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, pt2 > Part 5
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The Rev. W. McMahon, resident pastor of Elmore, from August, 1872, until August, 1874, had charge of Genoa as a Station. In October, 1872, he bought two lots for a church site. at the corner of Superior and Fourth streets. Pending the erec- tion of a church, which project had to be postponed for lack of means, Father McMahon held services in private houses and in two public halls, which he had fitted up for divine worship. One of the latter was located on Main street over a jewelry store. Father McMahon's instructive sermons drew many non-Catholics
ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH AND PASTORAL RESIDENCE, GIBSONBURG, SANDUSKY COUNTY.
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who were attracted at first by curiosity, then by interest, to hear Catholic doctrine explained. The sermons removed much of the existing prejudice and engendered a kindly feeling towards Catholics.
On one of the above mentioned lots Father McMahon built a neat frame church in the summer of 1874. Its size was 30 by 50 feet, and its cost, exclusive of plastering, was about $1,600. Mass was celebrated in the new church for the first time by Father McMahon on Sunday, August 11, 1874. It was also his last Mass there, as he was then transferred to Cleveland. The Rev. H. Kollop was then placed in charge of the Mission, but received little assistance from the people towards paying the church debt, although they had subscribed nearly the entire sum due. He had raised $500 and handed it to the architect who promised to pay the money to the contractors, but instead of doing so he absconded with the money. The result was that the creditors had the County Sheriff advertise the church for sale, in 1876. Father McMahon was sent to Genoa by the Very Rev. Adminis- trator Boff to pacify the creditors and if possible to prevent the sale of the church, which he did. The Rev. J. Klute, Father Kollop's successor, reorganized the congregation, many members of which had drifted away. He then gave his attention to the debt, which by the aid of the generous non-Catholics of the village he considerably diminished, besides having the church plastered. It was dedicated by Bishop Gilmour, on the feast. of Corpus Christi, 1879, and placed by him under the patronage of Our Lady of Lourdes, in gratitude for the recovery of his health.
' During the pastorate of Father Rieken the debt was reduced to about $700; even at present it amounts to about $500. The Mission now numbers about 20 families, and has no promising future.
GIBSONBURG, SANDUSKY COUNTY. ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH.
The Catholics of the now flourishing village of Gibsonburg. located in the oil and natural gas belt of northwestern Ohio, were members of St. Mary's parish, at Millersville, S miles distant, until May, 1896. They petitioned Bishop Gilmour, in 1883, for per-
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mission to build a church. However, as he felt that their small number did not warrant the petition it was refused as premature. The petition was renewed during the administration of the Rt. Rev. Mgr. Boff, in February, 1892, but he advised postponement until the advent of Bishop Horstmann to the diocese. Shortly after his arriyal, in March of the same year, the Bishop granted the long-standing petition, after consulting with the Rev. Michael Dechant, who had charge of Gibsonburg as a Station for some years. About that time the Lutheran meeting house in the village was offered for sale at a very low figure, and Bishop Horstmann sanctioned the purchase. It was moved to the three lots on Stephenson street, purchased for $420 by Father Dechant in May, 1892. In a short while the building was remodeled into a very neat church, which was frescoed and provided with suitable furnishings and a fine bell. The main altar and the statues of the Immaculate Conception and of St. Michael were donated by the pastor, who also succeeded in getting a number of other church ornaments, vestments, etc., as donations from several neighboring parishes. The remodeled church, now completely equipped for divine service, was dedicated to St. Michael on Sun- day, October 30, 1892. Mgr. F. M. Boff, V.G., as the Bishop's delegate, performed the ceremony. The occasion was one of great joy for the spirited and generous Mission of Gibsonburg, which now had a very neat place of worship, clear of all debt.
Gibsonburg was made a parish in May, 1896, by the appoint- ment of the Rev. Philip A. Schritz as first resident pastor; he had attended the place from Millersville since January of the same year. The priest's residence, a frame structure, was built in 1895 and enlarged shortly after Father Schritz's arrival. He continued the good work in his pastorate until December, 1898, when the present incumbent, the Rev. Leo L. Broens, was appointed his successor.
The congregation of Gibsonburg is now composed of about 60 families, partly Irish and partly German by birth or descent. It is steadily growing, is in a flourishing condition and without debt. Two acres of land were bought in March, 1900, for a cemetery.
