“In the course of a short time ​the most of the church were under way for Clay Co[unty].” — Edward Partridge¹

Clay County, Missouri, was settled around 1800 and organized from Ray County in 1822, with Liberty as the county seat. Its population grew from about 5,000 in 1830 to 8,500 in 1836.² In 1833, it became a refuge for Latter-day Saints expelled from Jackson County, who had crossed the Missouri River in the wind and snow. By 1834, approximately 900 Saints lived there.² In the meantime, Joseph Smith organized Zion's Camp in Ohio in order to protect the Saints in Missouri. However, by the summer of 1836, citizens demanded that the Saints leave, leading most to immigrate to Caldwell County by 1838. The Saints faced harsh conditions upon arriving in Clay County, and efforts to negotiate a peaceful return to Jackson County were unsuccessful.³

1. Edward Partridge, History, Manuscript, circa 1839

2. "Clay County, Missouri," josephsmithpapers.org

3. Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 17; Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 18, 196-206