The Nauvoo Bell’s story is more complicated than many realize. Long thought to be the bell that once rang from the Nauvoo Temple tower, the artifact displayed for decades on Salt Lake City’s Temple Square was actually the Hummer Bell, a Meneely bell with roots in an Iowa Presbyterian church and a colorful history of theft, recovery, and mistaken identity. The true Nauvoo Temple bell cracked in the 1840s and disappeared. In this interview, historian Ronald G. Watt and archivist Brian Warburton trace the bells’ intertwined histories and explain the Hummer Bell’s recent return to Iowa City.
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The Nauvoo Bell
What do we know about the original Nauvoo Bell’s origin?
Ronald G. Watt: According to Thomas L. Kane, who was in Nauvoo shortly after the mob had taken over the city of Nauvoo, it was “a loud-mouthed steamboat signal bell.”
Originally, Brigham Young asked the British Saints to raise money and furnish a bell from that country. Under Wilford Woodruff, they began to raise money, but pressure was mounting for the Church members in Nauvoo to leave, and Young canceled the request for a British bell.
The temple bell was in the Nauvoo Temple tower by September 1846. There is no record of where the bell came from.
How was the Nauvoo Bell used in Illinois?
Ronald G. Watt: It was used at the beginning of every endowment service in the temple from December 10, 1845, until February 7, 1846. It was later rung to summon Nauvoo’s militia to help defend the city against the mob.
What happened to the Nauvoo Bell?
Ronald G. Watt: The temple bell was taken to Winter Quarters and used there to summon people to meetings. It was then carried to the Great Salt Lake in the spring of 1847 with the Charles C. Rich Company, the third company to cross the plains that year.
It was used to get everybody up in the morning, to begin their journey, and to warn the company of any possible Indian attacks.
When it arrived in Salt Lake City, it was placed in the fort and then went to Temple Square. It cracked during the winter of 1849-1850. There was some thought of melting it down and recasting it, but that was impossible. The metal was probably used for shovels and other necessary implements.
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The Hummer Bell’s Origins and Journey
What is the Hummer Bell?
Ronald G. Watt: The Hummer Bell was made in West Troy, New York, by the bellmaker Andrew Meneeley. It was purchased in about 1846 by David Hummer, the minister for the First Presbyterian Church of Iowa City.
How was the Hummer Bell stolen?
Ronald G. Watt: David Hummer was charged with mishandling Church funds and, early in 1848, expelled from his Presbyterian ministry. The church still owed him money. The two parties agreed that he could take the communion service, two Bibles, the pulpit furniture, twelve lamps, and other movable church property. Also, he was given a promissory note for $658.22.
Late in the summer of 1848, Hummer and a former trustee, James W. Margrave, returned to Iowa City to take the bell. They had decided the bell should be Hummer’s since it could be classified as “movable property” as agreed by the two parties.
They put the bell in Eli Myer’s wagon and drove away.
Hummer climbed the belfry, unfastened the bell, and slowly lowered the bell toward the ground.
Margrave was supposed to be waiting, but he was not there.
A group of six or eight spectators implemented their own plan. They removed the ladder, leaving Hummer stranded in the belfry, put the bell in Eli Myers’s wagon, and drove away.
They took the bell up the Iowa River and sank it at the junction of Rapid Creek and the river.
How did the Hummer Bell end up in the Church’s possession?
Ronald G. Watt: In April 1850, Eli Myers, David Lamoreaux, James Miller, and A.B. Newcomb retrieved the sunken bell. They were all, except Lamoreaux, anxious to go to the gold fields. Thinking they could sell the bell, they took it with them.
Lamoreaux was a Latter-day Saint and was going to Utah. They transported the bell to Kanesville, Iowa, and joined the Mormon migration westward. The boxed-up bell came with the Shadrach Roundy Freight Company in 1848. David Lamoreaux and family came with the Joseph Young Company.
There is no record of how the other three, who were involved with the bell, came. They all wintered in Salt Lake. In the spring, they approached the tithing clerk, Asa Calkin, about buying the bell. He paid them $600—the three non-Mormons left thereafter for California.
Brigham Young was not in Salt Lake when it was purchased.
Temple Square and the Mistaken Identity
How was the Hummer Bell rediscovered—and announced as the Nauoo Bell?
After its purchase by Calkin, the Hummer bell was stored at the tithing yard until early in the twentieth century, when it was transferred to the Bureau of Information. The bell was discovered by Nephi L Morris, who was prominent in both Church and Utah State affairs.
Morris did some research into the Nauvoo Bell’s history that included the stories that came from the David Lamoreaux family. With that material, he and President Joseph J. Cannon, president of the Temple Square Mission, were convinced that the old bell in the basement was the Nauvoo Bell.
On June 17, 1939, the Deseret News published an article headlined “Haunting Tone of Nauvoo Temple Bell Rings Out Anew.”
