Picturing history: Zion's Camp in Illinois

The 1834 Camp of Israel, later known as Zion's Camp, passed through and camped near Springfield, Ill., on the evening of May 30.

Local researchers note that the Prophet and his division set up camp on Spring Creek west of Springfield. These researchers constitute a small organization known as the Zion's Camp Illinois Trail Committee and have spent years researching the Zion's Camp story and sites. Although the formal training of some of these researchers is in the medical field, they are individuals who meticulously seek out and utilize all available sources of learning, both published and on site.

The committee has gone to great lengths to honor the members of Zion's Camp with interpretive signage and monuments strategically placed in the area.

The sites seen here were identified and shared by Drs. Eldon Barrowes and Mark Greene of Jacksonville, Ill.