Hiram, Ohio and the John Johnson Farm

[Photographs: the Johnson home with barn and silo behind; the room where Emma and Joseph slept; the floor of the parlor room as it would have appeared originally (really); the birthplace of Lorenzo Snow]

From April of 1831 through the ensuing summer months, Joseph and Emma Smith lived in a small log cabin on the Isaac Morley Farm, along with several other families. In June of that year, Joseph sent Isaac to Missouri but kept Titus in Kirtland to take care of the Morley land. When Isaac returned in late August, Joseph told him and Titus to sell the property and use the money to help the Saints in Missouri (see D&C 63:39). The only problem was that when the farm was sold in September, Joseph and Emma had to move.

John Johnson owned about 260 acres of land with a large farm house and outbuildings about thirty miles southwest of Kirtland in Hiram Township. John had a large family but many of the children were not living at home by this time, so John offered part of his home to Joseph for living and work space. Thus it was that on September 12, 1831, Joseph and Emma and their adopted (Murdock) twins arrived late in the evening at the Johnson home, where they would spend the next year, a time period when many important events of significance to LDS Church history occurred.

The Johnson farm is a little off the beaten track, so I decided to spend this afternoon visiting there and in the surrounding area. The LDS Church bought the home and about 160 acres of the farm in 1956. It was used for a welfare farm and girls' camp (still in operation), but in the late 90s restoration of the home began and on October 28, 2001, it was dedicated by then Church president, Gordon Hinckley. The Church also built a large ward building on the same property, but the property maintenance is now done by contract to a private party.

I was impressed with this beautiful home. It was much larger than I expected, with a large central kitchen, parlor (used as a guest room) and dining room, as well as several smaller rooms, on the first floor, a large basement which was used for making cheese and three good-sized bedrooms, a work/sewing room and a very big loft space (used for sleeping) on the second floor. The downstairs parlor served as the Smith's bedroom and the largest upstairs bedroom became a work room for Joseph. During this time period he was working on his translation of the Bible and also spent much time teaching and advising the many people who came to see him. Several church conferences were also held in the home while Joseph and Emma lived there and on Sundays Joseph would stand on the sandstone front steps (still the original) and preach sermons to people standing or sitting in the front yard.

It was from this home that Joseph and Sidney Rigdon were dragged out in the night and tarred and feathered and it was just after this same incident that one of the twins died. Emma helped in the family work of making cheese and butter to sell while Joseph was busy with his church work. Several sections of the Doctrine and Covenants were received during this time period also.

The Billings and Morley families were living in Missouri during this time, so it's unlikely that they participated in activities at the Johnson Farm. And by the time David Patten arrived in Kirtland for the first time in October of 1832, John Johnson, as directed by Joseph Smith, had sold the farm and moved with the Smith family back to Kirtland proper. The Johnson family had been in the area for several years, however, so it is most likely that they were acquainted with the Billings and Morley families.

After leaving the Johnson farm today, I drove about four miles down the same road (the old pioneer trail) to see the home where Lorenzo Snow was born and grew up, along with his sister Eliza and the rest of their family. The home is still used as a private residence and has a lot of bushes and trees in front of it. It is also on a very narrow but busy country road, so the above picture was taken very quickly and through the side window of the car (as impatient drivers waited behind me). There is a small family cemetery next to the house (also private) that would certainly be interesting to explore. I thought it particularly interesting to see the birthplace of Lorenzo Snow since I have so often seen his burial place near that of Mom and Dad in the Brigham City cemetery.

It's been a busy day and I am exhausted but I have a better feel for this wild and beautiful country where my ancestors came, cut and cleared virgin forest and built homes and planted crops. They must have been an adventurous lot and clearly hard-working. One more note of interest...As I've traversed the countryside and seen these old towns I've been struck by the resemblance of the homes to those we saw several years ago on our trip to New England. It was mid-day today before it made sense to me. This area was all part of Connecticut, called the Western Reserve, when it was first settled. Most of the early settlers came from Connecticut or Vermont, so of course they built the style of homes they had been living in previously. They also set up townships and town centers like you see in New England and many place names are reminiscent of places in New England as well.

Tomorrow...on to Kirtland.