USA > Iowa > Clinton County > Wolfe's history of Clinton County, Iowa, Volume 1 > Part 16
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He also presented to St. Irenaeus the large round window in the east end of the St. Irenaeus church. The property of St. Boniface is worth forty thousand dollars.
ST. MARY'S. .
The first pastor in St. Mary's parish was the Rev. P. V. Mclaughlin. In 1865 or '66, there was erected by Father Jean a small frame church on the corner of Sixth avenue and Fourth street, the present site of the Clinton high school. This church during the pastorage of Father P. V. Mclaughlin was enlarged to a seating capacity of about one thousand people. The loca-
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tion not being satisfactory, the beautiful and commanding site on Ninth avenue and Fifth street, where St. Mary's church now stands, was acquired by Father P. V. Mclaughlin.
Father Mclaughlin died January 16, 1879, and was buried under the altar of the church that he had reconstructed. He was succeeded immediately by the present pastor, the Rev. E. J. Mclaughlin, who in 1884 commenced the construction of the present St. Mary's, which church is seventy-eight feet wide and one hundred and sixty-seven feet deep. It is one of the finest churches of any denomination in the state of Iowa. In connection with the church there was established, in the seventies, a parochial school; this after- wards was enlarged in 1880, being partially destroyed by fire in 1906. In the same year the construction of the new parochial school was commenced. it was occupied for the first time in January, 1908. The parochial school of St. Mary's is one of the finest buildings in the state, and was erected at a cost of about thirty-six thousand dollars. In addition to the erection of the church and school in 1896-7, the new rectory was erected.
Father E. J. Mclaughlin is a native of Dubuque, and thirty-two years of his life have been spent in Clinton, in work for the parish of St. Mary's. Here he has built up a character known and appreciated throughout all of Iowa, for he is recognized in all parts of the state as one of the strongest men in the church. The value of St. Mary's church property is two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
ST. PATRICK'S PARISH.
In the year 1889, Archbishop Hennessy conceived the idea that the parish of St. Mary's was too large, and sent the vicar-general, the Rev. Father Ryan, to consult with Father Mclaughlin as to the division of the parish, at which meeting the parish of St. Patrick's was brought into existence, and its lines fixed as the middle of Fourth avenue and the boundary line which at that time separated the city of Clinton from that of Lyons, and on Sunday, De- cember 1, 1889, Father Murray met, for the first time, the parishioners of St. Patrick's parish. The meeting was held in the basement of St. Mary's church. The first mass celebrated in the new parish was January 19, 1890. The new edifice which had been erected was dedicated in the following March, the grounds and building costing about eighteen thousand dollars. In 1905, St. Patrick's parish erected a new church and rectory at a cost of about forty thousand dollars. The edifice is sixty-six feet in width, by one hundred and twenty-six feet in depth, and is built of pressed brick trimmed with red Bed-
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ford sandstone. The first mass was celebrated in the new church on Christmas morning, 1905.
In addition to the church, there was a beautiful rectory erected at the same time, and there is also a parochial school connected with the parish that is conducted by the Sisters of St. Francis from Mt. St. Clare, and also a parish hall, St. James', that was erected by Father Matthew's Total Abstain- ence Society in 1904. In the twenty-one years of its existence, St. Patrick's parish has expended in church, rectory, school and hall about fifty thousand dollars, and during all this time it has been under the guiding hand of Rev. J. A. Murray, who has carried on this work, memorializing himself as he could not be by any marble shaft that may be placed over his grave at his decease. His friends include all who know him.
SACRED HEART PARISH.
This parish was established by the bishop in 1891, although some years prior to that date the present edifice was acquired. The members of this par- ish are principally Germans. The building used as a church was erected by a non-Catholic denomination, and was used by many different sects. At one time it was used by the A. P. A.'s, a peculiar anti-Catholic society. The prop- erty was mortgaged and the mortgage was foreclosed, and the building and lots, when sold, were purchased by the German Catholics of the city of Clinton, and the parish formed and dedicated to the Sacred Heart. It was first estab- lished as an outline missionary for St. Boniface, but in 1900 the dwelling house adjoining the church was purchased and converted into a rectory. The church is situated on the corner of Fourth avenue and Fourth street. In con- nection with the parish, there is a parochial school that was erected in 1903. which is in charge of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mt. St. Clare. This prop- erty is worth thirty-five thousand dollars. In 1903 Father Trunn took charge as resident pastor, and in 1904 he was succeeded by Father Brinkmann, the present pastor.
