RESTORED SITES

Some of the businesses were still standing but many of them had to be rebuilt and they were done to duplicate the original as near as possible.  Some, of course, had more detail to work from than others but anyway, here are a few.

Blacksmith shop was still standing

Also made wagons and wagon wheels

Wainwright and wheelwright shop

Notice fire in the forge in background

The forge was heated behind him and he made a small horseshoe for us and also a Prairie Diamond.  Ask me when I get home and I’ll show you both.

Actual size of the average wagon.  Usually one per family

Holding stall where they shoed the oxen.

 

 

Next we went to Brigham Young’s home

Brigham Young’s home was better preserved than many because it was lived in after the Saints left Nauvoo until the time the Church bought the property.

Notice the dishes on the table.  During the restoration, while excavating on the property, they found broken china fragments (people didn’t have garbage pick-up so they buried their trash).  The broken fragments were put together and showed the same pattern as found in other homes so they supposed they probably did belong to the Young family

Very few articles actually belonged to the Young family.  Most of what we see are period pieces used to dress up the homes.  Notice the little hangie thingie in the window?   After their housework and chores were done each day, they put oil in the little bowl and lit it, then people in the neighborhood knew that they were ready to receive visitors.  If it wasn’t lit, it told everybody to stay away (even the kids friends).

This is the fireplace where Sister Young would have prepared the family meals.  When they restored the home, they found the fireplace and bread oven (just to the side) hidden behind wood paneling.  The iron arm holding the kettle is assumed to also have been in the Young home.  Those irons were measured and made specifically for each fireplace.  While excavating elsewhere in Nauvoo, they found this iron and took it around to all the fireplaces to see which one it fit.  This is the only fireplace in all of Nauvoo that it fit and it was a perfect fit.

Bedroom

Brigham’s office which became the headquarters of the Church after the Prophet Joseph was martyred.  A lot of important decisions were made in this room.

Back of Young home.  No, the bicycles did not belong to Brigham.

The root cellar.  I had to stoop down to get in the door.

Picket fence and gate from Young back yard.  Well in the background.