St. Mary's
of Lourdes Church History
1673 to present
Volume 1
The Early History
 |
"We have seen nothing like this river
that we enter as regards its fertility of soil, its prairies and woods, its
cattle, elk, deer, wildcats, bustards, swans, ducks, parroquets, and even beaver. There are many small lakes
and rivers. That on which we sailed is wide, deep, and still for 65 leagues." |
These words were written by the great French
explorer, Jesuit Father James Marquette, the first white man to enter
the Illinois River valley. Father Marquette, Louis Joliet,and five other French companions discovered the Mississippi
River in June, 1673, and paddled down the Mississippi in canoes, up the Illinois River, and stopped at the present site
of Peoria, on the shores of the lake the Indians called Pimiteoui ("fat lake"). This Indian tribe, the Peorias, belonged
to the great nation of the Iliniwek Indians.
For centuries before the white man came, the Indians had wigwams and campfires in this area. Their wigwams were rounded
structures composed of a pole frame covered with reed mats. Most of the Indians were members of roving tribes but a few
lived in small villages. The Indians were numerous in the western part of Woodford County, along the Illinois River, and
in the heavily timbered sections. They hunted freely over the entire area. The timberlands provided abundance of game; the
Illinois River provided abundance of fish; and springs provided an abundance of fresh water.
Father Marquette landed at the village of the Peorias in August, 1673, and remained for three days during which he
preached to the Indians and baptized a dying Indian child, the first baptism in the State of Illinois. He and his companions
then continued up the river to the village of the Kaskaskia Indians near the present site of Utica in La Salle County
He visited there briefly and returned two years later to establish the first mission in the State of Illinois, the Mission
of the Immaculate Virgin Mary. On the return trip northward from this mission, Father Marquette contracted dysentery and
died near the present-day Ludington, Michigan, on May 18, 1675.Shortly before 1680, the first Catholic Church building in
the state was erected on the site of this mission.
In January, 1680, the French explorer, Robert de La Salle, landed at the village of Peoria and by March had completed
Fort Creve Coeur. With him came three French Franciscans Father Louis Hennepin, Father Cabriel de la Ribourde, and
Father Zenobin Membre; thirty French soldiers; and his faithful companion, Henri de Tonti. Here, also, a chapel was built,
becoming the second church building in the state. Thus there were three Franciscan Fathers living in what is now the
Diocese of Peoria two hundred and seventy-five years ago.
When the French explorers came to this area, they were received peacefully by the Indians. These Indians called
themselves the Iliniwek ("superior men") which was a confederacy of tribes of various names - Kaskaskia, Cahokia,
Peoria, Moingwena, Tamaroa, Michigames. Possibly as early as 1550, the Iliniwek was a strong confederacy. In
approximately 1655, the Iroquois Confederacy in the East began raiding the Iliniwek and slowly reducing their numbers. As
the French moved into this area, their history became entwined with that of the Indians and their warfare.
Later in 1680, Fort Creve Coeur was abandoned and the priests and soldiers moved northward. They were camped near
Seneca, Illinois, in La Salle County when, in December, the Iroquois attacked and killed hundreds of Iliniwek at Starved
Rock, permanently weakening their confederacy. At about the same time that this slaughter occurred, Father Gabriel was
martyred as he knelt in prayer in the forest - not by the Iroquois but by a roving band of Kickapoo Indians from the
Iliniwek Nation, enraged by the warfare of the Iroquois. Later, in the year 1689, Father Gabriel's companion, Father
Zenobin, was also martyred by Indians in Texas. Both of these Franciscan priests have been proposed for sainthood.
During the 1700's, a French settlement existed at the site of Peoria. The French lived peacefully with the local Indians
and even inter-married. During this time, the Iliniwek were permanently decimated by the Iroquois and eventually other
tribes settled in the area - the Miami Potawatomi. Kickapoo,Salk and Fox.