ST. JOSEPH'S PARISH, DE WITT.
In De Witt was constructed the first Catholic church in the county of Clinton. It was a small log building and was erected on Jefferson street, about where the Stephen block is now located. It was constructed in 1850 or '51, but at the time of its construction there was no resident priest located in said parish.
In the vicinity of De Witt in 1836, claims had been taken up by Catholic
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people, and the first mass was celebrated, so far as known, in 1850 by Father Kelly. There is little doubt but that prior to that time mass had also been celebrated by the Indian missionary, Father McGinnis. The old log church was superseded in 1852 by a more pretentious building that cost about one thousand dollars, the lumber for the building of which was hauled by team from Davenport. From this humble building has grown the St. Joseph's par- ish of today, which is one of the strongest in the county of Clinton.
For a time Father McKenna had charge of De Witt, as he had practically charge of all of the county, outside of the pastorship of Father Jean in Lyons. After Father McKenna, came Fathers McDermott, O'Beirne, and James W. Scallon, who had charge of De Witt, Center Grove, Deep Creek, Toronto and Big Rock for a number of years.
Father Scallon was succeeded by Fathers Farrell, Brady and McCormick. In 1879 the church was burned, and for a time mass was celebrated in the old abandoned court house. The present church was erected in 1880, at a cost of about thirty thousand dollars, and from the time of its construction until his death, in 1904, the pastor was Father P. J. Maher. He was a man re- spected and loved by all the citizens of De Witt, and his death was mourned by Catholics and Protestants alike, so that on the day of his funeral all busi- ness houses in the town of De Witt were closed. Connected with this church is a convent and parochial school conducted by the Sisters of Mercy. The school was erected in 1890, at a cost of twelve thousand dollars. Upon the death of Father P. J. Maher, Father Nelson, the present pastor of the church, succeeded him. Father Nelson is a native of Iowa, being born in Jackson county.
ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH, BROWNS.
A mission was established at Browns in the month of February, 1855, when Henry Nurre, a Catholic pioneer, donated forty acres of land and the same year the Catholic people erected a small frame building, which, with later additions, cost the congregation one thousand five hundred dollars. This charge was attended by various outside priests. The first resident priest was Father W. B. Sassen, who began in 1887. In 1896 the old church was suc- ceeded by the present church edifice, costing about seven thousand dollars. In 1899 this priest was transferred to other work and was followed here by Father John P. Haubrich. In 1902 this pastor erected a parochial school, one of the finest in Clinton county. Its cost was six thousand dollars. In 1905 St. Joseph's celebrated its golden jubilee.
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ST. PATRICK'S PARISH, VILLA NOVA.
This parish dates its history from 1856, when Father McKenna erected a church edifice at a cost of one thousand dollars. Under the lofty trees this man of God bowed his head and offered up praise for the opportunity of doing pioneer work for the church. The building was of logs and lumber com- bined. Before this Father McKenna had said mass at the houses of Michael Trimball and Patrick Lawler. The congregation grew rapidly and at one time it was the strongest rural church in Clinton county. In 1883 a new and more modern house of worship was provided, at a cost of sixteen thousand dollars. The spire reaches heavenward one hundred and thirty feet. Father McCormick's pastorate extended to 1878 and he was succeeded by Father Brady and he by Father J. B. Gaffney. Following him came John Garland and he in turn by Father Riordan in 1890. In 1893 Father Thomas Kiernan took charge and died September 14, 1897. Then came Father Malloy and in 1898 Father M. J. Hennessy came.
PETERSVILLE AND CHARLOTTE CHURCHES.
Deep Creek or Petersville mission was established at a very early day. As early as 1852 Father McKenna celebrated mass at the house of Cornelius Spain and from 1853 to 1865 it was had regularly in a log cabin on the north- west corner of the forty-acre lot of church property in section 30 of Water- ford township. Father McKenna attended here for six years, walking to and from the place. He died in 1860 and was buried in Mill Creek cemetery, where a small limestone monument marks his grave. There were but six families when the parish was formed, but it has grown to be one of the wealth- iest parishes in the archdiocese. The pastors serving here included : Revs. J. J. Cadden, Eugene O'Keefe, John J. O'Farrell, in 1880, Peter O'Dowd, the present pastor. In 1891 a fine parochial school building was erected and in 1903 came the climax work of this priest, who erected a new church, costing twenty-five thousand dollars. It is a pressed brick structure. This was dedi- cated November 7, 1904. Father Nugent, the Des Moines orator, preached one of the sermons on this occasion, which was a red-letter day in the church.
