Lee Co., Illinois and the Palestine Stake of Zion.
Some Published References
"One branch of the Mormon church secured a considerable foothold in the neighborhood of Rocky Ford, near which they were instrumental
in having the town of Palestine laid out. At one time there were sixty members. The founder, Joseph Smith, visited friends at Palestine Grove,
where he was arrested in 1843 on requistion of the Governor of the State, issued at the instance of the Governor of Missouri. In 1860 the
annual conference of the branch referred to convened in Amboy....
A plat of "Palestine" was made May 10, 1854, and serves to mark the probable center of the Palestine Grove settlement. The plat was
located about a quarter of a mile northwest of Rocky Ford, and consisted of three blocks of ground, two of which were on the Dixon and
Peoria road. It was laid out for Rhoda E. Hook who, it is to be presumed, owned the ground. It was here on one of the Palestine lots that
those of the Mormon faith laid the corner stone of a temple which never rose higher than this foundation stone...."
A. C. Bardwell, Encyclopedia of Illinois and the History of Lee County (1904)
"Rocky Ford (also known as Shelburn) was likewise a place of activity in the early days. The Indian trail from Council Bluffs to Chicago crossed
Green River or "Inlet Creek," at this point It had a saw mill, a distillery and two stores.... A plat of "Palestine" was made May 10, 1854
[S. W. 1/4 of S. E. 1/4 Sec. 21, T. 20, R. 10], and serves to mark the probable center of the Palestine Grove settlement. The plat was located
about a quarter of a mile northwest of Rocky Ford, and consisted of three blocks of ground, two of which were on the Dixon and Peoria road. It
was laid out for Rhoda E. Hook who, it is to be presumed, owned the ground. It was here on one of the Palestine lots that those of the Mormon faith
laid the corner stone of a temple which never rose higher than this foundation stone."
A. C. Bardwell, Encyclopedia of Illinois and the History of Lee County (1904)
"The Mormon church attempted to secure a foothold in this [Amboy] township and what is more, it was actually secured. The first preacher, William Anderson, held
his services in John Hook's house. Both Joseph and Hyrum Smith came up here often from Nauvoo. Joseph, the prophet, married a Miss Emma Hale, sister
to Alva Hale of Sublette, and David Hale and Mrs. Benjamin Wasson of Amboy. Asa Searls was a boyhood acquaintance of Smith, and had been a schoolmate.
Smith visited his friends and relatives here often. He made it a point always to preach when here, using the log schoolhouse on the Sublette road. When in the
famous litigation of June, 1843, the Governor of Missouri, sent a requisition over into Illinois for Smith's arrest, the latter was visiting those relatives and friends
in Palestine Grove. An Illinois constable and the Missouri agent came up here and arrested him. Smith fought desperately, but after receiving many bruises,
he was overpowered.
The crowd believed the proceedings were entirely illegal and many followed Smith and his captors to Dixon. It was agreed, however, that Smith was to return
to Nauvoo. But upon the discovery of the Missouri agent's design to take the prisoner over to Missouri direct, a party of Mormons collected and rescued the
prophet. Immediately he was brought triumphantly into Nauvoo. A writ of habeas corpus was issued and Smith was released by Judge Stephen A. Douglas.
Aaron Hook who had gone to Nauvoo and who had been ordained an elder, returned now, to Rocky Ford. William Smith, another brother of the prophet came
over to Lee county from Nauvoo about this time and a very considerable Mormon following was obtained in Lee county.
Among the number were the Hooks, Edwin Cadwell, Wentworth Blair, Stephen Stone and David L. Doan.
It was a deplorable circumstance, however, that none of the Smiths could get along with his neighbors. This William Smith was no exception. He was arrested
here for bigamy, released and then he left the country."
Frank Everett Stevens, History of Lee County, Illinois, Vol. 1 (1914)
"... on the present road from Binghampton to Sublette... was a small log school house... Rev. Joseph Gardner used to hold service there. At one
of his meetings he had for an auditor Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. Curiosity to hear Smith, induced Mr. Gardner to invite him to close
the services with prayer, which he did. After the audience was dismissed, Smith said to Mr. Gardner in an apologetic way, "I was never gifted in prayer."
Smith's wife was a sister of Mrs. Wasson, who lived near where Amboy now is. He came there to visit, and on one occasion was arrested, I presume
on some trumped up charge. His brother William, one of the witnesses to the finding of the plates of the Book of Mormon, lived in Palestine Grove,
not far from Rocky Ford, and had some followers there. They projected a temple and progressed so far as to lay a corner stone.
Smith lived in a very
poor way, and seemed much adverse to labor. He went one day and cut some poles from the tops of fallen trees. Going home he fell from the load and
broke his arm. I was sent for, but as I was ten miles away it was some time before I reached him and the placing of it in proper dressings gave him
considerable pain. During this he suspended his groans long enough to say: "I was never blessed when I engaged in manual labor. I think I have another
work to perform." That he should think a special providence was punishing him for bringing home a load of wood to keep his family from freezing, caused
me to smile, notwithstanding my sympathy for him in his suffering.
Ephraim Ingals, Recollections of thePioneers of Lee County
(1893)
Between Temperance Hill and Rocky Ford lived Francis Northway and family and Elder Joseph Gardner and family: next Reuben Bridgman and family;
next Curtis Bridgman and family; next John C. Church and family; next Cyrus Davis and family; next Joseph Farwell and family; next Joel Davis and
family; next Joseph Appleton and family; next Shelburn; Frederick R. Dutcher and family, with Widow Hook and her sons, John and Aaron and their
families. On the Crombie Lane lived Lyman Bixby, Wilder Crombie, Samuel Bixby, David Searles, Moses Crombie; west of the lane lived Orres Adams;
Lorenzo Wasson's farm, a quarter of a section; west of this Benjamin Wasson, father of Lorenzo, owned a quarter section with good house and barn
and the land well improved.
David Hale, Amboy Journal (1874)
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