1050 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY part of northern Ohio and once a part of Sandusky, was re-annexed to Sandusky. The Auglaize territory annexed at this time furnished some fine city fields such as Lima and Sidney, and also Van Wert which has been taken up since the consolidation. The fathers who were at the head of this band of men and their fields of labor were Elias Counseller, R. W. Wilgus, and the late W. E. Bay, whom Bishop Edwards called "The sweet singer of Israel." Rev. Stephen Lillibridge, a young man of promise and zeal, was one of the early ministers of the Conference. He died at Findlay, Ohio, in 1843, and his body rests in Maple Grove Cemetery at that place. He was only twenty-eight years old at the time of his death. Rev. Henry G. Spayth, the Church's first historian, came into the Conference by transfer in 1835. The "Peter Cartwright" of Sandusky Conference was Rev. John Davis, the hatter, who made and sold white hats. He had an exceedingly pleasant disposition, was shrewd and witty in his sayings; honest in his dealings. He was a favorite among his brethren and well patronized by them. He spent his later days with his daughter at Fostoria, Ohio. It was here that a good number of his ministerial brethren, who were visiting him, planned to get his favorite piece of chicken. The joke contemplated was so good that one of the brethren revealed their plan to his daughter: He was to say "grace" and thereby they would have the advantage. But the trusty daughter informed her father of the plot and placed the plate of fowl near him, with his piece in easy reach. At the proper time, he was called on to return thanks, and with fork in hand, watching as well as praying, he was heard to say, as he was about to conclude, "The gizzard is mine, Amen." The joke is still remembered by some of the older brethren, and his name and sharp sayings are handed down from one to another. He was a great lover of tea, and for fear he would not always be fortunate enough to get it where he might stop, he carried with him a supply. At one place where they had none, he brought his tea sack from his saddle-bags and cautioned the lady of the house that he desired his tea good and strong. On leaving the home, he asked for the remainder, but the good sister said : "Why, Father Davis, you told me to make your tea good and strong, and I used it all," to which he replied, "Well, I thought it had an extra twist to it." His body rests in the Fostoria cemetery. One of the able and honored pioneer ministers was Rev. Joseph Beaver, who joined in 1835. He served as pastor and presiding TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1051 elder. He compiled a small song book, called "The Christian Songster," which was used quite extensively for many years both in and out of the United Brethren denomination. He died at Fostoria, Ohio, in 1896. Rev. John Lawrence, for fourteen years editor of the Religious Telescope, was for a number of years a member of Sandusky Conference. In later years he entered the legal profession. He died in Tennessee. One of the most prominent characters of the Conference and the entire Church was Rev. Alexander Biddle, who joined by transfer from Muskingum Conference in 1847. He was a member of the General Conference of 1841, which framed the Church's first constitution, and of each succeeding General Conference to and including that of 1865. At one session he came within one vote of being elected Bishop. He spent almost seventy years in the ministry and died at the age of eighty-nine, at Galion, Ohio. Rev. Michael Long was a leading revivalist, pastor, and presiding elder in his day. He was a fine singer and had a powerful voice, and in the days of the camp meetings he could be "heard over two miles." He served fifty-one years as an itinerant minister. There were at one time three brothers in the Conference well known for their physique and handsome appearance. These were Revs. John, George, and Reuben French. They were fine preachers and had great evangelistic ability, and added their thousands to the church. Rev. Michael Bulger, known as the "Ecclesiastical Lawyer," was a lover of debate. It is said that he delighted to argue with the advents, and always floundered them when he had a chance to do so. There are many other workers worthy of mention if space allowed. Rev. Isaac Crouse served as circuit and station preacher, and as presiding elder. He was the founder of the Sunday School system in its general organization. Rev. Wm. Mathers, who became a member of the Conference in 1847, served long and faithfully as a circuit rider, station preacher, and as presiding elder. He lived to near the century mark. Rev. D. S. Caldwell, a former member of Sandusky Conference, who was an able preacher, and an efficient pastor and presiding elder, and who was a Union soldier, captured and imprisoned in the Libby prison, wrote a small pamphlet telling of the daring escape of himself and a number of his fellow prisoners. 