Untold Nauvoo Stories

Untold Nauvoo Stories Symposium is being held on Friday, February 7th and Saturday, February 8th, 2025 from 1-5 pm. The City of Nauvoo, Nauvoo Tourism Office, Nauvoo Area Chamber of Commerce and Nauvoo Historical Society sponsors this annual gathering to celebrate the full richness of Nauvoo's history.

Nauvoo has a very broad and diverse history, from its' Native American peoples, its' origins as a river town with Captain James White, early settlement by John Moffitt, his extended family and other early Scottish/Irish settlers.

Soon after, Nauvoo welcomed Joseph Smith and the Mormons, followed by the utopian French Icarians, then the German/Swiss influx, whereby, Nauvoo became the most German town in Illinois. In addition, we study the contributions by the Benediction Order of Catholic Sisters, Nauvoo's importance to the Midwest wine and beer cultures, its' reflections of the trends of American agriculture, the connected history of the nearby Iowa towns of Keokuk and Fort Madison, and its' role in historical heritage tourism.

This gathering is a venue for sharing unknown stories, little known stories, or stories that need to be revisited based on new historical research. During this two day symposium, we feature twenty-four talks and one keynote dinner presentation. This conference is attended by both professional and amateur historians and locals interested in learning more about this area and its people.

Location: The Nauvoo Community Center, 1445 Mulholland Street, Nauvoo, IL 62354. The full schedule of speakers and events will be uploaded soon.

Same day registrations and meet-and-greet will be held at the check in table: 11:30 a.m-12:45 p.m. on site at the Nauvoo Community Center on both days. Talks start at 1 p.m. and end at 5:15 p.m. both days. The Friday night keynote dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Cost of the conference: $20 per day, $35 if you want both days, $15 for the keynote dinner, $50 if you register for both days and the keynote dinner. High school and college students can attend the talks free, however, they will need to pay $15 for the keynote dinner.

If you have questions, call Joseph Johnstun at (217) 453-2182 (select 4 from the menu).