Mormon Springs, Mississippi

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Mormon Springs, Mississippi
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Mormon Springs
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Mormon Springs
Coordinates: 33°49′35″N88°17′44″W / 33.82639°N 88.29556°W / 33.82639; -88.29556
Country United States
State Mississippi
County Monroe
Elevation
266 ft (81 m)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code 662
GNIS feature ID709363 [1]

Mormon Springs is an unincorporated community in Monroe County, Mississippi. Mormon Springs is located southwest of Gattman.

History

Mormon Springs is named for the nearby spring used to baptize local converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). On April 8, 1846, 43 people, led by John Brown, left Mormon Springs with the planned destination of the Salt Lake Valley. [2] Among the settlers was John Holladay and Hark Wales, one of the earliest African-American members of the LDS church. [3] The settlers became known as the "Mississippi Saints", and established one of the first settlements outside of Salt Lake City. This community became what is today Holladay, Utah. [4] The Mississippi Saints also became the first American settlers of San Bernardino, California. [4]

A post office operated under the name Mormon Springs from 1854 to 1860. [5]

A granite monument describes the history of Mormon Springs and the Mississippi Saints. [6]

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References

  1. "Mormon Springs". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. Boone, David F. "The Mississippi Saints: A Unique Odyssey of Southern Pioneers". rsc.byu.edu. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  3. "Wales, Hark". exhibits.lib.utah.edu. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "The Mississippi Saints". www.churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  5. "Monroe County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  6. "Spotlight on historic sites: Mormon Springs". Church News. February 19, 2000. Retrieved August 27, 2023.