Joseph Smith · James StrangA continuing faith since 1830
Kirtland and Nauvoo temples Gold line drawings of the Kirtland Temple at left and the original Nauvoo Temple at right; their distinct front façades, bell towers, and historic weathervanes stand side by side. Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints

Voree, Wisconsin · 1844–1850

Walk through
historic Voree.

The Hill of Promise. The stone houses. The Temple, the White River, and the records of a community that remained in the Midwest.

A photographic tour by John Hajicek.

Begin the tour ↓ · Explore the original records

Black-and-white 1915 photograph of James Strang’s stone house at Voree, showing the front doorway, two windows, and the gable end beside trees
James Strang’s house, Voree, Wisconsin, 1915. Wisconsin Historical Society, WHi 29671; PF Burlington.23. Photographer unidentified. View the Society’s catalog record ↗.

Voree lies immediately west of Burlington, Wisconsin, near the White River and Mormon Road, on the Racine–Walworth County line. From 1844 to 1850, thousands of Mormons gathered here with James Strang. Follow the photographs through the settlement; each image opens at its original available resolution.

Map of the Midwestern gathering places

Between 1830 and 1856, Mormons had gathering places called “stakes of Zion,” which were holy places where they were commanded to live. All of them were located in the Midwest.

Historic map of the Midwest showing Mormon gathering places
Original regional map from the Voree tour. Open original map ↗
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Mormon Park and the Hill of Promise

Start your tour at the center of Voree in the Mormon Park, where the Burlington Historical Society has erected a monument
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Start your tour at the center of Voree in the Mormon Park, where the Burlington Historical Society has erected a monument

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Bronze plaque with a map of Voree on one side of monument
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Bronze plaque with a map of Voree on one side of monument

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Other side of the monument has a memorial to the church
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Other side of the monument has a memorial to the church

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Nearby Hill of Promise, where the prophet James and witnesses unearthed brass plates
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Nearby Hill of Promise, where the prophet James and witnesses unearthed brass plates

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Walk or drive the lane up the hill to the sacred sites
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Walk or drive the lane up the hill to the sacred sites

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Without foliage in the fall you can discern the slope of the hill
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Without foliage in the fall you can discern the slope of the hill

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In the grove you can find a granite rock with a brass plaque commemorating the spot where the ancient record was found
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In the grove you can find a granite rock with a brass plaque commemorating the spot where the ancient record was found

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Plaque summarizes the account of the history of the discovery under an oak tree
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Plaque summarizes the account of the history of the discovery under an oak tree

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Depression where plates were dug still visible through the snow in this 1897 engraving
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Depression where plates were dug still visible through the snow in this 1897 engraving

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Blazed tree showing area near where plates were found, from a negative made about 1905
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Blazed tree showing area near where plates were found, from a negative made about 1905

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Hole where tree was removed and the plates were found, from a 1906 newspaper photograph
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Hole where tree was removed and the plates were found, from a 1906 newspaper photograph

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Looking up in September you can see the silhouette of oak leaves in the sky
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Looking up in September you can see the silhouette of oak leaves in the sky

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Facsimile of the Voree plates, from an 1847 woodcut broadside
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Facsimile of the Voree plates, from an 1847 woodcut broadside

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02

Stone houses, printing, and the quarry

All over you can find impressions of former dwellings, barns, and the sacred Tower of Zion built at the top of the hill
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All over you can find impressions of former dwellings, barns, and the sacred Tower of Zion built at the top of the hill

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The Tower of Zion was paid for by contributions as shown in this Voree tithing record conveyed by the bishop Gilbert Watson to the prophet James
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The Tower of Zion was paid for by contributions as shown in this Voree tithing record conveyed by the bishop Gilbert Watson to the prophet James

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Once the foundations were visible too, as in this 1897 engraving
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Once the foundations were visible too, as in this 1897 engraving

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This photo taken about 1905 shows a deeper excavation than is visible today
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This photo taken about 1905 shows a deeper excavation than is visible today

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Most habitations were tiny board cabins over dugouts in the hill, probably not as fancy as this nearby Aldrich family cabin
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Most habitations were tiny board cabins over dugouts in the hill, probably not as fancy as this nearby Aldrich family cabin

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This sheep shed has lathe and plaster inside from its days as a hand-hewn stone house
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This sheep shed has lathe and plaster inside from its days as a hand-hewn stone house

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Fine hand-hewn stone house on Mormon Road, saved from bulldozing by John Hajicek
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Fine hand-hewn stone house on Mormon Road, saved from bulldozing by John Hajicek

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Wooden sign that is close enough for motorists to read on Mormon Road
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Wooden sign that is close enough for motorists to read on Mormon Road

