County: Adams
Location: The marker is located in Quincy's
Washington Park, on the north side of Maine Street between
4th & 5th Streets.
N 39o 55.922
W 091o 24.556
Erected: 01/01/1976 Erected by: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and The Illinois State Historical Society
Mormons in Missouri were forced to flee their homes or face death because of an 'Extermination Order' issued in 1838 by Governor Lillburn Boggs. Many of them crossed into Illinois at Quincy and were made welcome by the people here. In April, 1839 they were joined by their leader Joseph Smith, who had been imprisoned on charges of treason since November 1838. Smith had long envisioned a great Mormon community. In May of 1839 he purchased land upriver from Quincy and set about building his city - Nauvoo. It became the center of Mormon life and by his death in 1844 was the largest city in Illinois.
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