A larger and permanent church is in contemplation, as also a school. With the present bright prospects realized these will soon be built.
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ST. ROSE'S CHURCH AND PASTORAL RESIDENCE. GIRARD,
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GIRARD, TRUMBULL COUNTY. ST. ROSE'S CHURCH.
On October 21, 1868, Mass was said for the first time at Girard, in the house of John Kinney, who for years entertained the priests attending Girard. The Rev. Bernard B. Kelley, then pastor of Niles, was the celebrant of that Mass. Girard was attended as a Station by the respective pastors of Warren and Brier Hill (now St. Ann's, Youngstown), from January, 1869, until April, 1892, viz. : by the Revs. E. J. Conway, P. McCaffrey. F. J. Henry, F. McGovern, and J. P. Barry. In November, 1889, Father Barry secured by land contract an acre of land, fronting 418 feet on State street, the principal thoroughfare of the town. The purchase price was $1,550; by December, 1891, it was paid in full and the deed given for the property. In its purchase Mr. H. H. Shields, a Protestant, and at the time manager of the Girard Iron Co., was most helpful, as without his assistance it could not have been secured. At other times, and in various ways, he showed his kindly feeling towards the Catholics of Girard by generous deeds, and is recognized as their special benefactor. as is also Mr. H. H. Britt.
In February, 1891, plans for a frame church, 40x80 feet. were submitted to and approved by Bishop Gilmour-during his last illness. In the following May the foundation was begun, and on July 5 of the same year it was blessed by the Rt. Rev. F. M. Boff, then administrator of the diocese. In April, 1892, the present incumbent, the Rev. James J. Stewart, was appointed first resident pastor, thus relieving Father Barry, who had faithfully attended Girard as a Station and Mission since October, 1889. On May 15, 1892, Bishop Horstmann dedicated to St. Rose of Lima the very pretty and handsomely furnished church. It is a credit to Father Barry's good taste and prudent management, as it is also the just pride of the people whose generous offerings enabled him to build it.
In September, 1892, ground was broken in the rear of the church for the present pastoral residence of which Father Stewart took possession on January 10, 1893. It is a well-appointed ten-
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room frame building. and cost about $2,000. In October, 1898, the church was tastefully frescoed and in the following year it was also repainted and made quite attractive. Electric lighting was put in the church and pastoral residence in December, 1900, at a cost of $300.
The children attend the public schools, but their religious instruction is by no means neglected. Every day, at the close of school hours, they are assembled for Catechism in the basement . of the church where they are taught by their pastor. Had it not been for the financial panic of 1893, that for over five years so terribly affected the iron industry in the entire Mahoning valley, in which Girard is located, Father Stewart would have had a parochial school long ago. He is now raising funds for that pur- pose and hopes to have this most necessary adjunct to the church realized in a short time.
The parish is now composed of about 90 families-all depend- ent on the Girard iron works for their support. A healthy Catholic spirit prevails ; pastor and people are of one accord.
GLANDORF, PUTNAM COUNTY. ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST'S CHURCH.
There is one village in the diocese of Cleveland unique in the fact that within its confines not the faintest echo of the rush and overwork of modern life has ever sounded. It is the little village of Glandorf, but three miles distant from the busy and thriving city of Ottawa, the county seat of Putnam. In the building of Glandorf, as in all else about the place, the villagers have ever held closely to the customs of the Province of Osnabrück, Germany, whence its founders came. There is but one street deserving the name and that extends over a mile, north and south. Lining it on either side, interspersed here and there with a few stores and shops, are the quaint, durable and homelike houses of the villagers with their spacious and well kept yards. Away from the principal street, yet so near that the field laborers can be seen and heard at their work, are the well-tilled farms of the German country folk, and the whole population shows that rugged health, so character- istic of the race.
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The history of the village of Glandorf goes back to January, 1834, when its founder, the Rev. William J. Horstmann, arrived there for the purpose of forming a colony of sturdy Germans, who had come with him from the Fatherland. He left his native country in August, 1833, and had for his companions, willing to cast their lot with him in far distant America, eight young men. On the 7th of September they embarked on the sailing vessel "Columbus," at Antwerp, and arrived in New York eight weeks later, on November 6. They then proceeded to Detroit, where they arrived on November 27. There he left seven of his com- panions, whilst he and another, John F. Kahle, went in search of suitable land on which to locate his proposed colony. The two "prospectors" made the entire distance from Detroit to Putnam county on foot. Bordering on the banks of the Blanchard river, near the present village of Glandorf, they found excellent timber land, in January, 1834, and determined on purchasing enough of it from the United States Government, to assign a fair share of it to each of the colonists, for whom they sent at once. These and their families arrived soon after, from Detroit. The names of these pioneers were: John F. Kahle, A. Iburg, C. Strop, J. Wischmann, F. Bredeick, M. Bockrath and W. Gülcher.
