Thursday, September 15, 2016 – Work, Corn Harvester, Jonathan Browning Home & Tour, Printer, 70’s Hall

This morning’s work went a lot faster than usual because Grandpa Burk helped me a lot. While I mowed all of the lawns at the Visitor’s Center, he used the leaf blower to clean all of the sidewalks behind me. Usually I have to stop the mower, get the leaf blower and clean the sidewalks around the area I just finished mowing but not this morning. He did a great job.

On our way in to Nauvoo we came across several corn fields that were in the process of being harvested.  The corn harvesting machines were out in force and filling truck after truck with corn. All of the corn fields in Central Illinois are all ready to harvest. It is a beautiful sight. I’m glad we picked the stalks of corn yesterday for the mission float because soon there won’t be any corn stalks left in the state.

While in Old Nauvoo, Jim & Betty and Pam & I toured several of the historic sites. We saw the Jonathan Browning Gun Shop and Home, the Print Shop, the Blacksmith Shop and the Seventy’s Hall. After we finished our tours for the day, I asked Grandma & Grandpa Burk which one they liked best. They were hard pressed to say anyone of them was better than the other. They really enjoyed them all as they learned so much about the history of the pioneers of Old Nauvoo.

 

They did say that the Seventies Hall was a special place. In the Archive ledgers of the Seventies Hall they discovered that Jim Burk’s Great Grandfather, Charles Allen Burk’s was in the roster of members of the Seventy. In fact he was a member of the 35^th Quorum of Seventy. At the height of Nauvoo’s population boom, there were about 2500 members of the various Quorums of Seventy.

One thing that stood out in my mind was the tour of Jonathan Browning’s Home and Gun Shop. Today’s guide was Elder Mortensen. He did a great job. He told several stories about the Browning family I’ve never heard before. He also told facts and figures that none of the other tour guides have ever mentioned. It was very interesting to me and very informative. I really like touring the Jonathan Browning Home and Gun Shop. I learn something new every time I go there.