The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-05-28
BIG BEAVER MORMONS,
The HISTORY Or JOSEPH STRase
AND his 200 FOLLOWERS
A Phase al f.orinani>na af Which C.,.,.
psratISeiy Little 4, known-N Leader
Feared By Ever i,.,dy -Conffiet> with the
>ettisr> When the End Game.

In = ca5y litrl. home on Mes. Adams stree,
lIyss Nj. LA Sr-arrls. She Was ~ an.
TIM I ful.owerot Joseph I. Strang. the Nor,
lion refssbL' who in 1855 VAS the ruler N
Big BEAVER Island. at the foot Of Lake Mich,
issn. Mr.. Stearfs eame 10 this city FROM
northern Wisconsin about two months Az
and Is making her hnme with her son
History OF the Strang phasa IL Mornlouis,n
Is a. Vet comparatively unwritten Ahoc,
toe time the NDrinons established then,Selve,
at Nauvoo. Strang come into prominence He
had been slightly identified with the Young.
himball, Smith, and the other factions which
were powerful while the church was in its In
fancy, and il was doubtless through realiza,
ton of their superior strength tina, he va, lei
70 receive revelation" AMI -, himself I'M.
under alleged Divine guidance, a. leader.
He selected the Beaver Islands for the home
Tor hinrself and his followers. In ls,6 the in.
habitants there were surprised BY an invasion
Of Nornions numbering about ~, who pre-
enpte,t the choicest territory and sa1attsi
upon II as II they bal come to stay.
WHEN grRANG TOOK POSSESSION
The bea,ers, o. Beaver group as they are
called, consist OF Big and Little Beaver, North
ant South Fox, High, Gull, Garden, Hat.
Hog and Squaw Islands, and are located near
the mouth Of tho straits. At the time Strane
took possession the islands were inhabited by
Indians and half breeds, who made precari.
nus living BY fishing, hunting AMI wrecking.
"Strang.' said Mrs. Steari,s few days ago.
was feared by everybody and loved by none.
knew him for two years previous to lstG
AMI during the ten years while my husband
and were numbered with the people under
hun. lie cared nothing for his religion AMI
usesi II only a. cloak 20 hkie his real char.
after. When We first went 10 the beavers h.
Aad only two wives, but in the course Of a
few years the number WAS increased to six
lie was about 10 take seventh wife. when
tho blow fell which Destroys, his power and
drove o,t Mormonism.
I'VE settled on the northern side of the
island. on the bay, at the place now called
81. James, The Indians were quite peaceful
AMI friendly, and gave Us no trouble except
that they stole, and in that art they were
soon taught le~sons by Strang and his iisci.
pies We lived in log huts, built mostly OF
the cedar which grows profusely there, and
put in our time fishing, hunting, wrecking,
and stealing from vessels which made The
port. We hal a religion In namc but very
little in action. Strang used to exhort b u,
frequently, but the majority OF his time way
devoted 10 'ieviltry. He lived in a larger
and better house than anybody sl~, and a.
sunisl sIl the authority Of king.
Everything novel smoothly for number
Of years. and our numbers grew, there being
at one time over 1000 Mormons in the settle
hnt. But the time came when murmurings
aruss. The Big Beaver AMI other Islands in
the group had been increasing in population
Us well as our principal settlement Fisher
men AMI farmers began to come in from
Michigan and Wisconsin They wers mostly
quiet, peaceful people, who wanted to behave
themselves, raise potatoes. and trade with
,essel-Owners
THE MoRNoNs AND THE sIrrixRs
"Strang had too much Of the devil in him to
allow this, and the result was frequent con.
f'icts between the Mornons and the settlers.
Al last the settlers. In conjunction with ves-
sci owners-for the Beavers and the lawlcss-
ness of the inhabitants had become terror
to havigators -petitiond the government TO :
investigate the trouble and endcavor 10 rem.
.dy the evil This was in 1853. In the spring
u 1874 thu answer came in the form OF the |
revenue cutter Michigan. Whatever report /
they nade. Strang never heard Of il, and Il !
I'evolved upon the settlers themselves to al. !
Indicate their troubles.
Seeing tho futility Of appeals to the gov !
they armed themselves one night in
July, 1886, and made descent upon our set.
Element. We were taken completely By sur
prise, and were hardly awake before our
homes were In flames and our forces dsor
,anAed. In the melee Strang was severely
wounded and three of the Mornons were
.illed Strang, with his lawful wife, sue.
'~led In escaping TO a neighborng island,
where he was picked up by vessel and car
led to Milwaukee. heard afterwsrd that
r. died IN small town near there some
months later from the effects Of his wounds.
/ ho settlers gave the rest OF us the option Of
eaving the islands within twelve hours or of
II we would give up our religion
'nd our habits Ny husband and | were
'inong those who accepted the former alter
lative, AZ We had had enough Of Mormonisnl.
The next day small schooner took US and
quite number Of others on board. and we
we're landed at Wisconsin port That was
he end OF Mormonisin in the Beaver islands
Chicago News Interview.