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From: "" <>
Subject: [IAFREMON] Mormon steamboat bell at Nauvoo - to - Montrose - to -Fort Madison - to - Hamburg - to Fort Madison
Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 19:41:52 -0000

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.

Author: farwellwalter
Surnames: Smith, Alvord, LaMotte, Alleman, Pape
Classification: lookup

Message Board URL:

http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.iowa.counties.fremont/7088/mb.ashx

Message Board Post:

THE COUNCIL BLUFFS NONPAREIL. June 21, 1914. Hamburg, Iowa.--The old bell was taken from the belfry of St. Mary's Catholic Church at Hamburg Friday and has been shipped to Ft. Madison.

The bell was first used as a signal bell on the steamer OSPREY, which was owned by the Mormon prophet, Joe Smith of Nauvoo, Illinois. He sold the steamer to Capt. Pliny Alvord. After a number of years the boat was dismantled and the Captain gave the bell to his brother-in-law, John LaMotte, who used it on a wharf boat at Montrose, Iowa. The bell was presented to the Captain's friend, Father G. Alleman, pastor of the newly established Catholic Church at Fort Madison. It was the first church bell in the Mississippi valley, doing service as such and serving as a city fire bell as well for many years. In 1872 or '73, it was replaced by two other bells and given to Father Pape, under whose charge St. Mary's Church was being established at Hamburg, where the bell was then installed only now to be returned to Fort Madison.

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