1837

January 2, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Legal EventsBank of Geauga v. Smith, Whitney, and Rigdon. Joseph

Smith, Newel K. Whitney, and Sidney Rigdon obtained a loan for
$3,000 from the Bank of Geauga and gave the bank a promissory
note stating that they would return (pay jointly and severally)
the money forty five days after date at the Bank House in Painesville, Ohio. LDS Church Archives, Joseph Smith Legal Papers series

January 6, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Jan. 26, 1837

Legal EventsJoseph Smith gave instructions concerning the

Kirtland Safety Society that were later published in the Church
periodical Messenger and Advocate. History of the Church, 2:47073;

Michigan became
the twenty-sixth
state in the U.S.

Messenger and Advocate 3.4: 441

February 16, 1837

Feb. 7, 1837
Florence Nightingale claimed that
God spoke to her
and called her to his
service.

Geauga County, Ohio

Legal EventsMartindale v. Smith. A writ of capias was filed

against Joseph Smith and others for damages totaling $7,500.
LDS Church Archives, Joseph Smith Legal Papers series

February 19, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Ecclesiastical DutiesJoseph Smith addressed the Saints in

the Kirtland Temple by the power of God. Wilford Woodruff
Journal,1:12425

February 22, 1837

Geauga County, Ohio

Legal EventsMartindale v. Smith. Joseph Smith and others were

arrested and released on $10,000 bond each. LDS Church Archives,
Joseph Smith Legal Papers series
Joseph Smith Chronology

87

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BYU Studies

March 2, 1837
Mar. 4, 1837
City of Chicago,
Illinois, was
incorporated.

Kirtland, Ohio

Legal EventsBank of Geauga v. Smith, Whitney, and Rigdon. Defendants owed the bank $4,000 and promised to pay the money on
request. LDS Church Archives, Joseph Smith Legal Papers series

March 21, 1837

Geauga County, Ohio

Legal EventsMartindale v. Smith. Joseph Smith appeared before

the court to enter special bail. LDS Church Archives, Joseph Smith
Legal Papers series

March 22, 1837

1837
Louis Agassiz
proposed that the
Earth had been
subject to a past
ice age.

Kirtland, Ohio

Legal EventsBank of Geauga v. Smith, Whitney, and Rigdon. The

bank sued for a writ of capias to have Smith, Whitney, and Rigdon brought before the Geauga Court of Common Pleas to pay
damages of $4,000. The court clerk signed the writ, which was
returned to the sheriff. LDS Church Archives, Joseph Smith Legal
Papers series

March 24, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Legal EventsBank of Geauga v. Smith, Whitney, and Rigdon. Vinson

Knight and Ira Bond entered into a recognizance of special bail
on behalf of Smith, Whitney, and Rigdon, promising $8,000 to
the bank. The court ordered that the cause be continued until

Joseph Smiths home in Kirtland, Ohio.

Joseph Smith Chronology

89

the next term of the court. LDS Church Archives, Joseph Smith Legal
Papers series

About June 1, 1837

May 10, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Panic of 1837 began

in New York City.

Ecclesiastical DutiesJoseph Smith set apart Elder Heber C.

Kimball to preside over a mission to England, the first mission
of the Church outside continental North America. History of the
Church, 2:48990

June 5, 1837

Geauga County, Ohio

Legal EventsMartindale v. Smith. All parties appeared before the

court and settled by mutual agreement. LDS Church Archives, Joseph
Smith Legal Papers series

June 5, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Legal EventsBank of Geauga v. Smith, Whitney, and Rigdon. The

parties appeared before the court. The case was settled and discontinued. LDS Church Archives, Joseph Smith Legal Papers series

June 11, 1837

1837
Charles Dickenss
Oliver Twist
appeared in
serialized form.

Kirtland, Ohio

Ecclesiastical DutiesJoseph Smith gave special instructions to

Elders Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde and to Joseph Fielding
concerning their mission to England. History of the Church, 2:49192

June 13, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Personal LifeDue to sickness, Joseph Smith was unable to raise

his head from his pillow to bid farewell to a group of missionaries.
History of the Church, 2:492

June 14, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Personal LifeAfter Joseph Smith had been extremely sick

and weak for a few days, Dr. Levi Richards attended to him, and
the Prophet regained his strength immediately. History of the
Church,2:493

July 23, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Visions and RevelationsJoseph Smith received Doctrine and

Covenants 112, a revelation to Thomas B. Marsh about his duties
as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. History of
the Church, 2:499501; D&C 112

June 20, 1837

Queen Victoria,
monarch of the
United Kingdom,
ascended to the
throne.

