By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
NAUVOO, Ill. -- Nauvoo may be best known for its key role in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but its own history encompasses much more than the six years of Mormon residence.
The history of Nauvoo businesses along Mulholland Street is the focus of the community's newest attraction, The Way We Were Walking Tour.
"It's kind of like the rest of the story of Nauvoo," said Karen Ihrig-Gilbert, a long-time resident who spearheaded the walking tour project. "In the post-Mormon period, a lot of history happened which was not organized or presented."
Much of the activity centered on Mulholland Street, the city's business district, but memories faded over time spurring questions about former business locations and owners. Answering the questions appealed to Ihrig-Gilbert, who organized an effort beginning in 2002 to have business owners research the history of their properties.
More incentive came in 2004 when Nauvoo was included in a statewide streetscape project, but when that project fell through, "I thought maybe this still can go forward with a few of the older folks in town who had lived here a long time," Ihrig-Gilbert said. "I said could we get together and talk about this. That's when it really started in earnest."
Ihrig-Gilbert and dedicated volunteers Gene Shurts and Jim Moffitt promoted the project and researched the street, relying heavily on a 1912 map and an 1891 plat to weave together the threads of its history.
"It just kept going and going and going," she said.
Over the years, the project expanded from just a walking tour to the interpretive park with permanent informational signs covering the period from about 1850 to 1960 -- from the Icarians to the bustling Temple Square to the sisters of St. Benedict and their impact -- at a site provided by the Kraus family.
Tourism director Jeanene Dean said the walking tour helps round out Nauvoo's historical attractions.
"It's kind of the next step. The Mormon era was only six years long. The Mulholland Street history was after the Mormon era," Dean said.
"This is really highlighting the businesses post-Mormon -- the pioneering business owners that have come and gone, the buildings that were here and built."
Funds from an anonymous donor launched the project. Additional funds came through private donors, organizations and the Baxter-Snyder Center for Icarian Studies at Western Illinois University. Funds for printing brochures came through the Quincy Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Informational sheets accompanying the tour can be updated as additional information becomes available. "It's a work in progress always for the sheets, but the interpretive panels will be there to present the overview," Ihrig-Gilbert said.
Despite questions over the years, Ihrig-Gilbert kept the project's focus squarely on the uptown business district.
"In the future, people might want to expand to what was down on the river," she said. "This maybe is a stepping stone to other things that someone else might want to take up and love."
-- dhusar@whig.com/221-3379
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By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
NAUVOO, Ill. -- Nauvoo may be best known for its key role in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but its own history encompasses much more than the six years of Mormon residence.
The history of Nauvoo businesses along Mulholland Street is the focus of the community's newest attraction, The Way We Were Walking Tour.
"It's kind of like the rest of the story of Nauvoo," said Karen Ihrig-Gilbert, a long-time resident who spearheaded the walking tour project. "In the post-Mormon period, a lot of history happened which was not organized or presented."
Much of the activity centered on Mulholland Street, the city's business district, but memories faded ov ...
