Did you know that there’s an entire Illinois town listed on the National Register of Historic Places? It’s also one of the smallest towns in Illinois, and a perfect place to relocate if you’re looking to live away from the hustle and bustle of busier cities and towns. Nauvoo, Illinois, is a tiny, close-knit community that’s an easy place to feel like you’re truly off the grid.
Nauvoo has a fascinating history, and much of it is still on display for visitors. The town is most known for its Latter-Day Saints heritage, but a whole lot happened here before Joseph Smith and the Mormon Church purchased Nauvoo.
Flickr / Jimmy Emerson, DVM Way before white settlers moved in, the area was named after a Sauk and Fox chief that organized a big settlement. By the 1820s, though, the land was stolen to create a European-American town, and soon “Venus” had a post office and the population began to grow. A few years later, in 1834, the town’s name was changed to Commerce, and by 1840 the settlement was purchased by the Church of Latter Day Saints when they fled Missouri. At that point, the town was renamed Nauvoo.
Nauvoo grew into a thriving river community, and within a few years, the population of 12,000 residents rivaled that of Chicago!
Flickr / Ken Lund Of course, it’s evident that Chicago took off a bit more than Nauvoo, and nowadays there are only about 900 people residing in this sleepy Hancock County town.
Today, many people still associate the town with the LDS Church, and the temple is one of the town’s landmarks.
Flickr / Kimberly Vardeman
There are many other historic buildings in the town, too - so many, in fact, that the whole town is on the National Register of Historic Places!
Flickr / Ken Lund
You might think that all of this history and attention would draw crowds to the river town, but Nauvoo has remained one of the quietest, most peaceful places in the Prairie State.
Flickr / Ken Lund
If you’re looking to relocate to a small town and enjoy an off-the-grid life away from big crowds and cities, it’s hard to beat the charming town of Nauvoo, Illinois.
Flickr / Ken Lund
To learn more about Nauvoo, visit the tiny Illinois town‘s website and see all of the happenings and history!
Flickr / Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Way before white settlers moved in, the area was named after a Sauk and Fox chief that organized a big settlement. By the 1820s, though, the land was stolen to create a European-American town, and soon “Venus” had a post office and the population began to grow. A few years later, in 1834, the town’s name was changed to Commerce, and by 1840 the settlement was purchased by the Church of Latter Day Saints when they fled Missouri. At that point, the town was renamed Nauvoo.
Flickr / Ken Lund
Of course, it’s evident that Chicago took off a bit more than Nauvoo, and nowadays there are only about 900 people residing in this sleepy Hancock County town.
Flickr / Kimberly Vardeman
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Address: Nauvoo, IL, USA
