The Carthage Jail

Unless you've read a bit about the history of the Mormons, you wouldn't know about the Carthage jail in Carthage, IL. It was there that Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion, and his brother Hyrum met their deaths at the hands of a mob. The rest, as they say, is history.

One branch of my family tree, the Brownings, played a small role in that history. The jail was built between 1839 and 1841 and was used as a jail for 25 years. It was then sold to a Mr. Peterson, who owned it for about 12 years, then sold it to my great-great-grandfather James M. Browning, who used it as a residence. He remodeled it extensively, removing the bars from the windows, moving the kitchen and various interior walls. After his death, his wife sold it to the Mormon church. It was then restored to its current condition (see photo) and is now being used as a tourist attraction.

An interesting little tidbit, eh? While one branch of the Browning family was Mormon (see my earlier reference to the gunsmith John Browning), I don't believe that James M. Browning was. In my collection of family documents I've not found any specific reference to his faith. But we are blessed to have the family Bible he passed down to his children, and that book speaks of a faith that I and my family embrace. Thank you, great-great-grandfather!