Iowa Mormon Trails Association

08/23/2026

Leaving Nauvoo Was Not As Simple as It Sounds

The Knights in the Spring Exodous from Nauvoo: was complicated as explained in “The Iowa Mormon Trail”, most Latter Day Saints, 10,000 to 12,000, left the Nauvoo area in the spring of 1846, not in the winter with Brigham Youn’s group of 2,000 to 2,500. Once the Nauvoo Temple was dedicated April 30 and May 1, they began pouring across Iowa. When ready, they left on their own, traveling in small groups of 2 to 25 wagons. Newel Knight’s diary (LDS Archives, Salt Lake City) contains one of the best accounts of someone in the Spring Exodus, and Lydia in her Lydia Knight’s History supplements it. Their records show that the act of leaving town was not as simple as it sounds.

Departure Difficulties

Newel and Lydia Knight had 2 sons and 4 daughters plus an extended family of some 20 couples with children. Most of them lacked sufficient cash to buy wagons, animals, and supplies they needed because they could not sell or trade their property and belongings or could get only a fraction of actual value. Before they could leave, the Knight’s had to pay off obligations. Newel, a miller, had business debts. To pay back Elijah Fordham $250, he traded his gristmill, house, and barn, in total worth $1,000, in return for oxen, cows, a wagon and cash. Lydia, meanwhile, “got our tent, wagon covers, sacks, etc, all in readiness, provisions and goods packed, and all things about ready for the journey.” But then a creditor with a $200 note demanded payment in cash. So, Newel sold the items he had just traded for. By early April he managed to round up an outfit of 3 yoke of oxen, 2 wagons, and 3 cows for the the trek west.

Go With or Without Relatives?

In April Newel recorded that “some of my cousins called upon me, this evening, and said they knew no way that they could move, they could not bear the idea of my going and leaving them.” He wanted to help. “I asked God to give us wisdom, to devise a plan for their good.” He came up with an idea-a shuttle method of transport whereby the most able men and teams would travel about 200 miles west, taking farming tools and equipment and as many families as possible. They would stop, plant a crop,and leave some men there to tend things, while other men and teams go back and retrieve those left behind. At first, some relatives liked the plan. Lydia, disappointed to be slowed down by it, nevertheless “cheerfully consented.” Most , however, backed out, except for two families, brother-in-law Freeman DeMille, somewhat crippled, and Newel’s elderly father, Joseph Knight Sr. Newel agreed to help the DeMilles move to central Iowa, then go back to help his father move.

Ten Days to Cross a River

On April 13, Newel and Lydia visited the temple (2 weeks before its dedication) “ to take our last view.” The next day he laid out covers on his wagons and “got ready for to load them.” But then the DeMilles slowed their departure by more than a week. Freeborn had but one yoke of oxen and a “very light wagon.” To make room for DeMille’s belongings, Newel unloaded items from their wagon and Lydia “left some things by the road.” He gave Freeborn lumber and irons for a wagon box, and money to buy nails. He traded a new saddle, rifle, a pair of blankets, and bedding for a horse “to help us along.” By then, Lydia wrote later, the Knights had given up “mills, house, barn, and all their possessions.” On April 15, Newel finished loading their wagons and drove to the river ferry. But, high winds prevented a crossing. So, they went back and helped the DeMilles load. On the 17th, Newel arose before sunrise , fed and yoked his cattle , “bade farewell to our comfortable home, “ and started again to the ferry. So Newel “went to see my father and bade him farewell, and also left him sufficient means for his support, until I could return for him.” Finally, on April 18, at sunrise, the Newel Knight family ferried across the Mississippi. Near Montrose, they drive back from the landing and waited for the DeMilles. But, once more winds made waters to treacherous. I remained the balance of the day with my family, “ Newel wrote, “pitched a tent, felt to offer thanks.” The next day, Sunday, he recrossed the river “and once more had the satisfaction of walking through the streets of the City of Joseph, and beholding the great works, he had so nobly reared before his martyrdom.” Newel helped the DeMilles , then returned to his family. Three days later on Wednesday April 22, Elder Wilford Woodruff, still in Nauvoo, recorded that there was “much excitement “ about threats being made by the mob. Perhaps this excitement convinced Freeborn it was time to get out of town, for that evening the DeMilles finally crossed the river , with Newel’s help. They camped near the Knight’s tent. After another day and night encamped , the Newel Knight family started from Montrose on their journey across Iowa on April 24th, six days after they left Nauvoo.

