I spent a rest day in Nauvoo, IL. I had hoped to learn some about Mormonism and about history. There seem to be at least two parts of the town, Historic Nauvoo and the actual modern city. I think that Historic Nauvoo would be a magical place to visit, if you are a Mormon. There are many buildings which have been either reconstructed or restored to exemplify 1840s history. Each building has a couple of actors, in costume. When you go into the building, the actors welcome you and then they have a little spiel that they give. Some of the actors have memorized their lines; others read from laminated 4×6 cards. It’s fun.
I visited three buildings: the cultural hall, the bakery, and John Browning’s home.
The cultural hall is one of the few buildings that is an original structure. It has been restored to its present gorgeous condition but, unlike most of the other structures, it did not need to be reconstructed from an archaeological dig which turned up the remnants of a foundation. Take a look at the different colors of brick in the side wall.
The actors at the cultural hall explained to me that the darker brick on the first floor used to be windows and had been closed up at some time in the past. The darker brick on the third floor is where that level of the building had been replaced after having been removed at some time in the past.
I found the limits of Historic Nauvoo right then and there. The actors, two very personable young women, knew their scripted stuff but knew next to nothing more about the site. I was interested that the third floor had been removed and reconstructed while the facade had been maintained (as you can see since all of the stones are the same color). They could tell me nothing more about that.
Inside the building, the first floor has been reconstructed as a theater. I have to hand it to the Mormon Church: they did an amazing job. One of the exhibits inside the theater is an enlarged playbill listing Joseph Smith, and several other Mormon luminaries, as actors in the play.
I got a second lesson in how I am not the target audience for Historic Nauvoo. The playbill is for Pizarro in Peru; or the Death of Rolla. The name “Rolla” caught my eye because David and Katie (son and daughter-in-law) graduated from MS&T in Rolla, MO. But before I could even ask about Rolla or the content of the play, the young women got all emotional about how amazing it was to see the names of their saints on a playbill, to realize that these exalted men were actually human and that they participated in mundane community events.
It struck me that, on an emotional level, a Mormon visiting Historic Nauvoo might have a similar experience to what I had (as a Jew) when I visited Israel. There would be a tangible connection to history.
Outside the cultural hall, the Nauvoo Brass Band pulled up in a horse-drawn wagon and played a tune for us. They were delightful. The horses were bored; clearly they had heard the tune too many times before.
I also visited the bakery and John Browning’s home. Again, the actors’ scripts were written through the lens of Mormon history and I was more interested in secular history. My ignorance of Mormonism left me disconnected from, and disappointed in, the presentations. Please don’t read this as a criticism of Historic Nauvoo. It’s just a caution that this is not the place to go for a deep dive into secular history.
I pedaled down to the Mississippi River and found an eagle nest. The parents had two chicks. I caught this picture, which is kind of low quality since I didn’t bring my big lens.
Having exhausted my interest in Historic Nauvoo, I spent a couple of hours at The Red Front restaurant in town. I got a great quesadilla and free WiFi and, most important, it kept me out of the heavy rainstorm. The sky was gorgeous afterward.
The only other functioning restaurant in town was the buffet dinner at the Hotel Nauvoo Historic Inn & Restaurant. It is only open on Friday and Saturday (at least it was in early May). The food was good.
Am I glad that I spent a day in Nauvoo? Yes. Would I have gotten more out of it if I had been more into the Mormon religion? Definitely.
To be continued…
Wonderful! I love the eagle photo.
We love Nauvoo!!!! so fun!!
I enjoy reading about your activities, Art, the planning that goes into them, and the unexpected moments to savor.
Love the eagle picture! I also visited Nauvoo and yes, I’m sure it means more to someone who is Mormon.
A few years ago, we visited Palmyra NY, which is also a Mormon historical site. This is where Joseph Smith is said to have transcribed the Golden Plates. We were not there for that reason, but were taking an Erie Canal cruse. There is a large visitor’s center on the road north from the Thruway to Palmyra. I’d go back.