Joseph Steepleton

A Beautiful Place! Joseph Steepleton

This is the saga of a journey of three families. The McHugh's are from near Granard in County Longford in Ireland; the Turner family are from Dorset England. They all emigrate to a place on a bend in the Mississippi River, Commerce Illinois, soon to be renamed Nauvoo. Here these two families interact, and The McHugh's lovely and charming daughter Maureen becomes engaged in a ruckus at the time of the Mormon's takeover. She is enthralled by a handsome young blacksmith Joseph Turner. The area is embroiled as the Mormon Leader Joseph Smith insults the sensibilities of the Commerce Locals. The tensions build, a collision of two groups with divergent moralities culminating with the shooting of Joseph & Hyrum Smith, The Burning of the Temple, and the Exodus of the Mormon to the West. With the background of religious wars in rural Nauvoo, star-crossed lovers find each other, Constance Turner & Quinton Baker, Maureen McHugh, & Joseph Turner. They cannot avoid the violent times, In the tempest, they marry. When the Exodus begins, they remain behind.-to build new lives and a new community In 1852, Maureen reconnected with the family of the Father of her child. Sir Thomas and Lady Edith Sheridan come to Nauvoo to reclaim young Eddie after the death of Edward and Emily, Edward's wife, Lady Emily, had produced 4 daughters. They suffer many trials, Scarlet fever, The burning of the Temple and its destruction by Tornado, an invasion of the Icarian, and lastly our families become involved in the 1860 Presidential Election and its aftermath, the Civil War.