1052 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Without a doubt Dr. J. W. Lilly served more years in the presiding elder's office than any other member of the Conference. He served twenty-one years in the Sandusky and North Ohio Conference. Rev. Henry Doty served longer than any other in this capacity in the Sandusky Conference proper, having served nine years consecutively. Rev. T. J. Harbaugh was a soldier during the Civil war, served as chaplain of the Second Regiment of Ohio in the Spanish-American war. He served as state senator, two terms, and gave credit to the state and party that elected him. Rev. John C. Bright, one of the early ministers of the Conference, was the founder of the Home, Frontier, and Foreign Missionary Society of our church. Sandusky Conference was one of the first to give its support and influence to Otterbein University. Hundreds of the young men and women are graduates of the institution. It was also an early supporter of Union Biblical Seminary, now Bonebrake Theological Seminary. At one time the Conference erected and supported Fostoria Academy. The school always had an able faculty and its work was thorough. Many of the young people of the Conference attended school there, and many became well equipped for their life's service, and have made good records. In later years the school passed from the control of Sandusky Conference and in 1905, the building burned. The dormitories were sold and the campus has been laid out into town lots, and dwellings erected thereon. An important event in the early history of this society, seemingly lost track of by that denomination, is that services were held by a United Brethren minister at the cabin of Collister Haskins, soon after his location on the Liberty township side of the present village of Portage, in 1824. With this statement, further facts of their work will be found in the stories of the various county organizations which follow later in this history. CHURCH OF CHRIST While the Church of Christ, also known as the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, and in pioneer sections early called "Campbellites," is not an old organization, comparatively, it had a representation in the Maumee and Sandusky valleys nearly a century ago. Alexander Campbell, with his father, Thomas Campbell, is generally recognized as the founder of the society, the organization springing from a meeting held at Bush Run, Pa., in 1810, and perfected May 4, 1811, with a membership of thirty. TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1053 It was truly a church in the wilderness. Thomas Campbell, the father was selected elder, with George Sharp, John Dawson, William Gilchrist and James Foster, Deacons. Alexander Campbell was ordained as a preacher January 1, 1812. The first baptisms took place in Buffalo Creek. The teachings of the Church of Christ were applicable to the religious ideas of a goodly number of the wilderness pioneers of the Maumee and Sandusky valleys. Among the early gatherings of those in sympathy with this movement, were those which took place in the Whitacre and Mercer settlements, in Liberty township, Wood County. It was in. 1840 that George Lucy, a Disciple preacher, came to visit his sister, Mrs. Martha Whitacre, and with the Whitacre family visited the Mercer neighborhood, where he preached the first sermon of the denomination at the cabin of William Mercer. Lucy then organized a class of Disciples at the Whitacre schoolhouse near the north line of Bloom township, Wood County. Among the first members of the class were Caleb and Abraham Mercer and a Mrs. Groves. About 1842, John and William Mercer became identified with the movement and James Alton arrived to conduct services at this schoolhouse. Some time later Mahlon Whitacre received word that Moses Bonham, a Disciple, was holding meetings in Putnam County and went there on foot to induce Bonham to come to the Whitacres' to hold services. He consented, and under his influence Daniel Mercer (thereafter known as "Uncle Danny") John and James McCrory, George Mercer, Sr., and a Dr. Hutchins were baptized (immersed) into the church. For preaching there one year, Mahlon Whitacre gave Bonham forty acres of land in the southeast quarter of section 31, Portage township. The first elders of the class were Mahlon Whitacre and John Mercer, and Edward Whitacre and William Mercer, deacons. Meetings were then held in the Mercer schoolhouse in Liberty township. A year or so later John Whitacre came from Columbiana County and held services in a schoolhouse northwest of present Mermill. Among additions to the class were Charles Mercer, Jane Mercer, Mary Ann McCrory, Harriet Mercer, David, Ellisa and Elizabeth Mercer. A minister named William Wilson arrived in 1850, followed by Joseph Wade, Thomas Holmes and Zophar Green, of the Christian Bible Society. April 11, 1858, a regular society was organized with Daniel and John Mercer elders and Abraham Mercer and James McCrory deacons. There were twenty-nine members, not including the Whitacres who still maintained their separate class. 