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Invitation from James Burt and Others, circa Mid-February 1844

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Invitation from James Burt and Others, circa Mid-February 1844

Source Note

, W. H. Taylor, W. B. Thayer, J. Palmer Cryder, Philander Brown, James Woodruff, A. F. Ackerman, O. F. Miller, James Luce, G. B. Dimock, John Tillson, William Powers, R. H. Mitchell, Joseph Artus, Newton Flagg, I. S. Church, Ebenezer Moore, James Fisher, and Nathaniel Pease, Invitation, [, Adams Co., IL], to JS and , , Hancock Co., IL, ca. mid-Feb. 1844; printed form with manuscript additions in unidentified handwriting; one page; photocopy in Helen Vilate Bourne Fleming, Collection, CHL. Includes address. Transcription from photocopy.
One leaf, the measurements of which are unknown. The recto is printed with blanks for named invitees. The verso contains a handwritten address. The photocopy shows that the leaf was trifolded horizontally for transmission.
In late 1844, following JS’s death, became one of the interim church trustees and was appointed “first bishop” among other bishops. It was presumably during this time that many of the church’s financial and other administrative records passed into his possession. This document, along with some other personal and institutional documents that may have been kept by Whitney, was inherited by Whitney’s great-granddaughter Helen Vilate Bourne Fleming, who passed these and other family papers down to her daughter Helen Marian Fleming Petersen. In 1988, shortly after Petersen’s death, this collection was found in a box in her home, and later that year family members donated it to the Church Historical Department (now CHL). Presumably around this time, the original document was removed from the collection and replaced in the collection by a photocopy. The original is presumably still in private possession.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Richards, Journal, 9 Aug. 1844; “Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 1 Nov. 1844, 5:693; see also Minutes, Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:30.

    Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  2. [2]

    See the full bibliographic entry for Helen Vilate Bourne Fleming, Collection, 1836–1963, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

In early 1844, a group of prominent men sent an invitation from , Illinois, to JS and in , Illinois, for a party in Quincy. The party was to be held on 22 February 1844 at the Quincy House, a large hotel in the center of the city. The hotel was built by John Tillson—apparently the father of the John Tillson III named on the invitation—and at the time was operated by William Monroe. Many of those named on the invitation are identifiable as prominent Quincy businessmen.
The invitation’s title, “Bachelor’s Party,” apparently suggests that the men who sent the invitation were part of an organization. A similar invitation dated two years later and signed by several of the same men identifies them as a committee representing the “Bachelors of .” The party was likely part of a series of events commemorating George Washington’s birthday. Earlier on 22 February, the Martha Washington Temperance Society hosted a procession with a military parade, music, and oration. The society’s planning committee announced that “neighboring Washington Temperance Societies and citizens generally, are particularly invited to join with us on the occasion.” The 28 February issue of the Quincy Whig reported on the day’s various processions and events, though the report did not refer to an evening party at the Quincy House.
The invitation, including the names of the senders, was printed, except for the handwritten names of the invitees, and was designed so that it could be addressed to both individuals and couples. The copy sent to JS and was addressed to them on the back. The lack of postal markings suggests that the invitation was delivered by hand. Although not dated, the invitation was presumably filled out and delivered sometime in the days or weeks preceding the party. No response from JS or Emma has been located, and they did not attend the party.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    The Quincy House was located on the southeast corner of Main and Fourth streets. It was a large and elegant edifice of stone and brick and functioned as a hotel and boardinghouse. (Collins and Perry, Past and Present of the City of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, 49–51, 171.)

    Collins, William H., and Cicero F. Perry. Past and Present of the City of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing, 1905.

  2. [2]

    Collins and Perry, Past and Present of the City of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, 50–51.

    Collins, William H., and Cicero F. Perry. Past and Present of the City of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing, 1905.

  3. [3]

    James Burt was a lawyer, Newton Flagg a bookstore owner, James Luce a chairmaker, James Woodruff a real estate agent, Nathaniel Pease a farmer, W. B. Thayer a distillery and dry goods store owner, and Ebenezer Moore the first mayor of Quincy after it was incorporated as a city in 1840. (Collins and Perry, Past and Present of the City of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, 48, 61–62, 69, 76, 79, 129, 141, 143, 272, 648–651, 872.)

    Collins, William H., and Cicero F. Perry. Past and Present of the City of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing, 1905.

  4. [4]

    Joseph Artus et al., Invitation, Quincy, IL, 18 Dec. 1846, Quincy Public Library, Quincy, IL. Joseph Artus, James Luce, R. H. Mitchell, and W. B. Thayer signed both invitations. The December 1846 party was similarly held in the Quincy House.

    Artus, Joseph, et al. Invitation, Quincy, IL, 18 Dec. 1846. Quincy Public Library, Quincy, IL.

  5. [5]

    “Celebration 22D February,” Quincy (IL) Whig, 14 Feb. 1844, [2].

    Quincy Whig. Quincy, IL. 1838–1856.

  6. [6]

    “The Twenty Second,” Quincy (IL) Whig, 28 Feb. 1844, [2]; see also “The Great Whig Rally on the 22D,” Quincy Whig, 28 Feb. 1844, [2].

    Quincy Whig. Quincy, IL. 1838–1856.

  7. [7]

    JS, Journal, 22 Feb. 1844. When JS was invited by church members two weeks earlier to give a sermon in Quincy, he declined partly because of safety concerns, saying that to get to Quincy he would have to pass through hostile communities during a time of heightened tensions. (Letter from Joseph L. Heywood, 7 Feb. 1844; Letter to Joseph L. Heywood, 13 Feb. 1844.)

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BACHELORS’ PARTY.
Our Compliments to Gen. Jos. Smith & requesting the pleasure of their company at the QUINCY HOUSE, on Thursday Evening, Feb. 22, at 7½ o’clock.
, A. F. Ackerman, Joseph Artus,
W. H. Taylor, O. F. Miller, Newton Flagg,
W. B. Thayer, J[ames] H. Luce, I. S. Church,
J. Palmer Cryder, G. B. Dimock, Eben. Moore,
Philander Brown John Tillson, 3d Jas. Fisher,
Jas. Woodruff, Wm. B. Powers, Nath. Pease,
R. H. Mitchell.
[p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Invitation from James Burt and Others, circa Mid-February 1844
ID #
1497
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Printed text
  • Unidentified

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS was lieutenant general of the Nauvoo Legion, a unit of the Illinois state militia.

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