Mormon Grove

Mormon Grove historical marker, US-73 and Osage Rd., Atchison Co. KS

The Mormon migration to Utah from 1846-1868 was impacted by cholera to the same level as Oregon-California Trail emigration.  Owing to their religious beliefs, gregarious living habits, wealth and political power, violence was often incited against the Mormons and they were unwelcome in most communities throughout the Midwest.  The governor of Missouri had issued an "extinction order" against them in 1838 and founder Joseph Smith (and his brother Hyrum) had been killed by a mob while in the Carthage, Illinois jail on 27 June 1844.  The death of prophet and successor left a power vacuum and generated a schism within the church.  Eventually most LDS adherents chose to follow Brigham Young.  Recognizing that rising anti-Mormon sentiment made it impossible to stay in their headquarters at Nauvoo, Illinois, Young led his followers to the Salt Lake Valley in what was then Mexico.   The Mormon migration to Salt Lake began in three waves during 1846.  The group stayed near present day Omaha, Nebraska for the winter and the area became known as Winter Quarters.  Some later migrations would begin at this point and basically follow the Platte River to the Oregon-California Trail, where the Mormons would travel on the north bank, and non-Mormon emigrants on the south.  

Approximate location of Mormon Grove inferred from 1855 map

The church continued to flourish under Young's leadership, and converts were coming from all points to settle with the rest of the Saints in Utah. An influx of Mormon converts from Europe created the need for other points of departure. Milo Andrus, President of the St. Louis Stake, was charged with finding a new staging area for wagon trains on the Missouri River. He settled on this site in early 1855, and it appeared to be ideal. First, it was not in Missouri (and especially Jackson County) which was strongly anti-Mormon. Second, a receptive community ust building itself welcomed the abundant labor and trade that came in the person of the Mormons. This town was started by and named for David Rice Atchison, who had represented the legal interests of Joseph Smith and his followers in Missouri before they were forced to Illinois. Third, it was close to the established Ft. Leavenworth Military Road, which would join the Pony Express Trail near Kennekuk, KS and joined the main fork of the Oregon-California Trail at Marysville, KS. Last, but not least, there was abundant drinking water from Deer Creek, lots of land for farming, lots of land for raising and grazing livestock, and plenty of timber for fires.

Milo Andrus - 1880s

While the historical marker trumpets this as "the city that disappeared", it never was really a city/town/village or even community.  It was a way station or campground, at best.  In spring of 1855, workers used ditches and sod (although Milo Andrus reported building a wooden fence) to enclose a quarter section (160 acres) and planted 20 acres (reports up to 60 acres are out there) with crops for food and animal feed.  Just a couple of "permanent" structures were ever built, most of the emigrants staying in tents or wagons at the site.  There was a great deal of order in the occupation of the site, descriptions indicate that there were streets and alleyways set up in the area occupied by migrants.   A survey done in 1855 lays out the boundaries of the "Mormon Farm", but emigrants likely camped through a large part of sections 4 and 5 here.  Few settlers were actually here, since Kansas Territory had only been opened for white settlement in 1854.  It was noted by an Atchison newspaper on 01 May 1855 that there was little or no sickness among the Mormon Grove emigrants.

Approximate route of the Mormon Grove Trail through Kansas 1855-1856

At that point, most of the emigrants were yet to arrive, and the long steamer rides would prove tricky.  During 1855, emigrants were being directed to come through New York, Philadelphia or Boston to avoid cholera in New Orleans.  They were to take a train to Pittsburgh, PA and then steamer down the Ohio to the Mississippi, up to St. Louis, then up the Missouri to Atchison.  This meant a lot of time cramped up in not so sanitary conditions, and cholera was breaking out on the steamers.  Many people began arriving at Mormon Grove with some kind of diarrhea.

