USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Catholicity in northern Ohio and in the diocese of Cleveland from 1749 to December 31, 1900, Volume I, pt1 > Part 37
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church (36 x 55 feet) at a cost of about $3,500. Its cornerstone was laid by Mgr. Boff, V. G., on September 11, 1898. The dedica- tory ceremony was performed by Bishop Horstmann on Thanks- giving day, November 30, 1899. Since the completion of the attractive church, the Mission of Deshler has improved and is steadily growing. The following priests have had charge of the Mission: The Revs. H. D. Best, H. Kolopp, H. Doerner. J. Sproll, M. Vollmayer, J. J. Wonderly, J. B. Alten, and, since September, 1897, the Rev. J. P. Haupert.
DOYLESTOWN, WAYNE COUNTY. STS. PETER AND PAUL'S CHURCH.
The origin of the present flourishing congregation at Doyles- town dates back to the year 1827, when a number of Catholic families, originally from Maryland, settled in Chippewa Township, Wayne county. Among them was the family of George Whitman. who had come to Ohio in 1826, and rented a farm near Canton. In a short time a Catholic settlement was formed which for many years was known as Chippewa. It was located about one mile southwest of Doylestown. Chippewa was attended for the first time in 1827, and then only for a short period, by the Rev. Francis Marshall; he came to visit his brother, Peter, who had settled there in the early spring of the same year. During his visit Father Marshall said Mass in the log cabin of George Whitman. For nearly one year after his departure the pioneer Catholics of Chip- pewa were without spiritual attendance. The Rev. John A. Hill, of Canton, was then commissioned by Bishop Fenwick to attend Chippewa, which he did until his death, in September, 1828. Under his direction a log chapel, or church, 28 x 40 feet in size, was erected on a plot of land donated by Peter Marshall and two sons of George Whitman. The chapel served its purpose over twenty years. Father Hill's successors in the attendance of Chip- pewa, until 1837, were the Revs. T. H. Martin, J. M. Henni, V. De Raymacher, P. O'Bairne and F. S. Hoffmann-all of Canton. In June, 1837, the Rev. Basil Schorb was appointed the first resi- dent pastor of Chippewa, with charge of many missions in Stark, Portage, Summit and Richland counties. He lived with the family
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of Peter Marshall for about one year, when a two-story log house was built for him near the above mentioned log church, which was located four miles from the Marshall home. Father Schorb re- signed his charge in 1842, and returned to his native Pennsylvania. Chippewa then became a Mission, and as such was successively attended from Akron, Massillon, Canton and Wooster. In 1849, whilst the Rev. A. Campion attended the Mission from Wooster, it was resolved, on the urgent advice of Bishop Rappe, to build a brick church in the village of Doylestown, and on its completion to abandon the log chapel at Chippewa, as most of the twenty-two families composing the Mission lived near the former place. The site chosen comprised five acres of land, secured to serve all parish purposes. The cornerstone of the church, 36 x 60 feet, was laid on July 8, 1849, and the edifice itself was dedicated just one year later. It cost about $4,000. In February, 1854, the Rev. N. Ponchell was appointed resident pastor, and remained till January, 1855. Then Doylestown was again made a Mission for a short time, from March until June, 1855, when it was attended from Navarre (Bethlehem) by the Rev. Peter Kohler. In July, 1855, the Rev. E. W. J. Lindesmith was sent to Doylestown as resident pastor ; it was his first charge. From Doylestown he also attended a number of missions in Wayne and Stark counties. He was succeeded in February, 1858, by the Rev. Joseph Lais, who remained at Doylestown as resident pastor until 1862. He was then transferred to Canal Fulton, whence he attended Doylestown as a Mission. till June, 1866. Then the Rev. Peter Kolopp was appointed resident pastor of Doylestown-June, 1866, to August, 1870. His successors were the following priests: The Revs. Nicholas Flammang, August, 1870, to September, 1871; Charles Seltzer, September, 1871, to June, 1881; Michael Becker, June, 1881, to December, 1882; Charles Seltzer (second time) January, 1882, to June, 1893. The Rev. Michael Becker had temporary charge from August till November, 1893, when the present pastor, the Rev. E. W. J. Lindesmith, received his appointment.
During the pastorate of Father Seltzer a larger church be- came a necessity, as the one built in 1849 had become too small and quite "antiquated." Some opposition was shown at first, but it was soon overcome, as by far the larger number of parishioners
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favored the project. The new church was built on the site of the old one, which was torn down; during the process of building, services were held in the school house. The cornerstone of the new church was blessed by Bishop Gilmour on Sunday, September 30, 1877. The beautiful Gothic structure, 56 x 110 feet in size, was finished in June, 1879, but was not dedicated until October 22, 1880, Bishop Gilmour performing the ceremony. The church, with its furnishings, cost about $13,000. The various branches of the Whitman family, and the Marshall family, always special bene- factors of the parish, contributed over $3,000 towards the building fund. It was the third church they helped to build-the first at Chippewa, the second and third at Doylestown.