This article was written By Bill Hartley for the IMTA Newsletter the “Wheel Writes” Volume 9 Issue 2 Spring 2002 edition

08/20/2026

ORIGINAL MORMON TRAIL SIGNS ACROSS IOWA

There were 142 “Mormon Trail” signs erected across Iowa in 1938 by Roy Chastain of the Iowa Conservation Commission. His map showing the route is now in the Historical Library in Des Moines. The signs were made of walnut 24” by 13” by 2 1/4” thick on 6” square posts. The inscription was simply “Mormon Trail” with carved lettering and scrollwork at the bottom. J.D. Armstrong of Ames did research on this project in the summer of 1933 for Iowa State University. An article in the Corydon Times Republican 11/11/1937 states: “State Planning Board employees today prepared to start placing 142 signs across southern Iowa along what the board says a research project has disclosed to be the original Mormon Trail. The signs were manufactured in a Works Project Administration project at Dubuque. The planning board said its research staff went over the entire route and was aided in its work by copies of a diary obtained from the Mormon Church at Salt Lake City, Utah”

Quoted with permission from the book “Mormon Trails Across Appanoose County”

This article was taken from the IMTA Newsletter Wheel Writes Volume 4 Issue 3 Spring 1997

08/19/2026

The Iowa Mormon Trails Association welcomed three National Park Service personal on August 13-15. Four sites were toured by Anjelica Sanchez-Clark, Faith Welty, and Bryan Petrtyl. They were here to offer advice to the land owners and organizations that oversee these sites. The four sites visited were the Chariton River Crossing in Appanoose County, Garden Grove in Decatur County, 7 Mile Creek Camp in Clarke County, and the Pote Farm Ruts in Adair County. What an amazing few days we at the IMTA had meeting everyone and hearing the history of these sites. Thanks to everyone for your time shared with us.

08/13/2026

Bonaparte and the Des Moines River Crossing of March 1846.

