Florence in Omaha in Douglas County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Mormon Pioneer Trail
⎯⎯⎯
A Meeting House For The Saints

The Mormon Pioneer Trail Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 8, 2015

1. The Mormon Pioneer Trail Marker

Inscription. The Mormon Pioneer Trail Fleeing heated religious and political hostility and persecution, many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (widely known as Mormons) abruptly fled their homes in Nauvoo, Illinois in February 1846. Unprepared for the cold of winter, these pioneers traveled 265 agonizing miles in four months. Heavy spring rains that year turned the rolling plains of southern Iowa into quagmire of axle-deep mud. Sheer exhaustion and a lack of provisions continually hampered their efforts triggering the decision to stop and winter over near the banks of the Missouri River. In the spring of 1847, after a respite and an opportunity to make better travel plans, 143 men, three women and two boys started across Nebraska for the new Zion on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

Following a rough trace blazed by earlier explorers, fur traders and missionaries, this pioneering group began laying out a route to the West that would later be used by thousands of other Mormons and Forty-niners. These first pioneers established ferries, campsites, bridges and supply depots - improvements that earned

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the route its name "The Mormon Trial."

The Pioneers of the Mormon Trail struggled across mid-America crossing the Iowa Prairie, traversing the Great Plains across Nebraska, climbing the backbone of the continental divide at South Pass, Wyoming and descending the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains to the Great Salt Lake Valley of Utah.

A Meeting House For The Saints Forced to leave their homes along the Mississippi, the Mormons began arriving in the Missouri River Valley in June of 1846. By September, nearly 4000 refugees had begun to settle in for the winter - laying out blocks and streets, building cabins for shelter, a grist mill (seen across the intersection to your right) and a town hall. "Winter Quarters, as it was called, had two main streets with 38 blocks, each containing 20 lots covered with crude shelters, tents, dugouts and log cabins.

The 22 by 32 foot town hall, or "Council House, was the social center of the refugee camp. Here, social gatherings, religious meetings and dances helped lighten the hearts of the Saints allowing them to temporarily forget the cold and misery of winter. The log structure

Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 8, 2015

2. The Mormon Pioneer Trail Marker

The Florence Mill can be seen in the background.

was one-and-a-half stories high, with wooden floors, fireplaces, and windows. It was located in the area where the firehouse now stands. A nearby cemetery, containing the graves of several hundred emigrants, attest to the harshness of the winter and the crude living conditions they experienced while waiting for spring and the opportunity to continue the journey west.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Mormon Pioneer Trail series list. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1846.

Location. 41° 20.55′ N, 95° 57.735′ W. Marker is in Omaha, Nebraska, in Douglas County. It is in Florence. It is on North 30th Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9090 N 30th St, Omaha NE 68112, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Nebraska. It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

in the Corn Belt,

and on the prairies.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the

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Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A Meeting House for the Saints (here, next to this marker); The Florence Mill (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Road to Zion (about 400 feet away); Crossroads to the West: (about 500 feet away); Mormon Pioneer Memorial Bridge (approx. ¼ mile away); From Indian Lands to the Golden Gate (approx. 0.3 miles away); A Little Town That Dreamed of Greatness (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Bank of Florence (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Omaha.

Another marker is no longer nearby. The Florence Mill (was about 400 feet away but has been confirmed missing).

Credits. This page was last revised on November 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2015, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,103 times since then and 35 times this year. Last updated on November 14, 2015, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 12, 2015, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Add the rest of the marker text from the right side. • Can you help?

The Mormon Pioneer Trail⎯⎯⎯A Meeting House For The Saints

The Mormon Pioneer Trail
⎯⎯⎯
A Meeting House For The Saints