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BYU Studies

July 27, 1837

Painesville, Ohio

Legal EventsOn their journey to visit the Saints in Canada,

Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Thomas B. Marsh were detained
all day in Painesville, Ohio, because of malicious lawsuits. History
of the Church, 2:502

July 29, 1837

Ashtabula, Ohio

TravelsOn his journey to Canada, Joseph Smith walked on

the beach and bathed in the beautiful, clear water of Lake Erie at
Ashtabula before boarding the steamer for Buffalo, New York, in
the afternoon. History of the Church, 2:5023
1837
American John
Deere developed
and manufactured
the first commercially successful
cast-steel plow.

August 8, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Legal EventsAllen v. Granger (originally Allen v. Smith, Cowdery,

Knight, Orton, Cahoon). Justice of the Peace Frederick G. Williams
rendered judgment against Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Vinson
Knight, Roger Orton, and Reynolds Cahoon (being the Kirtland
Steam Company) for $23 plus court costs. LDS Church Archives,
Joseph Smith Legal Papers series

August 1837

Canada

TravelsJoseph Smith spent most of August in Canada, where

he preached, baptized, blessed the Saints, and strengthened the
branches. History of the Church, 2:5028

August 24, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Legal EventsMoses Usher v. Joseph Smith. A judgment was issued

against Joseph Smith when he did not appear before the justice of
the peace. LDS Church Archives, Joseph Smith Legal Papers series
1837
Thomas Davenport
patented the first
electric motor,
which he used
to drive a rotary
printing press.

September 3, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Ecclesiastical DutiesJoseph Smith held a conference for

the whole Church to reorganize its leadership. History of the
Church,2:50910

September 4, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

WritingsJoseph Smith dictated a letter to John Corrill and the

Church in Missouri. Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, 39192

Joseph Smith Chronology

September 10, 1837

91

Kirtland, Ohio

Ecclesiastical DutiesJoseph Smith attended an assembly of

Saints in the Kirtland Temple, where the sacrament of the Lords
Supper was administered. History of the Church, 2:512

September 17, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Ecclesiastical DutiesJoseph Smith presided at a conference of

elders in the Kirtland Temple to discuss the gathering of the Saints.
History of the Church, 2:51314; Elders Journal, November 1837, 17

September 27, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

1837
Louis Daguerre
developed the
daguerreotype.

Legal EventsOliver Granger became the agent of Joseph Smith

and Sidney Rigdon and held power of attorney on their behalf to
settle their business affairs in Kirtland after their departure. LDS
Church Archives, Joseph Smith Legal Papers series

September 27, 1837

En route to Missouri

TravelsJoseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon left Kirtland to travel to

Missouri. History of the Church, 2:518

October 13, 1837

En route to Missouri

Personal LifeWhile Joseph Smith was traveling to Far West,

Missouri, his brother Hyrums wife, Jerusha Barden Smith, died in
Kirtland. History of the Church, 2:519

November 7, 1837

Far West, Missouri

Ecclesiastical DutiesJoseph Smith held a conference to reorganize Church leadership, and his brother Hyrum was sustained as
the Second Counselor in the First Presidency, replacing Frederick G.
Williams who was rejected by a vote of the members. History of
the Church, 2:52225

About November 10, 1837

En route to Kirtland, Ohio

TravelsJoseph Smith left Far West to return to Kirtland, Ohio.

History of the Church, 2:525

About December 10, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Ecclesiastical DutiesJoseph Smith returned to Kirtland from

Missouri and found that Warren Parrish, John F. Boynton, Luke S.
Johnson, Joseph Coe, and others had apostatized and were trying
to overthrow the Church. History of the Church, 2:528

Dec. 15, 1837

George B. Post,
architect who
designed the first
building to
use elevators and
made substantial
contributions to
building skyscrapers, was born.