Footnotes

1. [1]

   See Taylor, “Early Republic’s Supernatural Economy,” 6–34.  

   Taylor, Alan. “The Early Republic’s Supernatural Economy: Treasure Seeking in the American Northeast, 1780–1830.” American Quarterly 38, no. 1 (Spring 1986): 6–34.

2. [2]

   Likely Bert Wade. (1880 U.S. Census, East Gallatin Valley, Gallatin Co., Montana Territory, 26.)  

   Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.

3. [3]

   The introductory text in the Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 23 Apr. 1880, [4], reads as follows:  

   “AN INTERESTING DOCUMENT.

   “Articles of Agreement Between Joe Smith, the Father of Mormonism and Other Persons in 1825.

   “Yellowstone Valley, Mt.,

   “April 12, 1880.

   “eds. tribune: Knowing how interested you are in any matter pertaining to the early history of our Church, I enclose a slip cut from the Susquehanna, (Pa.) Journal of March 20, which will throw some light on the subject. The Journal is published near the scene of our martyred Prophet’s early exploits.

   “Respectfully Yours,

   “B. Wade.

   “The following agreement, the original of which is in the possession of a citizen of Thompson township, was discovered by our correspondent, and forwarded to us as a matter of local interest.

   “The existence of the ‘buried treasures’ referred to was ‘revealed’ to Joe Smith jr., who with his father the Prophet, at that time resided on what is now known as the McCune farm, about two miles down the river from this place, and upon the strength of which revelation a stock company was organized to dig for the aforesaid treasure. After the company was organized, a second communication was received by Joseph, jr., from the ‘other world,’ advising the treasure seekers to suspend operations, as it was necessary for one of the company to die before the treasure could be secured.

   “Harper the peddler, who was murdered soon after, near the place where the Catholic cemetery in this borough is now located, was one of the original members of the company, and his death was regarded by the remainder of the band as a Providential occurrence, which the ‘powers’ had brought about for their especial benefit. The death of Harper having removed the only obstacle in the way of success, the surviving members re-commenced operations, and signed an ‘agreement,’ giving the widow Harper the half of one third of all the treasures secured. The following is the agreement, written by the old humbug, Joseph Smith, himself.”

    

   The text of the agreement is found at this point, followed by this concluding commentary:  

   “The place where treasure was supposed to lie buried was on the place now owned by J. M. Tillman, near the McKune farm, then the property of Wm. Hale. Excavations were also made on Jacob Skinner’s farm, some of which remain well marked to-day. It was while pursuing this unsuccessful search for treasures that the Prophet Smith pretended that he unearthed his famous ‘tablets.’

   “Brother Wade may have made a mistake in directing his letter to the proper Church journal. If he has, Granny [the LDS church–owned Deseret News] has our permission to copy the above by giving The Tribune proper credit.”

    

   Salt Lake Daily Tribune. Salt Lake City. 1871–.

4. [4]

   JS History, vol. A-1, 7–8; Oliver Cowdery, “Letter VIII,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Oct. 1835, 2:201; see also Blackman, History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, 103; and [JS], Editorial, Elders’ Journal, July 1838, 43.  

   Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

   Blackman, Emily C. History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. From a Period Preceding Its Settlement to Recent Times. . . . Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen and Haffelfinger, 1873.

   Elders’ Journal of the Church of Latter Day Saints. Kirtland, OH, Oct.–Nov. 1837; Far West, MO, July–Aug. 1838.

5. [5]

   Trial proceedings, Bainbridge, NY, 20 Mar. 1826, State of New York v. JS, [J.P. Ct. 1826], in “The Original Prophet,” Fraser’s Magazine, Feb. 1873, 229–230.  

   “The Original Prophet. By a Visitor to Salt Lake City.” Fraser’s Magazine 7, no. 28 (Feb. 1873): 225–235.

6. [6]

   Isaac Hale, Affidavit, Harmony, PA, 20 Mar. 1834, in “Mormonism,” Susquehanna Register, and Northern Pennsylvanian [Montrose, PA], 1 May 1834, [1]; Knight, Reminiscences, 2.  

   Susquehanna Register, and Northern Pennsylvanian. Montrose, PA. 1831–1836.

   Knight, Joseph, Sr. Reminiscences, no date. CHL. MS 3470.

7. [7]

   JS History, vol. A-1, 7–8.  

8. [8]

   Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1845, 95.  

9. [9]

   Oliver Cowdery, “Letter VIII,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Oct. 1835, 2:201.  

   Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

10. [10]

    Isaac Hale, Affidavit, Harmony, PA, 20 Mar. 1834, in “Mormonism,” Susquehanna Register, and Northern Pennsylvanian [Montrose, PA], 1 May 1834, [1].  

    Susquehanna Register, and Northern Pennsylvanian. Montrose, PA. 1831–1836.