1054 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY The first preachers were evidently not regularly ordained, others following being Dana Call, Orange Higgins, Michael Riddle, William and Jackson Dowling. The first church, known as the Bethel, was built in 1865 at the present town site of Rudolph, under Dowling's pastorate. After 1880, Rev. J. V. Updike, a regularly ordained minister was the pastor until 1886. In 1888, the society was incorporated, with Daniel Mercer, Robert Miller, Joseph Horn and William Kinney, trustees, and Andrew Welton, clerk. In 1889, Rev. William Dowling resumed the pastorate, followed in 1890, by Rev. G. W. Cline. From 1858 to 1890, some 600 members were received into this organization and a fine brick church now occupies the site of the first structure. When the oil industry became an important factor in Liberty township, prosperity came to many farmers of that section who later retired to village or city life. Among these were the families of Daniel Mercer, Robert Place and Robert Miller, prominent in the Bethel organization. Mercer and Place located in Bowling Green and the story of the Christian. Church there in which they were prominent, is related in the chapter on Wood County. Robert Miller's family located in Tiffin, where Mr. Miller sponsored the building of a fine edifice of the Church of Christ denomination. At Milton Center, Wood County, a Christian Church Society was organized early. In pioneer days the mode of baptism was by some considered a vital factor in the plan of salvation, and debates were held between the then so called Campbellites and ministers of denominations using other modes of baptism than immersion. One such, in a series, was held between Rev. G. W. Cline, then pastor at the Christian Church at Milton Center and Rev. J. W. Trimble of the Presbyterian denomination there. The debates created much excitement and drew packed houses; and it may be said that pastor Trimble was reluctant to enter the contest, but was rather forced into the public discussion by his partisan church members. As noted, Putnam County's field was early covered by the "Disciples" as were some other sections, including now Fulton County. As early as in the '30s, long before Fulton County was .organized, a William Jones preached to the followers there of that faith. Of the five or six Christian Church societies in Toledo, The Central Church on Eleventh Street is the oldest. It was organized in September, 1872, with Rev. F. M. Green as pastor. It has a membership of about one thousand with Rev. Grant W. TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1055 Speer, the able pastor. More details of the Christian societies are found in the story of Toledo and the various county articles. As indicated, no matter how desirable, it is impossible to go into details of all the worthy church organizations, and a number not mentioned here are spoken of in the various individual county chapters. The able article of Rev. Francis J. Macelwane closes this chapter. HISTORY OF CATHOLIC DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHWESTERN OHIO BY REV. FRANCIS J. MACELWANE The material progress of Northwestern Ohio in the past one hundred and twenty-five years has been remarkable. At the same time the religious growth has kept step with this material progress. Among the forces contributing to spiritual advancement in this part of the state the Catholic Church has been an influential factor. French Missions. Prior to settlement by the whites, which began about 1800, Northwestern Ohio was a dense forest inhabited by two or three Indian tribes. This territory was a part of New France from the time of its exploration until the close of the French and Indian war. It was ceded to the English by the Treaty of Paris in 1763. While the country was in the control of the French, traders and missionaries frequently traveled by canoe along the south shore of Lake Erie and up the Maumee and Sandusky Rivers. While the French Jesuits had no mission station nearer than Detroit, records seem to indicate that they frequently visited the Indians of Northwestern Ohio. An old map drawn by the Jesuits in 1660 shows that they were familiar with the location of Sandusky Bay and the Maumee River. Jesuit missionaries were known to