History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 80

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340

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In 1830 the Illinois Conference had a " Chicago Mission District." In the fall of this year the Rev.

Hephow, P. Bega

Jesse Walker was appointed to this mission as its super- intendent; and in June, 1831, accompanied by Rev. Stephen R. Beggs, set out on horse-back from Plain- field to Chicago, forty miles distant. With reference to this visit Mr. Beggs writes:

" When we arrived, Brother Walker gave out an appointment for me to preach in the garrison, in old Dr. Harmon's room. After the sermon was over, he gave it out that I was to preach again next morning at nine o'clock; and this was the beginning of a happy time here. I opened the door for the reception, and I think ten joined the church."

These two sermons were preached, the one on the evening of the 15th, the other on the morning of the 16th of June, 1831. Among the number of those who joined this, the first, church society or class organized in Chicago, were: Rev. William See and wife, Elijah Wentworth, Jr., his mother and two sisters, and Mrs. Dr. Elijah D. Harmon. Rev. William See, a regularly ordained clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the absence of other clergymen, preached as occa- sion offered or required. He was by trade a black- smith and poor in purse, but of good moral character and highly esteemed. Rev. Jesse Walker, being super- intendent of the mission work from Peoria to Chicago, could preach in the latter place only a few times a year, and so, at his request, Bishop R. R. Roberts, in the fall of 1831, appointed Rev. Stephen R. Beggs to the mission at Chicago. Probahly in October, Mr. Beggs came to this field, and found awaiting him the small class he had formed the preceding June. No house of worship having been as yet erected, religious services were generally conducted in the fort. In Jan- uary, 1832, the first quarterly meeting was held; and an ox-team was employed, and driven by T. B. Clark, to draw provisions from Plainfield to assist in sustaining the people during the continuance of the meeting. Mr. Beggs says:

" The meeting commenced with power, and increased in in- terest till Sunday morning. My first sermon was preached on Sabbath morning, at ten o'clock. after which Brother Walker in- vited the people around the steramental board. It was a season long to be remembered. Every one seemed to be baptised and consecrated anew to the great work to be accomplished in the vit- lage that was destined to become a mighty city."

Mr. Beggs brought Mrs. Beggs to Chicago in May. 1832, and made the village his home, nearly or quite a year. A number of additions was made to the mem- bership of his class of society; six in the early winter of

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1831-32. A portion of the time meetings were held in the log school-house. In the year 1832, Rev. Jesse Walker was appointed to the Chicago mission to suc- ceed Mr. Beggs. As soon as practicable he moved to Chicago, and entered upon his labors. His first quar- terly meeting was held in a log building, subsequently known as "Father Walker's " log cabin. It stood on the West Side, near the bank of the river where the North and South branches meet, near what is now the southwest corner of Kinzie and Canal streets. This

building was used by Mr. Walker as a parsonage, par- lor, kitchen and church. At his first quarterly meeting, held in the fall of 1833, there were present, besides him- self, Rev. John Sinclair, presiding elder, Rev. William See, local elder, Henry Whitehead, who was licensed to preach at that meeting, Charles Wisencraft, Mrs. R. J. Hamilton, and Mrs. Harmon. Mr. Whitehead was the first minister licensed in Chicago to preach. Mr. Walker became superannuated in 1834 and died in 1835.

Aside from the religious services outlined above, · and in connection with a debating society, a religious meeting was held generally once a week at the house of Mark Noble, Sr., who had arrived in Chicago in Au- gust, 1831, and moved into the old cabin of the Kin- zies'. These meetings were held to provide for those who had no taste for literary matters and dancing then indulged in at Fort Dearborn, and were the first prayer meetings in Chicago. In conducting them Mr. Noble was assisted by his wife and two daughters, and Mrs. R. J. Hamilton, all of them being members of the Method- ist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Hamilton contributed very largely to the interest and success of the meetings, be- ing a lady of great intelligence, comprehensive views and devoted piety. She was for many years among the first in all religious and benevolent enterprises, and furnished the first pulpit in Chicago with necessary articles. Mr. Noble also, was very zealous in his piety, and was the principal speaker at these meetings. He was a man of large experience, and of great practical common sense. Thus it will be seen that the Method- ists, when continued effort is considered, were the pioneers in Christian work, though they did not have the first completely organized society, nor erect the first church edifice.