A parish school was established during the pastorate of Father Lais. It had a fitful existence, and was finally closed, as the small number of children that could attend-most of the families living in the country-did not warrant the expense of engaging a teacher.
The parish has long since been out of debt, and owns as finely situated church property as any parish of its size in the diocese. It now numbers about 85 families.
DUNGANNON, COLUMBIANA COUNTY. ST. PHILIP'S CHURCH.
The congregation of Dungannon was the first organized within the present limits of the diocese of Cleveland. Its history dates back to the year 1817, when the Rev. Edward Fenwick, a Dominican Father, known as "The Apostle of Ohio," paid his first visit to the Catholic settlers in Columbiana county. In fact the congregation antedates the village of Dungannon, and was gener- ally known to the early missionaries, who visited that part of Northern Ohio, as "the Catholic settlement near Lisbon," which was then as it is now, the county seat of Columbiana county. The settlement was so called, regardless of the fact that its first place of worship-a log cabin-was located nearly seven miles from Lis- bon. To avoid a repetition of its early history here, the reader is referred to Chapters II1 and III2 of this volume.
(1) P. 9.
(2) Pp. 25, 30, 48. See also "Church in Northern Ohio," pp. 263, 266, 269, 292, 303.
ST. PHILIP NERI'S CHURCH AND PASTORAL RESIDENCE, DUNGANNON.
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IN THE DIOCESE OF CLEVELAND.
For nearly three years the log cabin above referred to-the home of Daniel McAllister-served as a place of worship. Within this humble enclosure the early Catholic settlers of and near Dun- gannon assembled to hear Mass, and to receive the Sacraments at the hands of Fathers Fenwick and N. D. Young, the latter visiting the settlement at regular intervals for nearly three years. In 1820 the Catholic settlement was composed of about fifteen families. Among them, besides that of D. McAllister, were also those of P. Fitzpatrick, John and James Brennan, James McMullon, William and John Stewart and Peter Tiernan. About 1824 a number of German families, from Western Pennsylvania, settled at Dungannon, viz., the families of Messrs. Wiss, Meister, Hoffman, Gasser, and of U. Walsen, M. D., the maternal grandfather of the Rev. E. W. J. Lindesmith, present pastor of Doylestown. In 1820 a brick church, 30 x 40 feet, was built under the direction of Father Fenwick. It was the first Catholic church erected in Northern Ohio, since 1751, when the Jesuit Father De la Richardie had a log chapel, or church, built for the Wyandot Indians located in the vicinity of Fort Sandusky .* Its design was the plainest, its floor of brick, and its outfit the simplest. With the increasing number of families it soon proved too small, hence about the year 1827 its seat- ing capacity was considerably enlarged. This was done under the direction of the Rev. T. H. Martin, O. P. (who succeeded Father Young), by building a gallery around three sides of the interior, the walls having been raised about ten feet. The church was dedi- cated to the Apostle St. Paul. The Dominican Father, John H. M. McGrady, had charge of the Mission from November, 1830, until February, 1834, when Dungannon was attended for some months, in 1834 and 1835, by the Rev. J. M. Henni, of Canton, and a few times by the Rev. E. T. Collins, of Cincinnati; and then from Somerset, Perry county, by the Dominican Fathers, among whom were the Revs. V. De Raymacher, J. S. Alemany, T. H. Martin and A. Fahey. Their attendance ceased in August, 1835, with the appointment of the Rev. James Conlon as pastor of Steubenville, with charge of Dungannon, which he visited monthly. In 1842 he was appointed resident pastor of Dungannon, and filled that position until 1849, when he was called to Cleveland, to assist in
(*) P. 2, this volume.
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pastoral work at the Cathedral. During Father Conlan's time St. Paul's church again became too small to accommodate the growing congregation. The village of Dungannon was platted in 1833, about one mile west of St. Paul's church. The congregation having determined to build a new and larger church, a site was chosen on an elevation in the village. Philip Ehrhart donated the land for that purpose; it comprised one acre. The church was commenced in 1846, the Rev. J. H. Luhr, of Canton, laying its cornerstone on August 15. Before the building was completed Father Conlan was removed to Cleveland, in 1849, as above stated. For nearly one year (1847-48) the Rev. J. Vincent Conlan assisted his cousin, Father James Conlan, in attending Dungannon and its missions. In 1849 the Rev. James Monahan succeeded Father Conlan in the pastorate of Dungannon. He brought the church to completion the following spring, when it was dedicated by Bishop Rappe, who placed it under the patronage of St. Philip Neri. At that time the Rev. Jacob Ringeli, a Sanguinist Father, attended to the spiritual wants of the German families of the parish for some months. He came for that purpose from Randolph. It was he also who sang the first Mass in the new church-on Christmas, 1849.
