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Letter to George W. Harris, 24 May 1839

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Letter to George W. Harris, 24 May 1839

Source Note

JS, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to , , Adams Co., IL, 24 May 1839. Featured version copied [between 25 May and 30 Oct. 1839] in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 11–12; handwriting of ; JS Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS Letterbook 2.

Historical Introduction

On 24 May 1839, JS addressed three letters to close associates, requesting that they move to , Illinois. One of these letters was directed to , whose family provided lodging to JS, his wife , and their children when they arrived in on 14 March 1838. By the time this letter was written, the church had purchased land in the Commerce area and JS had relocated there, moving into a house formerly owned by . In the letter, JS discussed Harris’s potential move from , Illinois, to Commerce. JS also noted he was reserving a piece of land for Harris; his wife, ; and their children. This lot was located across the street from a lot for JS and adjacent to a lot JS was reserving for and .
It is not known when the Harris family moved to , but was appointed to the there in October. Although the original letter is apparently not extant, it was likely dictated to , who was the scribe for another letter JS dictated that day. Mulholland inscribed a copy of the letter to Harris in JS Letterbook 2 sometime between 25 May and 30 October 1839.

Footnotes

  1. The length of time the Smiths stayed with the Harris family is unknown, but the Smiths may have left the home by 3 May. (JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838, p. 16; Historical Introduction to Receipt from Samuel Musick, 14 July 1838.)

  2. JS, Journal, 10 May 1839; Woodruff, Journal, 18 May 1839; Alanson Ripley, Statements, ca. Jan. 1845, Historian’s Office, JS History Documents, 1839–1860, CHL. As an agent for the church, Alanson Ripley purchased land from White in the Commerce area on 30 April 1839. (See Introduction to Part 4: 24 Apr.–12 Aug. 1839.)

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

    Historian’s Office. Joseph Smith History Documents, 1839–1860. CHL. CR 100 396.

  3. The Clevelands eventually owned a lot in block 147, located diagonally across the street from JS. (Trustees Land Book A, White Purchase Index, block [147], lot 2; Trustees Land Book B, 250.)

    Trustees Land Books / Trustee-in-Trust, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Land Books, 1839–1845. 2 vols. CHL. MS 3437.

  4. Minutes, 5–7 Oct. 1839, Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:30. Harris eventually owned property four blocks northeast of JS’s lot. (Trustees Land Book B, 250, 252.)

    Trustees Land Books / Trustee-in-Trust, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Land Books, 1839–1845. 2 vols. CHL. MS 3437.

  5. Letter to Newel K. Whitney, 24 May 1839.

  6. Mulholland copied this letter into JS Letterbook 2 after a letter dated 25 May 1839, making that the earliest likely copying date for this letter to Harris.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Letter to George W. Harris, 24 May 1839
Letterbook 2 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 11

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Ill, May 24th 1839
Dear Sir
I write you to say that I have selected a Town lot for you just across the street from my own, and immediately beside yours one for [p. 11]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 11

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to George W. Harris, 24 May 1839
ID #
451
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D6:469–470
Handwriting on This Page
  • James Mulholland

Footnotes

  1. The lot JS referenced here was in block 155 in Commerce. (Trustees Land Book B, 263.)

    Trustees Land Books / Trustee-in-Trust, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Land Books, 1839–1845. 2 vols. CHL. MS 3437.

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