170 years ago today - Apr 18, 1842

[General] A month and a half after the federal Bankruptcy Act becomes effective Joseph Smith and his brothers Hyrum and Samuel declared themselves insolvent before the county commissioner's court on Apr 18, 1842, and filed petitions to be certified bankrupt by the United States District Court for Illinois. Joseph's listed debts totaled $73,066.38, with a U.S. government obligation of $4,866.38 for purchase of a steamboat which had run aground listed first. Concurrently other leading Mormons filed similar petitions, including President Sidney Rigdon, Bishop Vinson Knight, "Judge" Elias Higbee, Reynolds Cahoon, Henry G. Sherwood, John P. Green, Arthur Morrison, George Morey, Jared Carter, Amos Davis, Charles Warner, William P. Lyon, William Niswanger, and John Fullmer. They were joined by at least one prominent gentile businessman of Nauvoo, Hiram Kimball.67

[Source: On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com]

4 comments:

  1. page 67? or note 67.? from what book?

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  2. In "The Papers of Joseph Smith", Vol.2 (Journal, 1832-1842), edited by Dean C. Jessee (1992), the following is written on p.377 in conjunction with 18 April 1842 (Monday):

    "[Joseph Smith's] petition for bankruptcy as also those of his brothers Hyrum and Samuel, and several others, was published in successive issues of THE WASP [Nauvoo, Illinois], beginning 14 May 1842." Thus, "67" is most likely the page no. of the newspaper.

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  3. Finally, JSP Journals 2:51, note 191. for 18 Apr 1842, states "see also the bankruptcy notices published in THE WASP, beginning 7 May 1842."

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