Orient Iowa Toursim |
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Members of the Mormon movement to Salt Lake City via the Mormon Pioneer Trail entered Adair County June 4, 1846. Wayside exhibits in the community of Orient commemorate the Saints passing through the county. The Mormon migration across Iowa was a movement of families. Young people, from infants to teenagers, played an important part of day to day life along the trail. The journey was a delightful adventure for many children. They reveled in the beauty of Iowa prairies, energetically catching butterflies by day and fireflies by night. It was not all fun and games, however. Children had jobs to do, such as gathering fuel for campfires, helping to cook meals, driving the oxen, and helping with younger siblings - all crucial to the survival of the Mormon Pioneer Companies. Older teens were often expected to hold as much responsibility as the adults. An Interpretive Panel on one of Orient’s main streets tells of the Mormon trek through Adair County with emphasis on the children traveling the trail. A mural at "Bank of Memories" depicts the crossing through the Orient area, plus numerous historical books and items in the museum inventory. There is a D.A.R. Marker on a stone in front of the Orient-Macksburg School commemorating the Mormon Trail.
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