11. [11]

    “A Document Discovered,” Utah Christian Advocate, Jan. 1886, 1. In March 1826, Peter G. Bridgman, a nephew of Josiah Stowell, filed a complaint in Bainbridge, New York, charging JS with being “a disorderly person and an Imposter”—charges related to JS’s activities as a treasure seeker and his use of a stone to find buried objects. The supposedly defrauded Josiah Stowell himself, however, testified in JS’s favor at the resulting trial. Though not known or published until decades later, the lengthy account in the Utah Christian Advocate represents itself as being a transcript from the records of Justice Albert Neely, who conducted the proceedings. (Trial proceedings, Bainbridge, NY, 20 Mar. 1826, State of New York v. JS, [J.P. Ct. 1826], in “The Original Prophet,” Fraser’s Magazine, Feb. 1873, 229–230.)  

    Utah Christian Advocate. Salt Lake City. Jan. 1884–Nov. 1887.

    “The Original Prophet. By a Visitor to Salt Lake City.” Fraser’s Magazine 7, no. 28 (Feb. 1873): 225–235.

12. [12]

    “An Interesting Document,” Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 23 Apr. 1880, [4].  

    Salt Lake Daily Tribune. Salt Lake City. 1871–.

13. [13]

    1830 U.S. Census, Chenango, Broome Co., NY, 21; Simon, “Notes on Oliver Harper.”  

    Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.

    Simon, Stephen Eric. “Notes on Oliver Harper.” Unpublished paper. Windsor, CT, 16 Feb. 1991. Copy in editors’ possession.

14. [14]

    “An Interesting Document,” Salt Lake Daily Tribune, 23 Apr. 1880, [4]. In May 1824 Oliver Harper, a raftsman of Windsor, New York, who floated large quantities of timber downriver, was murdered by Jason Treadwell just below Martin Lane’s mill (Lanesboro), Pennsylvania, while returning up the Susquehanna with his profits. (“Trial for Murder,” Adams Centinel [Gettysburg, PA], 22 Sept. 1824, [3]; Blackman, History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, 96–97, 582–583.)  

    Salt Lake Daily Tribune. Salt Lake City. 1871–.

    Adams Centinel. Gettysburg, PA. 1800–1867.

    Blackman, Emily C. History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. From a Period Preceding Its Settlement to Recent Times. . . . Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen and Haffelfinger, 1873.

15. [15]

    See “Trial for Murder,” Adams Centinel [Gettysburg, PA], 22 Sept. 1824, [3]; see also Blackman, History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, 582.  

    Adams Centinel. Gettysburg, PA. 1800–1867.

    Blackman, Emily C. History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. From a Period Preceding Its Settlement to Recent Times. . . . Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen and Haffelfinger, 1873.

16. [16]

    Josiah Stowell mentioned in a letter that he had not known JS before 1825. Isaac Hale claimed that he first met JS in November 1825. (Josiah Stowell Jr., Elmira, NY, to John S. Fullmer, Cambria Co., PA, 17 Feb. 1843, CHL; Isaac Hale, Affidavit, Harmony, PA, 20 Mar. 1834, in “Mormonism,” Susquehanna Register, and Northern Pennsylvanian [Montrose, PA], 1 May 1834, [1].)  

    Stowell, Josiah, Jr. Letter, Elmira, NY, to John S. Fullmer, Cambria Co., PA, 17 Feb. 1843. CHL. MS 2823 2.

    Susquehanna Register, and Northern Pennsylvanian. Montrose, PA. 1831–1836.

17. [17]

    If JS had originally worked for Oliver Harper or others who were a part of the treasure-seeking agreement, this associated information would have likely been included in their accounts. In her history of JS’s early life, Lucy Mack Smith gave no hint of her husband or JS going to Pennsylvania before 1825.  

18. [18]

    Doud claimed that on “the old Indian road from Windsor to Chenango Point, about four miles west of Windsor, men were digging, at the same time, for silver, upon Joe’s telling them where it could be found.” (Blackman, History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, 581.)  

    Blackman, Emily C. History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. From a Period Preceding Its Settlement to Recent Times. . . . Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen and Haffelfinger, 1873.

19. [19]

    See “W. R. Hine’s Statement,” Naked Truths about Mormonism (Oakland, CA), Jan. 1888, 2; “A Document Discovered,” Utah Christian Advocate, Jan. 1886, 1; Von Wymetal, Joseph Smith the Prophet, 78–79; and William W. Blair, Journal, 8 May 1879, in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 4:340–342.  

    Naked Truths about Mormonism: Also a Journal for Important, Newly Apprehended Truths, and Miscellany. Oakland, CA. Jan. and Apr. 1888.

    Utah Christian Advocate. Salt Lake City. Jan. 1884–Nov. 1887.

    Von Wymetal, Wilhelm [W. Wyl, pseud.]. Joseph Smith the Prophet: His Family and His Friends; A Study Based on Facts and Documents. Salt Lake City: Tribune Printing and Publishing, 1886.

    Vogel, Dan, ed. Early Mormon Documents. 5 vols. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1996–2003.