Minutes, 23 March 1833–A
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Source Note
Minutes, , Geauga Co., OH, 23 Mar. 1833. Featured version copied [between 4 June and ca. 6 June 1833] in Minute Book 1, pp. 18–19; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 1.
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Historical Introduction
On 23 March 1833, a meeting of and convened in the schoolroom at ’s to chart a course for acquiring more land for the church in , Ohio. An earlier revelation declared the importance of maintaining possession of ’s centrally located farm, “for I the Lord willeth to retain a strong hold in the Land of Kirtland for the space of five years.” JS’s later history further indicated that the purpose of purchasing land was to encourage and accommodate the growth of the church in Kirtland. The history stated that this “council was called for the purpose of appointing a committee to purchase land in Kirtland, upon which the Saints might build a of .” Urgency to accomplish their goal was demonstrated during the meeting as participants left to carry out assignments, while the remainder did not adjourn but awaited their return for several hours “in prayer and fasting.”Though multiple farms are mentioned in the minutes, only the 103-acre owned by was acquired as a result of this meeting. All of the land that church leaders considered purchasing was located near property already controlled by the church. A large part of French’s land, for instance, abutted ’s 144-acre farm, which Williams had allowed JS and the church to use as early as spring 1831. Part of French’s land was also adjacent to ’s , where many meetings of JS and other church leaders, including this one, were held throughout 1833. Aside from its location, French’s land was desirable for other reasons. For one, it contained a two-story brick building, which was located on a major road in the area and used as an inn. The most important feature of the property to church leaders, however, was the brickyard, which they deemed necessary for building structures that would accommodate Kirtland’s growing population. Though the deed was not signed until 10 April 1833, a council meeting held on 2 April anticipated the acquisition of the French farm and assigned Frederick G. Williams “to be an agent to super[in]tend and employ some person or persons to carry on the brick yard on the french farm and also letting out the farm.”While the minutes indicate that and were assigned to jointly superintend the purchase of the farms named, Coe alone signed the agreement with for the sale of his property on 10 April 1833. French agreed to sell his land for $5,000. Coe made a down payment of $2,000 and then through promissory notes agreed to pay the remaining $3,000 in two separate payments of $1,500 each. One of the notes was due 10 April 1834, and the second was due on the same date in 1835, both with an unstated payment of interest in addition to the listed sum. Because of the high cost of the French farm and the anticipated purchase of two other farms, on 23 March 1833 JS also assigned over a dozen elders to serve missions to both proselytize and acquire funds to help pay for the properties. Of the two minute book entries that record the events of this meeting, the first one, featured here, reports the meeting’s general proceedings; the second denominates the various missionary companionships that were to be sent out as a result of the decision to purchase more property.
Footnotes
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1
Revelation, 11 Sept. 1831 [D&C 64:21].
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2
JS History, vol. A-1, 282.
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3
Zebedee Coltrin’s journal states, “On the 23d day of March held a council of highh Priests to investgate the subject of Purch[as]ing the brick tavern and farm owned by Peter French it was agreed to buy it and several othe[r] farms.” (Coltrin, Diary and Notebook, 23 Mar. 1833.)
Coltrin, Zebedee. Diary and Notebook, 1832–1833. Zebedee Coltrin, Diaries, 1832–1834. CHL. MS 1443, fd. 2.
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5
Although the purchase of Peter French’s property included the brick home, the church apparently did not have immediate access to the building. The deed stipulated that the sale was “subject to a lease given to Thomas Knight of the brick house and privilege contained in said lease.” (Geauga Co., OH, Deed Records, 1795–1921, vol. 17, p. 360, 10 Apr. 1833, microfilm 20,237, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
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6
As JS’s history explained, the “French farm was purchased on account of the facilities for making brick, their being essential to the building up of the city.” (JS History, vol. A-1, 283.)
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8
Along with the justice of the peace, Josiah Jones, Ezra Thayer was a witness to the deed, which enumerated the promissory notes. (Geauga Co., OH, Deed Records, 1795–1921, vol. 17, pp. 38–39, 10 Apr. 1833, microfilm 20,237, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
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9
Minutes, 23 Mar. 1833–B. Zebedee Coltrin explained that the decision to purchase the farm “made it necessary to call the Elders out of school for the purpose of going again into the world and procuring means for Paying for the farms.” (Coltrin, Diary and Notebook, 23 Mar. 1833.)
Coltrin, Zebedee. Diary and Notebook, 1832–1833. Zebedee Coltrin, Diaries, 1832–1834. CHL. MS 1443, fd. 2.
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