Off The Beaten Track, Part 2!

Here are some more interesting places we visited!

The Joseph Knight Sr. home built around 1815:

"In 1826 a young man by the name of Joseph Smtih came to this home and worked side by side with this great family.  Mr. Knight said that he was the best hand he had ever hired.  Joseph Smith soon shared his remarkable testimony of the Restoration with the Knight family and many believed.  They became fast friends and defended him at every opportuity."  (from a plaque on the home)

"1830  the Colesville Branch was established--the first branch of the LDS church.  In 1831 sixty-seven souls left their homes and farms for Kirtland.  These stalwarts known as the Colesville Saints were hardworking faithful members of the new church and sacrificed much to follow their leader."

Love this statue!

In 1830 Hyrum brought his family from Palmyra to the home of his long time friend, Newel Knight. He came to become the first Branch President of the newly organized Colesville Branch.

Josiah Stowell home:   From 1825 to 1827 while working and living on this farm Joseph Smith courted his future wife, Emma Hale.  They were married just up the road from here by Squire Tarbell and spent their first married days in this home.

These two homes are owned by a member who lives in Arizona.  He and his wife and some of their friends take turns spending the summer here.  They live in part of the home and are available to show them to anyone who is interested.  They did not know we were coming but we just knocked on the door and they gave us a tour!  (Was originally South Bainbridge, NY, but now called Afton, NY.)

No house but just the site of the Squire Tarbell home.

There are quite a few things to see in the Palmyra area.

We passed by this school on the bus.  Oliver Cowdery taught here before helping Joseph with the translation of the Book of Mormon.

You can't tour the Martin Harris home because missionaries live here now!

Dan took a photo of where the Steed family lived!:)

We visited several cemeteries on our trip.  Our tour guide/historian knows them well.  Pine Grove cemetery in Massachusetts where George A. Smith had a marker placed to honor the members of the Smith family bureid here.

Harmony, Pennsylvania cemetery where we saw the graves of Isaac and Elizabeth Hale (Emma's parents)...

 ...and the infant firstborn son of Joseph and Emma.

And finally the Kirtland Cemetery where we saw this headstone:

 It is in memory of Joseph Smith's grandmother, Hyrum Smith's wife and daughter, and the twins of Joseph Smith, all of whom died and are buried here.

Great trip and we learned a lot!