison & several other brethren Commerce is
beautiful for situation though there is but two or three dwellings in the town as yet. I then crossed the Missisip
pi river in the ferry boat owned by George Robison we landed at Montrose in the [FIGURE] IAOWAY This is the
first time I ever visited this Territory. Montrose was built for a garrison in 1834 by the U S A for the army it con-
tains about 12 blocks of buildings making about 75 rooms in all. I moved into Doct Galland office in company with
Elder Nobles for the night the distance of the day 10

People

Browse people Wilford Woodruff mentioned on this day in his journal. Click on the person's name to view a short bio and other pages they are mentioned on or click on "View in Family Search" to view their FamilySearch profile.

Ripley, Alanson
1798-bef. 1860
5 mentions
Robinson, George W.
14 May 1814 - 2 Oct 1878
17 mentions
Clark, Hiram, b. 1795
22 Sep 1795 - 28 Dec 1853
116 mentions
Smith, Hyrum
9 Feb 1800 - 27 Jun 1844
422 mentions
Apostle
Galland, Isaac
15 May 1791 - 27 Sep 1858
7 mentions
Noble, Joseph Bates
14 Jan 1810 - 17 Aug 1900
51 mentions
Smith, Joseph (Jr.)
23 Dec 1805 - 27 Jun 1844
2347 mentions
Rigdon, Sidney
19 Feb 1793 - 14 Jul 1876
220 mentions
Turley, Theodore
10 Apr 1801 - 12 Aug 1871
143 mentions

Places

Browse places mentioned in Wilford Woodruff's journal entry on this day. Click on the place names to view other pages where they are mentioned.

Commerce, Hancock County, Illinois
Iowa Territory
Mississippi River, United States
Montrose, Lee County, Iowa Territory

Related Documents

Browse other documents with this same date. These could include pages from Wilford Woodruff's autobiographies, daybooks, letters, histories, and personal papers. Click on the document titles to view the full document.

Autobiography 1882 Leaves from My Journal

merce on the . After an interview with Joseph we crossed the river at Montrose, Iowa. President Brigham Young and myself, with our families, occupied one room about fourteen feet square. Finally Brother Young obtained another room and moved into it by himself. Then Brother Orson Pratt and family moved into the same room with myself and family.

Autobiography 1882 Leaves from My Journal Notes 1

on the and after an interview with Joseph we crossed the river into the old Military Barracks in Iowa, and there took up our alode abode for our Families, President Brigham Young and myself

Autobiographical Notes, circa 1850-1880

Commerce on the , and called upon Brother Joseph Smith & his family. I also say many other old friends who had been driven from place to place yet th[e]y felt well, & were not discouraged but felt to trust in God. The Saints felt determined to ^try to^ build up a City wherever they went, Commerce was beautiful for situations yet there was but two or three buildings in the town. After spending a short time visiting old acquaintances I crossed the Mississippi River in a ferry boat and landed in Montrose Iowa. This was the first time I ever was in the Terr[i]tory.

Autobiography 1883 Tullidge's Quarterly Magazine

Commerce on the . After an inter- view with Joseph we crossed the river at Montrose, Iowa. President Brigham Young and myself, with our families, occupied one room about fourteen feet square. Finally Brother Young obtained another room and moved into it by him- self. Then Brother Orson Pratt and family moved into the same room with myself and family. While I was living in this cabin in the old barracks, we experienced a day of God's power with the Prophet Joseph. It was a very sickly time and Joseph had given up his home in Commerce to the sick, and had a tent pitched in his door- yard and was living in that himself. The large number of Saints who had been driven out of Missori, were flock- ing into Commerce; but had no homes to go into, and were living in wagons, in tents, and on the ground. Many, therefore, were sick through the ex- posure they were subjected to. Bro- ther Joseph had waited on the sick, until he was worn out and nearly sick himself.

Events

View selected events in the two months surrounding this date in Wilford Woodruff's life. Click on the dates to jump to that day in Wilford Woodruff's journal.

April 6, 1839
Church leaders escape while being transported for trial with the help of their guards; Church members move to Commerce, Illinois and establish Nauvoo.
May 4, 1839
Wilford receives the official call to serve his third mission.

May 18, 1839