The Newberry Family
     The Newberry Family - Missouri Period

On the Move to Missouri . . .

James and Mary took their family out of Ohio after August of 1832.  It is unknown if they traveled during the fall, or if
they left the next spring for Independence, Missouri. Upon arriving they found the region was about to blow up into
civil strife over the presence and beliefs of the Mormons. By November of 1833 they found themselves being driven
out of Independence in Jackson Co, across the river into Clay Co. 

 
In  Clay County, Missouri,  James obtained an unimproved  tract of land via pre-emption laws through the federal
 government.  (See GLO records) Two years later they made another removal and took up a piece of raw land for a
 farm in Far West, Caldwell County in Mirabile Township near Far West.

From the time they moved to Missouri until the fateful day when they were entirely forced out, the whole population
was beset with difficulties stemming from their religious beliefs. Indelicate in the way they approached the rough and
tumble Missourians, they spoke loudly of their coming ownership of the whole region and the methods they would
employ in ruling the frontier.  The Indian populations who resided just across the river in Indian territory would be their
brothers and partners in taking back the United States.  They claimed a theocracy would over rule the democracy that
their ancestors had fought for in the Revolutionary War. Ironically, as New Englanders, their ancestors fought in the war
of Independence, and it seems scarcely reasonable they would choose a communalistic, theocratic lifestyle. 

Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery tried to hush these people who thought  their God would protect them and deliver
the land into their stewardship.  From 1833 until the Saints were run out of  Missouri, the settlers didn't understand the
Yankee mind, and determined it was best to burn them out and drive them away, rather than trying to co-exist peacefully.

As a group, the Mormons were persecuted to the point where they were never left in peace.  They were robbed,
beaten, murdered and defiled every where they went.  Their belief system and large scale immigration  practices
caused non-believers to rise up against them. James Newberry moved out of Jackson Co., into Clay Co., and was
driven from house to house  before he removed his family to Caldwell Co. and Far West.  The Missouri settlers with
the Governor of Missouri struck a blow in threatening extermination.  They had their day and from November of 1838
until May of 1839, hounded the Mormons out of Missouri across the Mississippi River to Quincy, Illinois.

James Newberry was one of the men appointed to help the Saints who were now destitute, to leave the country for
Illinois.  The Committee for Removal was appointed by Joseph Smith's uncle, John Smith and overseen by Brigham
Young.  By May of 1839 Far West became a ghost town.  The Mormon War ceased temporarily, but the Missourians
still rattled their sabers across the border, looking for other reasons to come across the state lines and arrest Joseph
Smith..

The best reading I have found explaining the events in Missouri is the book by Stephen LeSuere, The 1838 Mormon
War in Missouri,
by  the University of Missouri Press.  Fawn Brodie also does an exemplary job in the telling of this
history with, No Man Knows My History. Much of the information is no longer available to the public as first sources..

An interesting piece of information recently surfaced regarding a house that James owned in Jackson Co. Which seems
to be an impossibility in view of the fact that he was in Jackson Co. for probably only about eight months to a year before
being driven away; especially in view of the fact that we are uncertain when he arrived in Missouri. However, a grandson,
W.E. Winegar wrote in his personal history about this mysterious home, which no one has yet been able to find evidence.

The House James Built . . . in Jackson Co. Missouri

The following information comes from a history written by James Newberry's grandson W.E. Winegar regarding his stay in
Missouri. History provided by Jeff Farquhar.

      "We do not know where James first came in contact with the Church, but we have  reason to believe that it was 
      around Kirtland.  We do know this: that he was a very sincere and converted man to this new movement. 
     
So much so that around 1832 or 1833 he made the long trek to Independence and settled there.  He believed it to
      be a place to establish his home, so he built a large two-storied stone house in Independence, which my mother
      has pointed out to me many times as “The house my Father built”.  But the times were very unsettled and the
      trouble in Independence brought about the unfortunate strife between the settlers, and he, along with the others
      suffered a loss of this home.  It was still standing when we lived in Independence and only in recent years was it
      torn down to make room for modern businesses.  The Newspaper, “The Observer”, now stands on the spot where
     James Newberry once tried to establish his home."


The only land holding that shows up in Independence for James Newbery was a piece of land which he bought from
William McLellin. The time frame for this purchase is assumed to be after the Saints were forced into Clay County. The
land he bought from McLellin was an odd-shaped piece located on Lexington near the Temple lot. Whether The Observer
stood there is still open to speculation, and this particular subject is still being researched (Jan. 2005).  It is fortuitous that
W.E. Winegar left us such a precious clue. (April 2005) It was found that James sold this piece of land back to the LDS
Church land agent (Edward Partridge)  for the same price he paid in August of 1833. The matter is still under investigation. 

Driven from Jackson County into Clay County
Other records of land holdings show up in Clay County.  The Federal General Land Office also has some records for
him in that county and some in Caldwell County.  He took his own money and bought land, trying to lay down roots for
his family and himself, among his brethren of the Mormon Church.  In Far West he had two parcels in Mirabel Township.
These he evidently lost in November of 1838 after the fall of Far West, when all the Mormons were forced to sign over
their property to pay for the "Mormon War."  The Missourians significantly impacted the Saints' freedoms, for which they
never recovered.

After Far West . . .
Unfortunately, the Missourians were no more content with the Mormons being in Caldwell Co. than they were any
where else in the state.  In November of 1838, the Missouri Militia marched into Far West, and gave the Mormons
the ultimatum of moving again or mass extermination. 
 
The LDS Committee for Removal who helped relocate the Saints out of Missouri conducted their charges  across
the state via two routes that went almost directly east to Quincy, Illinois.  Another went up into Iowa. There James
helped to bring the Saints to safety in rag tag poverty, under terrible conditions.  Many people died along the way and
all felt the horrendous strain of being driven like animals away from their homes and hearths, to start over, yet again.
The residents of Quincy received them and attempted to make them comfortable.  They had a political agenda in
extending their hand in friendship. With the upcoming elections they saw the large group of Mormons as a voting block
to help swing the election their way. Of course, there also were likely people who just wished to extend the Christian
hand of friendship to a persecuted people. In less than a decade,
history was destined to repeat itself.

On to Illinois and Iowa

Other Topics and Destinations:

Newberry Researcher's Corner - BRICK WALLS  This page is dedicated to the continuing research of the family and the
 researchers who continue with me to sift through the ancient records of the New England and New York.

All pages
Stage 1
/Connecticut / New York / More Newberry's in New York Samuel Smith / Smith Farm / Revolution /
Old School Baptists
/Native people in New England / Stage 2 / Ohio / Missouri / Illinois & Iowa / Nauvoo /
Flight to SW Iowa
/ The Half Breed Tract / Cutlerite membership / dissidence in NauvooDeath of James Newberry /
Wives and Family
/ Children who Went west /Stage 3 /Exodus to Utah / Utah Morrisites / Hannah's Children /
Hannah's Necklace
/ genealogy table / Addenda /Newberry Brick WallsWhispers - beginning the search /
Bibliography
/ Family Album / Jonathan Newberry Bible /

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