Log cabins were erected by the colonists, and provided with only the barest necessities. Father Horstmann also had a log house built, which served for some time as his residence and chapel-the first Catholic place of worship in Putnam county. He said Mass in it for the first time on Easter Sunday, March 30, 1834. It was a day of joy for him and the little colony, to have the Holy Sacrifice offered up in their new home, founded in the wilds of Putnam county. Father Horstmann suggested that the settlement be named Glandorf, which name was adopted and has since been retained. What hardships awaited the good priest and his little colony can be more easily imagined than described. The scanty provisions they had brought with them from Detroit were soon exhausted; corn and potatoes, which the poorly culti- vated though excellent soil produced, were scarce, and there was no grist-mill within a radius of many miles. To meet the pressing need of grinding their corn (wheat they had none), a substitute for a mill was contrived by using two large flat stones and grind-
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ing the grist between them, by hand. Farming implements and household utensils had to be brought all the way from Findlay, Piqua or Dayton. In order to reach the nearest market, 70 miles distant, trackless forests, inhabited by Indians and infested with wolves and serpents, had to be traversed ; unbridged streams and treacherous swamps had to be crossed-all of which made travel most difficult, and even dangerous at times.
This faint outline will give the reader some idea of the priva- tions those pioneers of Catholicity in Putnam county had to endure. In all these Father Horstmann shared without a murmur ; he assisted and guided the colonists in everything that tended to better their condition, thus encouraging them to bear with their privations. With good stout hearts and undaunted courage they braved all these, and finally overcame every difficulty. Trees were felled; by degrees the virgin soil was brought under cultiva- tion, and plentiful crops soon rewarded the patient toilers. By the year 1836 the colony had considerably increased, a number of families having come from Germany to join their countrymen who had preceded them. This necessitated the building of a church that would accommodate the increased Catholic popula- tion, which Father Horstmann's little chapel-part of his resi- dence-could no longer do. The church, a log structure, 22 by 40 feet, and covered with split weather boards, was built and dedicated in 1837. St. John the Baptist was chosen as its patron. The Ottawa Indians, then quite numerous in that section of northwestern Ohio, and on friendly terms with the Catholic pio- neers of Glandorf, gave much assistance in the erection of the church. It was of the plainest type; its interior, pews, and altar were in keeping with its exterior. The pulpit, for instance, was a section of a hollow sycamore, with a piece cut out for an entrance. As soon as the church was finished a log school was built, with Father Horstmann as its first teacher .* After some time it was put in charge of a lay teacher. The parish school has ever since been in existence at Glandorf ..
In 1838 Father Horstmann built, out of his own means, a pastoral residence, 36 by 38 feet in size, to replace the one of four years previous. He also built at his own expense a grist-mill on
*See page 39, this volume.
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the west bank of Cranberry Creek, and thus saved the colonists many a long and tedious journey to have their wheat and corn ground elsewhere, as they had to do in the past.
Exposure to inclement weather, as well as hardships and privations, began to undermine the none too robust health of Father Horstmann, who was 56 years old when he left his native country. He therefore asked Bishop Purcell for an assistant in the person of the Rev. George Bohne, whom he had known for some years, and who, although an epileptic, readily consented to share Father Horstmann's pastoral labors. He was sent to Glandorf by the Bishop, in 1841. Two years later-February 21, 1843-Father Horstmann was called to his eternal and well. merited reward. His name is held in veneration to this day by the people of Glandorf, who erected a beautiful and costly monu- ment to his memory. It was placed over his remains, in the parish cemetery, in August, 1883.
