“Purchased 1/2 of the Steamer. ‘Maid of Iowa’ of Moffatt. & Capt. Jones commenced running said boat between Nauvoo & Montrose as a ferry boat.” — Joseph Smith¹

Constructed by Dan Jones and Levi Moffet in 1842, the Maid of Iowa was a small steamboat used as a ferry, freighter, and passenger ship capable of transporting 200 people. After Jones joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1843, Joseph Smith purchased Moffet's share of the boat, becoming Jones' partner. The steamboat played an important role in transporting British converts to Nauvoo. Despite its varied roles, the Maid of Iowa struggled financially, accumulating debts and facing difficulties in paying its crew. Ownership of the boat changed hands several times, eventually being managed by the Church’s trustee-in-trust, Joseph Smith. In June 1844, Joseph leased the ship to Arthur Morrison and Pulaski Cahoon for one hundred dollars a month. After Smith's death in 1844, the boat remained under church ownership until it was sold in 1845.^1,2

1. Journal, December 1842–June 1844; Book 2, 10 March 1843–14 July 1843, p. 200, The Joseph Smith Papers

2. “Introduction to Steamboat Maid of Iowa,” josephsmithpapers.org