In 1844 the Mormons were living in the area in and around Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph Smith, the prophet and leader of the Church had been arrested on some trumped-up charges, and was being held in this jail in Carthage, Illinois, which is about 20 miles from Nauvoo.
He and some friends were moved to the jailer's own bedroom since he could see these guys obviously weren't a danger to anyone. The bedroom window is the upper window.
A mob of local men came to "take care of" Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith, thinking that if the leaders were dead, the Church would go away or wither and die.
The mob did shoot and kill Joseph and Hyrum Smith that day. Joseph was shot as he looked out the window and lore has it that he fell to the ground near the well, mortally wounded.
The local people expected backlash from the Mormons, but none came. However, within two years the Mormons were under such pressure to leave, that they headed west under the direction of the new Church president, Brigham Young. He's the one who led them to the Salt Lake valley in Utah.
Here are the girls with a statue of the brothers:
A mob of local men came to "take care of" Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith, thinking that if the leaders were dead, the Church would go away or wither and die.
The mob did shoot and kill Joseph and Hyrum Smith that day. Joseph was shot as he looked out the window and lore has it that he fell to the ground near the well, mortally wounded.
The local people expected backlash from the Mormons, but none came. However, within two years the Mormons were under such pressure to leave, that they headed west under the direction of the new Church president, Brigham Young. He's the one who led them to the Salt Lake valley in Utah.
Here are the girls with a statue of the brothers:
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