and went to Westport to equip an outfit for a western journey. He gave this description of Westport in his book, The Oregon Trail: "Westport was full of Indians, whose little shaggy ponies were tied by dozens along the houses and fences. Sacs and Foxes, with shaved heads and painted faces, Shawanoes and Delawares, fluttering in calico frocks and turbans, Wyandots dressed like white men, and a few wretched Kansans wrapped in old blankets, were strolling about the streets, or lounging in and out of the shops and houses. And later the historian observed: 'Whiskey, by the way, circulates more freely in Westport than is altogether safe in a place where every man carries a loaded pistol in his pocket.'' When Westport was established the principal steamboat landing in Jackson county was at Blue Mills, six miles below Independence. The Westport merchants found this landing inconvenient and they had their freight brought ashore farther up the river. Soon after John C. McCoy had the stock of goods for his store brought ashore in the woods above Chouteau's warehouse in 1832 from the steamboat, John Hancock, a regular landing place was established at the river bank where Grand avenue reaches the river. This was the beginning of the landing that afterward developed into Kansas City. CHAPTER III. "ZION" REDEEMED. The coming of the Mormons to Independence when the town. young, their troubles with the "Gentile" settlers, their enforced exodus from the county, the return in after years and the honorable residence in Independence, their chosen Zion, make a chapter of interesting local history. The Mormons, it is said, had a revelation, seventy-five years ago, that Independence was to be their New Jerusalem, where they were to assemble and prepare for the second coming of Christ. In obedience to the Divine call, the pilgrims came, some by steamboat, others by wagon; a few of the more unfortunate walked across Missouri from St. Louis. The first band arrived in 1831. After three turbulent years the last one of the sect was driven from the county. When the Mormons began to return to Independence, shortly after the Civil war, they were wiser and the Gentiles, too, were more tolerant. Men long have been prone to kill their neighbors because they differed from them in their idea of God, and all religions or churches in their in cipient stages have been subjected to persecution. But who shall say that the Mormons have not had more than their share? This peculiar sect originated in western New York, through the religious experiences of Joseph Smith, which began when he was a mere lad. He recounted that he became religiously wrought upon by some revival meetings, and through prayer sought a solution of the problem of which church to join. In answer to his prayer, he states in his history, he was visited by a "heavenly messenger," who told him to join none of the existing churches, as they were all wrong and "their creeds an abomination" in the sight of God-a sweeping statement which, when he repeated it, was sure to bring upon him the bitter opposition and resentment of zealous devotees of the other churches' denominations. Following the admonition received, he joined none of the churches represented at the revival meetings which had so affected him, but on April 6, 1830, with five others, he organized the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." That same year the Book of Mormon appeared, Joseph Smith and his followers claiming it to be an account of the prehistoric inhabitants of the Western hemisphere. Smith asserted that he had Divine assistance in translating the book from golden plates that he found in the earth where, according to his story, they had been deposited by the last historian of the pre-Columbian Americans, many centuries ago. On the plates Smith said were engraved "reformed Egyptian" characters, which, by a peculiar gift from God, he was enabled to translate. Smith also announced that a heavenly messenger, John the Baptist, had conferred upon him the priesthood of God which had long ago been taken from the earth because of transgressions. Smith and his followers were vigorous proselytizers, and converts were made rapidly, several "branches," or local churches of the faith, being organized in New York and Pennsylvania. Shortly after the organization of the church, the leaders left New York and moved westward, settling at Kirtland, Ohio; Joseph Smith moved his family there the latter part of January, 1831, and Kirtland for a time became headquarters. In the early part of 1831, P. P. Pratt and other elders of the church left Kirtland and went westward on a tour of investigation. In about four months they reached Independence, Missouri, where, according to their account, two of their number went to work as tailors. The others continued their journey across the frontier to do missionary work among the Indians, or "Lamanites," as the Mormons called them. Oliver Cowdery, one of the band of missionaries, wrote a letter to a friend in the East that shortly afterward was published in one of the "Mormon" church publications. It was dated "Kaw Township, Missouri, May 7, 1831," and described the conditions then existing here. Joseph Smith |