Voree, Wisconsin

OK. It is going to be a warm day. Take a day off. Go somewhere. The question is, where?

I have known about Voree for some time because of my interest in history. There was a man, James Strang, who contested for the highest position in the LDS Church after the death of Joseph Smith. He did a good job, pulling in almost everyone. Well, I decided that I wanted to see the place. I knew that James Strang helped provide the lumber for the Nauvoo Temple along the Black River on the west side of Wisconsin. I assumed that Voree was along there. Nope. For once, I zoomed out of the close up map and, wait, it is almost directly north of where I live. That's only 60 miles from my house. Oh yeah, I'm goin'!

Nothing much of note on the way up. I was struck that there wasn't any sign at all when I passed into Wisconsin. Only a signpost telling me I was now on County Road P indicated that I had traversed the cheddar curtain. I knew the way up from all my map-staring that I did. I didn't realize that it was all the same county road as it made turns all over. Wisconsin roads are like that.

I entered Burlington and was met with this church. I had to double back to get a parking spot so I could take a few pictures.

I thought the steeple was beautiful and it was so tall. There were a few other side buildings and another chapel that appeared much older to the side.The cornerstone read 1856. That was a few years after the time I was interested in. By then it probably wasn't known as Voree. Come to think of it, maybe it never was officially named that. The mormons outside of town called it Voree though.

The only other thing of any interest is the lady that owned the car that was parked in front of me said her farewells to the priest she was talking to and stared me down while I was getting my gear back on.
"Were you looking for anyone in particular?"
"No, I just saw the church and I wanted to take a few pictures." And she was probably nervous because of this biker walking around when there is a school right there.
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" she retorically answered.
"Yes it is." and I got on my bike and we parted ways.

I wanted to see the "lake" in town as well as see the historical marker that I knew was in the nearby park. I found the park easily enough and the marker had rotted off its stand and someone had set it up resting on the posts instead.

MORMONS IN EARLY WISCONSIN

Among those contributing to the nation’s westward expansion in the nineteenth century and to Wisconsin’s early development were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). In 1835, Moses Smith helped establish Burlington and in 1837 organized Wisconsin’s first Mormon congregation. His cabin stood across the river from here. Mormons helped develop communities in southwest and western Wisconsin (Jenkynsville in 1837, Blanchardville in 1842, and near La Crosse in 1844-1845), where they mined lead ore and farmed, and at sites along the Black River (1841-1844), where they harvested pine and floated it down the Mississippi River to build the Mormon Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois. Oliver Cowdery, second only to Joseph Smith in the church’s early history, was a lawyer and newspaper editor in Elkhorn. After Smith’s 1844 murder in Illinois, Wisconsin Mormons either joined the migration to Utah or formed separatist churches here. Few remained after 1850; then by 1875 Mormons re-established a growing presence in Wisconsin.

 I also had a run in with one of my favorite kind of birds. I've never been closer to one than this time but he quickly flew off to the opposite bank and glared at me for my intrusion.

I then went and found a local McD's and had some lunch. It only took me 90 minutes to get up here, but it was lunchtime. Afterwards, I went on the 2or 3 mile ride to Voree to see the relics of what once was a community of like-minded people.

The above house is from the period and was the house where James Strang's mother lived. It is on the west side of the White River.

One of the monuments I wanted to see was one built of slabs taken from the quarry with a bronze plaque on it that showed the layout of the town. I couldn't find reference to where it was until I happened upon a page that gave the description of where it was. It is just on the East side of the river with no other indication that it is there from the road.

From this I found that the temple he wanted to build was actually located on the west side of the river. Well, that never happened. I think they got around to the first story before they moved on to Beaver Island in Michigan. Strang was shot there and moved back to Voree where he died a few years later, I believe.

On Mormon Road, the last meeting house of the group is located amidst a farmer's field. I can't find much evidence that it has been used recently. There used to be a website, strangite.org, that held a lot of information about the group, and the owner of the site was quite involved in the history of the time. He started a petition to stop the building of the Nauvoo Temple at one time and I knew he also collected documents of the time. Anyway, here is the chapel.

The outbuilding was empty and the door broken. The chapel had missing tiles and little else of interest. the marker is below.

MEMORIAL

 To Wingfield Watson, 1828-1922, Loyal disciple of James J. Strang and the teachings of Jesus Christ, our Lord. He was a wise counselor, parent, and stelwart leader of the saints after being dispossessed by a mob and scattered. He helped them battle dispondency, poverty, preasures from outside and disunity from within the church. Unfaltering, he used his sublime faith, knowledge and experience, the scriptures, cogent reasoning, debate, pamphlets, rinted contributions and wrote thousands of letters. Every possession beyond bare necessities was used to forward the Lord's work. His efforts gained the respect and admiration of all. He continued until he was past ninety-four years of age, leaving a record surely worthy of the emulation of all. Erected A.Dl 1984 Wingfield Watson Trust.

The trust mentioned bought and protected properties significant to the church, including the chapel, the area where the Voree Plates were found, the house Strang died in and a cemetery. The latter two located just down the road.

I couldn't gain access to where the plates were reportedly found but I did find an aerial shot of where it is. There supposedly is another plaque concerning that on the spot but it was behind fences to keep people like me out.

The only other item that I can add is that the slight hill in the picture below was where the temple was to be built. It was a protected area and I didn't want to try and find a way to it. I wanted to get back home before too long as I had plans that evening.

Anyway, there be my trip.

Interesting Links

Reddit post about the area.

Historical Marker

Voree Plates

Property owned by the church. "Mormon House"

Voree Temple

The Dollop. Irreverent History

Infants on Thrones, Hamer on Strang