A local Potawatomie chief, Black Partridge, lived in a village of some thirty families near the modern Route 26 about
five miles north of the present Spring Bay. In the year 1812, some of the Indians in Illinois were planning to attack the
white garrison at Fort Dearborn in Chicago. Chief Black Partridge, who was friendly to the whites, traveled
with his
warriors to Chicago to warn the captain of the garrison of the planned attack by the hostile Indians. While he was on
this friendly mission, the village of Black Partridge was ruthlessly destroyed by a company of 400 Illinois militiamen
who also murdered thirty old men and women in the village scattered the rest, took eighty horses, and burned the
wigwams. After this, only scattered bands of Indians remained in the bills in this area. When the first white settlers
arrived in this district in 1819 and 1820, they found these Indians still friendly to them. Chief Black Partridge died
in the year 1819 or 1820, at the age of about fifty years.
In the War of 1812, the French settlement at Peoria was attacked and burned by a group of militiamen who were ordered
to drive the French from the area. They succeeded in doing so and the French residents relocated near St. Louis From
this time on, the French history of this area has been largely over-looked. But the early exploration here, the missionary
activity, and the first 150 years of settlement by the white man, were the work of French priests and explorers. Many of
these men gave their lives carrying out their missionary vocation - Father Gabriel, Father Zenobin, Father Marquette and
Father Jacques Cravier, who was mortally wounded in 1705 in an attack by outside Indians on the Peoria village. Three other
priests who served here in the 1600's - Father Julian Binneteau Father St. Cosme. and Father Rale - were martyred later in other
mission fields
Condition of the Land
In the early 1800's, when the first settlers came here, Woodford County was a land of thick timber and brush, of vast
prairies with ponds and swamps and sloughs, and of wild animals. Timber and brush made up vast forests of unbroken
wilderness. High bluffs stood along the Illinois River and along Partridge Creek and Ten Mile Creek. In the vast prairies of
the other parts of the county, there grew a tough grass that reached a height of eight to ten feet. The danger that was
feared above all others by the pioneers was the deadly prairie fire. The grass usually became very dry in the fall and
afforded an easy means of starting a fire which spread with inconceivable swiftness. The glow of the fire and the black
clouds of smoke could be seen for a great distance. The roaring of the flames could be heard far off and wild animals
dashed by in their mad flight.
The county had a plentiful share of wild animals, among them buffaloes, wildcats, buzzards, beavers, raccoons, opossum,
rabbits, squirrels, swans, ducks, geese, turkeys, deer, fox, and wolves. There were snakes hat grew to a length of twelve
feet and the poisonous copperhead and rattler.
There were no roads, only narrow Indian trails. The earliest settlers in their covered wagons traveled over these
trails, through the high prairie grass, over slough and swamps and forded bridgeless streams and rivers. In 1779, the colony
of Virginia sold land in Illinois for forty cents an acre Later, in the 1820's, the United States Government sold
surveyed land to the first settlers here for $1.25 an acre.
The First Settlers
The first white family that came to this area was Mr. and Mrs. William Bleylock and their six children. Where they came
from is not known, but in the year 1819, they settled in what remained of the destroyed village of Chief Black Partridge
This white family lived in a wigwam and sustained itself by hunting and fishing. They must have loved the Indians and the
Indian way of life for, when the Indians migrated from this part of Illinois in 1833, the Bleylock family went with them.
The first permanent settlers came in the 1820's, from other parts of Illinois and from other states, and they began
to settle in the extreme western part of the county in what is now Spring Bay Township. They chose to live in the timberlands
because the trees furnished logs for their cabins, wood for their fences, and fuel for their fires.
The first family recorded to have settled in what is now Worth Township was Benjamin Williams who came with his family
from the state of Indiana in 1827 and settled near Partridge Creek near the line which now separates Worth and Spring Bay
Townships. For a time after their arrival here, they "camped with the Indians and at times had nothing to eat but corn and
venison, the latter full of maggots." Years later, in the 184O1s, Benjamin Williams became one of the first justices of
the peace in Woodford County; his house was used as a voting place. Re died here in 1846.
The first Catholic family that settled here was the family of
Nichoa Phillips who came from Loudray, France, in
1827. Re had been born in 1794 and died here in 1874. He and his wife, Mary Anna, were the parents of four children: Margaret
Christina, Mary Anna and Jonathon.