"The general health of the camps was good, although several deaths have occurred in the Danish camp and among the passengers of the ship "Juventa," who had almost entirely escaped until they reached Atchison. Among the lamented dead of this company, we have to mention Elder Simpson long and favorably known among the British Saints, and Elder Bell, late President of the Malta Mission, and his wife." - Erastus Snow on 16 June


"After we Landit [landed] and got our wagon put together we moved 9 miles out to Mormon Grove and arengd our tents. the colery [cholera] Came in the Camp and 22 Dide [died] in a few days. Brother [George Bell] and Sister [Elizabeth] Bell ware taken. I tended to them. he was first taken wile I was Rubing his hands and legs. She fainted and fel into my arms. and Dide in a few days. I was taken the next day and in 2 ouers [hours] & was Spechle [speechless] and I had giving up hope of Ever giting well for they ware dieing on all Sid[e]s." - George Mayer

Bad times at Murphy Lake

The river moves - the roads, not so much

In 1855, 2041 people in 337 wagons left from this campground/village for the Great Salt Lake valley. They left in eight companies between 07 June and 03 August.  Once they departed Mormon Grove, things went bad soon for at least one group of emigrants.  Mrs. P.W. (Williams) Cox related the following story of a tragedy that occurred at an oxbow lake called Murphy Lake:

"We saw many Mormons passing us on their way to the promised land'... They drained what we called Murphy Lake, in the month of August 1855. They were so hungry they drained the lake, caught and ate the fish. Forty in the party died. They were buried near the lake. Many of them had cholera. When they left the encampment they left behind them beds, wearing apparel and clothing of all kinds scattered around. I saw clothing that was torn off the dead, three or four months after the Mormons left."  

It's difficult to say exactly how much of this story is fact and how much is legend since she was recounting the events more that 60 years later, but "when the legend becomes fact, print the legend".  Only one wagon train would have passed this way in August 1855, and only nine members were lost from it the entire journey.  One wagon company lost nearly 30 emigrants to cholera, but that was in June 1855.  While Mrs. Cox thought she saw clothing torn off the dead (which is possible if burials were not dug deep enough), it is more likely that everything that had belonged to those that died had been abandoned.  Sentiment was one of the first casualties of the westward migration.  Energy just could not be spared to haul materials, including bedding and clothing of those who no longer had use of them.  It is also possible that some families realized that they had overloaded their wagons, and had dumped some of their belongings onto the prairie.

This seems most likely to be the company that started under Seth Blair on 15 June.  His company of Texans had arrived at Mormon Grove before he had finished provisioning and shipping goods ahead to Salt Lake City from St. Louis.  Since there was cholera in camp at Mormon Grove, they moved out hastily, but the damage was done.  Two days out, cholera struck the camp.  Within a span of 24 hours they lost 12-13 people from cholera and in the end lost 29 to the disease before the epidemic abated 5 days later.  They lost 33% of their number, and Blair, having already suffered from a "sevear attack of palpitation of the Heart and debility" sent back for help.  His company was taken over by Edward Stevenson.  Measles, another common disease of the trail, would attack the company before they finally made it to Salt Lake City.

Seth Blair in his own write

Seth M. Blair

"Sunday June 23rd 10 AM[.] Today I taake pen in hand to record mellancholy facts as well as other more pleasing ones. I arrived At Aitchison [Atchison] on the 21st (11th?) and found my little company awaiting me & was truly glad to again behold my face. We Speed[i]ly prepared for the plains & was organized by Bro E. Snow of the Twel[v]e-appostles my Self being appointed Capt. of & presiding Elder of the Company being the 3rd fifty organized this Season—for particulars of organization See report of Company 1[.] We left on the 15 & haveing travelled Some 20 mi[les] the Cholera made its appearance in Our Camp on the night of Monday the 17th & in the first 24 hours we lost 12 or 13 & up to this time I presume we have lost not less than 20 & at least the 5th of our whole Strength. The Camp presenting for the last 4 days a Cholera hospital! Such a Scene as neither pen can portray or tongue describe father & mother taken—& both buried in one grave or Side by Side leaving crying children Scattered over the Camp while the Shrieking crys [cries] & hollow groans of men & women wear [were] heard on Every Side with the Cry for help from the grave—diggers Whose toil was incessant Seemi[ng]ly night & day while the Stout heart & hale man or woman was seen to reel under their ardious [arduous] duty until a guard can hardly be had or a watch kept through the night of men who may be called well[.] True oh God dreadfull Seems our fate or providence & all I can add is I feel that Thee dotheth all things well"