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Mormon Road house, already abandoned in a 1927 newspaper photograph
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Mormon Road house, already abandoned in a 1927 newspaper photograph

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Mormon standing near the Mormon Road house in this 1928 photograph—notice the other Mormons sitting on the step
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Mormon standing near the Mormon Road house in this 1928 photograph—notice the other Mormons sitting on the step

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Hand-hewn stone house where the Voree Herald was printed and the prophet James died when he was martyred—the bow in the roof has been there since the 1800s
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Hand-hewn stone house where the Voree Herald was printed and the prophet James died when he was martyred—the bow in the roof has been there since the 1800s

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Copies of the Voree Herald and other church newspapers printed in Voree 1846–1850
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Copies of the Voree Herald and other church newspapers printed in Voree 1846–1850

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Francis Cooper, who edited the Voree Herald in the 1840s, shown here still typesetting in the next century
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Francis Cooper, who edited the Voree Herald in the 1840s, shown here still typesetting in the next century

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Archives where the sacred church records have been kept during most of this century
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Archives where the sacred church records have been kept during most of this century

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Chronicles of Voree, the manuscript record of the appointment of James by the prophet Joseph, found in the stone Archives
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Chronicles of Voree, the manuscript record of the appointment of James by the prophet Joseph, found in the stone Archives

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Stone quarry reflection on the water, where the Mormons cut their stone for their houses, Tower of Zion, and Temple
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Stone quarry reflection on the water, where the Mormons cut their stone for their houses, Tower of Zion, and Temple

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The Mormon quarry as it looked in a 1906 newspaper photograph
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The Mormon quarry as it looked in a 1906 newspaper photograph

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Minerals in the quarry such as iron, copper, and zinc have tinted this unpolished marble in brilliant colors
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Minerals in the quarry such as iron, copper, and zinc have tinted this unpolished marble in brilliant colors

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Silhouette of plant life near the quarry
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Silhouette of plant life near the quarry

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Abandoned gravel pulverizer near the quarry
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Abandoned gravel pulverizer near the quarry

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Lake-stone house with cream city brick quoins, which may have been the home of Lemuel Smith—church preaching was done in his barn in the 1840s
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Lake-stone house with cream city brick quoins, which may have been the home of Lemuel Smith—church preaching was done in his barn in the 1840s

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Detail of architecture by artisans from the Erie Canal in New York—the most uniform stones were sorted for the front, less perfect ones on the ends, and least desirable ones in the back—intricate trowel work set the stones into place
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Detail of architecture by artisans from the Erie Canal in New York—the most uniform stones were sorted for the front, less perfect ones on the ends, and least desirable ones in the back—intricate trowel work set the stones into place

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Lake-stone house with red brick quoins, which was the home of Alma Aldrich until it burned years ago
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Lake-stone house with red brick quoins, which was the home of Alma Aldrich until it burned years ago

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View of the Aldrich home in years past
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View of the Aldrich home in years past

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House with rows of granite rocks, white limestone quoins, and cream city brick window and door lintels—abandoned west of Voree almost to North-Lyons Road on Highway 11
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House with rows of granite rocks, white limestone quoins, and cream city brick window and door lintels—abandoned west of Voree almost to North-Lyons Road on Highway 11

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Lake-stone house between Burlington and Voree with cream city brick quoins, with most uniformly small stones near the bottom
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Lake-stone house between Burlington and Voree with cream city brick quoins, with most uniformly small stones near the bottom

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Farmer tilling the black soil where Mormons used to use plow horses—there is a local gentile legend that the soil in Voree is so rich that if you plant nails in the morning you will have fence posts by evening
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Farmer tilling the black soil where Mormons used to use plow horses—there is a local gentile legend that the soil in Voree is so rich that if you plant nails in the morning you will have fence posts by evening

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03

The Temple and the White River

View of temple lot from the northwest
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View of temple lot from the northwest

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Looking the other direction in a 1906 newspaper photograph
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Looking the other direction in a 1906 newspaper photograph

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View from temple lot looking south
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View from temple lot looking south

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Deer path along a ridge of stone that may be the temple foundation
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Deer path along a ridge of stone that may be the temple foundation

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Stone pieces that may be old enough to be temple ruins
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Stone pieces that may be old enough to be temple ruins

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Floor plan of the Voree temple complex, which had a walk-out lower-level facing the White River on the south
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Floor plan of the Voree temple complex, which had a walk-out lower-level facing the White River on the south

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Details of the Voree temple in the handwriting of the prophet James, now at Yale University
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Details of the Voree temple in the handwriting of the prophet James, now at Yale University

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White River where Mormons did their baptizing for the dead, looking south from the bridge
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White River where Mormons did their baptizing for the dead, looking south from the bridge

