tomorrow & view the ground where bro. Cutler has been cutting hay."
(Willard Richards or Minutes of Municipal High Council-I've lost my
identifying tag.  The quote if accurate, but I need to go back and check
which source it came from.)

Sept. 18, 1846

High Council Meeting. Much discussion on where to locate. Some
argued for present location--but it seemed not all could settle in one group. Some argued for land near Ft. Atkinson. Most argued for tableland for
good farming, health, protection.
"Pres. Young arose and said it is wisdom for this Camp to locate together
as much as possible in order for our protection and safety from Mobs of
Missouri or the Indians and it will be best for us to practice now as it will
be expedient for us to live when we get among a great number of Indian
Tribes where they gathered in thousands for plunder and if we scatter here
it will take a long time if a difficulty should happen to occur; before we
 could concentrate our forces in order to protect ourselves and property and
a large amount of damage might be done in meantime I recommend
therefore that all the brethren concentrate themselves and settle together on
this Table land as m. . .tely they can conveniently." Despite additional
 arguments in favor of other locations, majority voted to settle on
 tablelands. (Minutes of the Municipal High Council, LDS Church Archives)

"I went in company with the Twelve & others to the Mo river on A piece
of table land to lay out the city or place for the encampment. We
abandoned the prairie ridges where we first laid out the place for the
encampment in consequence of the Block winds. We held a Council with
the H Council. They spoke their feelings. Were divided to tie about
there place of location. President Young spoke his feelings about it &
called for a vote to have the lot located on the table land near the Mo river
& it was A universal vote. We examined the ground."(Scott Kenny, ed.,
Wilford Woodruff's Journal, 1833-1898, 3:83)

"About 8 o'clock the high council 10 of them, & Prest. Young, Kimball,
O. Pratt, Richards, Woodruff started from camp & about 11 arrived at
 Cutlers Hay Stacks, tent, & waggon. when the High Council in session
each one speaking about freely about a location where the house was
divided. when 1/2 voted to stay where they were & 1/2 voted to remove to
this place. when at 2 P.M. Prest. Young spoke at some length in favor of
locating together & in favor of this place but wanted the High Council to
decide. Lorenzo Young spoke against the bottom location. Elder Kimball
spoke in favor of this place. O. Pratt philosophized on the gasses.
Hydrogen - pre____ in the decomposition of vegetable matter. Elder
Kimball the ___the___ of bailing land with Dross on the top. & Elder
Richards added silver to gold & Elder Kimball added onions and at 3 and
followed Prest. Young in vote to settle here. Votes that Prest. B. Young
be surveyor to lay out the new village or city and council adjourned. . .