Edward Stevenson

"Their is not a family but what has to mourn the loss of Some One & in deed the very hands that administer to you are Cramped. in hand[,] leg—Stomach or are vomiting or purgeing [purging] more or less truly. oh—truly horrid in deed is our Situation but it has been 100 pr ct worse for I feel we are improveing Some Each hour[.] many are today renewing their Covenants through baptism with God & Some for the first time are making them[.] a Man & wife who lives near hear [here] being a mongst the no. [number] a Br. Miller[.] this Encapmet [Encampment] is on the Big Nimehaw [Nemaha]. on the 18th we met Bro[ther] W[illia]m Miller Haight[,] Jno [John] L Smith[,] Jno [John] Kay & Several other Elder from the Valleys. who did us all the good they could[.] blessed us & passed on—to give a more particular Idea of the sorrowfull State of things those who dug the graves & buried the dead went from Camp to waggon Seeking who was dead & thus persons—died & was buried a day before others knew that they wear Even Sick. The reports of the Camp officers braught to me by day & night could for (our numbers) only have been Eaquated [Equated] when Bleucher fell on Napoleon at Watterloo. for a moment See every 5th one dead & the other 3 fifths wounded[.] no I would prefer to risk my command on a Battlefield that Even I have read of allmost on the Earth—in the midst of This I Sent for Elder Ewd [Edward] Stevenson to President Milo Andrus & Ballentyne [Ballantyne] & for 6 good men to help us on. which I exspect in 24 hours—as the Elders with [....] are worn down & to their constency & faithfullness I could not add a laurell[.] they are indelibley Enstamped on the hearts of Ev[e]ry man & woman in this Camp & their names I wish perpetuated to my latest posterity. Viz Jm Barlow[,] Sylvester McEarl[,] Oscar Tyler[,] John Mayor[,] Geo C. Riser & others all so faithfull as well as faithfull Sisters—"

Where is Murphy Lake?

Location of Murphy Lake in Nemaha County inferred  from 1905
plat map - again part of the river

The survivors left to recuperate were likely picked up by following trains.  Those that survived past the last train's arrival, likely went back to Atchison, and may have made up some of the company of emigrants that left in 1856.  The location of Murphy Lake is said to be "lost" in some publications.  It is not lost, because its position is noted on old maps.  It is present on a 1905 plat map of Nemaha County.  

By comparing the location of a geographic feature on an old map to the layout of a new map, it is possible to find the location of features and communities that are no longer extant.  The plat book very explicitly lays out property lines and roads.  Trying to find something by proximity to a braided river channel like the South Branch of the Nemaha is not usually instructive, because the river cuts a new channel and moves every few decades.  However, the section lines are possible to easily see in a new map, because the roads in rural Kansas line up on section and half-section lines.  Most of the squares that you can see in the map above are 1 mile by 1 mile and delineated by section roads.  In places where the river channel bent when the road was laid, the road likely still bends, even if the river doesn't.  On the 1905 map, Murphy Lake is noted at the intersection of the half section lines on the border of sections 25 and 26 of Nemaha Township.  The lake was an oxbox lake, and true to the nature of rivers, is part of the river bed again.

Native stone marker for cholera victim at
Wolf River Cemetery on St. Joe Road

Apparently, a sizeable cemetery was set up to accommodate the 30+ bodies from cholera deaths.  However, this cemetery is definitely lost.  Anything that was a cemetery has probably been deeply buried or unburied and transported by the Nemaha River.  The Kansas Historical Society notes that the grave markers were used to build a barn, which probably isn't as cruel as it sounds, since the markers were likely native stone and would just look like rocks to someone unfamiliar with the story.