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Wingfield Watson and his Mormon family on the White River bridge about 1910
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Wingfield Watson and his Mormon family on the White River bridge about 1910

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White River looking north from the bridge
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White River looking north from the bridge

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Close-up of nature near the White River
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Close-up of nature near the White River

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Mormon child demonstrating how large the oak trees are along Mormon Road, where they lined the street before the road was widened
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Mormon child demonstrating how large the oak trees are along Mormon Road, where they lined the street before the road was widened

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Diary of Edward Chidester, who chronicled the martyrdom of the prophet James
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Diary of Edward Chidester, who chronicled the martyrdom of the prophet James

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04

The cemetery and surrounding farms

Monument in the Voree cemetery where the prophet James was buried after his martyrdom
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Monument in the Voree cemetery where the prophet James was buried after his martyrdom

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Single remaining tombstone in the Voree cemetery
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Single remaining tombstone in the Voree cemetery

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Single tombstone as it looked in a 1906 newspaper photograph
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Single tombstone as it looked in a 1906 newspaper photograph

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A piece of Voree marble tombstone recovered from a nearby doorstep when a house was bulldozed
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A piece of Voree marble tombstone recovered from a nearby doorstep when a house was bulldozed

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Farm buildings and implements on the cemetery
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Farm buildings and implements on the cemetery

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Red barn built over the white-washed limestone of a Mormon-period building near the cemetery
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Red barn built over the white-washed limestone of a Mormon-period building near the cemetery

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Gray weathered barn on quarry stone foundation
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Gray weathered barn on quarry stone foundation

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Gray barn with closer view of massive foundation
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Gray barn with closer view of massive foundation

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Close up of rusty windmill
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Close up of rusty windmill

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Granite and wood silo near Voree
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Granite and wood silo near Voree

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Families, homes, and neighboring communities

Memorial to Wingfield Watson with Mormon children in park-like setting
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Memorial to Wingfield Watson with Mormon children in park-like setting

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Close-up of Memorial to Wingfield Watson
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Close-up of Memorial to Wingfield Watson

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Original Wingfield Watson house on the first Mormon trust farm near North-Lyons Road and Highway 11
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Original Wingfield Watson house on the first Mormon trust farm near North-Lyons Road and Highway 11

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Later Wingfield Watson house near Mormon Road and Highway 11 in the center of Voree
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Later Wingfield Watson house near Mormon Road and Highway 11 in the center of Voree

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Wood frame house no longer standing from Mormon era
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Wood frame house no longer standing from Mormon era

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Small wood house beside modern prosperity in the area
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Small wood house beside modern prosperity in the area

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Early church prophecies say that Voree would be built on Gardner’s Prairie. Here is the original Palmer Gardner house, still standing on Highway DD—courtesy of Ralph Wilson
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Early church prophecies say that Voree would be built on Gardner’s Prairie.   Here is the original Palmer Gardner house, still standing on Highway DD—courtesy of Ralph Wilson

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House built of Mormon quarry stone on Spring Prairie Road by a famous Wisconsin horticulturist
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House built of Mormon quarry stone on Spring Prairie Road by a famous Wisconsin horticulturist

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House at the corner of Beineman Road and Spring Prairie Road built of stucco over Mormon quarry stone
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House at the corner of Beineman Road and Spring Prairie Road built of stucco over Mormon quarry stone

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Building which housed the law offices of Caleb Barnes in 1847, who had earlier been law partners with the prophet James, and where James afterwards frequented
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Building which housed the law offices of Caleb Barnes in 1847, who had earlier been law partners with the prophet James, and where James afterwards frequented

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Cabin of Moses Smith, Wisconsin’s first Mormon in 1835. He was a friend and business associate of Joseph Smith, and ran a Nauvoo general store like the prophet Joseph (courtesy of the Burlington Historical Society)
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Cabin of Moses Smith, Wisconsin’s first Mormon in 1835.  He was a friend and business associate of Joseph Smith, and ran a Nauvoo general store like the prophet Joseph (courtesy of the Burlington Historical Society)

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Utah-viewpoint monument in Echo Lake Park in Burlington, which does not mention the prophet James whatsoever, but memorializes Moses Smith (who was an apostle under the prophet James and not a follower of Brigham)
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Utah-viewpoint monument in Echo Lake Park in Burlington, which does not mention the prophet James whatsoever, but memorializes Moses Smith (who was an apostle under the prophet James and not a follower of Brigham)

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Daughters of the American Revolution monument to Aaron Smith, the father of Moses Smith
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Daughters of the American Revolution monument to Aaron Smith, the father of Moses Smith

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Distant view of the Aaron Smith monument in Wagner Park in Burlington
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Distant view of the Aaron Smith monument in Wagner Park in Burlington

