Council of Fifty, Minutes, March 1844–January 1846; Volume 2, 1 March–6 May 1845

An election was held on 3 February 1845 to select new officers for the city of Nauvoo, whose charter had just been repealed by the Illinois legislature. In the absence of official notice of repeal, church leaders decided to proceed with the elections. The candidates for the election had been chosen at a meeting of church and civic officials on 8 January; the Twelve Apostles served as a nominating committee and selected candidates for mayor, aldermen, and city councilors. The candidates were accepted by a public meeting on 14 January. Hosea Stout recorded that the candidates were unanimously elected and that the “greatest union and peace prevailed that I ever knew before in this place at an election.” Several of the elected officials were members of the Council of Fifty: Orson Spencer, mayor; Newel K. Whitney and Charles C. Rich, aldermen; and John Pack, George Miller, William W. Phelps, and Samuel Bent, city councilors. Hyde likely referred to an unsigned letter to the editor that appeared in the previous issue of the Nauvoo Neighbor. The letter argued that news of the repeal had arrived in Nauvoo just prior to the 3 February 1845 election and that “it was not thought advisable . . . to omit our election upon a mere rumor.” (Stout, Journal, 8 and 14 Jan. 1845; 3 Feb. 1845; “A Reason for an Election in Nauvoo,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 19 Mar. 1845, [2].)  

Stout, Hosea. Journal, Oct. 1844–May 1845. CHL. MS 1910.

Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.