After 1855

Things have changed little at Mormon Grove since 1856
Looking northwest from marker

A small party (97) left from Mormon Grove in 1856, likely stragglers from the migration of the previous year (or possibly survivors of Murphy Lake).  The site was abandoned in favor of Iowa City and Kanesville (now Council Bluffs), Iowa and Florence (Winter Quarters), Nebraska.  All of these sites were now reachable by railroad, which decreased the temporal length of the journey as well as exposure of the emigrants to cholera.   By 1857, the cholera epidemic had subsided along the trail.  In all, about 35,000 emigrants died, out of the nearly 350,000 total.  The Mormon-Oregon-California Trail had the distinction in the minds of many of these pioneers of being the longest cemetery in the world.

Looking northeast from marker

A group of 30 LDS members stayed in Atchison to establish a meeting congregation there.  Soon non-LDS settlers had taken over the Mormon Grove property.  Some wooden grave markers remained at what became the Armstrong farm until the mid-1900s, but they have been lost to time and the elements.  Mr. Floyd Armstrong donated the land upon which the historical marker is situated and served as a voice to persuade KDOT to modify its building plans to avoid extending US-73 over the old cemetery.  Investigations turned up evidence of a cemetery with 50-70 burials, which agrees with emigrant and early settlers' accounts of the cemetery.  A 100 yd deviation from a straight line can be see in the road line near Osage Road.  The highway now passes just north of the old cemetery.

Probable camping area south of US-73

While Atchison lost the labor and the money of the westbound LDS emigrants, they were not left entirely high and dry.  Atchison remained an important transport hub, servicing Fort Leavenworth, then points west as a main port for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad (now Burlington Northern-Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad).  For several years after Mormon Grove ceased operation, the majority of freight delivered out of Atchison was bound for Utah.

How did the Mormon Grove emigrants fare, really?

While the first three trains were hit fairly hard with losses due to disease and accident, most of these wagon trains did pretty well.  I count 74 deaths total on the road out of 2000+ travelers in 1855.  That is better than the 5-10% expected death rate.

1855

1. John Hindley Company - 206 started 07 June; 199 arrived 03 September
2. Jacob Secrist/Noah Guyman Company (+Danes) - 368 started 13 June; 346 arrived 07 September
3. Seth Blair/Edward Stevenson Company - 89 started 15 June; 58 arrived 10 September
4. Richard Ballantyne Company - 402 started 01 July; 392 arrived 25 September
5. Moses Thurston Company - 152 started 03 July; 148 arrived 19 September
6. Charles Harper Company - 305 started 25 July; 301 arrived 28 October
7. Isaac Allred Freight Company - 81 started 28 July; 0 arrived 02 November
8. Milo Andrus Train - 461 started 04 August, 452 arrived 24 October

1856

1. Abraham Smoot Company - 97 started 10 August; 96 arrived 09 November

Disclaimer

Joseph Smith III - RLDS Prophet/President
06 June 1860 - 10 December 1914

I am not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but the part of the country that I live in was very important to the early history of that Church.  I approach these writings from the point of history, western expansion, and geography.  The LDS experience speaks to modern society about the fruits of political and religious intolerance and the power of mob mentality. It is also a story of faith, hope, loyalty, betrayal, redemption, unity and schism.  I have tried as best I can to represent these events and people truthfully.  If you have corrections, please use the comment box below (references would be nice, too). 

 When I attended Park College (1982-1986), it was affiliated with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which is now the Community of Christ.  This Church was composed of followers who believed that the Church had been in a state of disorganization since the death of Joseph Smith and a reorganized Church should be headed by a lineal descendant of Smith.  This group followed  his son, Joseph III from Nauvoo, to Plano (IL), to Lamoni (IA), then back to Independence, Missouri, where they occupy most of the property around the original temple lot.  Another group of Latter Day Saints, the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) or "Hedrickites" own the two acre site intended to be the LDS temple that will be the heart of a New Jerusalem / Zion in which Christ will reveal himself during the "second coming".  Again, a story for another day.

Further Reading

On the Outskirts of Atchison

Convergence at Mormon Grove

Highway to Zion

Mormon Disaster at Murphy Lake

Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel