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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
REY 3 1833 02511 5111 GENEALOGY COLLECTION
Gc 977.202 M26B
7117284
HISTORYS
St. MARYS PARISH
MADISON, INDIANA.
By- REV. CHARLES BILGER. 9 5
Allen County Public Library Ft. Wayne, Indiana
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7117284
REV. CHARLES BILGER
$ 82 8178 2
PREFACE.
The archives of St. Mary's parish contain a number of books, in which many dates and incidents are recorded at ran- dom. Gathered collectively, they make an interesting literary product, which might be termed the history of the congrega- tion. This year 1915, being the sixty-fifth anniversary of the planting of the mustard seed, the author of this chronology has deemed it fit, to perpetuate the early trials, successes, reverses and vicissitudes of the Catholic Parish of St. Mary's. The pres- ent generation may not appreciate the labor of researches and thoughts of the enterprise, but to a future one it will prove a valuable asset
Fortunately the longest ruling pastors, who await a glor- ious resurrection in St. Joseph's Cemetery here, have taken time and pains to register the principal events of their admin - istrations for their successors, among whom there might be a historian. Providence has endowed this book-maker with such a taste and thus the readers are now made acquainted with bright and gloomy narratives of six decades and a half.
Madison, Ind., June 29, 1915
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INTRODUCTION
It is proper to begin the history of St, Mary's Church, with that of the mother Church, St. Michael's. But the records of the latter are meager. According to recent statistics in one of the Madison daily papers, this city is the eighth oldest in the State of Indiana, having been founded in 1810.
An article written for the New Record of Indianapolis in the year 1887 was found just recently, July 9. 1915 in an old book by the author. It is headed: Pioneer Catholics. Notes from the early history of Madison,and says:
"Among the pioneer Catholics of Madison was Mrs. Sarah Schmidlapp, nee Rapp, who was a faithful member of the Cath- olic congregation of Cincinnati up to her removal to Madison. In 1827 she was married in Cincinnati by the priest of her church to Caleb Schmidlapp, a non catholic and both no doubt made the necessary promise to rear their offspring in the Cath- olic faith. In 1830 the family came to Madison and purchased the bakery and saloon of Alois Bachman, which stood on the site of Charles Bach's tailor shop, Main street, and carried on the business about twenty years. Mr. Schmidlapp was a promi- nent Mason and it is said, because of his wife's religion was mainly instrumental in obtaining the old Masonic hall in 1837- 1838, wherein to hold divine service.
A history of Madison, entitled: Our City and Our Heroes, compiled by A. S. Chapman for the occasion of the dedication of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the city on May 29, 1908 contains on page 5 the item, that Charles Nodler served Mass in the building occupied at present by P. Hoffman as a stove store, on the corner of Main and Walnut streets. It was back in the 30's, before there was a resident priest here.
We return to the family Schmidlapp. Mrs. Schmidlapp continued to attend Mass during Father Shaw's pastorate and perhaps, occasionally after that time.
Her husband was not a member of any denomination at
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St. Mary's Parish
that period, but subsequently joined the Methodist church and quite naturally urged his wife to give up the Catholic faith and go with him. Catholicity was then in an embryo condition in Madison and its teachings were much misunderstood by the people, as in fact they are today.
Some of the oldest children of Schmidlapp's were baptized yet as Catholics, but not instructed in our holy faith Such is the usual result of mixed marriages, which the wisdom of the church has always so strenuously opposed as dangerous, if not destructive, to the faith of the Catholic wife or husband.
The year 1832 brought to Madison two brothers, George and John Wehrle, also Philip Paff and Frank Wehrle, a cousin of the two first named. They were all single and came from Triberg, Baden, the most beautiful part of Germany.
In Baden, in Schwarzwald, in the Black Forest, they had fol- lowed the trade of clockmakers. This they continued first at Baltimore, then at Madison -- quite a "jump "
George Wehrle was married by Father F. Mueller who was at Madison then, to Agnes, daughter of Martin and Theresia Nodler, November 1842. The article, referred to, speaks well of the Wehrle family with their seven children
John Wehrle married in 1842 Catherine Haag, a native of Bavaria, whose parents emigrated first to New Jersey and a few years afterwards to the better Madison. Frank Wehrle settled finally in Butlerville, Ind., a station on the B. & O. Southwest- ern, 7 miles east of North Vernon.
James Bachman, Sr. and family came to Madison in 1833. He remained a fervent Catholic, whilst his family turned their back on the mother church, influenced by the renegade Alois, mentioned above
In March 1836 the Catholic population of the city was in- creased by John G. Heinberger with wife and five children. They came from Bavaria, first to Baltimore, thence to Indiana's most romantic spot. Their son John had preceded them. The father died in 1856 in North Madison, so did his son, Samuel, and daughter, Mrs. Joseph Paris.
The building of the Madison and Indianapolis railroad brought in the early 40's a large influx of settlers, many of whom were Catholics. The great majority of these were like the fish . ermen of Galilee, poor laborers.
One of the first of that period was William Griffin, an Ir- ishman, who came from Pennsylvania. He became a contrac- tor on the railroad. His first marriage took place on May 15, 1838 in the Masonic building. He left his children not only a
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History of
large estate, home place was on the corner of First and Mul- berry street, but also the example of an upright christian life.
Francis Costigan was the builder of St. Michael's church, commenced in spring of 1838, and dedicated December 22, 1839. He removed subsequently to Indianapolis.
Peter Bedel, a young German Catholic, came from Cincin- nati in 1837, to accept a clerkship in the store of Bernard Welde. Mr. Bedel filled later the office of marshal and that of mar- ket master His name occurs in a French letter of Father Brandt, 1865, who recommended the son for acceptance in the college.
John and Joseph Schmidt are next mentioned in the list of emigrants to Madison in 1837. John entered the employ of Joseph Stahl
Mr. John Schmidt died a faithful Catholic, is said, and his family are following his footsteps. The mother, Adelheid died in 1906 at the advanced age of 88 years.
Joseph Schmidt moved to New Alsace, Ind.
Also in 1837 arrived a very substanial member, Henry Dreier, from Cincinnati, as superintendent of the second railroad cut. From North Madison, where he located first, he moved down the hill and erected the Broadway hotel. He is buried on his lot at North Madison.
A large number of Catholics came to the village of Madison - the article writer of the New Record calls it so - in the sum- mer and fall of 1837. A partial list is given, mostly Irish, who seem to have no decendents here any more, in 1915.
In 1839 came some more German families, among them the Horuffs, from Saarlouis, Prussia.
The article continues and finishes with the episodes of 1853 to 1855, during the Know Nothing times.
The Catholics of Madison, like their co-religionists through- out the nation suffered considerable persecution at the hands of those bigots. Across the street from the home of Thomas Judge, who located in a two story frame building on the site of the Miklans block, stood the Know Nothing lodge room. (I am informed, where the Casper Krum family lives now.) From that lodge room went forth one evening a mob of howling fan- atics, who attacked Mr. Judge's house and completely wrecked the interior, destroying whatever they could lay their hands on. Several other Catholic familles of the city were outraged in a similar manner during that exciting period of religious intoler- ance and persecution.
Threats were freely made that St. Michael's church would
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St. Mary's Parish.
be razed to the ground. Several houses were marked for fut- ure visitations There were fortunately no lives taken, like at Louisville and other cities.
The people of Madison, irrespective of religious belief, are today ashamed - these words were written in the eighties of the fact, that their beautiful city was once disgraced by a mob of ignorant fanatics, trailing under the false garb of liberty lov- ing Americans, (Some petty anti-catholic sheets pursue the same course nowadays.)
According to a story in the April number 1910 of Extension Magazine, a Brown Dan, the Piper, was on his way from New York to Madison, on foot, bearing his expenses by his art. For the last sixty miles he was luckier through the help of a good young family, which put him on the boat, which ran twice a week. I buried a good man this year, who footed the entire distance from New York to Madison in the 70's.
How soon the first Catholics came to this romantic spot is not known. The history of the Catholic church of the Diocese of Vincennes, written in 1883, tells us, that there is no record of Catholic priests visiting Madison, previous to the year 1837, but it is very probable, that the Rev. Joseph Ferneding, resid- ing in Dearborn Co , extended his missionary tours as far as Madison. The Directory of 1837, informs us:
Logansport, Mount Pleasant, Madison attended by the Rev. Patrick O'Byrne. In the same year, however, Bishop Brute sent the Rev. Michael Edgar Shawe, formerly of the British army, but since March 12, the same year, a priest, fervent and eloquent, as the first resident pastor to Madison.
The first entry made by him on the baptismal book is dated July 30, 1837. Father Shawe was assisted by the Rev. J. F. Plunkett from November 1837 to June 1838, probably on ac- count of the many missions attached. For a time divine ser- vices were held either in private houses or a public hall. With- out much delay he made preparations for building the present St. Michael's church.
In this undertaking Father Shawe must have encountered many difficulties, of what nature is not said. We may only surmise, that the latin proverb was also true here: "quot capita, tot sensus." "So many heads, so many opinions." That the selection of the ground was a happy or fortunate one, the best of friends could not assert. Perhaps it was donated, which would explain the circumstances. On St. George's day 1838 the good, saintly Bishop sent Father Shawe an emotional, senti- mental letter to encourage him. "Accept my dear friend, the
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remembrances of the day of faith."
We are all obliged in this world, to fulfill the duties of our charge with all care and affection for it, for God's sake, even in sight of others, not so faithful as they ought to be." One pas- tor succeeded another rather rapidly until Father Dupon- tavice's arrival in 1847.
The first pastors were certainly no stockholders or directors of the National Branch Bank, one of the first banks organ- ized in 1833,in the State of Indiana Yet the Catholics of the city were at least fortunate enough to be represented in this money institution by a Catholic messenger boy, Nicholas Horuff, who at the age of seven years in 1839 came from Germany direct to this city and five years later, 1844 obtained the position. The parents of this promising young messenger and subsequently co !- lege boy in St Joseph's College at Bardstown, Ky., through the advice and influence of Father Delaune, belonged later to the founders of St. Mary's church in 1850
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St. Mary's Parish
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FROM 1850 TO 1860
The German speaking Catholics of the city and neighbor- hood did not "feel at home" at St. Michael's church They were cared for from time to time by visiting clergymen. A priest, Joseph Fischer came on August 2, 1848, for the Germans. How long he remained God knows best. The first pastor designated for carrying out the wish of a permanent resident was Father Anthony Carius, who was ordained March 7, 1846, officiated first at Richmond and was then sent here for the task of buil- ding a church for the Germans. If he selected the title: Immac- ulate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, he is to be congratula- ted yet in this book. Father Carius went to work in 1850 with a good will and with red hair. Whether the lot was bought with cash or with fair promises in notes for the future is a mys- tery. At any rate the foundation and cornerstone were laid in the fall. The date of the latter is strangely enough unknown. Only so much, that the ceremony was performed by the Rev, Hippolyte Dupontavice of St. Michael's, assisted by the Rev. Carius and Francis Joseph Rudolf of Oldenburg.
Father Dupontavice preached the sermon on the subject: "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against her." Father Rudolf followed with a short sermon in German.
Probably almost the whole jpopulation, 7,714, turned out at the occasion. Then c'me a rest for shepherd and flock until next year with the building. Father Carius took; care of the Lawrenceburg Catholics during the latter part of 1850. From March 1851 he was relieved by Rev Joseph Kundek, then,pastor of Jasper, who had come here on his intended trip to Europe He "stopped over," assisted materially and still more spiritually in organizing the congregation, creating peace and harmony among the discontented and soliciting subscriptions of which a list is still preserved for the new church. What caused a dis- satisfaction is left to conjecture. From an old Madisonian in
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Dubois Co., I heard rumors of Father Carius's trouble. He was a friend of the pastor. They came from within and without. Perhaps there was an element that time already, like in many other communities that had the principle: "Either rule or ruin."
The second permanent rector came in the person of Rev. Charles Schafroth in April 1852, and he liked the conditions just well enough to remain until April 1853. He commenced the records of baptisms, marriages, and burials as a good pen- man, be it said to his credit. After 77 baptisms, 17 marriages, having the choir loft bui t, the pulpit erected, altar painted and windows frosted he went to Jeffersonville and made room for Father Bede O Connor O. S. B of St Meinrad, who stayed from May to July 1853.
