Few people have done as much to preserve history in a tangible way as Dr. J. LeRoy Kimball, a Salt Lake physician who died this week at the age of 90.
His name and Nauvoo, Ill., a city that was founded in the late 1830s by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are closely linked.Dr. Kimball, a great-grandson of early Mormon leader Heber C. Kimball, was president of Nauvoo Restoration Inc., a nonprofit corporation, from 1962 to 1987. The organization did extensive acquiring, salvaging and authentically restoring of structures in the city.
Most of the work grew out of Dr. Kimball's personal interest in what little was left of the once impressive city, abandoned by persecuted church members under duress in 1846. He became interested in Nauvoo in 1925 when he visited the area while attending medical school in Chicago.
At that time he saw and decided to buy the Heber C. Kimball home. But not until 1954 was he finally able to purchase the home. Originally, he intended simply to restore the home as a second residence for his family. Restoration work was completed in 1960, and 15,000 people visited the home that year.
The intense public interest in the restoration of the Kimball home led to the forming of Nauvoo Restoration Inc. In the years that followed, many purchases of land were made, including the Nauvoo Temple lot. Under Dr. Kimball's direction, many other homes and facilities were restored, including the Seventies Hall, the Masonic Hall, the Brigham Young home, the Johnathan Browning home, the Times and Seasons building, and a printing and blacksmith shop.
Not only have the buildings been restored, but they are used as a kind of living history, as guides conduct tours and demonstrate the crafts once accomplished within those walls.
For his untiring efforts to restore what was once known as "Nauvoo the Beautiful," Dr. Kimball was the recipient of awards from a number of historical organizations.
A specialist in internal medicine and cardiovascular disorders, Dr. Kimball practiced medicine in Salt Lake City for more than 40 years.
Dr. Kimball once said that the restoration of Nauvoo was the fulfillment of a dream. More than just a dream, his legacy is a historical preservation that is one of the finest in America.