HISTORICAL
PIONEER
RESEARCH
GROUP

In 1846 they left their homes, fleeing from mob violence in Nauvoo, Illinois, they journeyed across a muddy, cold Iowa to the Missouri River to what was then the border of the United States. Then into Indian Territory (Nebraska), they sought safety for a season. They built their Winter Quarters and 90+ Iowa settlements. Five hundred of their most able bodied men enlisted in the Mormon Battalion to defend the United States in the war with Mexico. Most would continue to the Salt Lake Basin. Some would stay in the fertile hills and hollows of Iowa.

THERE BEGAN THE STORY OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINT PIONEERS AT THE MISSOURI.

WHO WERE THEY?

PIONEER RESEARCH

Early Latter-day Saint and
Winter Quarters BYU Project Databases

WHERE DID THEY LIVE, DIE?

CROSSROADS TO THE WEST

We invite you to experience the 1846-185 pioneer
sojourn along the Missouri through this interactive
tour is available on computers and mobile devices.

WHAT WAS THEIR STORY?

SOJOURN IN THE WILDERNESS

Animated pioneers share their stories
before they trekked west.

We seek to preserve for descendants of the pioneers and all who share in their legacy, their story of faith and fortitude.

Presented in a genealogical database.

Database sources:

Nauvoo Land and Records collections
Ronald G. Watt's Iowa Branch Index, 1839-1859 Settlement and Branch records from the LDS Church History Library Journals and Family records.

The database is searchable by:
People
Families
Places
Birth, marriage and death (dates)

SEARCH

Information gathered from Nauvoo Land and Records, and original records from Camp of Israel Schedules and Reports, Winter Quarters Wards and Iowa Branches gathered by Ronald G Watt and other primary records from the Church History Library.

Advanced Search

Family Search

Place Search

Advanced Search
Family Search
Place Search

SEARCH

Winter Quarters Home
Pioneer Settlements
Deaths
Cemeteries
Links
Maps
Videos

The goals of the WQ Project are to identify pioneer settlements near Winter Quarters. The time period covered is from 1840-1862. We have searched for settlements, their residents, their histories, and their burial sites.

The database focuses on:

Settlement histories which includes:
   Location
   History
   Possible births, marriages, and deaths
   Residents
   Possible cemetery location

Burial plot maps for Cutler's Park and the Winter Quarters Cemetery which include:
Persons buried, their biographies, causes of death, if known, with definitions of the causes

Early burials from some Iowa pioneer cemeteries which include:

Pictures of tombstones
Information transcribed from tombstones

This mobile tour guide will help trace the footsteps of early Latter-day Saints in the Winter Quarters area and the Iowa settlements. Routes to the locations are developed using Google maps and explanations of the area deepens appreciation for the stay at the Missouri River before moving west.

This unique virtual tour book was authored by noted historian, Gail George Holmes. His work is organized with chapters, each telling a segment of the story of the Latter-day Saint pioneers and their sojourn at the Missouri River.

Viewing the video above, learn how the pioneers ferried across the Missouri River.

Come Explore
CROSSROADS TO THE WEST

Chapters: 1-5 A chronological review of the history of the area.

Chapter 6: Settlements are listed in alphabetical order.

Chapter 7: Latter-day Saint cemeteries are arranged by state, county and cemetery.

Appendices show overlays of the area rivers in the mid 1800s compared to their routes today as well as historic map overlays identifying places not noted on today's maps.

When a site of interest is found you can be routed to the location through Google Maps.

The virtual tour is enriched with the addition of graphic, audio and visual files, and links to Internet data with further information.

History comes alive when experienced through the interactive software of Map-N-Tour. Telling history through the use of this technology engages all generations, helping them explore and understand their legacy. By experiencing the spirit of places, insight and appreciation is gained for those who resided there.

Crossroads is Hosted by
Map-N-Tour

Find Map-N-Tour at your app store

During the spring and summer of 1846, many pioneer companies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints … assembled at the Grand Encampment near today’s Council Bluffs, Iowa. Here they prepared for their westward trek to the valley of the Great Salt Lake. As more and more wagon trains arrived week after week, they camped further and further east.

When the dry heat of July came, captains of wagon trains started looking for other places to camp. One by one, the wagon trains left Grand Encampment and went where they could find uncontested access to more wood, water, and grass to sustain them until they began their journey to the Great Basin. Some pioneers crossed the Missouri River, to Indian Territory (today’s Nebraska) to prepare for their trip west.