have been along the Maumee River in 1670 and in 1676. After 1700 the French adopted the Maumee-Wabash route as an inland passage to the Illinois country. It is probable that missionaries frequently accompanied the expeditions which passed along this route. Three distinguished Jesuit missionaries who were stationed at Detroit and carried on missionary activities among the In- 1056 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY dians of Northwestern Ohio, were John de la Richardie, Peter Potier and Joseph Peter de Bonnecamps. Father de la Richardie came to Detroit to work among the Huron Indians as early as 1738. Father Potier joined him in his work at Detroit in 1749. Both these men knew the Huron language well and did effective work among these tribes. Due to constant war with the Iroquois, a branch of the Hurons withdrew from the country around Georgian Bay and migrated to Northwestern Ohio. These Indians were known in Ohio as the Wyandots. They settled at the head of Sandusky Bay, near the present site of Fremont in 1751. It was Father de la Richardie who persuaded them to make this settlement. Prior to this, in 1749, Father Potier had accompanied the Wyandots on an exploring trip into Northwestern Ohio and said Mass for them here. This is the first definite record of Mass being said in this territory, although earlier missionaries probably said Mass here on their journeys through this country. It was also in 1749 that Father Bonnecamps passed through this district of Ohio. He accompanied the expedition of Celeron de Bienville into the Ohio country. Captain Celeron left Montreal with 250 men on June 15, 1749. The expedition went up Lake Ontario and from Niagara struck out through the woods for the source of the Ohio River. After his negotiations in southern Ohio his party moved northwest to the Maumee River at Fort Wayne. Leaving Fort Wayne they traveled down the Maumee in canoes, reaching Maumee Bay about the end of September 1749. Father Bonne-camps, as chaplain of this expedition probably said Mass on the banks of the Maumee. Father de la Richardie built a log chapel for the Wyandots near the present site of Sandusky in 1751. He resided at this mission for several years, where the Indians became deeply attached to him. Due to the hostility of Chief Nicholas, he was finally forced to leave and died March 23, 1758. During this time Father Potier was stationed at Detroit and later at Sandwich, Ont. He worked with untiring zeal among the Indians and at intervals visited the Wyandots along the Sandusky River. Father Potier died at Sandwich, July 16, 1781. The death of Father Potier marks the passing of that great band of the Jesuit missionaries who for more than one hundred years worked among the Indians of the Great Lakes region. With the exception of Father Burke's brief activities during the period of English occupation, no Catholic missionary effort was TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1057 undertaken in Northwestern Ohio until the advent of the white settlers. Period of English Occupation. Northwestern Ohio was British territory from 1763 until the close of the Revolutionary war in 1783. The English government, however, continued to hold trading posts and forts in American territory until 1796, when, according to the terms of Jay's treaty, they were evacuated. One of these posts was located on the west bank of the Maumee River, about one and one-half miles below Maumee, near the present site of the Lucas County Children's Home. It was known as Fort Miami. During the brief period of English control the only. Catholic activity in Northwestern Ohio of which we have a record is that of Father Burke near Fort Miami. In September 1795 Reverend Edmund Burke left Quebec, where he was a professor in the Seminary, and came West. His aim was to carry on the Missions established among the Indians by the Jesuit Fathers, which had been neglected since the suppression of the Order. In 1796 he was living near the present site of Maumee, as he says, "within a few miles of the Miami fort." He seems to have devoted earnest efforts to spiritual work among the Indians and Canadians living around this army post and probably to whatever Catholic soldiers there may have been in the English garrison. It is probable that Father Burke did not remain more than a year, for in 1797 we find him at Fort Niagara, and shortly afterward he was back at Quebec. Prior to 1830. After 1800 settlers began to come into the woods of Northern Ohio, and among them there were naturally some Catholic families. Priests, however, were very scarce, and for some years no one could be spared to look after the spiritual welfare of the few Catholic families scattered through the Northern woods. The first step toward organizing the Missions of Ohio