In addition to the efforts made to improve the re- ligious characters of adults, the moral and religious training of the children was not neglected. A Sunday school, the first in Chicago, was organized on the 19th of August, 1832, by Luther Childs, Mrs. Seth Johnson, Mrs. Charles Taylor, the Misses Noble and Philo Car- penter. The school first assembled in a small frame building then lately erected on the Reservation, near Mr. Noble's house, by Mark Beaubien. At this time the building was not completed; it had a floor, was sided up, and had on some of the roof-boards, but it was not shingled and had neither windows nor doors. The school afterward met in the fort, at the house of Rufus Brown, at Rev. Jesse Walker's cabin, and in the upper

story of P. F. W. Peck's store, as occasion offered. Since that 19th of August, 1832, few Sundays have passed without witnessing the assembling of children for re- ligious and moral instruction. The library of this first Sunday school contained about twenty small volumes,

but as there were only thirteen children in the school, each scholar and teacher could have a book. John S. Wright acted as secretary and librarian, and was ac- customed to carry the library to and from the temporary place of meeting in his pocket handkerchief. The pov- erty of the library in volumes was observed by two gentlemen from New York, Charles Butler and Arthur Bronson, visiting in Chicago, who upon their return home sent two hundred volumes as a donation.

Having thus traced the religious movements of Chi- cago from the time of the noble and self-sacrificing Jacques Marquette, in 1673, down to that of the equally zealous and laborious " Pathfinder," Rev. Jesse Walker, in 1833, it will now be our province to trace, with such accuracy as we may, and with such minuteness as is compatible with the design of this work, the particular history of each individual church organization that has been or is now within the limits of Chicago. They are given as nearly as practicable in the chronological order of their organization.

CATHOLICISM.

In 1833, the first year in which regular church or- ganizations existed in Chicago, three churches were formed-a Catholic, a Presbyterian and a Baptist, in the order named; the first in May, the second in June, and the third in October.

ST. MARY'S CHURCH .- This was the first Catholic society organized in Chicago. Its first priest was Father John Mary Irenaeus St. Cyr, who was born at Lyons, France, November 2, 1803, and educated in that coun- try. He left France in June, 1831, reached St. Louis August 1, of the same year, and was there made a sub- deacon. He was ordained at St. Mary's the Barrens by Bishop Rosatti in 1832, and on April 6, 1833. was by the same Bishop ordained priest. The period be- tween these two dates was spent by St. Cyr in studying the English language. In the meantime Catholics were increasing in numbers in Chicago, and were becoming desirous of receiving the ministrations of a resident Catholic priest. To accomplish their desires they pre- pared and forwarded to St. Louis the following petition:

" To the Right Rev. Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Mis- souri, of St. Louis, etc., etc.

"We, the Catholics of Chicago, Cook Co., Ill., lay before you the necessity there exists to have a pastor in this new and flourishing city. There are here several families of French de- scent, born and brought up in the Roman Catholic faith, and others quite willing to aid us in supporting a pastor, who ought to be sent here before other sects obtain the upper hand, which very likely they will try to do. We have heard several persons say were there a priest here they would join our religion in preference to any other. We count about one hundred Catholics in this town. We will not cease to pray until you have taken our important request in consideration."

This petition was signed by the following persons for themselves and their families, the number of mem- bers in each individual's family being appended to his name: Thomas J. V. Owen, 9; J. Bt. Beaubien, 14: Jo- seph Laframboise, 7; Jean Pothier, 5; Alexander Rob- inson, 8; Pierre LeClerc, 3; Alexis Laframboise, 4; Claude Laframboise, 4: Jacques Chassut, 5: An- toine Ouilmet; Leon Bourassa, 3: Charles Taylor, 2; J. Bt. Miranda and sisters, 3; 1.ouis Chevalier, 3; Patrick Walsh, 2; John Mann, 4: B. Cald- well, 1: Bill Saver, 1; Mark Beaubien, 12; Dill Vaughn, 1; James Vaughn, 1 : J. Bt. Rab- bie, 1; J. Bt. Roulx ; j. Bt. Tabeaux, 1; J. Bt. Du- vocher, 1; J. Bt. Brodeur, 1; Mathias Smith, 1; Antoine St. Ours, 1; Bazille Deplat, I: Charles Monselle, 1; John Hondorf, 1; Dexter Assgood, 1; Nelson Peter Perry, 1: John S. C. Hogan, 1; Anson H. Taylor, 1; and Louis

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Francheres, I; a total of 122. The original petition written in French bears on its back the memoranda, "Received April 16, 1833." "Answered April 17, 1833.