Father O'Connor was an excellent latinist and penman, as I had seen from his many entries in the books at Celestine An Austrian, Rev. Edward Martinovic succeeded the Englishman, Father O'Connor, from July 1853 to May 1855, not quite two years, when he exchanged Madison with Columbus until 1863; returned then to Europe, ignoring after one letter from Rome his former fields of labor in the glorious United States with their base ball and Fourth of July pleasures. An old book contains his own donations From May 1855 to February 1856, Father Carius duplicated his services. But he discovered like many others that it is not advisable to return a second time to a post. According to appearances he left the Diocese altogether. In the newspaper Amerika of St Louis I read on September 10, 1893 the news that Rev. Anthony Carius departed this life in the mother house of the Ursuline Sisters there. He died at the age of seventy-two years I clipped the news out of the paper and pasted it in a proper page of the History of the Diocese, without the presentiment of ever becoming one of his successors. At last a pastor arrived with the practical, not formal vow of stability, Rev. Leonhard Brandt, who had been ordained at Vincennes, New Year's day 1853, was located first at the German St. John's church of the Episcopal city, in which position he preached the German sermon at the laying of the cornerstone of the church at St. Wendel, Posey County, April 17, 1853 (On this very day 1915, these lines are being written ) Quite a distinction for a young priest. From Vincennes he was transferred to Madison. Had the church and circumstances been in a splendid condition, such a young man would not have been preferred. He arrived here on February 6, 1856 incognito to the reception committee of two, F. and S. who ignored him as one coming apparently from Jerusalem County or the province of Judea.
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The temperature must have been very low some days be- fore the new pastor's arrival, for I found it recorded in an es- say on Father Brandt's life by one of the pupils of the school, that on the eight day of February i. e. the second day, he bap- tized a child, which was carried over the river, from Milton, Ky., just opposite Madison, on the ice.
Father Brandt left an interesting German description of the sad condition of the parish on February 7, 1856. First of all there was a debt of $6,000.00. The revenues were not suffi- cient, to support pastor and teacher and to meet the high inter- est. But he labored with admirable patience and self denial. His first residence was a primitive cottage of four rooms in the rear of the church in an alley, in fact between stables, he says.
The first improvement was to replace the wooden steps in front of the church with substantial stone steps. It occurs so often, that no money is left after building for a decent step in front or for the sacristy. A more respectable High Altar was procured, also yestments, chalice, ciborium by the efforts of an Altar Society.
The Bishop was to see; what new brooms could accom- plish, when he came for Confirmation on September 21, 1856. In August 1857 Father Brandt assisted at the laying of the cor- nerstone of St. Mary's church at Indianapolis. He had charge of that parish in its infancy held services first at St. John's church there for the Germans, at such a large distance, luckily accessible by a railroad, the first one built in Indiana, was com- pleted in 1844 as far as Columbus, Ind , in 1847 to Indianapolis and known then as the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, M. & I., and later, when the branch was finished from Jefferson- ville to Columbus, the J. M. & I.
Whilst absent he was replaced here by Father Philipp Doyle. Indianapolis had then a population of 14,000. The poorly housed pastor was not to celebrate the titular feast, Im- maculate Conception, and Christmas of 1858 in his modest dwelling between stables. For on December 1, a house west of the church was bought for the second parsonage and the old one used for a teacher's dwelling. Father Brandt says, there was no collection for that purchase. It is probable, that an imita- tor of Saint Nicholas threw the money through a window. On October 21. 1860 the Diocese got two neopresbyters. One of them, Rev. Anthony Scheideler was appointed Assistant to St. Mary's, Madison. As such he remained two months. The tid- ings of peace to man on earth of good will he proclaimed already in his own parish in Dearborn County. This expected or unex-
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pected change left Father Brandt alone again for his work. How large the congregation was at the eud of 1860 cannot be ascertained for want of census list. But it must have been con- siderable in view of 97 baptisms and 16 marriages that year.
St. Magadalen, Ripley Co., had no resident pastor yet. The Catholic settlers there belonged here and attended services, walking the sixteen miles for the honor of God and for the yrofit of the shoemakers. The parents of St. Mary's present janitor were among them.
In point of material progress the steeple was built in 1860, and a beautiful chime of balls placed in it at a cost of $800.00, a small sum Bishop H. Palais donated $50.00, and Father Brandt also $50 00; a certain Henry Lohman $100.00. The big bell St: Joseph was donated by the men of the parish; the sec- ond St. Anne by the women's society; the third Maria Angela was an inheritance from Mary Angela Devroux, and the small bell "Gabriel" was paid by the discount of 10% received for cash payment. The first cross on the steeple was a gift from the young ladies of the new St. Rose's Society. All members of the congregation helped together. A record was made of the donation, placed in the ball of the cross, and erected September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The list was found March 1, 1899 when the old cross was replaced by a new one. About the time the steeple was built, the two large pil- lars in the rear of the church were erected and the elliptic circle added to the choir loft.