Assumption church of Charlotte, an outlying mission of Petersville, was built in 1882. It is a brick building. The congregation numbers about fifty families. Rev. O'Dowd, of Petersville has charge.
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ST. MARY'S PARISH, BRYANT.
The "Old Prairie church" was built by the pioneer Catholics of this par- ish, but during the pastorate of Father J. F. Bowen a new building was pro- vided for the congregation. It was located in the village of Bryant and cost about nine thousand dollars. The present pastor is Father Mahoney, who is proving an excellent man in the position he fills so acceptably to his church.
TORONTO AND LOST NATION.
Toronto mission was founded by Father Scallon, of De Witt, in 1870. He caused to be erected a church building, costing one thousand dollars, and thus founded St. James' parish. The various priests have been : M. V. Rice, J. Murphy, Father McNamara, who in 1883 erected a new church edifice, at a cost of three thousand dollars. . He also attends Lost Nation charge. Here he has erected the church of the Sacred Heart. First mass was celebrated there in December, 1885. The pioneer Catholics of this section included : Messrs. James Devitt, Edward McAndrews, John R. Wolfe, Mathias Cavey, Peter Hart, James McHugh, Daniel Carey, Daniel Conway, Anthonyn Mc- Donnell and others of Toronto, and James Gilroy, Philip McAndrew, Timothy O'Boyle, James B. Wolfe, Mathias Hess and others of Lost Nation.
SS. PHILIP AND JAMES, GRAND MOUND.
The mission of SS. Philip and James was founded in 1876 as an outlying mission of De Witt. As early as 1856, however, mass was celebrated by Father McKenna at the house of James Lynch and other places. In 1876 Father Brady, of De Witt, attended Grand Mound as an outlying mission and formed permanently SS. Philip and James mission. The cost of this building has been considered about one thousand five hundred dollars. In 1878 the mission was attended by Father McCormick, who succeeded Father Brady at De Witt. Then came Father Maher, who served until 1890, when Father Riordan came and is still pastor. Changes in rebuilding the church cost, in 1893, two thousand dollars. Again, in 1903, still further improve- ments on the church were made, costing three thousand dollars more.
ST. COLUMBKILL'S CHURCH, HUGHES SETTLEMENT.
This church is situated in the northwest corner of section 10, Berlin township. The cornerstone of the building was laid May 15, 1879, and the cost of the structure was two thousand dollars. It was built by Father
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Murphy, of Toronto, and was attended at different times by the pastors of that place, also from Delmar. It is an outlying mission from Oxford Junc- tion, Jones county. It is now attended by Father McNamara. Mass was first had here in 1870 at the house of Richard Hughes and when Mr. Hughes saw the need of building a church he donated the land on which it stands. The first mass celebrated in the new church was August 15, 1879, three months after the cornerstone laying.
ST. PATRICK'S PARISH, DELMAR.
St. Patrick's mission, at Delmar Junction, was established as an outlying post of Maquoketa, by Father Tracy, who was appointed to the church at Maquoketa in 1880. He held mass in Westover's Hall before the church was finished in 1882. The church at Maquoketa cost seven thousand dollars. He moved to Delmar after that and was the first resident pastor. Things turned about and Maquoketa became an outpost of Delmar. In 1890 it was, how- ever made an outlying mission of Oxford Junction. In 1887 Father Helan succeeded Father Tracy and in turn Father W. W. Cook came, and he was followed by Jeremiah Ryan, who remained until the autumn of 1894, then came Father J. F. Bowen, present pastor. Since his coming, he has expended more than ten thousand dollars in church improvements. In 1903 he pur- chased three acres of ground within the limits of Delmar and platted St. Pat- rick's cemetery. The total value of St. Patrick's property today is twenty- five thousand dollars. The parish contains three hundred and fifty souls.
PARISH OF WELTON.
In the winter of 1909-10 there was established a new parish at the town of Welton, and the present pastor is a resident of the town, and a church to cost twenty thousand dollars is in process of erection.