occurred in 1808 when Pope Pius VII established the Diocese of Bardstown, Kentucky, and made Reverend Benedict Flaget the first Bishop. Bishop Flaget in 1812 entrusted to Reverend Edward Fenwick the task of attending to the spiritual welfare of the Catholics of the entire State of Ohio. In 1818, Father Fenwick, who was a member of the Dominican Order, established a Dominican Convent at Somerset, in Perry County. Here he was joined by a number of Dominican priests; and the members of this little community at Somerset 1058 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY travelled long distances through the woods to say Mass and administer the Sacraments to the scattered Catholic population. They visited the more numerous Catholic settlements of the southern part of the state, as well as those of Columbiana County, Stark County, and others in the Northeastern portion. There is no record however of a visit by any of the Missionaries to Northwestern Ohio during this time. In 1822, at the request of Bishop Flaget of Bardstown, the Diocese of Cincinnati was established and Father Fenwick was appointed as its first bishop. This new diocese included the entire states of Ohio and Michigan and the eastern part of Wisconsin. The first record of a visit to this part of the state is in 1827, when Bishop Fenwick, together with Rev. Ignatius I. Mullon, remained for several days at Tiffin. Father Mullon said Mass and preached in the Courthouse at Tiffin on the following Sunday, while Bishop Fenwick proceeded on his way through the woods to Green Bay. About this time Rev. Ignatius Mullon also visited the Catholics at Fremont. Bishop Fenwick came to Northwestern Ohio several times between 1824 and his death in 1832. Entries of marriages and baptisms made by him are found in the parish records of St. Mary's Parish, Tiffin. During these years Bishop Fenwick visited the Catholic settlers at Fremont, Maumee, Toledo, Toussaint, and La Prairie. At the end of this decade Northwestern Ohio was still very sparsely settled. The greater part of the territory was covered with virgin forest and only a few roads had been constructed. The Catholic settlers were few and there was no resident pastor in the entire district. 1830-1840. In the decade between 1830 and 1840 a more rapid development took place in this part of the state. Many new settlers, both from eastern United States and from Europe came to make their homes in Northwestern Ohio. Of this group the Catholic settlers were mostly Irish and German. The German families for the most part settled at Peru, Norwalk, Glandorf, New Riegel and Shelby Settlement. They settled in smaller numbers in the rural districts of Erie, Seneca, Huron and Crawford counties. The Irish settlers took up residence chiefly in Tiffin, McCutchenville, and after work began on the Miami-Erie Canal, TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1059 in the towns along the Canal, Maumee; Providence, Napoleon and Defiance. Before Bishop Fenwick's death, he sent his Vicar-General, Very Rev. Frederick Rese to Europe to secure priests for the missions of Ohio and Michigan. In compliance with this request, Father Rese went to Vienna where he secured the promise of the Redemptorist Fathers to send several priests to assist Bishop Fenwick in his diocese. In 1831 Bishop Fenwick appointed Rev. Edmund Quinn, pastor of St. Mary's Church, Tiffin. Father Quinn is the first resident pastor in the territory now included in the Diocese of Toledo. In the fall of 1832 he began construction of a brick church on property purchased from Josiah Hedges, by Bishop Fenwick in 1829. This property was located in the rear of the present Ursuline Convent and Calvert High School. The outline of the original foundation can still be observed. In 1832 Bishop Fenwick died and was succeeded by the Rt. Rev. John B. Purcell who entered upon his duties as bishop, October 13, 1833. Bishop Purcell visited the Catholic settlements of Northern Ohio in the summer of 1834. On this tour the bishop visited Father Quinn's parish at Tiffin, where he reports he found a membership of about 100. Bishop Purcell, in his letter to the Catholic Telegraph of Cincinnati in 1834, wrote that Father Quinn "has had to administer to the spiritual wants of the Catholics of a circumference of nearly 40 miles, the roads at any season of the year, but particularly in winter, being of the very worst description." Father Quinn was a zealous missionary and traveled over many miles of Northwestern Ohio during the term of his pastorate at Tiffin. He contracted malaria on one of these missionary journeys and died September 5, 1835 at St. Mary's, Auglaize County. While Father Quinn was laboring in and around Tiffin, a settlement composed largely of Catholics was being formed about nine miles south of Tiffin called McCutchenville. In 1834 a tract of two and three-fourth acres was donated to the bishop by Mr. William Arnold, as a site for a church in the village. Father Tschenhens attended McCutchenville from Peru and in 1837 built a frame church there. 