The early settlers came here not only from other states in the United States but also from Europe, especially from the
banks of the Rhine River and from Bavaria in Germany; from the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, which at that time belonged
to France; and from Ireland. They came by boat, by covered wagon, and by stage coach. Emigrants from Pennsylvania made
their way mostly with ox teams. Some came to Chicago and from there continued to Woodford County. Some came from the area
of Cincinnati, Ohio. Many came by boat to New Orleans and then
up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers and landed by Spring Bay Township. Among the latter were a number of settlers
from Lorraine, France, who brought their household goods to the sea shore and had them placed on a sailing vessel. After
a voyage that lasted for two and a half months, they landed at New Orleans and from there continued their voyage to Spring
Bay
An amusing story is told about the first physician to practice medicine in Woodford County - a Dr. Hazard who came
here from Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1833. One day, in the 1830's, he attended a public gathering where the men, including
the doctor himself, had been drinking quite heavily. One of the men became very sick and after the doctor examined him,
another drunken man anxiously asked what kind of a sickness he had. The doctor did not know, so he answered, "His sickness is
non-descript." Whereupon the drunken man exclaimed: "Oh my goodness, if he has non-descript, he will surely die!"
Hardships
Joseph Sauvage, a Catholic was born and married in France and came to western
Woodford County in 1835 with his wife,
Ade
laid, and two small children. When they landed at New Orleans, Joseph had only two cents left in his pocket. When he attempted
to exchange the two cents, he found out that they were counterfeit. He worked in New Orleans for a short time in order to obtain
the money to proceed to Wood ford County.
Philip Bettelyone and his wife settled in the area of Partridge Township in 1836. Years later, his wife described those
early days as follows: 'People would cut down saplings and build a cabin with a mud fireplace and
chimney, then move into
it and smoke their eyes out. Deer, wolves, and turkeys were plentiful." Mrs. Bettelyune used to board men who worked as
wood choppers and they would go out before breakfast and kill a turkey which was to be cooked for their dinner.
Henry Rene Belle and his sister, Anna Rosalia, emigrated from France in 1836. They landed at New Orleans and came by
river to Partridge Township. Henry had sold his watch to pay for the passage and when they arrived, he was completely outof money. So he worked long hours and saved
his earnings and accumulated enough money to buy some land. He made a claim to a tract of forty acres of government land at $l.25 an acre
but before he could enter his claim, some other settler had entered the same forty acres and Henry Belle had to purchase
the land from this man at double the price, namely, $2.50 an acre.
In 1836, John Hass, at the age of 25 years, emigrated from Bavaria, Germany. He landed in New York with $3.00 in
his pocket and procured work at his trade as shoemaker and as soon as he earned a sufficient sum, he came to Spring Bay.
He worked in New Orleans for a short time in order to obtain the money to proceed to Wood ford County.
Later he bought a farm of 160 acres. The land was covered with timber but he improved it into a fine
farm. Chicago was the nearest grain market and he conveyed his wheat to that city by ox team. It took him two weeks to
make the round trip and he received 36 cents a bushel for his grain. His wagon was homemade. The wheels, which he sawed
from a log, were about three feet in diameter and six inches wide.
On October 11, 1840, John Haas married Anna Mary Rosenberger, the first marriage solemnized in the new church of
St. Raphael at Black Partridge (Lourdes). Ten years later, tragedy was added to the hardship of life when Anna Mary died
leaving John with three small children. He soon remarried and two more children were born But these two children, plus an
older child, drowned in 1853 when the family was returning home from an outing and the wagon box was lifted from the wheels of
the wagon as the family crossed swollen Partridge Creek during a storm. In the next three years, four more children were born,
two of whom died, and John, himself, died tragically in 1856 as the result of a fall from a wagon.
Privations
The following are some observations of William Blanchard, who settled in Spring Bay Township in 1822, as published in the
1878 History of Woodford County.
"Some of the early settlers built their homes of saplings, not logs, which they covered with hark. Their chimneys
were made of sticks and clay. The ordinary home, however, was the one-room log cabin. Neighbors would help the newly-arrived
settler cut the logs in the timber and construct a cabin. The cracks between the logs were closed with clay mixed with straw.
Windows were made by cutting out a part of one or two logs and these openings were covered with oiled paper. Later, panes of
glass were used that could be taken out for ventilation. Between the ceiling of the room and the roof of the cabin, there
was a loft, which was reached by a ladder. On one end of the room there was a fireplace; the chimney was on the outside and
was made with a wooden frame, plastered on each side with mud The only fuel for the fire was wood, obtained from the nearby
timber, all chopped by hand. Much wood was needed in the winter for it was a common
occurrence for the sleeper to wake in the morning and find his bed (if he had a bed) or the floor covered
with snow that had sifted through the cracks. The floor of the cabin was the bare ground.