OUR LADY OF ANGELS SEMINARY.
The first boarding school for young Catholic ladies was incorporated in 1872, under the name of Our Lady of Angels Seminary. It is beautifully located on a hill overlooking the city, and is under the direction of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It offers superior and refined advantages to those seeking an education. The grounds cover an area of picturesque land of twelve acres in extent and ideally located.
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ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL.
St. Joseph's Hospital is under the charge of the Sisters of Mercy. It is located on what was the old Deeds homestead, a picturesque bluff overlooking the Mississippi river. In this hospital the suffering are looked after and tenderly cared for regardless of their creed. The only question asked, "Is the patient in need of assistance and of nursing."
MT. ST. CLARE ACADEMY.
The Academy of Mt. St. Clare is under the auspices of the Sisters of St. Francis. It is located on the high bluffs on the west of the city of Clinton, and is a most desirable spot. The Sisters of St. Francis have commenced the erection of a new building for school purposes, which when completed is to be one hundred and twenty-six by two hundred feet, and five stories in height. They have conducted a successful school from the time of its first opening. At this point is located the mother house of the order in the state of Iowa.
CONCERNING THE PIONEER PRIEST.
The following sketch of the life and work of Father Jean has been fur- nished by one who knew him long and intimately :
In the year 1852, Father Frederick Cyrillus Jean was sent to Clinton county and became pastor of St. Irenaeus parish, being the first Catholic priest permanently stationed in the county. All who preceded him and read mass in the county were missionary priests. Father Jean was born and educated in France, but came over with Bishop Loras, and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in Dubuque. The first scene of his labor was at Bellevue, in Jackson county, but shortly after being so ordained he came to St. Irenaeus. The work he did, the good he accomplished, the sacrifices he made, the hard- ships he endured in preaching and in teaching the gospel of Christ in his new field of endeavor, can hardly be realized by us at this time. By his ability and his energy, he founded and built up the parish, until today it takes rank among the first Catholic parishes in the state, and the present church stands as a monument to his tireless industry. To the everlasting credit of Father Jean, it should be known that it was he who established, conducted and in fact taught the first parochial school in Clinton county.
Father Jean was a zealous, pious man, and it is not too much to say of him that up to the time of his mental derangement, no one could have done
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more to instill into the minds and hearts of those around and about him, those principles and doctrines of divine light and truth, which Christ came on earth to teach to men, than did the subject of this sketch; though in the declining years of his life,
"Lonely was the way he trod. He clung to his religion and his God."
CHRISTIAN CHURCHES.
Church of Christ, at Clinton, a Christian church, was organized Decem- ber 18, 1901. Three days earlier, a number of members of the Church of Christ met at two-thirty P. M. in the German Baptist church. Rev. R. Tibbs Maxey, pastor from Fulton, preached at that time. The meeting for organiz- ing the church here was held at the home of Doctor Johnson, but it was not perfected, at that meeting, but decided to hold a series of meetings. The com- mittee for carrying on these regular meetings was composed of Mrs. C. F. Whitney, Dr. J. R. Johnson, Mrs. N. Perkins, G. W. Hardy and Berton More, secretary and treasurer. R. Tibbs Maxey acted as chairman. The German Baptist church was secured to hold services in. Rev. Maxey served as pastor for three months.
On January 8, 1902, a meeting was called for the purpose of organizing a church society. Rev. Maxey acted as chairman, Dr. J. R. Johnson acted as secretary. At this meeting J. W. Forsee and Dr. J. R. Johnson were elected elders and G. A. Hardy and C. S. Doner as deacons. C. S. Doner was also chosen clerk and treasurer. Dr. J. R. Johnson succeeded Rev. Maxey in car- ing for the little flock, and in June a tabernacle was built on Eleventh avenue, between Fourth and Fifth streets, for the purpose of holding a protracted meeting, by Evangelist G. F. Griffith.
September 25, 1902, Elder Henry Howard and two deacons were elected. The last named officers were T. C. Peace and L. Curtis.
