|
Nauvoo
Located on a bend of the Mississippi River, Nauvoo's extensive selection of Victorian-style bed & breakfasts, guest houses and log cabins offer a look into the town's rich history. To learn more about historic Nauvoo, take a self-guided tour at Baxter's Vineyards and Winery, Illinois' oldest winery, or join a guided tour group at the Joseph Smith Historic Site. For those who prefer scenic attractions, take a drive along the 550-mile route of the Great River Road that connects the towns of Collinsville, Alton, Quincy, Moline, Fulton and Galena, all of which also offer a variety of attractions. While on this route, stop by the Great River Road Golf Club for a round of golf or attend the annual grape festival in September at Nauvoo State Park for a fun-filled day of games, parades and wine tasting.
Having fled persecution elsewhere, Joseph Smith and his religious followers established the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nauvoo in 1839. Both church and settlement flourished. By 1841 a university was projected, and the foundations for a great temple were laid. The temple, still unfinished when most of the Mormons left the state in 1846, was burned by vandals in 1848.
In 1849 the area was occupied by French Icarians, a socialist sect that lived by the creed "from each according to his ability and to each according to his need." Inner discord undermined the society and it was dissolved in 1858.
Monument to Women Statuary Gardens, next to Historic Nauvoo Visitors Center, is a sculpture garden dedicated to women of the past, present and future. Each statue identifies a significant dimension in a woman's life.
|
|
