With the expulsion of members of the church from Missouri, they had to reestablish themselves in another location. They were initially received kindly in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois. Members of the church were intent on making a new start and valiantly purchased property a short distance north of Quincy in Hancock County in an area called Commerce. The property they initially purchased in Commerce consisted mostly of marsh and swampland on a bend of the Mississippi River. Through sacrifice and industry they turned this undesirable area into a beautiful city which they named Nauvoo, which was derived from a Hebrew word meaning beautiful situation or place. Headquarters for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was also established at Nauvoo.
Many members of the church from all over the world were flocking to Nauvoo, with church membership in the area increasing by thousands every year. The Leavitts in Twelve-Mile Grove prepared to make their next move to join with other members in Nauvoo, which was about 235 miles away. Members of the Leavitt family left Twelve-Mile Grove as their own circumstances permitted. Sarah Sturtevant Leavitt records that her family started for Nauvoo in 1840. Phoebe and her children probably arrived in Nauvoo in 1842. A few Leavitt family members moved to other communities. Lyman D. Platt identified an 1842 church census taken in Nauvoo in the spring of that year that records the names of many Leavitt family members living in Nauvoo at this time, including Weare's family. This census used a different form for spelling their names, but includes: Phebe Levit, Charles Levit, George Levit and Loisa Levit. Emeline's name was not included, but she was undoubtedly with the family as well.
There is a record in the property office in Nauvoo of a home site belonging to Weare and Phoebe on the north edge of the city identified as block 35 lot 2. This is a beautiful home site with a commanding view of the Mississippi River and the city of Nauvoo. Weare had passed away before Nauvoo was established, however, Phoebe put his name on the property title as was the custom at this time. Many eventful things happened to Phoebe and her children during this Nauvoo period. A few that have been recorded are as follows. Phoebe's youngest daughter's baptism was recorded as taking place during their stay in Nauvoo on August 1, 1844. Phoebe's step-daughter Charlotte was married on April 8, 1845.
As reported in Simon Baker's history, he was a convert to the church. He was a recent widower with eight small children. He needed to find a new wife or someone who could help care for his children. With this thought in mind, he asked a friend if he could refer him to someone who would make a good mother. The friend recommended Charlotte Leavitt, the daughter of a Widow Leavitt, living at Nauvoo. Simon traveled from his home on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River to a church conference in Nauvoo. While there he visited with Phoebe and Charlotte and made his circumstances and desires known. Charlotte consented to go home with him and care for his children for a while and if she liked him she would marry him. Simon stayed at their home for a few days while the conference was in progress. After the conference, they left for his home. Before arriving at Simon's home in Iowa, Charlotte had made up her mind and they were married on the ferry as it crossed the Mississippi River.
Phoebe's oldest son, Charles, also decided at this time to return to Twelve-Mile Grove to seek his own fortune. Young George now assumed the responsibility for the care of his mother and two younger sisters. George helped support the family by working in a stone quarry for the benefit of a beautiful temple that was being constructed by the church in the center of the city. Even during Nauvoo's most trying times members of the church gave this most important building project their highest priority. The men in the community were asked to donate as much of their time as possible, usually one day in ten. Relief Society sisters recommitted themselves to contribute a penny a week per member for glass and nails. Louisa's history records that Phoebe gave her last corn to complete the Nauvoo Temple. It was completed in April, 1846, ready for dedication. Sorrowfully, it had to be abandoned at almost the same time because of overwhelming persecution. Prior to its being abandoned, Phoebe, along with 5,615 other worthy members of the church, were able to receive their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple. For Phoebe this sacred ordinance was performed on January 3, 1846.
Phoebe was also vicariously sealed to her husband Weare. Church records provide several dates for this sealing ordinance: June 13,1934, Apr 14, 1941, Aug 21, 1992, January 12, 1994. I am sure that this confusion occurred because of the various spelling forms used for their names. The ancestral file also records a Phebe Cole and a Diana Cole that were sealed to a Benjamin Covey as his fourth and fifth wives. A connection has been made by some family historians between this Phebe Cole and Phoebe Cowles Leavitt. Nauvoo records indicate that there was at least one other Phebe Cole living in Nauvoo at the time and there may have been more. I have been unable to verify the accuracy of this sealing. No other known record within family histories or other official records are available to indicate that Phoebe Cowles Leavitt married or lived with Benjamin Covey as his wife.
The Mormon church grew and flourished during its early Nauvoo period. As members and new converts to the church poured into Nauvoo and the surrounding region the Mormon population expanded to about 20,000. In the six years the Mormons stayed in Nauvoo, it became the largest city in Illinois and the tenth largest city in the United States at the time. Businesses flourished, beautiful brick homes and businesses were being built all over the city, and a most impressive white limestone temple was being constructed at the most prominent location within the city. Visitors to Nauvoo marveled at the industry and development of this beautiful community in such a short period of time.
Sadly, as the church grew, so also did envy, hatred, mistrust, and persecution. On July 27, 1844, the Mormon's beloved Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, the church's patriarch, were brutally martyred in a neighboring town of Carthage, Illinois. The martyrdom happened while Joseph and Hyrum were under the protective care of Illinois' Governor and State Militia. Despite all of the church's valiant efforts to resolve their differences with their enemies from Missouri and Illinois, violent mobs eventually succeeded again in driving the Mormons out of their established communities, businesses, homes and farms., These were challenging times for the Leavitt families who lived in and around Nauvoo. Mobs continually harassed outlying communities with threats. Crops and homes along with other property was stolen or destroyed, members of the church were beaten and even killed.
Even in Nauvoo, mobsters and other despicable characters would roam the city looking for opportunities to do mischief. George participated in one of the community's efforts to control this mischief. Young boys in the community were organized into what George referred to as the Whistling Company or as it was officially known, the "Whistling and Whittling Brigade." As these trouble makers came into Nauvoo, looking for opportunities to cause mischief, these young boys would quickly find them. Then they would gather around the stranger in groups of fifteen to twenty and whistle and whittle on sticks of wood giving these questionable strangers little peace. It was said that they would hang around them like fleas on a dog. The Whistling and Whittling Brigade would never say anything to them, just follow them around until they got the message. It didn't take long for these despicable characters to realize that they were not going to be left alone long enough for their dark deeds to be accomplished. In exasperation they simply left town with a brigade of boys following them out of the city.
George was also called to go up the Mississippi River to get timber to repair and make wagons for the hastily planned evacuation of Nauvoo. This massive evacuation was to occur during the spring of 1846 as soon as the weather became warm so that roads would be passable and there would be enough feed for their livestock. Unfortunately, many were forced to begin their westward migration in early February during the coldest part of the winter. George was called in the early spring of 1846 to help other families begin their evacuation from Nauvoo. He helped several families move across the Mississippi River, across the plains of Iowa, until they were settled near the Missouri River where the Saints planned to winter. After completing this challenging assignment he returned to Nauvoo to help his mother and sisters begin their westward trek.
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