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ST. MARY'S CHURCH
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St. Mary's Parish
FROM 1860 TO 1870
The fall of 1860 finished the first decade of St. Mary's his- tory. In its infancy, it was subject to many trials, like children, chronic and acute cases. Need we wonder that the energetic Shepherd of the flock longed for a rest after many hardships and labors? Whilst the United States began to divide in the spring of 1861, Father Brandt had made preparations for a vis- it to Europe. On May 26, he baptized yet two children and from the 30th of May appears the name of his substitute, Rev. G. H. Ostlangeberg until November 30.
After his return from "the old country," the recuperated pastor enjoyed the fruit and sight of past work before doing any new Times were not encouraging for additions and improve-
ments But the time came to provide for a musical instrument for the church, adequate to the good voices for singing. The contract for a large pipe organ was made on the fifth of July, 1863, with a firm in Tiffin, Ohio, for $1,500.00. It was put up
in February 1864 The contracts and receipts were found late ly by the author in a pile of waste paper in a corner of the foot- stool club room of the parochial residence.
The money for the organ was raised partly by voluntary contributions, partly by the church treasury. (Undoubtedly, the happy pastor expected the admiration and a compliment on the organ from the Rt. Rev. Bishop George Carroll of Coving- ington, when he gave Confirmation at this church to a class of eighty-two on July 24, 1864 ) The number had been sixty on the 24th of August, 1862, and on the 29th of September 1867, there was a class again of 116 to be confirmed, even after St. Magdalen had obtained a resident pastor in 1865. This was the Rev. Henry Joseph Seibertz, who after his ordination on Decem. ber 21, 1864 had acted after his first Mass in St. Mary's as As- sistant until May 6, 1865.
The essay referred to above, says, the families had increas- ed to about three hundred in 1864. We may draw this conclu- sion from the large Confirmation numbers. On the 15th of Oc-
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tober 1868, there were again 101 to receive the Holy Ghost, so as to become soldiers of Christ. Where are they all, the living and the dead?
Next on the program after the organ, came provision for better school accommodation. The school house, which was a brick building of one room in the rear of the church, becoming too small for the number of children in attendance, the congre- gation fully realizing that a school is the corner stone of a par- ish's prosperity, purchased the three story brick building at the corner of Second and Walnut streets on September 13, 1865, for six thousand dollars. Father Brandt stated the purchase in a French letter of August 10, 1865 to the Right Rev. Bishop
The girls school was on the corner of Broadway and Third streets, conducted by the Sisters of Providence. For many years the girls had a long walk to school after Mass every morn- ing. This plan cancelled that of March previous to convert the former pastoral residence into a school. The house nearest to the church was bought for a parsonage at $3,000.00. The for- mer rectory was retained and rented advantageously, by which a part of the debt was secured. With the help of generous contributions, of a fair which netted $1,200.00, and the church revenues proper, it became possible. Father Brandt wrote cheerfully on January 7, 1868, that the receipt, i. e. the deed for all acquired property is in our hands and the burden of the debt is only the half of ten years, when the congregation had nothing. Deo gratias.
But we must return to the year 1866. The zealous priest's heart became affected by too much worry about the success of his undertakings. A physician urged him to take a long rest. It is nice to get such an advice. He left for his fatherland May 25, to see his mother, brothers and sisters.
During his absence of six months, St. Mary's was in charge of Rev. Theodor Antoni, a newly ordained priest.
On the fifteenth of November, Father Brandt's signature appears again on the baptismal record. Father Antoni was sent to Napoleon, where he died June 14, 1870. After his return 1rom Europe, the pastor assumed the reins of government with new vigor. An entry says: "Father Antoni delivered to me the treasury on December 3rd with $412.89. He was also strong and well enough to accept a donation of $500 00 from Mr. Francis Prenatt on October 7, 1867." Such a surprise would be agreeable to the writer. The act originated perhaps from the Mission held at St. Mary's in March 1867, for which the Missionaries's names and order not mentioned, received $140.00.
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