NAUVOO PRODUCTIONS

We went to an outdoor theater for a concert by the Nauvoo Brass Band at 6:30 and stayed for “Sunset on the Mississippi” which started at 7:00.  Beautiful evenings, shady and pleasant.

Brass Band

Entire cast made up of the Young Performing Missionaries, the Senior Couples, and the Brass Band

Some old geezers performing.  It was fun.

One night we got tickets for “Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo” which was in the theatre located on the first floor of the Cultural Hall and holds about 60 people.  This production was put on by the senior couples and was a delightful production.  The Cultural Hall is one of the buildings that survived over the years and has been restored.  They held dances on the third flood of the Hall and the original flooring that Joseph and Emma danced on can still be seen there.  We didn’t take the tour of the Cultural Hall but here are some pictures of the outside.

NAUVOO PAGEANT

One the last evenings we would be in the Nauvoo area. we went to the Nauvoo Pageant.  Seated outside it was a beautiful, perfect evening with low humidity and, surprisingly, no mosquitoes.  Before the Pageant, they held a fair on the adjacent grounds with food concessions and activities and games for kids of any age.  The Pageant was very well done and we enjoyed the music and all the many people who performed.  Here are a few pictures we took that night.

Open seating.  Slanted stage which we could see well from any angle

Nauvoo Pageant Bagpipe Band playing to signal the beginning of the performance

Bagpipe Band entered playing “Praise to the Man”

Bagpipe Band and Brass Band together

We all sang “The Star Spangled Banner” with the Brass Band and Bagpipes

Temple just as the sun was setting

Show finale with brightly lit temple in the background

The last Sunday we were in Nauvoo, we went to church and then just drove around the city saying goodbye to all the sites and sounds we had enjoyed so much.  Maybe we will go back there again sometime in our lives, but we just don’t know.

LUCY MACK SMITH HOME AND SCHOOL

Lucy Mack Smith, mother of Joseph and Hyrum, did not go west when the Saints left Nauvoo.  She wanted to but she was older and very troubled with arthritis so she stayed behind.  The Church bought this little home for her and she lived here with her daughter Lucy and Lucy’s family after they could live safely in Nauvoo and the mob activity had died down.  She later lived with Emma in the Mansion House until her death.

Small house

All of these pictures are different angles of the same room.  Notice the butter churn.

Sitting room, kitchen, dining and bedroom all in one.  A cozy warm place for an old woman who could not move easily.  Her daughter, Lucy, and her family lived upstairs and after the evening meal was over and the dishes cleaned, they would retire for the evening upstairs for their family time together and Lucy was able to go to bed in peace.

 

THE SCHOOL

There were several small schools in Nauvoo and parents could choose which school they could afford to send their children to.  This is the Pendleton home and school.

There was room for only about 10 students.  The little lean-to on the back of the house is the school room.  Talk about over-crowding.

The school room consisted of several benches with slate boards for the children to do their work on.

Mr. Pendleton was actually a doctor, which he did when needed.  He felt that education was very important and since there was such a shortage of schools he taught school, too.

HEBER C. KIMBALL HOME

Heber C. Kimball was another who was able to sell his home and it was lived in and taken care of through the years.  Back in the 1960’s one of his grandsons purchased the home and did the restoration, lived in it for a while then donated it to the Church.  This was a very nice home and we enjoyed going through it.

The Kimball family were able to live in this home for only a few short months before they were forced to leave it all and start over

Ornate doorknob

Not sure how many pieces of furniture or other things actually belonged to the Kimball family

Children’s upstairs play area

The box looking piece of furniture in the center is a hand cranked music box.  It had big metal disks that could be changed for different tunes.

WILFORD WOODRUFF HOME

Wilford Woodruff was one of the few people who were able to sell their home at fair market value upon being driven out of Nauvoo.  He sold it for just over $600.00.  The home was lived in and well cared for over the years until the Church purchased the property and restored it.

Wilford Woodruff built this home himself, between missions, and the family was only able to live in it just over a year before they were forced to leave.

After serving a mission in England for several years, Wilford claimed he would never feel warm again.  When he built this home, he made sure there was a fireplace in every room, even the bedrooms.  It has four chimneys with a lower and upper floor fireplace at each chimney.

Small living room

Considered two rooms so there are the fireplaces

Parlor

Kitchen.  Look at all the fun stuff you had to know how to use to prepare a family meal

Proofing box for bread

I could be wrong, but I think the broom standing by the doorway is more modern than the Woodruff’s would have had

Very small dining room.  That little yellow cup you see in the center of the china cabinet behind the table actually belonged to the Woodruff family.  All other pieces are period pieces for show

Again the spinning wheel

Upstairs bedroom.  Couldn’t have been very comfortable for two.

Children’s room