The cabins were devoid of furniture of any kind except such rude articles as could be hewed Out with an axe. A chair was
made by cutting a block of wood from a log; a table consisted of a slab of wood to which legs were attached. If the pioneer
wished to sleep in a bed, he bored holes in the wall, drove wooden pins into the holes, laid wooden poles on the pins and
placed straw on the poles. In addition to the fireplace, some of the settlers also had a Dutch oven, which consisted of a
wooden frame thickly covered with mud inside and outside. Food consisted of wild meats - turkey, prairie chicken
quail, squirrel, deer - and wild fruits, berries and honey Hominy was made by pounding corn on a block. It was seasoned
with tallow. Corn broad and Johnny cake were baked in the Dutch oven, bread in the fireplace.
The clothing worn was homemade by the women. Buckskin (deer) was first used; then flax was raised and from it
linen was spun. Sheep raising was introduced and the women then made clothing of wool. The dye mostly used came from
the hark of the walnut tree. The spinning wheel was a necessity in every household."
Farming
The land in the western part of Wood ford County was mostly covered with timber and brush; it had never been touched by a
plow and the task of clearing it required unceasing toil and perseverance. Plows were made of wood; oxen were used in
plowing, as many as five or six yokes being necessary to break a furrow. Farm implements consisted mostly of hoes and rude
wooden plows. Wheat was the leading crop, followed by corn and flax. Planting, cultivating, and harvesting were done by
hand. The cradle was used in reaping grain; the cradler was followed by a man who gathered the grain and bound it together
by holding it across his knee. To thresh the wheat, shocks of it were scattered on a floor and oxen driven over it until
the wheat was threshed out. The straw was removed and the wheat and chaff separated. Flour mills were operated first
by oxen, then by horses, and then by water power. Barns much larger than the log cabins, were built of massive pieces
of timber; to build a barn it was necessary for neighbors to come from near and far to help with its erection.
Sickness
Disease struck almost every family every year. The lowlands, swamps, and ponds were prolific breeders of insects
which carried the germs of diseases such as the dreaded malaria The bite of a rattlesnake or a copperhead was fatal. Diphtheria
and consumption were not uncommon. Nettle plants were every where and caused severe smarting and itching. In the early
days there were no doctors and no medicine, only home remedies In the years 1838, 1849, 1850, and 1854, cholera claimed
numerous victims. At La Salle, 169 persons died within five months in 1849. In Black Partridge parish there were eight
deaths in 1849 and 16 in 1850
Winter
In December, 1830, it began to snow and continued to snow and by late winter the ground was covered everywhere to a
depth of four feet. Both the Indians and the white settlers designated this the "Winter of the Great Snow." Countless
wild animals perished and, as a result, the settlers, who did not have snowshoes or any provisions stored up, were in danger of starvation. The persecuted Indians came to the rescue
of the whites by freely giving them of their own provisions
which they had stored up.
The winter of 1836-37 was one of the coldest on record in Woodford County. Snow storms and extreme cold caused even
greater destruction to stock than the "Winter of the Great Snow." In Partridge Township, Mr. Butler and his daughter
left their home one morning to fetch some cattle which Mr. Butler had purchased. In the afternoon, on their way home,
the weather suddenly turned intensely cold; they abandoned the cattle and endeavored to reach home, but they froze to
death on the way; their corpses were found in the woods several days later
Education and Pleasure
Religious services were held by Catholics and non-Catholics in log cabins or in barns. One of the early Catholic settlers in 1839, George Reising, " . had a room in his
house fitted out for church services.' School was taught to
a few children, also in a log cabin or barn. Such a school was held in the barn of the first permanent settler, Benjamin
Williams, who arrived in 1827. The first school building was erected in the late 1830's or early 1840's at Germantown.
The amusements of the pioneers were simple. There were occasional feasts. Spelling bees provided fun and laughter
Pleasure was combined with work in hunting, quilting bees, wool-picking bees and corn-picking bees. It has been said
that "..in his one-room log cabin, the early settler was far more hospitable than the possessor of the modern, commodious
home."
