On This Day In Michigan History On July 8, 1850, James Jesse STRANG crowned himself King of Beaver Island. The Mormon leader had first arrived in 1845, bringing followers with him. The local fishermen and Indians hired his followers as workers, which gave the Mormon population a foothold on the island. The flock built cabins, erected mills, and constructed a dock. Strang claimed several visions from God, one of which allowed for polygamy. The 36-year-old took a second, 18-year-old wife in 1849. Another vision told him to make his power absolute. On July 8, 1850, he held a ceremony outside St. James, which he named for himself, and crowned himself King of Beaver Island. Source: Michigan Every Day
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 17:27:54 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015