Very respectfully jours I. M. S. Saint Cyr, Priest

In response to this petition, Bishop Rosatti appointed St. Cyr priest of Chicago, in the following language :

JOSEPH ROSATTI, of the Congregation of Missions, by the grace of God and of the Apostolic See, Bishop of St. Louis, to the Rev. Mr. John Irenaeus St. Cyr, priest of our diocese ; health in the Lord :

Rev. Sir :- Whereas, not a few Catholic men inhabiting the town commonly called Chicago, and its vicinage, in the State of Illinois, have laid before me that they, deprived of all spiritual consolation, vehementiv desire that I should send thither a priest, who, by the exercise of his pastoral gifts, should supply to them the means of performing the offices of the Christian religion and providing for their eternal salvation. Wishing, as far as in me lies, to satisfy such a desire at once pious and praiseworthy, by virtue of the powers of Vicar-General to me granted by the most illustrious and most reverend Bishop of Bardstown (Ky.). I depute you to the mission of Chicago and the adjoining regions within the State of Illinois, all of which have hitherto been under the spiritual administration of the said most illustrious and most reverend Bishop of Bardstown, grant you, until revoked, all the powers as described in the next page, with this condition, however, that as soon soever as it shall become known to you that a new Episcopal See shall have been erected and established by the holy Apostolic See from the territory of other Sees now existing, to that Bishop within the limits of whose diocese the aforesaid Chicago mission is included, you shall render an account of all those things which shall have been transacted by you, and surrender the place to such priest as shall be by him deputed to the same mission, and you, with

God's favor, shall return to our diocese from which we declare you to be by no means separated by this present mission.

Given at St. Louis, from the Episcopal buildings, the 17th day of April, IS33.

JOSEPH, Bishop of St. Louis.

Jos. A. LUTZ, Secretary,

From the date of this appointment, Catholics con- sider that the organization, or establishment, of their church in Chicago should be reckoned, although St. Cyr did not reach the city until Wednesday, May 1, accomplishing the journey part of the way on horseback and part of the way on foot. Having made the neces- sary arrangements, St. Cyr collected together the Cath- olics and celebrated his first mass, in a little log cabin, twelve feet square, belonging to Mark Beaubien, on Sun- day, May 5, 1833. On the 22d of May occurred his first baptism, the subject being George Beaubien, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Beaubien. Father St. Cvr immedi- ately commenced preparations for building a church. The first site selected was on Lake Street, near Market, upon which stood the log cabin above referred to. This lot was promised St. Cyr by Colonel J. B. Beaubien for the nominal sum of $zoo, but being unable to raise that amount among the one hundred Catholics who peti- tioned for his appointment, and others, he was obliged to look for another location. About a year afterward the same lot was sold by Colonel Beauhien for $300, to Dr. William B. Egan, who, in 1836, sold it to Tertius Wadsworth, of Hartford, Connecticut, for $60,000. According to the advice of Colonel Beaubien and Thom- as J. V. Owen, St. Cyr selected a canal lot near the . southwest corner of Lake and State streets, near the military reservation, where now (1883) stands the print- ing establishment of Cameron, Amberg & Co. The privilege was accorded St. Cyr of buying this lot at the canal commissioners' valuation ; but when that price was announced it was still farther beyond the reach of the Catholics than was that first selected, and it was purchased by Dexter Graves for $10,000. In the mean- time, not anticipating the high price at which the lot would be appraised, they erected thereon a church building, twenty-five by thirty-five feet in size. The lumber for this building was brought in a scow across the lake from St. Joseph, Mich., where it cost $12 per thousand. The lumber having arrived, Anson Tay- lor, a brother of Augustine Deodat Taylor, with his own team. hauled it from the schooner to the site of the pros- pective church. Augustine D. Taylor was the architect and builder. The total cost of the edifice was about $400, but though small and inexpensive it was not completed sufficiently for occupancy and dedication until in October. Catholic Indians assisted at the first mass celebrated therein. Indian women had cleaned and prepared the modest building for the celebration of the sacred rite, and Deacon John Wright, a strong sup- porter of Rev. Jeremiah Porter, pastor of the First Pres- byterian Church, had, in August, assisted in raising the frame of the building. At this dedication-service there were present about one hundred persons. The church itself was not plastered, it had only rough benches for pews and the simplest of tables for altar and pulpit. The outside of the building was not painted and it had neither steeple nor tower. Some time afterwards, it was surmounted by a low, open tower, in which a small bell was hung, being the first bell used in Chicago to call the pious together for religious worship. It was about the size of an ordinary locomotive bell of the present, and could be heard only for a short distance. It was of no use for sounding an alarm in case of fire, and nearly ten years elapsed before the first one which