One of the vivid mental pictures one sees when viewing 1846 Mormon Trail diaries is Eliza Snow’s entry for March 5. She was in the Brigham Young advance company, which crossed the Des Moines River that day, at Bonaparte. Riding in an “ox wagon” and “seated on a chest with a brass kettle and a soap box for our footstools,” she began crossing. In the middle of the river she “slung a tin cup on a string and drew some water which was a very refreshing draught.” (We need an artist to sketch this scene.)
Bonaparte is located on the north side of the Des Moines River, about twenty-five miles west of Fort Madison, and today is one of the picturesque and historic “Villages of Van Buren County,” part of a federally designated National Historic Riverfront district. The town of Bonaparte was founded in 1837. While camped at Sugar Creek, even before starting the journey, Brigham Young ordered that a quantity of wheat be carried to Bonaparte Mills, to be “floured and stored until further orders.” Young’s big company of some 2,000 to 2,500 people, still getting used to group travel and camping, spent the nights of March 3 and 4 on the east bank of Lick’s or Reed’s Creek, and half a mile above the point where the creek enters the Des Moines River. (This site is 2 miles west of today’s bridge across the Des Moines River at Bonaparte.) They camped in a ten acre field. The company broke camp on March 5, but a few stayed back with Christina (Mrs. John) Lyle, who gave birth there on March 6th to a son they named Charles.
In a long and impressive column of wagons, the Saints rolled along the east shore of the Des Moines to “Bonaparte Mills” and there, just downriver from the mill, wagon by wagon, they forded the beautiful river. Several diarists mentioned the river crossing, Bonaparte, and the flour mill there. Orson Pratt said that on March 4 a part of Bishop George Miller’s advance company called “pioneers” crossed “the Desmoins at Bonaparte Mills.” Brigham Young recorded on March 5 that “I moved on with my company about 10 o’clock and forded the Des Moines river just below Bonaparte Mills, about two feet of water, and passed up the west bank a short distance.” Orson Pratt journalized: “Today the most of the camp moved forward fording the river at Bonaparte Mills,” George A. Smith wrote: “We camped across the Des Moines River at Bonaparte Mills. Our wagons would, very frequently be up to the hubs in mud.” Hosea Stout’ diary provides the best description of the town, the mill, and the crossing: At twelve o’clock we came to the little town of Bonaparte situated on the low lands on the bank of the Des Moines. It had now many charmes for me in its general appearance. I could not see as it differed much from Farmington. There was a splendid Mill on the Des Moines in this town. [The gristmill was built in 1836, and stood where the Bonaparte Retreat’s Restaurant now is.] The mill dam was built entirely across the river with lock to pass boats up or down. The River was beautiful and had a good ford with a rock bottom and for a river of its size very convenient for travelers to ford at this time.
After I crossed over I proceeded along the level muddy bottom road up the river which was full of wagons and teams standing still which was a sure indication of some difficulty ahead. Not far up the river I came to a distillery owned by a Mr. Bateman. The road here took up a large ravine or brand and then in a short distance went up the river hill.
Here I discovered the reason why the teams on the bottom were waiting, for the hill was literally full up of wagons some stalled, others the teams could scarce draw.
It was deep white oak clay land & the waggons cut down the road might almost be called impassable…there was a thick under wood in the timber which prevented waggons from going out of the road. It was thus for about two miles & the worst road by far that we had yet passed.
Later, during the main exodus that spring, between 12,000 and 14,000 Mormons moved in separate, small companies and crossed the Des Moines at Bonaparte or upriver at Iowaville or Eddyville or other ferry crossings. One spring traveler who mentioned the Des Moines crossing is Lucius Scovil. He said that on May 29 his family reached the “Bonaparte Ferry” but had a long wait because there were “about 40 teams awaiting to get over “ (LSN). Some Mormon men in the winter and spring groups found work in Bonaparte and nearby communities. “Wherever the companies stopped,” Helen Mar Kimball Whitney said regarding that segment of the journey, “our men were able to find employment” One such workman was William Smith, a friend of Eliza R. Snow, whom she said had “taken a job near Bonaparte “ by July 1846. Curtis E. Bolton worked in 1846 at a pottery shop near Bonaparte, then clinked and daubed a cabin forty-five miles northeast of there.
Local traditions assert that some Mormons remained in this area are buried 2.5 miles east of Bonaparte. Records note that several of the 1846 Saints (but not in Brigham Young’s advance company) died at Bonaparte. Nathaniel Ashby worked a few days at the gristmill, became ill, died, and was buried at Bonaparte.
Today, Mormon Trail signs stand at the Bonaparte bridges east side, memorialize the 1846 crossing. One-half block upriver (east side) in a small park next to the Bonaparte Retreat restaurant, is one of our Iowa Mormon Trail wayside panels, “From Mud to Ice.” It tells of the Saints crossing the river and struggling along muddy roads on the other sides. The prime brick Auntie Green Museum is two blocks north of the bridge and one block east on Second Street. This brick building was constructed in 1844 as a hotel, and was here when the LDS pioneers passed through town. The Bonaparte-Bentonsport-Keosauqua segment is one of my favorite stretches along the entire Nauvoo-to-Utah Mormon Trail, and I hope one day that the thousands of tourists who go to Nauvoo each summer will all be taking a half day tour that goes from Montrose to Keosauqua and back, including the Mormon crossing site at Bonaparte.

This article was written by Bill Hartley for the Iowa Mormon Trails Association quarterly Newsletter “Wheel Writes”, Volume 10 Issue 4. Autumn 2003.
As time permits we will try to post different stories from the Wheel Writes.

08/06/2026

On August 3rd the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail had a visitor stop at Richardson’s Point for a visit. Professor Sterling Quinn, Geography Professor from Central Washington University, is working on an academic project researching the places and ways that early Mormon Pioneers found beauty and relief in the natural environment as they made their way across the Iowa trail. Professor Quinn is utilizing personal trail journals along with his stopping at sites for the next week to gather insight for his study. His plans call for time with Jane Briley, a founding member of the IMTA, and Brenda DeVore, curator of the Prairie Trails Museum, to gather more information. Brad Klodt, President of the IMTA met Professor Quinn to discuss with him the history of Richardson’s Point. A quote from Brigham Young sums up the surroundings we both felt as we stood near the 180 year old graves. In a letter Brigham Young had written as Pioneers camped nearby, he stated “We are camped near the most beautiful white oak timber”. The woods are still beautiful. Good luck in your travels in Iowa Sterling.

08/03/2026

08/03/2026

New Trail Crossing signs getting out up in Pottawattamie County. Thanks everyone

08/03/2026

The Trail Crossing signs are going up in Pottawattamie County. Thanks to our great group of volunteers!!

07/27/2026

07/24/2026

A very informative sign along the Mormon Trail south of Osceola Iowa on the west side of Interstate 35 at a rest stop.