Chronological List of Early Settlers
Name and present-day
Year Township
Other Facts
1819
Bleylock, William partridge
Lived like the Indians
1822
Blanchard, William Spring Bay
Crocker, Horace "
Came from New York
State
Dillon, Joseph "
Erected corn mill in
1827
1823
Kingston, George "
From County Cork,
Ireland
Darby, ? "
Came from Vermont
Phillips, William
Sowards, Daniel Metamora
Sowards, Solomon "
Sowards, William "
Came from New England
1824
Crocker, Austin Spring Bay
Brother of Horace Crocker
Stephens on, John "
A miller and chair
maker
1827
Fiedler, Charles "
1827
Phillips, Nicholas Spring Bay First Catholic family
Williams, Benjamin Worth First
permanent settler in
Worth township
1828
Crocker, Joseph Spring Bay A
brother to Austin and Horace.
In 1834, they erected
a flour mill operated
by water power. This
mill served the people
for 50 years. Before
this time, the mills were
operated by horses.
Wilson, Jacob "
1829
Curry, Hiram "
Dale, Jesse "
Donahue, "Widow" ,,
"Widow", is listed as being a
farmer so this is probably a
nickname.
Hopkins, George "
Matthews, David "
Kept a ferry at the narrows
1830
Engle, John Metamora Son of
Rev. Christian Engle
Ayers, Francis Partridge Came
from Ohio
Kennel, John Worth
Came from Ohio
Sharp, John "
Came from Columbus, Ohio
Smith, John F. "
Hoshor, William Spring Bay
Came from Ohio; built a flour
mill in Spring Bay
operated
by water power in
1834;
built Germantown House
in
1850 and Union House in
1855;
built a saw mill in
Germantown
in 1860; was a
farmer
in 1878
1831
Banta, Jacob, David
and Cornelius Metamora Came
from Kentucky; orig
inally
from New Jersey where
Jacob
was born in 1771 and
was
a descendant of Epke
Jacob
Banta who came from
Holland
in 1659
Brickler, John Metamora Came
from Lorraine, France
1831
Engle, Peter Metamora Came
from Lorraine, France;
Half-brother of John
Beisley, "Red" Joe Partridge
Born in France, came from
Ohio; "..he came
here poor,
but at the time of his
death
he was one of the
richest
farmers in Woodford
County."
Beisley, John V'
Gingerich, ?
1832
Brownfield, John
Christian, Thomas Worth
Mueller, Peter I' One of 8 original founders
of St. Raphael's (Lourdes)
1833
Engle, Rev. Christian Metamora Mennonite
Banta, Albert J. Metamora
Verkler, John " From Lorraine, France
Guibert, Louis A. Partridge Wealthy French nobleman;
fought at Austerlitz, deco-
rated by Napoleon. In 1833,
he built and operated a saw
mill in Partridge Township.
Buried in Lourdes Cemetery.
Cress, Andrew . Worth Came from Virginia
Grove, Simon I' Came from Virginia
Hall, Rev. Zadock " Methodist preacher from Dela-
ware; built the first frame
house in Wood ford County (in
Germantown)
Hazard, Dr. I' From Hamilton County, Ohio
"He was thrown from his horse
one day and killed."
Smith, Christian I' From Pennsylvania
Tool, John J. 'I Cooper and carpenter from
Virginia
Belsley, "Black" Joe Spring Bay Cousin of
"Red" Joe
Hoshor, Jefferson 'I Brother of William
1834
Johnson, George Partridge
Operated a grist and saw
mill
Ruckle, George
Beck, Samuel Worth From
Zanesville, Ohio; he
was called "the
great hunter" because he killed 5
deer in one day and knew the
woods like an Indian.
Boen, Rev. John Worth Methodist Episcopal minister from Virginia
Klein, Peter I, Blacksmith; opened the first iron foundry in Worth Town-
ship in Germantown
Sunderland, John I' Kept the first stage-stand
on the stage coach run from
Peoria to the east
West, James 'I Plasterer by trade from
Virginia; little work for
him on the frontier
Snyder, Nicholas, Sr.
John, Isaac, Peter,
David, Daniel,
Nicholas, Jr Spring Bay
1835
Dudley, Stephen Metamora
Mason, C. P.