'Bishop Purcell mentions this parish in the report of his visit in 1836. He says, "The Tiffin and McCutchenville congregations are comprised of the very best mate- 1060 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY rials; they have been lately much augmented by emigrants from Maryland, Pennsylvania and some parts of Europe." This parish never had a resident pastor and in time the Catholic people moved away. At present the parish is entirely extinct, although the cemetery may still be seen. The church burned in the summer of 1871 and was never rebuilt. Shortly before the death of Bishop Fenwick, the Redemptorist Fathers who had promised to come to America, arrived in New York, June 20, 1832. They were Rev. Simon Saenderl, Rev. Francis X. Haetscher and Rev. Francis X. Tschenhens. They made their way at once to Cincinnati where they reported for duty. Father Haetscher was sent at once to northern Ohio to provide pastoral care for the German Catholic pioneers who had lately moved in large numbers into Erie, Huron, Seneca and the neighboring counties. The Redemptorist Fathers chose Peru and Huron County as their place of residence. After a year of labor in this territory, Father Haetscher was replaced by Father Tschenhens. During his pastorate at Peru, Father Tschenhens was a very active missionary and did a great deal to develop parishes throughout the entire Sandusky River Valley. As early as 1833 he built a log chapel for the settlers at Wolf's Creek, now known as New Riegel. This was a little settlement made under the leadership of John Houck, Anthony Sanders and Matthias Weisenberger in the heavily forested district south of Tiffin. In the following year he built a frame church at Peru. In 1836 Father Tschenhens built a log church at Shelby Settlement and shortly afterward he constructed a log school there, which was the first school to be opened in that district. As was mentioned above, a frame church was erected under his direction at McCutchenville in 1837. Two years later under his guidance a log chapel was constructed at Thompson in Seneca County. While Father Tschenhens was devoting his attention to these larger centers, he was also visiting Catholic settlers scattered throughout these counties from Sandusky as far south as Bucyrus. While settlement was thus going on in the Sandusky Valley a very interesting development was taking place in the western part of the state. In 1833 Rev. Williath J. Horstmann left Germany with several young men to seek homes in the new world. They came by boat to Detroit and set out on foot southward, seeking suitable land for homesteads. They finally decided to TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1061 locate in Putnam County, near the Blachard River. At the suggestion of Father Horstmann the settlement was named Glandorf. Log cabins were built here and a log church and school were constructed in the spring of 1834. Father Horstmann was the first schoolmaster. The settlement of Toledo was begun in 1832. The construction of the Wabash and Erie Canal, as well as the Miami-Erie Canal gave great impetus to this new community. Many Irish immigrants came to this vicnity to work on the canals. Bishop Purcell sent Rev. Emanuel Thienpont from Dayton in 1837 and Rev. Edward Collins from Cincinnati in 1838 to say Mass and administer the Sacraments for these people. These two missionaries traveled on horseback from Toledo as far west as the Indiana line. At the end of this decade, 1830-1840, there were churches at Tiffin, Glandorf, New Riegel, Peru, Shelby Settlement, McCutchenville and Thompson. Resident pastors were stationed at Tiffin, Peru and Glandorf. Although there were so few parishes established at this time, nevertheless, Northwestern Ohio had developed a great deal during this decade Catholic settlers were rather numerous throughout the whole extent of this territory. 