Adam-ondi-Ahman

Adam-ondi-Ahman is a historic site in Daviess County, Missouri, set along river bluffs overlooking the Grand River valley. The property covers fields, open meadows, and wooded slopes crossed by footpaths that guide visitors across the rolling countryside.

The settlement was founded in 1838 as a Mormon community and grew quickly to about 200 houses before residents fled that same year during armed conflicts in Missouri. During the Civil War a skirmish took place here in 1862 when Union forces tried to stop Confederate reinforcements.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints view this ground as the valley where Adam gathered his family three years before his death. The name comes from a revealed vision and connects the Missouri bluffs to events described in ancient scripture.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints maintains the grounds and provides signs explaining the religious background of the place. Visitors can walk the trails freely and enjoy views across the river valley without paying admission.

The site bears a name drawn from a Hebrew root meaning man or ground combined with a term some link to a divine title. The original settlement vanished so quickly that few physical traces remain and only the landscape itself recalls that brief period.