Wisconsin harbored an important community of early Mormons in the years when most of the Latter Day Saints emigrated to Utah. After the death of founder Joseph Smith in 1844, James J. Strang (q.v.) claimed that he had been selected by Smith to be his successor. The community divided on this question, with the majority following Brigham Young to Utah and some dissenters following Strang to Wisconsin. Here they founded the colony of Voree (1844-1847; q.v.) near Burlington in southeastern Wisconsin, and later established a "kingdom" on Beaver Island (1847-1856) in northern Lake Michigan whose population surpassed 1,000 of the faithful. It was there that, on July 8, 1850, Strang had himself crowned king, and where in 1856 he was assassinated.

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[Source: Dict. Amer. Biog.; WPA MS; Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles online collection.]