At the time of Father Horstmann's death the parish had out- grown its little church. Father Bohne, pastor of Glandorf since Father Horstmann's death, therefore concluded to build a brick church, 50 by 90 feet. In this he was seconded by the entire parish. Every member had his appointed days when he was expected to work on the building without pay. Some con- tributed building material, and others furnished teams to haul it; all the stone was quarried and the brick made and timber hewn for the church-all "without money and without price." The corner- stone was blessed in 1846; there is no record of the date. The church was dedicated on the first Sunday in Advent, 1848, and placed under the patronage of St. John the Baptist, by the Rev. A. Kunkler, C. PP. S., whom Bishop Rappe had delegated to perform the ceremony. It was a day of supreme joy for the brave pioneers when, after toiling for fourteen long years amid untold difficulties, they at last found themselves "out of the woods" and in possession of a church which at that time was justly considered to be without an equal in northwestern Ohio.
Father Bohne became subject to frequent attacks of epilepsy. which unfitted him for the proper attendance of his growing parish. He therefore resigned it in August, 1848, a few months before the dedication of the church he had built but not quite
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finished, and was transferred to Fort Jennings. St. John's, Glan- dorf, was then put in charge of the Sanguinist Fathers, who established a convent at the same place in the fall of 1848. Since that time they have attended the parish faithfully and with signal success. Following is a list of the Sanguinist Fathers who have had pastoral charge of Glandorf: The Revs. A. Kunkler, A. Herbstritt, M. A. Meyer, between 1848 and 1850; M. Homburger, 1850-53; A. Schelbert, 1853-58; M. A. Kramer, 1858-61; A. Reichert, May, 1861-April, 1874; B. Dickmann, April, 1874- May, 1881; M. Kenk, May-October, 1881; F. Nigsch, October, 1881-February, 1897; and the present pastor, the Rev. T. Wittmer, since February, 1897. Many Sanguinist Fathers also filled the position of curate, but generally for only a short period. Two of them, however, served longer than ordinarily, viz., the Revs. J. Marte, from April, 1873, until July, 1877, and F. Büchel, from June, 1885, until March, 1899.
The interior of the church, built during the pastorate of Father Bohne, was finished under the direction of the Sanguinist Fathers, and was provided with all the needed outfit in the way . of altars, pews, etc. A fine organ was bought in 1868, and is still in use. The present brick pastoral residence was built in 1862.
Although in the course of time St. John's, Glandorf, was dismembered three times by the formation of new parishes, viz., those of Ottawa, New Cleveland and Kalida-all of which are in a flourishing condition, yet the steady growth of the parent parish continued to such a degree that the church built in 1848 was becoming uncomfortably small. When Father Dickmann took pastoral charge of Glandorf, in 1874, he at once realized the press- ing necessity of building a much larger church in order to provide sufficient pews for his people, as many of them were obliged to stand during divine service. After much talk, and in spite of difficulties, which seem to be usually connected with church build- ing, he went to work with energy and prudence, which overcame all obstacles put in his way. Plans were drawn by a competent architect and approved in the fall of 1874, by the administrator of the diocese, the Very Rev. F. M. Boff. Bishop Gilmour was ill and in Europe at the time. Father Dickmann raised a subscrip- tion of $25,000 during the summer and fall of the same year. In
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1875 the foundation was built, and on June 24, 1876-feast of St. John the Baptist-the cornerstone was blessed and laid by the Rev. A. Kunkler, C. PP. S. By December, 1876, the church was enclosed. In 1877 the tower was finished; the graceful and tall spire had to be rebuilt, as the first was struck and ruined by light- ning in the summer of 1877. Early in 1878 work on the interior of the church was commenced. It was finished by December of the same year, and included plastering, frescoing, stained glass windows, furnishings, etc., all of the best workmanship and of artistic design. The richly carved oak pulpit, which cost $1,400, is the same that was on exhibition at the World's Fair, in Phila- delphia, and is even now not equaled by any pulpit in the diocese for beauty of design and finish. What a contrast between the magnificent pulpit of the present (and fourth) church and the hollow sycamore that served as such in Glandorf's second church !
The splendid temple was dedicated to Almighty God on December 15, 1878, Bishop Gilmour performing the ceremony. The harmony, good will and generous donations of money and labor of the early settlers of Glandorf, when building their church in 1848, were not forgotten by their descendants in building the present church. Following their example, they reduced its cost by at least $10,000, which was still further lessened, owing to the fact that during the time the church was being erected, building materials and labor were considerably below normal price. Hence, at a conservative estimate, based on present values, the church could not have been built for less than $100,000. On dedication day the debt was only $22,000-long since paid. To Father Dickmann praise is most deservedly que for bringing to successful completion so grand a church that is a monument to religion, to his people and to himself.
