Biography

The life of Israel Barlow

September 13, 1806 – November 1, 1883. Convert, pioneer, scout, missionary, nurseryman, and patriarch.

Early life and conversion

Israel Barlow was born September 13, 1806, in Granville, Massachusetts, to Jonathan Barlow and Annis Gillett. After his father's death in 1820, the family moved to western New York in 1822 and settled near Mendon around 1824. Around the age of twenty-four he encountered missionaries of the newly organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, in late 1831 or early 1832, traveled to Hiram, Ohio, to meet the Prophet Joseph Smith. He was baptized in Mendon in May 1832 by Brigham Young — then still a fellow convert and friend, years before his own rise to Church leadership. The family moved on to Ohio in late 1832 or early 1833 to join the Saints gathering at Kirtland.

On March 1, 1835, Barlow was ordained a Seventy, becoming one of the inaugural members of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He was also a stockholder in the short-lived Kirtland Safety Society.

Missouri and Zion's Camp

Barlow marched with Zion's Camp in 1834, the expedition Joseph Smith led from Kirtland, Ohio, to Clay County, Missouri, to help restore Latter-day Saint settlers to their lands in Jackson County. He later helped build the Kirtland Temple in 1836.

During the Missouri conflicts of 1838, Barlow was present at the Battle of Crooked River, where he assisted Apostle David W. Patten, who was mortally wounded in the engagement. When Latter-day Saints were subsequently expelled from Missouri under an extermination order, Barlow was among the thousands forced to flee eastward.

Discovering the way to Nauvoo

Israel Barlow's most consequential contribution to Latter-day Saint history.

While searching for refuge along the Mississippi River, Barlow came upon land near Montrose, Iowa, and Commerce, Illinois, and helped negotiate access through Dr. Isaac Galland to the Half-Breed Tract in Lee County, Iowa.

On January 20, 1839, Barlow and fellow Saint David Rogers spent nine days exploring the Montrose and Commerce sites, reporting back that they found “about forty empty dwellings for which we made conditional arrangements.” That discovery gave the fleeing Saints a place to settle on both sides of the river. The Illinois side, a swampy settlement called Commerce. Church leaders began its purchase in 1839 and renamed it to Nauvoo in 1840, becoming the Church's headquarters for the next several years. Barlow later helped in the construction of the Nauvoo Temple.

Timeline

  1. 1806

    Born in Granville, Massachusetts

    Son of Jonathan Barlow and Annis Gillett, born September 13, 1806.

  2. 1831–1832

    Meets Joseph Smith and is baptized

    Travels to Hiram, Ohio; baptized in May 1832 by Brigham Young.

  3. 1834

    Zion's Camp

    Marches to Missouri with the Zion's Camp expedition.

  4. 1835

    Ordained a Seventy

    Becomes one of the first members of the First Quorum of the Seventy.

  5. 1836

    Kirtland Temple

    Helps build the Kirtland Temple.

  6. 1838

    Battle of Crooked River

    Present in Missouri during the conflict; assists the mortally wounded Apostle David W. Patten.

  7. 1839

    Investigates the Half-Breed Tract as a Possible Settlement for the Saints

    Locates refuge near Montrose, Iowa, and Commerce, Illinois, opening the way to Nauvoo.

  8. 1840s

    Nauvoo years

    Helps build the Nauvoo Temple as the city becomes the Church's headquarters.

  9. 1846

    Marries Elizabeth Barton

    Takes a plural wife as the Saints prepare to leave Nauvoo.

  10. 1846

    Leaves Nauvoo

    The Barlow family leaves Nauvoo in 1846, as the Saints' exodus west begins.

  11. 1848

    Arrives in the Salt Lake Valley

    Reaches the valley on September 23, 1848, after crossing the plains.

  12. 1849

    Settles in Bountiful, Utah

    One of the area's first nurseryman.

  13. 1853–1855

    Mission to England

    Serves as president of the Birmingham Conference.

  14. 1855

    Marries Lucy Heap

  15. 1865

    Marries Cordelia Maria Dalrymple

  16. 1866

    Logan land commissioner

    Appointed a commissioner to locate lands for a university in Logan, Cache County, Utah Territory.

  17. 1882

    Ordained a patriarch

    Ordained by Wilford Woodruff.

  18. 1883

    Death

    Dies November 1, 1883, in Bountiful, Utah, at age 77.

Help us improve this history. This page summarizes published and publicly documented sources on Israel Barlow's life. Family records are exactly what this association exists to gather and preserve.

Sources

Every date and event above is drawn from the following published sources.

Source What it covers
Wikipedia: Israel Barlow Birth, early move to Mendon, baptism, Zion's Camp, Battle of Crooked River, marriages, the family's June 1846 departure from Nauvoo, arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, mission to England, patriarch ordination, and death.
Joseph Smith Papers: Israel Barlow biography Ordination as a Seventy (March 1, 1835) , Kirtland Safety Society stockholder, the 1839 church land committee assignment, and the 1866 Logan university land commission.
Brent A. Barlow, “Israel Barlow and the Founding of Nauvoo,” BYU Religious Studies Center (2009) The Battle of Crooked River account and the January 1839 exploration and negotiation of the Half-Breed Tract with Dr. Isaac Galland.
Church News, “A Monument for Israel Barlow” (2006) His role initiating contact with Church leaders about the Commerce, Illinois land.