Why did people think that the Hummer Bell was the Nauvoo Bell?
Ronald G. Watt: The confusion of the two bells began with several stories that borrowed the details of the Hummer bell incident and applied them to the Nauvoo Bell. The first two are interrelated Lamoreaux stories that are biographical sketches based in part on an interview with David Lamoreaux.
The first was written by one of David Lamoreaux’s daughters after he died in 1905.
The second version tells of the Nauvoo Bell coming from England, then it changes Presbyterian to Methodist, and after it comes to Salt Lake, the bell was hung on Brigham Young’s schoolhouse.
The third version is that the bell was put in a Methodist Church. A group of vigilantes was plotting to steal the bell. David Lamoreaux and others heard about the plot, and as the first group lowered the bell to the ground, Lamoreaux drove his own wagon underneath the bell, taking the bell and hiding it in the Mississippi River.
Thereafter, he and his brother Andrew took the bell to Salt Lake. The family walked so the bell might ride.
How was the Hummer Bell used at Temple Square?
Ronald G. Watt: KSL used it to sound the hour on the radio and television. It was also displayed at the Days of ’47 Queen Coronation Pageant at the University of Utah stadium in 1944.
The Church History Museum built a platform for the bell and put it on the first floor so it could be seen by visitors.
In 1966, the Relief Society built a campanile on Temple Square, and the bell had a prominent place to be seen by all who came there.
Efforts to Return the Hummer Bell
What efforts were made to return the bell to its rightful owners in the 19th century?
Ronald G. Watt: There were five attempts to return the bell.
1. Brigham Young’s initial inquiry (1855)
In 1855, Brigham Young heard about a bell in the tithing yard that once hung in a church in Iowa City. He asked Asa Calkin to find out something about the provenance of the bell.
Young mentioned that he would gladly return it for what Calkin paid for it. Calkin asked his brother, Charles Calkin, an Iowa City resident. Charles told Asa that the title of ownership was in question. He did not know if the Presbyterian church or David Hummer owned the bell.
Result: Nothing more was done on this inquiry.
2. Trustees assert Presbyterian ownership (1857)
In 1857, Milton Cochrane, the president of the board of trustees, wrote to Brigham Young about the bell, telling him that it belonged to the First (North) Presbyterian Church in Iowa City.
Result: No record exists of Young’s reply.
3. Pastor Osmond’s request and New York Times notice (1868)
In 1868, Pastor Samuel M. Osmond wrote to Brigham Young, inquiring about the bell. Young told him he had the bell and would part with it if the Presbyterians could pay his cost for the bell and prove ownership.
The congregation could not raise the money to satisfy Young’s selling price.
Result: Osmond published a notice in the New York Times that Young was willing to return the bell if the trustees paid transportation costs.
4. Hummer family correspondence and Young’s reply (1868)
On the fourth attempt, Hummer saw Pastor Osmond’s notice in the New York Times. He wrote about the bell. A month later, Mrs. M. Wheeler, Michael Hummer’s niece, also sent Young a letter concerning the bell.
Result: Young wrote to Hummer and told him that he would give it up to the “first properly authorized person who will produce bona fide proof of ownership & authority to receive it, & who will refund the money expended thereon, which is between six and seven hundred dollars.”
5. Charles Berrhill’s final appeal (1870)
In the last attempt, in 1870, Charles H. Berryhill—not a member of the Presbyterian church—wrote with an interest that the bell should be returned.
Daniel Wells wrote a missive, informing him that Young needed expenses for the bell and proof of the bell’s true ownership.
Later, Young wrote to Berryhill that the bell was boxed, safe, and in good condition. It had never been used. He wanted Berryhill to prove the property, pay the charges, and take the bell away.
Result: This ended any attempts to return the bell to Iowa City.
How did the Temple Square museum describe the Hummer Bell?
Ronald G. Watt: Hereafter, the Hummer’s Bell remained in the tithing yard until it was moved to the Temple Square Museum, where it was labeled as an “Old Bell brought to Utah in the early days. Used for summoning the people to public assemblies. For a long time it was the only large bell in Utah.”
The use of the bell, as designated by the museum, was what the Nauvoo Bell had been used for.
How was the history of the bell uncovered in the 21st century?
Ronald G. Watt: In 1998, the Church Historical Department received a letter about the bell from Iowa City, asking for at least a picture of the bell and
if the bell does exist and whoever owns it would be willing to part with it we would be willing to negotiate and would be more than willing to come and get it or pay to have it shipped.
At the time, I was handling all correspondence sent to the Church Archives. I wrote back and told him the only bell that had come to Salt Lake at that time was the Nauvoo Bell. It had been cracked, melted down, recast, and now resided on Temple Square.
After I sent the letter off, Jim Kimball, who had worked for Nauvoo Restoration, gave me his file on the Nauvoo and Hummer bells. I wrote an article about the bells, but I still maintained that the Nauvoo Bell was over on Temple Square.
