Mount Pisgah, Iowa, Union County: Once a bustling settlement, Mount Pisgah is now a ghost town that holds a significant place in the history of the Mormon migration. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Union County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 41.0781° N, 94.0483° W
Elevation: 1,145 feet (349 meters)
Time Zone: Central Time Zone (CST/CDT)
Established: 1846
Disestablished: 1852
Comments: Mount Pisgah was established as a waystation for Mormon pioneers on their trek to the Salt Lake Valley. This settlement served as an essential resting point for thousands of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who journeyed westward following religious persecution.
Remains: Today, very little remains of the original settlement. However, a memorial park commemorates the site with a historical marker and informational plaques about the town’s significance and the hardships faced by its inhabitants.
Current Status: The area is now a historical site and memorial park. Visitors can learn about the history of the Mormon Trail and honor those who passed through or settled temporarily in Mount Pisgah.
Remarks: Mount Pisgah is an important historical site that offers insight into the resilience and faith of the Mormon pioneers. The site is maintained to preserve the memory of this notable chapter in American westward expansion and attracts visitors interested in religious history and early American pioneer life.
After the 1844 death of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, most members of the Church aligned themselves with Brigham Young and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Under Young’s leadership, about 13,000 Mormon citizens of Nauvoo, Illinois set out to find a new home in the West.
On May 18, 1846, Nauvoo exiles established a permanent camp and resting place on the middle fork (Twelve-Mile Creek) of the Grand River on Potawatomi Indian land. The site was selected and named Mount Pisgah by LDS apostle Parley P. Pratt, who, when he first saw the modest hill, was reminded of the biblical Pisgah (Deuteronomy 3:27) where Moses viewed the Promised Land.
