Mormon Print Shop

This building was erected in 1850, by James Strang and his followers. Here, during the 1850s, these Mormon dissenters published religious works and two newspapers, the Northern Islander and the Daily Northern Islander. Strang’s group had settled on Beaver Island in 1846 after breaking away from the Mormons led by Brigham Young. In 1850 Strang was declared “king” of his community, which made up the majority of the population on the island. In 1856 Strang was fatally shot by two disenchanted followers. In the wake of the assassination, an angry mob from the mainland stormed Beaver Island destroying buildings and forcing the Mormons to flee. At that time, this print shop was ransacked. It later became a boardinghouse. Today it serves as the headquarters for the Beaver Island Historical Society.