Mason, John
Page, John Sr., 'I John, Sr. came from New
John W., Adino, Hampshire with his wife and
Samuel, Thaddeus 9 children, a journey of 5
weeks in wagons by land,
and then by canal and steam-
boat. He had been elected
State Representative in New
Hampshire and was elected
to the same office in Ill.
Was a Quaker by religion.
John W. and Samuel, his sons,
were soldiers in the Mexican
War in 1846. Samuel also
enlisted in the Civil War.
Page, Ebenezer Metamora Brother of John. The Page
family traces its genealogy
back to the John Page who
was born in 1586 in Dedham,
England and who came to
America in 1630 with Gov.
Winthrop.
Wilson, Nathaniel Metamora Came with John Page family
Klingman, John M. Partridge Came from Ohio
Younger, Benjamin I,
Sunderland, Thomas Worth Son of John Sunderland
Smith, John T. Came from Cincinnati
Smith, John B. Son of John T. Smith
1835
Hunter, William Spring Bay
st Sauvage, Joseph Western Woodford
Came from France;
County Catholic
1836
Bettelyune, Philip Partridge
Bolle, Henry Rene Came from
France
Beisley, Christian Worth Brother of
'1Black" Joe; I
had in his possession
an
old family Bible which
w
published in 1560 and
written in High Dutch
Burkey, Andrew Worth From Bavaria
by way of
New York
Engle, Joseph 'I From France; a
Mennonite
Kern, C. From Pennsylvania
Kern, John M.
Mueller, John C.
Wagner, Michael
nd 1837
5 Favre, Marcellin Partridge Came
from Switzerland
Molitor, Charles Worth Born in
Canada of Germar
am- and French parents;
so-
journed in Russia as a
~ew young man; came to
New '.
City, worked as a cabin
maker and then moved to
Worth Township; fathere
children by 2 wives; en
ons, listed in cavalry
in Ci
Lcan War - wounded and
taken
prisoner; was a Justice
the Peace in Worth Town
for 40 years and lived gethe age of 81.
Donated of windows in present cogy
am, Sauer, George Worth From
Bavaria; one of 8
inal founders of this ~
and one of first trustc
(others were Peter Wilt
and George Kerker).
lySchertz, Joseph, Sr.
Joseph, Jr.
David Worth Came from France
Sommer, Martin Catholic; came
from Ba
by way of
Cincinnat
1837
Wiltz, Peter, Sr. Worth Came from Bavaria by way of
Peter, Jr. Cincinnati; one of 8 origi-
nal founders of this parish;
one of first trustees. The
present church was built
with bricks made by Peter,
Jr. in his brickyard.
Belsley, Christian Spring Bay Came from France; one of
three men of same name to
live in area at same time.
Haas, John 'I First marriage solemnized
in the new parish.
1838
Ranney, Joel Metamora Came from Vermont in a
wagon drawn by two horses.
Aime, David Partridge
Heininger, George, Sr. Came from Bavaria with $1800
George, Jr gold in his possession. One
of 8 original founders of
parish.
Reising, George A. From Bavaria; one of 8 origi
Adam Peter nal founders. Adam Peter and
Pet~r Adam Peter Adam were identical
twins, sona of George, and
with their sister, Mary Anna,
married 3 Rossmanns in a
triple ceremony August 22,
1854, at Kickapoo because
there was no resident priest
in Peoria or at Black Par-
tridge (Lourdes).
Aime, Anthony Worth Sponsor at first baptism at
Black Partridge, October 11,
1840
Gangloff, Andrew Worth Came from France
John B.
Jacob
Gindling, Conrad ,, From Bavaria; one of 8
original founders; donated 20 acres of land for the newly organ-
ized parish, the site of the present cemetery; 18 acres
were deeded back to him when the present church was erected. Mrs. Gindling was the other
sponsor at the first baptism (Edward Hertz).
Kerker, George J. Worth George was one of the 8
Conrad original founders and one F
John of first trustees; family
came from Bavaria by way
of Cincinnati; the first F
school at Black Partridge
was held in the log cabin
of George Kerker.
Weber, Peter I' Came from Bavaria by way
of Cincinnati.
Wenzel, Conrad " From Bavaria; one of 8
original founders.