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could be used for that purpose was hung in the steeple of the Unitarian church. The church building stood on this lot until sometime during the priesthood of Father O'Meara, when it was removed by him to a lot at the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Madison Street. Here it was enlarged and soon afterward, was moved to the southwest corner of Wabash Avenue and

ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

Madison Street. When the new St. Mary's, a brick building, was erected the frame church was again moved, this time to the westward in the same block. The removal from the corner of Lake and State streets to Michigan Avenue and Madison Street, by Father O'Meara, together with the circumstances of the re- moval, caused great dissatisfaction to a portion of the Catholics. The dissatisfied ones refused to accompany the church to its new location, and engaged a room of Charles Chapman, in the second story of a building standing at the corner of Randolph and Wells streets, in which mass was celebrated during the suminer by Rev. Maurice de St. Palais. Among those who thus sepa- rated themselves from the church under Father O'Meara were Augustine D. Taylor, A. M. Talley, Samuel Parry and John Davlin. After the trouble caused by Father O'Meara's course had been overcome, the two portions of the church were re-united, under Rev. de St. Palais.

St. Xavier Academy, at 131 Wabash Avenue, stood on the adjoining Int south of the church. St. Palais, in 1843, commenced the erection of St. Mary's brick church, corner of Madison Street and Wabash Avenue. This edifice had a substantial stone foundation, and was fifty-five feet wide by one hundred and twelve feet long, including a portico twelve feet wide, supported by four Ionic columns, and cost $4,000. The brick work was done by Peter Page, and the wood work by Augustine D). Taylor. This church was opened for divine service December 25, 1843. It was consecrated by Bishop Quarter, December 5, 1845. In September, 1845, Felix Inglesby, a wealthy merchant of New York City, donated a bell to this church worth $185.

St. Cyr remained in Chicago until 1837, when he

went to St. Louis. From the latter part of October, 1836, he was assisted by Rev. Leander Schaffer, who attended the German Catholics. He was himself suc- ceeded for the English-speaking Catholics by Rev. Father O'Meara, who was succeeded, in 1840, by Rev. Maurice de St. Palais. St. Palais was succeeded, May 5, 1844, by Rt. Rev. William Quarter, Chicago's first Catholic Bishop, who died April 10, 1848. Accord- ing to his desire his remains were deposited in the cathedral he had consecrated, which ceremony had occurred October 5, 1845. Bishop Quarter was emi- nently successful in the management of the affairs of his diocese. Under him its growth was remarkable. When he arrived at Chicago there were less than twenty priests in the State of Illinois, and only two priests in Chicago-Rev. Maurice de St. Palais and Rev. Mr. Fischer, and only two seminarians-Patrick McMahon and B. McGorish. These two students were immedi- ately ordained and raised to the priesthood May 16, 1844- Two years later there were present at the first diocesan synod thirty-two priests, and nine others from sickness and other causes, were unable to attend. In 1844 there was but one Catholic church in Chicago ; in 1846 three new Catholic churches were erected-St. Patrick's, St. Peter's and St. Joseph's, the last two for the Germans. In 1848, when the bishop died, thirty new churches had been erected in the diocese, ten of them being either brick or stone, making a total number of sixty-eight. These were presided over by fifty-three priests.

To Bishop Quarter is also due the credit of estab- lishing the University of St. Mary's of the Lake, the germ of which, the college, was established within thirty days from the time of his arrival in Chicago, and for which a charter was granted in December of the same year. The university building, with seminary at- tachment, was completed in June, 1845, and was opened with appropriate ceremonies July 4, following. This was the first institution for higher learning in the city. .

Bishop Quarter also instituted the first community of nuns. This community was established with six Sisters of Mercy, whose names will be elsewhere found, who came from Pittsburgh, Penn., in 1848 from the first house of the Sisters of Mercy opened in the United States.

To Bishop Quarter is due the credit of having se- cured the passage of the law under which the Catholic Bishop of Chicago was incorporated as a " Corporation Sole," with power to "hold real and other property in trust for religious purposes."