I wrote out the early history of the Hummer Bell, but it was lost, and I could not find it. Trying to find an artifact is very difficult. In the article, I got some things right and a lot wrong.
In 2000, the Public Affairs Department sent an intern to the Church Archives and Church Library. The Church was considering sending the bell back to Nauvoo. I told her about the history of the bell and gave her a copy of my research and paper. I advised that she contact the Smithsonian and find an expert on bells.
She talked to David Shayt, an associate curator. He told her that the bell on Temple Square was a MeNeeley Bell made in the nineteenth century. He also said that it was impossible to melt a bell down and recast it with more metal. The sound would be tinny. Besides, a skilled bell craftsman would be needed, and Salt Lake did not have any such artisan in the valley at the time.
That convinced me that I had been wrong. The Nauvoo Temple Bell had cracked and disappeared sometime after 1849. The metal had probably been used for some type of farm implement, like a shovel.
After my encounter with the intern, I walked over to Temple Square and looked at the Hummer Bell.
I thought, “This bell was a fake and a fraud.”
Then I thought, “Maybe so, but it sat unused for over ninety years. It is a beautiful bell, well-made, with a great sound. It has brought joy to millions who have heard it.”
It has brought joy to millions who have heard it.
Others have added to the story. Shannon M. Tracy added new material to the bell story.
Glen M. Leonard compiled a book entitled Artifacts Speak. He took the articles written by me and Tracy and did much more research.
Finally, he wrote the article, “The Nauvoo Temple Bells,” which was published in BYU Studies and Artifacts Speak. It definitely proves that the bell so prominently displayed on Temple Square is Hummer’s Bell.
How did the agreement to return the Hummer Bell to the First Presbyterian Church in Iowa City come about?
Brian Warburton: The Relief Society Campanile and the bell were removed from Temple Square as part of the overall renovation process of the Salt Lake Temple and surrounding grounds in 2023.
The Church History Department was asked what we thought should be done with the bell at that time. We felt that the bell ought to be returned to the congregation in Iowa if it still existed.
After I did some research to verify that the current First Presbyterian Church in Iowa City was indeed the same descendant entity, we recommended that the bell be offered to them.
This recommendation was approved by the Presiding Bishopric in early 2024. Keith Erekson, Director of Research and Outreach in the Church History Department, contacted the leadership of the First Presbyterian Church in Iowa City to see if they would like the bell to be returned to them.
They were elated, and we began the process of returning the bell to them as well as working out timing and shipping logistics.
What is the planned future for the Hummer Bell?
Brian Warburton: The Hummer Bell will be proudly displayed outside the First Presbyterian Church in Iowa City, where it will once again be used to call congregants to worship services.
The First Presbyterian Church began a fundraising campaign to erect a new bell housing near their current meetinghouse. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made a significant contribution to this fundraising effort and paid all shipping costs.
The new housing was completed and the bell installed earlier this month (September 2025), and an official dedication ceremony is planned on October 5, 2025. That day, local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and congregants of the First Presbyterian Church plan to come together in celebration of the bell’s return. The combined congregations also plan to expand and continue service projects with a local food pantry in the Iowa City community.
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About the Scholars
Ronald G. Watt is a retired archivist and historian who worked for over three decades at the Church History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During his career, he became known for his research on 19th-century Latter-day Saint history, particularly the Nauvoo period and the Utah settlement era. He is the author of The Mormon Passage of George D. Watt and has contributed to numerous journals and documentary projects.
Brian Warburton is a historian at the Church History Library, working in the Research and Outreach Division. His responsibilities include liaising with organizations outside the Church History Department, researching and documenting Church history topics as requested to help inform leaders of Church departments, and recording oral histories. He is also a certified archivist and has worked in collection care in the past. Warburton was directly involved in the 2024–2025 review of the Temple Square bell, confirming its identity as the Hummer Bell and verifying the link to the First Presbyterian Church in Iowa City. He recommended offering the bell to its original congregation and coordinated timing and logistics once Church leaders approved the plan.
Further Reading
- The Bells at Temple Square: The Tabernacle Choir’s World-Class Handbell Ensemble
- Who Was Brigham Young?
- Nauvoo and the Temple
- Emma Smith’s Role in Shaping the ‘Elect Lady’ Revelation (D&C 25)
- What Happened at Winter Quarters?
Hummer Bell
- The Nauvoo Temple Bells (BYU Studies)
- October 2025 – Iowa City’s Hummer’s Bell Returns Home (Our Iowa Heritage)
- Ringing True: After 177 Years, a Stolen Bell Returns Home as a Symbol of Unity (Church Newsroom)
- Artifacts Speak: Revisiting Old Stories about Treasured Latter-day Saint Heirlooms (BYU RSC)
- The Sound of Mormonism: A Media History of Latter-Day Saints (Utah State University)
