Nauvoo City Officers
The following chart identifies significant city offices in
, Illinois, and the
names of the individuals who held those offices between February 1841 and June
1844. The city charter for ,
approved 16 December 1840 to take
effect the first Monday of February
1841, called for a city council consisting of a mayor, four
aldermen, and nine councilors, who would be elected and serve for two
years.
The charter made provision for the city council to add to the number of
aldermen and councilors if necessary.
Other city officers were appointed or elected by the city council. The
first city election was held 1 February
1841. In October
1841, four more aldermen and seven more councilors were added
to the council. An additional office of vice mayor was created on
22 January 1842, though the
holders of this office retained their seats as city councilors. The election
of 6 February 1843 brought the city
council back to its original makeup: a mayor, four aldermen, and nine
councilors. Though the legislature passed an act on 29 January 1845 revoking ’s charter, the
biannual municipal election was held as scheduled on 3 February 1845, and new civic
appointments were made by the mayor at the 8
February 1845 meeting of the recently elected city council.
Councilors and aldermen are listed in the order in which they most
commonly appeared in municipal records.
The mayor and aldermen served as justices of the peace
within the limits of the city of .
The charter prescribed that the mayor’s court “had exclusive
jurisdiction in all cases arising under the ordinances of the
corporation.” The mayor also served as chief justice of the municipal
court, and the aldermen as associate justices of that court, to which
appeal could be taken “from any decision or judgement of said Mayor or
Aldermen, arising under the city ordinances.” From the municipal court,
appeal could be made to the Circuit Court of County.
When council seats became vacant because of death,
resignation, or appointment to other office, the vacancies were filled
by election or appointment by the city council. If members of the city
council were to be absent for significant lengths of time, substitute or
temporary councilors were elected and sworn in to fill the vacancy.
These temporary councilors are not listed in the following chart.
| Mayor | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–19 May 1842 | |
| Joseph Smith Jr. | 19 May 1842–27 June 1844 |
| Vice Mayor | |
| Joseph Smith Jr. | 22 Jan. 1842–19 May 1842 |
| 19 May 1842–6 Feb. 1843 | |
| City Councilors | |
| Joseph Smith Jr. | 3 Feb. 1841–19 May 1842 |
| 19 May 1842–6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–7 Aug. 1841 | |
| 4 Sept. 1841–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–27 June 1844 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–31 July 1842 | |
| 5 Aug. 1842–6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 8 Feb. 1841–1 Nov. 1841 | |
| 1 Nov. 1841–6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 30 Oct. 1841–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 30 Oct. 1841–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 30 Oct. 1841–19 May 1842 | |
| 19 May 1842–6 Feb. 1843; 14 Sept. 1844–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 30 Oct. 1841–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 1 Nov. 1841–6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 1 Nov. 1841–6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 1 Nov. 1841–6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 23 May 1842–6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 6 Feb. 1843–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 6 Feb. 1843–21 June 1844 | |
| 6 Feb. 1843–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 6 Feb. 1843–10 Aug. 1844 | |
| Aldermen | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–23 May 1842 | |
| 23 Oct. 1841–6 Feb. 1843; 5 Mar. 1844–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 23 Oct. 1841–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 30 Oct. 1841–after 8 Feb. 1845 | |
| 30 Oct. 1841–6 Feb. 1843; 5 March 1844–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 11 Feb. 1843–10 Aug. 1844 | |
| 4 Mar. 1843–3 Feb. 1845 | |
| City Marshals | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–21 Dec. 1843 | |
| 23 Oct. 1841–9 Apr. 1842 | |
| 21 Dec. 1843–10 Sept. 1844 | |
| Treasurers | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–27 Aug. 1841 | |
| 4 Sept. 1841–9 Sept. 1842 | |
| 9 Sept. 1842–after 8 Feb. 1845 | |
| City Recorders and Clerks of the Municipal Court | |
| 3 Feb. 1841–12 Aug. 1843 | |
| 12 Aug. 1843–8 Feb. 1845 | |
| Coroner | |
| 23 May 1842–after 22 June 1845 | |
| Sexton | |
| 4 Sept. 1841–ca. 1846 | |
| Supervisor of Streets | |
| 8 Mar. 1841–after 8 Feb. 1845 | |
| Constables | |
| (First Ward) | 8 Mar. 1841–8 Feb. 1845 |
| (Second Ward) | 11 Feb. 1843–8 Feb. 1845 |
| Lewis Robison (Third Ward) | 23 Oct. 1841–8 Feb. 1845 |
| (Fourth Ward) | 30 Oct. 1841–8 Feb. 1845 |
| City Surveyor | |
| 8 Mar. 1841–8 Feb. 1845 | |
| Weigher and Sealer | |
| 15 Mar. 1841–after 8 Feb. 1845 | |
| Assessors and Collectors | |
| (First Ward) | 11 Nov. 1843–after 10 Aug. 1844 |
| Daniel Hendricks (Second Ward) | 11 Nov. 1843–after 10 Aug. 1844 |
| (Third Ward) | 11 Nov. 1843–after 10 Aug. 1844 |
| (Fourth Ward) | 11 Nov. 1843–21 Dec. 1843 |
| (Fourth Ward) | 21 Dec. 1843–after 12 Mar. 1844 |
| Market Master | |
| 11 Feb. 1843–8 Feb. 1845 | |
| City Attorneys | |
| 1 Nov. 1841–16 Dec. 1843 | |
| 13 Apr. 1844–? | |
| City Auctioneers | |
| Charles Warner | By 12 July 1842–16 Dec. 1843; 21 Dec. 1843–12 Oct. 1844 |
| 16 Dec. 1843–21 Dec. 1843 | |
| 21 Dec. 1843–12 Oct. 1844 | |
| Notary Public | |
| 26 Sept. 1842–after 8 Feb. 1845 | |
| Market Inspector | |
| 11 Feb. 1843–? | |
| Mayor’s Clerk | |
| 11 Feb. 1843–?; 14 Sept. 1844–? | |
| Registrar of Deeds | |
| Joseph Smith Jr. | 5 Mar. 1842–27 June 1844 |
| Fire Wardens | |
| (First Ward) | 4 Mar. 1843–8 Feb. 1845 |
| (Second Ward) | 4 Mar. 1843–8 Feb. 1845 |
| (Third Ward) | 4 Mar. 1843–8 Feb. 1845 |
| (Fourth Ward) | 11 Feb. 1843–8 Feb. 1845 |
| Flour Inspectors | |
| William E. Homer | 14 Oct. 1843–? |
| John Haven | 13 Jan. 1844–? |
| Wharf Master | |
| 16 Dec. 1843–8 Feb. 1845 | |