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 βs 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 mayorβs court βhad exclusive
jurisdiction in all cases arising under the ordinances of the
corporation.β 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 βfrom any decision or judgement of said Mayor or
Aldermen, arising under the city ordinances.β 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. 1841β19 May 1842 | |
| Joseph Smith Jr. | 19 May 1842β27 June 1844 |
| Vice Mayor | |
| Joseph Smith Jr. | 22 Jan. 1842β19 May 1842 |
| 19 May 1842β6 Feb. 1843 | |
| City Councilors | |
| Joseph Smith Jr. | 3 Feb. 1841β19 May 1842 |
| 19 May 1842β6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β7 Aug. 1841 | |
| 4 Sept. 1841β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β27 June 1844 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β31 July 1842 | |
| 5 Aug. 1842β6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 8 Feb. 1841β1 Nov. 1841 | |
| 1 Nov. 1841β6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 30 Oct. 1841β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 30 Oct. 1841β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 30 Oct. 1841β19 May 1842 | |
| 19 May 1842β6 Feb. 1843; 14 Sept. 1844β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 30 Oct. 1841β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 1 Nov. 1841β6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 1 Nov. 1841β6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 1 Nov. 1841β6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 23 May 1842β6 Feb. 1843 | |
| 6 Feb. 1843β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 6 Feb. 1843β21 June 1844 | |
| 6 Feb. 1843β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 6 Feb. 1843β10 Aug. 1844 | |
| Aldermen | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β23 May 1842 | |
| 23 Oct. 1841β6 Feb. 1843; 5 Mar. 1844β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 23 Oct. 1841β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 30 Oct. 1841βafter 8 Feb. 1845 | |
| 30 Oct. 1841β6 Feb. 1843; 5 March 1844β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| 11 Feb. 1843β10 Aug. 1844 | |
| 4 Mar. 1843β3 Feb. 1845 | |
| City Marshals | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β21 Dec. 1843 | |
| 23 Oct. 1841β9 Apr. 1842 | |
| 21 Dec. 1843β10 Sept. 1844 | |
| Treasurers | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β27 Aug. 1841 | |
| 4 Sept. 1841β9 Sept. 1842 | |
| 9 Sept. 1842βafter 8 Feb. 1845 | |
| City Recorders and Clerks of the Municipal Court | |
| 3 Feb. 1841β12 Aug. 1843 | |
| 12 Aug. 1843β8 Feb. 1845 | |
| Coroner | |
| 23 May 1842βafter 22 June 1845 | |
| Sexton | |
| 4 Sept. 1841βca. 1846 | |
| Supervisor of Streets | |
| 8 Mar. 1841βafter 8 Feb. 1845 | |
| Constables | |
| (First Ward) | 8 Mar. 1841β8 Feb. 1845 |
| (Second Ward) | 11 Feb. 1843β8 Feb. 1845 |
| Lewis Robison (Third Ward) | 23 Oct. 1841β8 Feb. 1845 |
| (Fourth Ward) | 30 Oct. 1841β8 Feb. 1845 |
| City Surveyor | |
| 8 Mar. 1841β8 Feb. 1845 | |
| Weigher and Sealer | |
| 15 Mar. 1841βafter 8 Feb. 1845 | |
| Assessors and Collectors | |
| (First Ward) | 11 Nov. 1843βafter 10 Aug. 1844 |
| Daniel Hendricks (Second Ward) | 11 Nov. 1843βafter 10 Aug. 1844 |
| (Third Ward) | 11 Nov. 1843βafter 10 Aug. 1844 |
| (Fourth Ward) | 11 Nov. 1843β21 Dec. 1843 |
| (Fourth Ward) | 21 Dec. 1843βafter 12 Mar. 1844 |
| Market Master | |
| 11 Feb. 1843β8 Feb. 1845 | |
| City Attorneys | |
| 1 Nov. 1841β16 Dec. 1843 | |
| 13 Apr. 1844β? | |
| City Auctioneers | |
| Charles Warner | By 12 July 1842β16 Dec. 1843; 21 Dec. 1843β12 Oct. 1844 |
| 16 Dec. 1843β21 Dec. 1843 | |
| 21 Dec. 1843β12 Oct. 1844 | |
| Notary Public | |
| 26 Sept. 1842βafter 8 Feb. 1845 | |
| Market Inspector | |
| 11 Feb. 1843β? | |
| Mayorβs Clerk | |
| 11 Feb. 1843β?; 14 Sept. 1844β? | |
| Registrar of Deeds | |
| Joseph Smith Jr. | 5 Mar. 1842β27 June 1844 |
| Fire Wardens | |
| (First Ward) | 4 Mar. 1843β8 Feb. 1845 |
| (Second Ward) | 4 Mar. 1843β8 Feb. 1845 |
| (Third Ward) | 4 Mar. 1843β8 Feb. 1845 |
| (Fourth Ward) | 11 Feb. 1843β8 Feb. 1845 |
| Flour Inspectors | |
| William E. Homer | 14 Oct. 1843β? |
| John Haven | 13 Jan. 1844β? |
| Wharf Master | |
| 16 Dec. 1843β8 Feb. 1845 | |