1839
Haas, Jacob V' From Darnateinbach,
Bavaria
Ioerger, Michael 'V Emigrated from Alsace to
Jacob New York, Ohio, Indiana,
Peoria, and finally Worth
Township all in the same
year. Jacob married Mary
Hertz, a French Catholic,
on January 14, 1847, and
in 1856 "built a fine
residence on his farm"
which to this day is still
occupied by Ioerger descendants.
Melin, Frank I' From France; Catholic
Sauer, Adam V' Catholic
Seipel, Adam 'V
Sommer, Peter A. 'V From Bavaria; Catholic
Stenger, Frank V' Catholic
Klein, Jacob " Donated one of windows in
present church; parish
trustee in 1859.
Our First Church
Definite parishes had been established in the Chicago and St. Louis areas in the very early 1800's, but the area
in between was a '1religious wilderness." The establishing of St. Raphael's at Black Partridge (Lourdes) and other
parishes in the Diocese of Peoria was helped by the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, begun in 1836, and
forming a connecting waterway from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. The construction of this canal brought to Illinois thousands of Irish construction workers and most of these were Catholic. In December, 1837, one of the contractors of
the canal, William Byrne, who lived at La Salle went to Bishop Rosati in St Louis, Missouri, to request priests for the La
Salle district. (There was no Peoria Diocese at that time). Father John Blase Raho and Father Aloysius John Mary Parodi
were assigned as missionary priests to serve the area.
The journey of Father Raho and Father Parodi from their seminary south of St. Louis on the Mississippi River, to La
Salle on the Illinois River took about a week. When the two missionary priests arrived at their destination at midnight
on Thursday, March 29, 1838, they received a surprising welcome. Five hundred men and women were there to meet them.
They held torches which gave a flood of light. The steamboat whistled; drums were beat; the crowd shouted a most
hearty welcome. Then followed a midnight parade. Each Father was given a horse to ride. Bill Byrne, the contractor, led
the procession followed by a band of fifes and drums, the 500 men and women holding their lighted torches, and lastly,
Father Raho and Father parodi on horseback The band played "Carry-Owen" as the crowd marched the one mile to the log
cabin home of William Byrne where the two fathers were to live temporarily.
Shortly after the arrival of the Fathers Raho and Parodi, a feud arose among the Irish who were working on the canal.
Irishmen who came from North Ireland battled against Irish from South Ireland and the two factions were beating, wounding,
and killing each other and destroying houses and crops. From La Salle Fathers Raho and parodi "went up and down to quell
the riots and to bring back the Catholics to meekness and charity." Father Raho expressed his bitter grief and
discouragement in these words: "I am fatigued; I am tired. Would to Cod that I could go away from among them. I would
wish to be among the Indians." Father Raho continued: "It was said that a missionary priest from Chicago pronounced upon
the rioters the curse of God." A historian of the time feels the curse must have been effective for he writes: "Within a
short time the rioters were struck by a dreaded cholera epidemic; the frightful destroyer began and finished his work of
carnage on each victim within twenty-four hours."
Father Raho wrote: '1Father Parodi and I have been very busy visiting the sick and burying the dead; day and night we
have been laboring in order to afford the help of our religion to the poor sick." The historian states further: "The cholera
plague changed the sounds of strife and rioting into sounds of wailing and mourning. All along the canal the cholera counted
its victims; in the small towns of La Salle and Peru alone, 81 able-bodied men died of this plague. The scourge of God brought
about a religious revival among the people; they flocked to Holy Mass on weekdays and to confession and Holy Communion;
repentance and conversions followed. And when the people had come back to God, the cholera epidemic came to an end."
Father Raho was anxious to build a church at La Salle to be his headquarters. Up and down the canal he went, stopping
at the camps, at the boarding houses, at the shanties, begging money for the building of a log church. This was finally
constructed and opened for worship on July 1, 1838, and given the name "Holy Cross Church."
"The Apostle of Central Illinois" is a title justly
deserved by Father Raho because of the many long, extensive
missionary journeys which he made all over the central part of the state. He traveled by foot, horseback, horse and buggy,
and boat. His travels took him as far as 120 miles to the south of La Salle. In the years 1838-1839, he founded and personally
attended missions at La Salle, Ottawa, Dayton, Marseilles,
Volume 2 is under construction