As before stated, the first church (St. Paul's) was built in 1820. It was located on a two-acre plot of land, donated by Daniel McAllister, Sr. The cemetery was laid out in the rear of the church, near which the first pastoral residence also stood. Daniel McAllister was the most prominent among the first Catholic settlers in Columbiana county. He came from Ireland in 1812, resided for about three years at Pittsburg and then located in the wilds of Columbiana county, on land he had bought from the Gov- ernment, near the village of Dungannon. For years his log cabin was the stopping place for the priests who attended Dungannon, and even for some time after his death. He died January 7, 1823, aged 75 years. The same hospitality was extended for many years by his son, Daniel. whose home was also a log cabin; under its humble roof Bishops Fenwick and Purcell were frequently lodged. Mr. McAllister contributed generously at all times towards the parish church. He died August 26, 1863.
Father James Conlan's pastorate covered a period of about fourteen years, exceeding in duration that of any other resident pastor of Dungannon. It began at a time when there was consider-
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able disorder in the parish, owing to much intemperance on the part of many of the Catholic laborers engaged in digging the Sandy and Beaver Canal through that part of Columbiana county. Although they increased the numerical strength of the parish considerably, yet they added not a little to the trials and sorrows of their pastor, by their excesses as well, so that their advent was not altogether an unmixed blessing. Father Conlan's zeal and earnestness, however, induced many of these victims of intem- perance to take the total abstinence pledge, and thus saved them from spiritual and temporal ruin. He was the "Father Mathew" of his missions and his memory was blessed for his good deeds and kindness of heart long after he had departed from his once turbulent charge.
With the opening of the new church the use of St. Paul's ceased. The actual cost of the church, a brick structure, was only about $2,500. This was owing to the fact that the teaming and much of the building material had been furnished without charge by members of the parish. For a few months in 1852, Father Monahan had the Rev. Michael Kennedy as his assistant in attend- ing the missions attached to Dungannon, viz., Summitville, East Liverpool, Youngstown, etc. Father Monahan was transferred to another charge in October, 1852, and Father Kennedy became his successor. In December, 1853, the Rev. William O'Connor suc- ceeded Father Kennedy and shortly after received as his assistant the Rev. Francis Stroker, who attended the above mentioned missions. In July, 1855, the Rev. Philip Flum was appointed their successor. During his pastorate, which lasted until February, J858 (when ill health forced him to resign), a house was bought in the village of Dungannon, near the church, to serve as the priest's residence; the purchase was made in 1856. Previous to this time the pastors of Dungannon resided in a frame house which was built during the pastorate of Father Conlan, and was located at the rear of the old church site. The Rev. W. Fehlings was the next resident pastor. His stay was very short-from February till May, 1858. Following is a list of resident pastors from that time to the present: The Revs. Peter Kreusch, June, 1858, to April, 1859; Nicholas Moes, April, 1859, to July, 1861; G. Peter, July, 1861, to June, 1864; F. C. Ludwig, October, 1864, to February, 1867; G. A. Spierings, April, 1867, to September, 1869; Edward
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J. Vattmann, September, 1869, to October, 1877; J. G. Vogt, October, 1877, to January, 1888; A. Langevin, February, 1888; Edmund F. Rohan, March, 1888, to February, 1889 ; J. P. O'Con- nor, February to August, 1891; E. W. J. Lindesmith,* August, 1891, to November, 1893; John Baumgartner, November, 1893, to August, 1898. The present pastor, the Rev. Albert Andlauer, succeeded Father Baumgartner immediately on the latter's depar- ture. During the intervals, as above noted, when Dungannon had no resident pastor, it was attended from Summitville as a Mission.
A parochial school was established during the pastorate of Father Flum. He taught it himself in an abandoned shoe shop (a small frame building) which stood on the pastoral residence lot. When he left, the school was closed and was not re-opened until the advent of Father Moes. For the purpose of using the brick of the old church for a school building he had the venerable relic-the first church in Northern Ohio-torn down in 1859, as it had not been used since the completion of the new church, in 1849. However, as the bricks were not covered the following winter's frosts rendered them useless; hence the proposed brick school house was not built by Father Moes. His successor, Father Peter, built a frame school house in the rear of the present church, and filled the post of schoolmaster. It served as the parish school building until 1877, when for lack of means and because of the small number of children that could attend, it had to be closed, and has never since been re-opened. During Father Vogt's pastorate many improvements were made on the church property and paid for. They included repairs on the church itself, which had been struck by lightning in June, 1879, entailing a loss of about $600. The interior of the church was completely and very tastily remodeled, in 1886, at an expense of $2,500, on plans submitted by Architect Ginther. The entire cost was paid by special dona- tions, subscriptions and a church fair, shortly after the work was finished. The handsome stained glass windows, the artistic statuary, frescoing, three new altars and the communion railing comprised the improvements and made the interior very attractive.
. *Father Lindesmith is a native of Columbiana county, was admitted to his First Com- munion and received Confirmation in St. Paul's Church near Dungannon. The writer is in- debted to him for much of the early history contained in the parish sketch of Dungannon, as also for the outlines of its first church, from which the artist was enabled to produce its picture, which appears in this volume.
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