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Burlington Cemetery where the prophet James was directed to be moved, and where other early leaders are buried
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Burlington Cemetery where the prophet James was directed to be moved, and where other early leaders are buried

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Hudson Cemetery in nearby Lyons Township, where the second generation of Mormons was buried beginning with Wingfield Watson
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Hudson Cemetery in nearby Lyons Township, where the second generation of Mormons was buried beginning with Wingfield Watson

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06

The meeting house and Voree Press

Voree meeting house viewed from the corner of Mormon Road and Highway 11, built in 1927
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Voree meeting house viewed from the corner of Mormon Road and Highway 11, built in 1927

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Voree meeting house with spring flowers
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Voree meeting house with spring flowers

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Voree meeting house in park-like setting
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Voree meeting house in park-like setting

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Visitor’s automobiles parked along Mormon Road near the Voree meeting house
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Visitor’s automobiles parked along Mormon Road near the Voree meeting house

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Visitors gathered outside the Voree meeting house
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Visitors gathered outside the Voree meeting house

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Inside look at the Voree meeting house, changed little since 1927
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Inside look at the Voree meeting house, changed little since 1927

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1948 Mormon print shop, the Voree Press, where the 336 page Book of the Law of the Lord was reprinted in 1948-49, as well as the 1950 Diamond.
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1948 Mormon print shop, the Voree Press, where the 336 page Book of the Law of the Lord was reprinted in 1948-49, as well as the 1950 Diamond.

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A building on Spring Valley Road where a modern Mormon group meets after forming a new organization in 1961
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A building on Spring Valley Road where a modern Mormon group meets after forming a new organization in 1961

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Departing view of Voree
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Departing view of Voree

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07

Portraits, manuscripts, and rare imprints

Only located daguerreotype image of the prophet James, scanned directly from the original
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Only located daguerreotype image of the prophet James, scanned directly from the original

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High resolution magnification of the prophet James—the closest you will ever get to looking directly into the eyes of the only prophet ever to be photographed
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High resolution magnification of the prophet James—the closest you will ever get to looking directly into the eyes of the only prophet ever to be photographed

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Prophet James holding book, from a cabinet card
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Prophet James holding book, from a cabinet card

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Life-mask casting of the face of the prophet James without a beard, in historical society collection
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Life-mask casting of the face of the prophet James without a beard, in historical society collection

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Letter of Appointment, envelope. From Joseph Smith to James Strang, dated at Nauvoo, Illinois, June 18, 1844, and postmarked the next day. This is the facsimile that Yale University will mail to you upon request
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Letter of Appointment, envelope.  From Joseph Smith to James Strang, dated at Nauvoo, Illinois, June 18, 1844, and postmarked the next day.  This is the facsimile that Yale University will mail to you upon request

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Letter of Appointment, page 1
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Letter of Appointment, page 1

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Letter of Appointment, page 2
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Letter of Appointment, page 2

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Letter of Appointment, page 3
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Letter of Appointment, page 3

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License given to the hundreds of Mormon preachers who visited Voree
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License given to the hundreds of Mormon preachers who visited Voree

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Gospel Tracts, 1–4, printed in Voree by John E. Page, who was an apostle under both prophets Joseph and James
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Gospel Tracts, 1–4, printed in Voree by John E. Page, who was an apostle under both prophets Joseph and James

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Diamond, an 1848 tract printed at Voree with the presidential succession documentation
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Diamond, an 1848 tract printed at Voree with the presidential succession documentation

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Catholic Discussion, an 1847 tract printed at Voree to discuss the nature of God
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Catholic Discussion, an 1847 tract printed at Voree to discuss the nature of God

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Hymns, printed at Voree (the little Mormon church in Voree printed two hymn books before one was ever printed by the Utah-based church in America)
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Hymns, printed at Voree (the little Mormon church in Voree printed two hymn books before one was ever printed by the Utah-based church in America)

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Memorial to Congress, printed when the Mormons were leaving Voree to go to Beaver Island, Lake Michigan, in 1850
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Memorial to Congress, printed when the Mormons were leaving Voree to go to Beaver Island, Lake Michigan, in 1850

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Photography and original evidence

Original tour photography, scanning, cropping, image editing, and graphic design: John Hajicek. Opening historical photograph: Wisconsin Historical Society, WHi 29671; PF Burlington.23; 1915; photographer unidentified. Modern photographs are preserved in John Hajicek’s digital archives. Rare imprints, manuscripts, and museum artifacts are in the Hajicek collection unless otherwise noted. Individual source credits are retained in the captions.

Original tour editions: 1999 and 2001. Presentation revised November 13, 2026.

For historical inquiries, call John Hajicek: 816-536-3142.