Bishop Quarter was succeeded in 1848, by the Rt. Rev. James Oliver Van de Velde, who was formally installed as Bishop of the See, in the Cathedral of St. Mary's, in 1849. Bishop Van de Velde was a member of the So- ciety of Jesus, in which he held many important posi- tions. He was a man of great learning and zeal, but the active duties of the bishopric were not congenial to his tastes and he constantly yearned after the quiet and seclusion of a religious life. His adminstration, more- over, of the affairs of the diocese was troubled with dis- sensions and difficulties, which were in part the reason of his resignation and of his assignment to another field -the See of Natchez, where his labors were less ardu- ous, and where he could devote himself entirely to study and preaching. He left Chicago for his new field of labor November 4, 1853, and died in 1855.

Bishop Van de Velde was succeeded in Chicago by the Rt. Rev. Anthony O'Regan, who was consecrated Bishop of Chicago July 25, 1854. Bishop O'Regan, like his immediate predecessor, found the administration of the affairs of the diocese an arduous task. His labors

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constantly increased. Besides the care of the diocese of Chicago, he was charged with the administration of the new See of Quincy, erected in 1852, but which con- tinued to be administered by the Ordinary of Chicago, until the erection of the See of Alton, in 1857. His administration of the affairs of the diocese of Chicago was soon marred by difficulties with some of the lead- ing Catholic priests of the city, in consequence of which Rev. Fathers Kinsella, Clowry and Breen left the dio- cese. But the troubles continuing, Bishop O'Regan sought peace by following the example of his predeces- sor. He resigned, and was assigned to a See, i. p. i., in Ireland with which he had been connected in his early days, and where he spent the remainder of his life, dy- ing in London, England, in 1865. He was succeeded · by Rev. Matthew Dillon, an amiable and popular clergy- man, who filled the post of administrator until suc- ceeded by the Rt. Rev. Clement J. Smythe, Bishop of Du- buque, who remained until 1859, when he gave place to the Rt. Rev. James Duggan, an account of whose labors will be found in the succeeding volume of this History.

Besides the bishops and priests already mentioned as being connected with the parish of St. Mary's, were the following, each of whom officiated for a time : Fathers DePontevieux, Quequew and Lawrence Hoey in 1844; Father P. T. McElhearne, with the occasional assistance of Father Fitzgerald, from 1852 to July 9, 1854. In 1854 Rev. Matthew Dillon was assisted hy Fathers Michael Hurley, Fitzgibbon and Carrol; in 1855 Fathers Patrick Sherry, Magan, and McGuire officiated, in 1856 Fathers John Waldron, Tierman, and Bolger, and in 1857 Fath- ers T. D. Butler and Thomas Burke.

The Catholic Church in its earlier days had a more serious difficulty to contend with than any of those in- cidentally referred to in connection with the names of some of its bishops. Cupidity appears to have taken possession of one of its early priests, Rev. Father O'Meara. Rev. Father St. Cyr refers to Father O'Meara, in a letter to Henry H. Huribut, under date of February 8, 1875, in the following not very compli- mentary terms : "I was succeeded for the English speak- ing congregation by Father O'Meara, who proved to be a notorious scoundrel. May God preserve Chicago from such a priest.

The following extract from the pen of Hon. J. S. Buckingham, Member of the English Parliament, who was in Chicago at the time (1840) gives an account of the troubles with their result :

" Considerable excitement was occasioned during our stay here by an unexpected riot among the Irish Catholics, on behalf of a priest," (Father O'Meara), "who was a great favorite with them. It appears that this reverend father had in some manner caused the church of which he was pastor, and certain lands, house and furniture attached to it, to be made, by legal instrument, his own individual and exclusive property; and deming himself thus in secure and immovable possession, he defied all his exclesiastical superiors. He had been for some time habitually intemperate, and it was alleged that he had also committed extensive frauds. This is certain, the Catholic Bishop of the diocese, and the Vicar-General from St. Louis, had come on to Chicago, from the south, for the purpose of forcing the priest to surrender the property which he un- lawfully held, and then publicly excommunicating him. The ex- pectation of this ceremony drew crowds of Protestants on the Sun- day morning it was appointed to take place; and the sympathy felt by the Irish laborers on the canal, here pretty numerous " (for the priest), " who freely drank whisky with them, was soch that they had declared they would clear the church if any attempt were made to excommunicate their favorite. The Bishop and Vicar-General hearing this, went among these men, and addressed them upon the subject, reminding them of their allegiance to the Church, and of the duty of their obedience to its decrees; told them they knew no distinction of nation or habit among Catholics, but that the only distinction which must be maintained, was between the worthy and unworthy, the faithful and unfaithful sons of the Church; and con-

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History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 80

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340