Nauvoo Historical Society

06/08/2026

The original Red Brick Store in Nauvoo. This is before the original structure was torn down in 1890. The current building was rebuilt in 1979.

06/07/2026

The Icarian Heritage Festival features a free organ concert by professional organist Dr. Paula Pugh Romanaux at Sts Peter and Paul Catholic Church Friday June 19th at 7 pm. Local organist Carol Conrad will also perform a short intro. Free will donations benefits Sts. Peter and Paul School.

Saturday June 20th from 10am to 12pm Dr. Romanaux will conduct an organ workshop at Sts. Peter and Paul. The fee is $25. Call 217-525-2518 to register.

Saturday evening Bill Furry, Illinois State Historical Society, will speak about Icarian History at Baxter's Winery. A plated French meal will be served by Fireside BBQ for $25. RSVP with Jennifer Gardner at 303-609-0001 or Deon Lung at 217-242-2743.

06/05/2026

In 1840, a French writer named Étienne Cabet published a book called *Voyage to Icaria*. Inside its pages was the dream of a perfect society—a place called Icaria where people lived together in equality, fraternity, and democracy.

The idea captured the imagination of thousands in France.

Before long, many urged Cabet to stop dreaming about utopia… and actually build it.

So he did.

Cabet and his followers, known as the Icarians, set out for America hoping to establish their communal society in the New World. Their first attempt was in Texas, but the land they purchased was scattered in a checkerboard pattern that made communal living nearly impossible.

Stranded in New Orleans and searching for a new home, they heard about a nearly abandoned city along the Mississippi River—Nauvoo.

The former gathering place of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been left with homes, shops, and land available after the Saints’ exodus westward.

On March 15, 1849, the first boat carrying 230 Icarians arrived in Nauvoo and purchased the Temple Square property.

For the next seven years, the Icarians attempted to build their ideal society here—an interesting parallel to the seven years the Saints themselves had spent in Nauvoo before leaving.

Though the Icarian buildings on Temple Square are gone today, their story still lingers in Nauvoo. Family names like Baxter, Dadant, Kelly, and Hummel remain woven into the community, quiet reminders of a group of dreamers who crossed an ocean searching for a better world along the banks of the Mississippi.

06/02/2026

French organ music concert and workshop
Church organists and liturgical musicians are invited to attend a formal music workshop on Saturday, June 20, at 10 a.m., with Dr. Paula Pugh Romanaux, at St. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, 190 N. Wells in Nauvoo.
Dr. Romanaux, Ph.D. and D.M.A. earned her degrees in Vienna, Austria, and will demonstrate and demystify various ornamentation techniques for classical organ repertoire, hymnody, and other church-related accompaniment. Pianists interested in organ music are welcome.
Registration is $25 for the Saturday morning workshop. Call 217-525-2518 for more information or to register.

Dr. Romanaux will present a concert of 17th and 18th-century French organ masterworks on Friday, June 19, at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary of St. Peter and St. Paul. The concert will feature organ compositions by Marchand, Locklair, Clérambault, and J.S. Bach. There is no admission charge for the concert, but a free-will offering will be taken.

Concert intro will be given by Dr. Carol Conrad of the Nauvoo Arts Council.

06/01/2026

Who remembers when Nauvoo looked like this? Colorized photo from 1970ish Nauvoo.

05/30/2026

🌟 A huge thank you to the wonderful group that joined us at the Weld House Museum yesterday! Together, we made great strides in organizing photographs as part of our effort to prepare the Nauvoo Historical Society's collection for digitization. 📸✨

A digitized collection means easier access and searchability for research purposes! Interested in lending a hand? Reach out, and we’d be thrilled to schedule a time for you to get involved. Let’s preserve our history together! 🏛️💻

05/27/2026

Rebecca did a podcast interview for the John Whitmer History Association Podcast talking about Nauvoo history. Take a deep dive into Nauvoo from beginning to today.

In this episode, host Katherine Po***ck talks with Rebecca Williams...

05/25/2026

A few photos from the Memorial Day Picnic. Thank you to all who came today!

05/25/2026

American Legion Parade 4-27-1922 colorized

05/24/2026

This year we updated some display cases and noticed this flag in one of them loosely folded. The note with the flag said it had been through the flood of '93 before being donated to NHS. This was originally the casket flag for Ray Kress. Ray was a WW1 and WW2 veteran from Pontusooc who passed away in 1941. It was felt that the flag should be in a more appropriate flag display case. Raymond Siegrist was able to find one and today you can see this flag along with a photo of Ray at the Weld House Museum.