But most stayed on the Iowa side of the Missouri River to organize more than ninety communities scattered throughout southwestern Iowa. Among those settlements were established burial grounds for the many whose lives ended before they could reach the valley.

Along the hills, hollows and prairie land are scattered more than 60 cemeteries. Through the use of ground penetrating radar the Historical Pioneer Research Group have identified five long-lost burial sites.

CEMETERY GROUND-PRENETRATING RADAR PROJECTS

Galland's Grove Cemetery: Four burials were documented and a memorial fence and headstones were installed.

Leland Grove Cemetery: Eighteen burials were documemted and Shelbly County, Iowa installed a memorial fence and arch.

Harris Grove Cemetery: Our fitst attempt was not successful, research has recently found that we were possibly just feet away across a fence line. Harris Grove is a priority for our next GPR survey.

Carterville Cememtery: This cemetery was located and GPR work completed over a two year period of time. We documented 268 burials, making it the largest single project to date. The cemetery is now on record with the state of Iowa and Dr. Shauna Anderson Young published "Carterville: Lost, Now Found" that provides historical detail on the Carterville settlement including some those buried there.

Potter's Camp: At Potter's Camp a settlement of 54 early members of the Church, nine burials were documented. The Miller brothers who own the land have enclosed the sacred burial site with a osage orange split rail fence. The HPRG placed a large memorial sign that provides details on the pioneers who lived and died at Potter's Camp.

CUTLER'S PARK CEMETERY: This cemetery is located near the intersection of Mormon Bridge Rd. and Young St. in Omaha, Nebraska on the Cooper’s Farm property, which is owned by the Omaha Home for Boys. We have documented 69+ graves some with multiple burials, and the Omaha Home for Boys has accepted our proposal that the cemetery be set apart as sacred ground. In August the HPRG placed a large granite monument at the site.

NORTH PIGEON CEMETERY AND TABERNACLE: Found in Gail Holmes records was information on a cemetery in the North Pigeon area. Through that letter we were able to contact the owner of the land and we were welcomed to visit the location. During that visit the owner shared that a stone was found at the site of the cemetery, believed to be Big Pigeon with it’s tabernacle and cemetery. With this clue we did a dowsing survey of the entire hilltop and found several indications of grave sites. Another clue came from Pearl Wilcox’s book “Roots of the Reorganized Latter Day Saints in Southern Iowa”, pg 107, says that, “They held religious service just northeast of their small town, in a place known as “Harding” or “Mormon Tabernacle.' Their crude log church was in a cathedral-like valley in Harding Grove on land given by Benjamin Harding. A burial ground was nearby…”. We found a map indicating the land we stood was owned by Benjamin Harding and all the pieces fit. We proceeded with a ground penetrating radar survey and were able to locate graves and the location of the tabernacle and cemetery!

CUTLER’S PARK SETTLEMENT MEMORIAL
RESTORATION PROJECT

The original Cutler’s Park Monument which was placed in 1989 was made of concrete and in a state of decay that could not be repaired. In addition the site had become overgrown with brush and weeds, and looked terrible reflecting poorly on the Church.

The HPRG has undertaken a year-long project to completely rebuild the Cutler’s Park Monument. We sponsored an Eagle Scout project to clean-up the site and then raised funds for a 5,000 lbs. granite monument. We were able to salvage the original information panel and attached it to the granite monument. In addition the pioneers buried at Cutler’s Park have been identified and that information along with a history of the settlement has been written and interpretive panel with all the informaiton has been placed at the site. Lastly the monument site has been planted with 8 new juniper bushes and 6 decorative grass plants

OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND RESEARCH NEWS

On December 10, 2022 our beloved Gail George Holmes passed away at the age of 99. He was and continues to be an inspiration to us all.

We are so grateful for the devoted years of research of Gail and his contributions to our knowledge of the history of the Saints at the Missouri River from 1846 - 1853 as well as the indepth research into the story of the Native American tribes of the area.

Gail research is being digitized and with be preserved in the Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. It will also be available within our Kindex archives.

HPRG BOARD MEMBERS:
Carl Scott, CEO
Maury Schooff, Secretary/Treasurer
Terry Latey, Database Adminitrator
Dr. Shauna Anderson Young, BYU Winter Quarters Project
Natalie Haughawout, Public Affairs Officer
Warren Beach, Projects Director
Bob Sharp, Cemetery Specialist

NEWLY ADDED ADVISORS TO THE BOARD;
Laura Anderson, Mormon Battaliom Association
Dr. Brandon Plewe, Associate Professor, Geography, BYU

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HISTORICAL
PIONEER
RESEARCH
GROUP