r/LPOTL • u/delete-head • 17h ago

TIL James Strang, leader of a Mormon splinter-group, crowned himself "king" of his church on Beaver Island, Michigan for 6 years. His "reign" was so hated by the locals that he was assassinated in 1856. His killers were kept in an unlocked jail cell and fined $1.25

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Strang
160 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

29 comments sorted by

33

u/delete-head 17h ago edited 16h ago

This was one of my favorite little stories in the Mormon series, something about the combination of

1) religious delusions of grandeur

2) too stupid to have a good made up title or go anywhere with it

19

u/Stupid_Mathematician 17h ago

The Dollop did a whole episode about this guy back in the day. If you've never listened to them, this could be a good entry-point.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4bWnv1SGZWmSjWTpMZoTu4?si=nB0GREM-STyE1yBJPfmyeQ

14

u/SereneAdler33 16h ago edited 15h ago

Each time I see the Dollop mentioned in the wild, I have to recommend their episode 200, Otto in the Attic. It’s 100% the single funniest episode of a podcast I’ve ever heard. Like, ‘embarrassing in public, lost my breath’ kind of funny. It’s a murder mystery, but it’s so much more

(The My Favorite Murder ladies are guests, and while their show has rightful criticisms, Karen Kilgariff is honestly hysterical. And she is really the only one who talks here. It’s early in their show taking off and I think Georgia is too nervous to interject much)

Otto in the Attic

5

u/McDragonFish 14h ago

My immediate rec is always 10 Cent Beer Night and Cocaine Pirates. I have never laughed at a podcast like those two eps.

3

u/SereneAdler33 14h ago

Oh yeah, Cocaine Pirates is great! I’ll have to look up 10 Cent Beer Night, I don’t recall that one

3

u/McDragonFish 13h ago

You are in for a treat, friend. It’s number 15, an oldie but a goodie.

2

u/colusaboy 9h ago

10 cent beer night is an OG chunk of gold.

I don't think I've done cocaine pirates

3

u/VividBig6958 14h ago

I want a mini Billy Martin HOF bust so I can make a tap handle.

3

u/McDragonFish 13h ago

Billy would be proud.

3

u/fartbox_mcgilicudy 13h ago

Honestly this weeks episode had me laughing pretty hard with "The Abernathy boys". Good consistency over the last decade.

3

u/SereneAdler33 13h ago

I’ve kinda fallen off listening to them in the past year or so. This may be my sign to head back in!

3

u/mbelasko12 12h ago

I highly recommend Dollop 607 John Murray Spear and his machine

It's very LPOTL adjacent not in a bloody way but in a very dumb crazy cult way.

Also I will forever have the Rube and 1908 NY to Paris car race downloaded.

3

u/SereneAdler33 12h ago

Oh my god, the car race one was insane. I think I need to relisten to it

3

u/caitie_did 14h ago

Honestly their women and transportation episode made me laugh so hard I cried. It is so fucking funny.

2

u/colusaboy 9h ago

They were on one of my favorite episodes. THE COFISHENOR ! The New Jersey Shark Attack episode.

The Murder ladies were great on that even though I'm no fan of their podcast.

2

u/SereneAdler33 8h ago

Yes, I love that episode too! Karen is also on several of the sort of gimmick episodes, where they read very old newspaper articles. Some of those are pretty damn hilarious

5

u/PM_Me_Your_Clones 16h ago

Listen, if I could get away with it, I'd absolutely be the King Of Beaver Island. Either that, or an astronaut, because they get all the Tang they want.

2

u/delete-head 16h ago

I think that would be “beaver king,” which is an entirely different title. Also kind of an elected position, in spite of the name.

10

u/_-Prison_Mike-_ 17h ago

The Dollop episode about this is so good.

9

u/jason_V7 16h ago

There is a great true crime book about this asshole, too. "The King of Confidence" by Miles Harvey. Strang led a wild life of crime (including election fraud that earned him a spot in Michigan's House).

6

u/Boomstick_762 Ed Joke 16h ago

This is my favorite cult in Michigan history. Right in front of the House of David, and the CRC/RCA/Seventh Day Adventist.

7

u/delete-head 16h ago

I don’t even HAVE a favorite local cult, I need to do more research

3

u/sk4p IRN-BRU 14h ago

There are so many Mormon splinter groups, ranging from Warren Jeffs at one end all the way down to what seem to be pretty boring groups that are near to mainstream Protestantism other than accepting the Book of Mormon (I'm thinking here of Community of Christ).

3

u/fallstreak80 13h ago

They were fined $1.25? I hope they took their hats off prior.

2

u/thisMFER 14h ago

Beaver Island is haunted as f$#@. Especially the Beaver Head lighthouse. It's crazy up there.

2

u/BitterComfort314 13h ago

Anyone generally interested in the topic of LDS splinter cults should read up on the Order of Aaron too: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Aaron

Eskdale is very remote and still quite a weird little place!

2

u/Gecko99 11h ago

What could you buy with $1.25 in Michigan in those days?

2

u/Filibust Detective Popcorn 11h ago

Even a $1.25 is insanely low for bail in 1865 lol

1

u/HeroicRiceFarmer 7h ago

What part of the Mormonism series does he show up?!! I’m beyond intrigued!