County Historical Society set to unveil its latest exhibit: “The History of the Mormons in Chenango County”
NORWICH – On Friday, the Chenango County Historical Society will unveil its newest exhibit to spotlight Chenango’s roots and the influence of Mormonism, a religion that has thrived since its founding in the 19th century to include more than 14 million members worldwide.
Organizers will host a special reception and dedication of the new exhibit, titled “The History of the Mormons in Chenango County,” Friday evening at the Chenango County Historical Society, located at 45 Rexford Street in Norwich. Museum doors open at 6 p.m., followed by the dedication at 7 p.m.
Although the exhibit covers only a fleeting moment of the intricate history of the Mormon religion - roughly 1825-1830 - it features a number of displays to highlight the events that helped shape the belief and the present-day Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Areas of interest include the time in which the religion’s founder, Joseph Smith, spent in Afton (then known as South Bainbridge), the childhood history of Brigham Young - succeeding president of the church - in the Town of Sherburne, and Smith’s marriage to Emma Hale Smith in South Bainbridge, near what is now the Afton Fairgrounds.
Other topics include the early history of Mormonism, folklore, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in its current incarnation. The exhibit was assembled with help from historians Taylor Hollist and Charles Decker, and CCHS volunteers. The Afton Museum is also lending specific artifacts for the exhibit.
“Most of what we’ll be showing are artifacts from the time (Smith) was in the process of founding the church,” said CCHS Curator Meghan Molloy. “It focuses on how the religion began and how it’s grown to where it is today.”
“Joseph Smith actually did a lot of work building Mormonism right here in this area,” explained CCHS volunteer Judie Wright. Wright, also a member of the Norwich branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commented that most of the local history of Smith, while largely unknown, had a lasting impact that would help define the church’s beliefs of the Restoration of Christianity in later years.
Wright pointed to major local landmarks, including the former homes of Josiah Stowell and Joseph Knight, that are located in the Susquehanna region near Afton. Josiah Stowell brought Joseph Smith to the area where he subsequently met his wife, and the Knight family, known for being members of the first branch of the church in nearby Colesville, played an influential role in the religion’s early days, she mentioned.
Wright also said that the exhibit touches on a more controversial matter: the trial of Joseph Smith. In 1826, Smith was brought before a justice of the peace in Chenango County. According to county court records, in which Smith was referred to as “Joseph Smith the glass looker,” Smith was accused disturbing the peace. Glass lookers often claimed that by looking into a piece of glass, they could see things others couldn’t, including locations of treasure, Wright explained. Although Smith would eventually be acquitted of those charges, the affair would become part of Smith’s legacy in the area.
Said Wright, “There’s a lot of things that happened in Chenango County that people aren’t aware of ... This (exhibit) gives a historical snapshot of what happened, and separates some of the myths and folklore.”
For additional information on the Mormonism exhibit, contact the Chenango County Historical Society at 334-9227.
Organizers will host a special reception and dedication of the new exhibit, titled “The History of the Mormons in Chenango County,” Friday evening at the Chenango County Historical Society, located at 45 Rexford Street in Norwich. Museum doors open at 6 p.m., followed by the dedication at 7 p.m.
Although the exhibit covers only a fleeting moment of the intricate history of the Mormon religion - roughly 1825-1830 - it features a number of displays to highlight the events that helped shape the belief and the present-day Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Areas of interest include the time in which the religion’s founder, Joseph Smith, spent in Afton (then known as South Bainbridge), the childhood history of Brigham Young - succeeding president of the church - in the Town of Sherburne, and Smith’s marriage to Emma Hale Smith in South Bainbridge, near what is now the Afton Fairgrounds.
Other topics include the early history of Mormonism, folklore, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in its current incarnation. The exhibit was assembled with help from historians Taylor Hollist and Charles Decker, and CCHS volunteers. The Afton Museum is also lending specific artifacts for the exhibit.
“Most of what we’ll be showing are artifacts from the time (Smith) was in the process of founding the church,” said CCHS Curator Meghan Molloy. “It focuses on how the religion began and how it’s grown to where it is today.”
“Joseph Smith actually did a lot of work building Mormonism right here in this area,” explained CCHS volunteer Judie Wright. Wright, also a member of the Norwich branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commented that most of the local history of Smith, while largely unknown, had a lasting impact that would help define the church’s beliefs of the Restoration of Christianity in later years.
Wright pointed to major local landmarks, including the former homes of Josiah Stowell and Joseph Knight, that are located in the Susquehanna region near Afton. Josiah Stowell brought Joseph Smith to the area where he subsequently met his wife, and the Knight family, known for being members of the first branch of the church in nearby Colesville, played an influential role in the religion’s early days, she mentioned.
Wright also said that the exhibit touches on a more controversial matter: the trial of Joseph Smith. In 1826, Smith was brought before a justice of the peace in Chenango County. According to county court records, in which Smith was referred to as “Joseph Smith the glass looker,” Smith was accused disturbing the peace. Glass lookers often claimed that by looking into a piece of glass, they could see things others couldn’t, including locations of treasure, Wright explained. Although Smith would eventually be acquitted of those charges, the affair would become part of Smith’s legacy in the area.
Said Wright, “There’s a lot of things that happened in Chenango County that people aren’t aware of ... This (exhibit) gives a historical snapshot of what happened, and separates some of the myths and folklore.”
For additional information on the Mormonism exhibit, contact the Chenango County Historical Society at 334-9227.
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