Articles of incorporation were read, and later adopted and three trustees elected. In the winter of 1902-03 the congregation worshiped in the Grand Army Hall, going back to the tabernacle in the summer of 1903, then rotating back to the hall in the winter. V. F. Johnson was called as pastor and in March, 1905, the property at the corner of Eighth avenue and Fifth streets was bought, the dwelling moved off and the German Baptist church, in which they had worshiped, was purchased and removed to this lot. It was opened for services November 26, 1905. M. V. Johnson served as pastor until the spring of 1907, when he was followed by Rev. C. L. Organ, who remained
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during the summer, when R. B. Done took up the work. A special meeting was held in the winter. Rev. Done resigned in the fall to take up the work at Streeter, Illinois. March 1, 1909, Rev. B. L. Kline, the present pastor, took up the work. The congregation now has a membership of one hundred and seventy-five and a property valued at seven thousand dollars. There were forty-nine charter members, too many to here name individually.
DE WITT CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
The Christian church at De Witt was organized in 1853, by elders John Cotton and D. P. Merod. The present membership, resident and non-resident, is about seventy-five. The value of church property is five thousand two hun- dred dollars. The pastors who have served are: Revs. Ritch, N. A. Mc- Connell, Jonas Hartzel, David Wells, William L. Sweeney, George W. Sweeney, Rev. Stover, Clinton Aber, W. S. Johnson, Vernon Harrington, Charles Brown, R. Tibbs Maxey, G. Lolen and the present pastor, G. L. Bohannon.
SEVENTH-DAY BAPTIST CHURCH, WELTON.
This church was formed in Clinton county in 1853 and 1854, when a few families came in for settlement who espoused this peculiar religious faith. These persons were Rev. Lewis A. Davis, Rev. John Davis, Deacon John Bab- cock, Leven Hurley, Uriah Davis and their families. The organization took place in what is now known as the Walrod school house, on January 7, 1855. There were nine men and twelve women in the first membership.
The following declaration was subscribed to by these people, the same being the principles of the Seventh-Day Baptist church of this country, as an- nounced in their publications :
"First, we believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the word of God, and are all-sufficient for the well ordering of the Christian church, both in doctrine and discipline.
"Second, that the practice of sabbatizing on the first day of the week is of Romish origin, and is a practical violation of the fourth commandment of the Decalogue. Therefore we sabbatize on the seventh day.
"Third, that immersion of believers in water is Christian baptism. There- fore we practice no other form.
"Fourth, that the use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage is the highway to drunkenness and ruin, therefore we have no fellowship with those who use it as such.
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"Fifth, that American slavery is a base violation of the rites of man and the law of God, therefore we disclaim all fellowship with slaveholders and their abettors.
"Sixth, that the government of the Church of Christ is of gospel rite, administered in His name by a majority vote of the members not under cen- sure, and to them belongs the appointment of all the same."
This church at Welton, though small in numbers, is a vigorous working body. It has sent out numerous men into the work of the ministry and now has five such as pastors and missionaries. They differ from other Baptist churches only in the matter of observing another day for the Sabbath. The other differences are slight. The first of this denomination in this country was formed at Newport, Rhode Island, December 23, 1671. It is the firm belief of this people, that the ordinary day kept for Sabbath was changed to such by the Church of Rome and not by authority of God, hence adhere strict- ly to the fourth commandment, as do several other denominations, Adventists, the Hebrews, etc. This local society certainly are an exemplary set of persons, good citizens and doing their own special work in the evangelization of the world, from their own view-point.
BAPTIST CHURCHES.
The Camanche Baptist church was organized after this manner: In the year 1851, Rev. George Baldwin, from Rock Island, Elder Rutledge, from Cordova, Illinois, and Rev. B. F. Brabrook, of Davenport, held services in the brick school house at Camanche, which resulted in the organization of the First Baptist church of Camanche, with the following charter members: Ad- dison Barker and wife, Rosswell B. Millard and wife, John Root and wife, Daniel Davidson and wife, and Mrs. E. A. Lemon. Soon thereafter many more united.
The church was incorporated in 1856 and re-incorporated in 1892, to com- ply with the state law.
On June 3, 1860, just after the bell had rung for the evening worship, a terrible tornado destroyed the church and many of the homes of the mem- bers. The Rev. John Edminster, who was pastor at the time, and whose home was destroyed and family injured, was returning from preaching at the old "Stone" school house in the country in the afternoon. He saw the tor- nado traveling eighty-five miles an hour from west to east, in the center of which was a water-spout which, in Camanche, filled many of the cellars of the houses destroyed there. He made a tour through the east, lecturing on
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