Following is a brief description of the church: It is of pure Gothic architecture, and cruciform. It is built of clear red brick, generously ornamented with sandstone trimmings. It is 175 feet long; 70 feet wide; width at transept, 86 feet. The exterior with its graceful spire, 225 feet feet high, is imposing in its perfect symmetry. The interior is fully as imposing, and unconsciously forces feelings of reverence and awe. The frescoing was done by a master hand; the graceful pillars, the groined ceiling, the rich
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emblems and numerous figures that adorn the nave and sanctu- ary-all betoken art paying tribute to religion. In a word, the interior, though rich in ornamentation, is devotional, as becomes "the house of prayer!" Even at the present day the church at Glandorf ranks with the finest and best appointed, if not with the costliest, in the diocese of Cleveland, which is known throughout the country for its splendid array of churches.
In 1888 the three beautiful altars that now grace the sanctu- ary, and the pews and Stations were placed in position. The total cost of the altars, with a profusion of statuary, was $5,300; the Stations cost $1,250, and the pews, $2,650. Four years later the church was provided with an excellent heating apparatus.
All the above mentioned improvements were made and paid for during the long and successful pastorate of Father Nigsch.
In 1897 Father Wittmer had a town clock and four sweet- toned bells placed in the tower. In the same year he also intro- duced an acetelyne gas plant for lighting the church, and it has proved an eminent success.
In July, 1899, eleven acres of undulating land, bordering on Cranberry Creek, near the village of Glandorf, were purchased for the purpose of a parish cemetery, the old one having become filled with interments. It was platted in harmony with the idea governing modern cemeteries. A fine array of trees and shrub- bery add to the beauty of the cemetery, in the center of which, on a granite base, stands a life size crucifixion group. The cemetery was blessed on Sunday, September 16, 1900, by the Rev. Chancel- lor Houck, as the Bishop's delegate.
Glandorf has also an excellent school, public in name, but a parochial school in fact. The fine brick structure was built by the district school board, and the teachers are paid out of the pub- lic funds. As all the taxpayers in the school district, which is coterminous with the parish, are Catholics, they thus but get back their own. In 1893 an elegant house was built opposite the church for the use of the organist and principal of the school. At present four lay teachers and four Sanguinist Sisters conduct the school, with excellent results.
Father Horstmann not only gave all the land used by the church (excepting the new cemetery), but he also bequeathed to
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his parish 560 acres of land which he had bought with his patri- mony in 1834. The bequest was made for the purpose of aiding his parishioners when the time would come for them to build a large church, as he felt that the place he had established as an exclusively Catholic German colony, was bound to grow to large proportions. He seemed to have a prophetic eye, for his expecta- tions have been fully realized. The land was sold in later years, when it had grown valuable, and the total proceeds, nearly $7,000. were applied for the erection of the present church. Therefore it may justly be called a part and continuation of his great work, as founder of the parish of Glandorf. Notwithstanding the fact that it had been dismembered thrice, it still numbers nearly 250 fam- ilies, all of whom are embued with a thoroughly Catholic spirit. which has been the record of Glandorf since its foundation.
GLENVILLE, CUYAHOGA COUNTY. (SEE CLEVELAND, ST. ALOYSIUS' CHURCH, PAGE 227.)
GRAFTON, LORAIN COUNTY. ASSUMPTION (POLISH) MISSION CHURCH.
The stone quarries at Grafton give employment to about one hundred Poles. For a number of years they and their families had been attending Mass at the Immaculate Conception church in the same village, but not understanding English, or at least only imperfectly, they felt the need of a church in which the word of God would be preached to them in their native tongue. They petitioned Bishop Horstmann to this effect. He granted their request on condition that they raise sufficient funds to pur- chase the necessary ground and build a suitable church thereon. This they promptly and gladly did. An acre of ground was purchased for a church site, fronting on Elm street, and $300 was the price paid. The deed was given October 27, 1892. Owing, however, to lack of Polish priests, the Bishop was unable to provide them with a pastor before autumn, 1894. At that time the Rev. S. Wozny, of St. Casimir's church, Cleveland, was authorized to establish a Polish congregation at Grafton and
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