Nauvoo

City in Hancock County, west-central Illinois; population (1990) 1,100. Nauvoo lies on the Mississippi River, opposite Montrose, Iowa, and 61 km/38 mi west of Macomb. The city was the centre of the Mormon religion before 1846, when persecution drove its adherents west to found Salt Lake City, Utah.

The city was settled as Commerce in 1830, and was given its biblical name later in the decade with the arrival of Mormons led by Joseph Smith, who made the city their headquarters. In 1838-46, the Mormon community swelled to over 12,000 people, attracting converts whose contributions and property purchases made it the state's wealthiest city. At its peak, Nauvoo was the largest city in Illinois. Its political importance led the state authorities to grant the Mormons a home-rule charter and their own militia. However, anti-Mormon agitation led to Smith's murder and the departure of his followers in 1846. Shortly after, in 1849, disciples of the French Utopian thinker Étienne Cabet established a communistic Icarian settlement in the city. When this was disbanded in 1858, German and Irish immigrants rebuilt the city. Nowadays, Nauvoo's economy is based on tourism, wine growing (introduced by the French Icarians), and blue cheese. The homes of Brigham Young and other Mormon leaders, the Joseph Smith Historic Center, and Nauvoo State Park and Historic Site are popular attractions for visitors.