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Famous Residents
Although Joseph Smith was not a resident of Carthage, his three-day stay at the Carthage Jail makes him the most famous person affiliated with Carthage. Smith was born in Vermont on December 23, 1805. At the early age of 14 he received a revelation from God. Eleven years later he would pen the Book of Mormon and provide the foundation for the Mormon religion. In 1839 he would lead his followers to Commerce, Illinois, and rename it Nauvoo. Within a short period of time Nauvoo’s population would reach 20,000 rivaling Chicago as the largest city in Illinois. Smith was not only a Mormon prophet but President of the Mormon Church, Mayor of Nauvoo, commander of the Nauvoo Legion State Militia, Justice of the Peace, and University Chancellor. In February 1844 he announced his intentions to run for President of the United States. A local paper run by Mormon dissenters decided to attack Smith and ran an article charging Smith with polygamy. The paper’s printing press was destroyed and Smith along with his brother, Hyrum, were arrested in connection with the incident and imprisoned at the Carthage City Jail. A mob of armed men stormed the jail on June 27, 1844, and murdered the brothers. The Mormon Church bought the jail and has honored their leader with a memorial. He was succeeded by Brigham Young as the new prophet and leader with about 80% of the Nauvoo Mormons following him to Salt Lake City, Utah.