1840-1850. The decade between 1840 and 1850 continued to be a pioneer period, as was the one before it. It was however a transition period; the Wabash Canal and the Miami and Erie Canal were completed during this period, railroads were under construction and a splendid macadamized road had been built between Fremont and Perrysburg. These public developments naturally attracted many settlers. Irish immigrants came in large numbers seeking employment on the public works and many of them were Catholics. At the same time a steady growth was taking place, in the rural districts. The scattered German families who had previously located in the woods and villages of Erie, Huron and Seneca counties, as well as in the neighborhood of Putnam County, were constantly augmented by relatives and friends who joined them from abroad. The greatest Catholic development during this period occurred in the vicinity of Tiffin, Sandusky, Glandorf, Delphos, Toledo and in those places where the Precious Blood Fathers made their home, namely New Riegel and Thompson. The amount of missionary work done by Rev. Amadeus Rappe during this time throughout the entire Maumee River Valley is 36-VOL. 1 1062 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY astonishing. This decade saw the establishment of the Diocese of Cleveland, comprising all of Northern Ohio, and the appointment of Father Rappe as the first bishop. It was during this period also that the first parish school taught by Sisters was established in Northwestern Ohio, at St. Francis de Sales, Toledo. Tiffin continued to develop. After the death of Father Quinn, spoken of above, Father Tschenhens attended St. Mary's parish, Tiffin until 1839. In that year Rev. Joseph McNamee was appointed pastor by Bishop Purcell. The church was already too small for the congregation. Bishop Purcell wrote in the report of his visit to Northern Ohio in 1841, "The church at Tiffin, which was visited on Sunday, June 27th, is so small that not more than one-third part of the congregation can find place in it." The bishop also says that at this time, McCutchenville, New Riegel, Attica, Maumee, Perrysburg, Toledo and Defiance were attended from Tiffin or from Norwalk. From 1839 until December of 1840, Father McNamee had as his assistant, Rev. Projectus J. Machebeuf, a young French priest who had come to America at the earnest request of Bishop Purcell. This young man later became the first bishop of Denver, Colo. During the one and one-half years of his appointment at Tiffin, Father Machebeuf took care of the distant missions at Fremont, Sandusky, Maumee, etc., while Father McNamee attended to the spiritual wants of the people in the immediate vicinity of Tiffin. Bishop Machebeuf's memoirs give the following account of one of his visits to the missions, "In the beginning of November, 1839, I visited for the first time the Irish laborers working on the National or macadamized road, then being built through the `Black Swamp,' from Lower Sandusky (Fremont) to Perrysburg, on the Maumee River. I first visited Lower Sandusky (Fremont), where I received the kind hospitality of Mrs. Dickinson and of Mrs. Rawson, very respectable French ,ladies, married to Protestant gentlemen. "In Lower Sandusky I learned that nine or ten miles down the river a good number of Canadian farmers had settled on Mud Creek (La Prairie). I went there immediately and found over thirty families, mostly from Detroit and Monroe, Mich. In the few days I spent with them I had the greatest consolation. All of them received th sacraments and showed the best disposition. I appointed some pious ladies to teach catechism on Sundays and two or three times during the week, to a large number TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1063 of children. A good widow lady gave a beautiful site on the bank of the river for a church or rather a chapel." In 1840 Father Machebeuf was sent to Sandusky to organize a parish and was made the first resident pastor there. Father McNamee was thus left without an assistant in Tiffin. In 1844 Father McNamee built a large frame addition to the original brick church in Tiffin. Bishop Purcell says on the occasion of his visit in 1846, "There were 60 persons confirmed in St. Mary's church, Tiffin, to which an adition twice the size of the original building, and in better style of finish, has been recently made." OLD CATHOLIC CEMETERY AT LA PRAIRIE, RICE TOWNSHIP, SANDUSKY COUNTY Most of the names on the stones are French. The earliest date is 1843, Ellen LaPoint, 52 years. The latest, Monica Quisno, 1888, 78 years. Then there are Bisnetts, DeMars, Wagoners, etc. Some of the stones are laying over, and most of them are overgrown with bushes, and long grass. Due to the fact that a large number of German settlers had located at Tiffin, Bishop Purcell gave them permission to organize a parish of their own. The leaders in the organization of the new parish were : Joseph Kuebler, Michael Theissen, Joseph Vollmer, Dr. Joseph Bohler, John Houck and John Bormuth. Property was bought at the corner of Melmore and South Washington streets and a brick church was built here during the summer of 1845. Bishop Purcell wrote in 1846, "The Roman 1064 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Catholic Germans have also built at Tiffin a new, large and beautiful church of brick, which was dedicated to God on the same day, in honor of St. Joseph." A parish school was opened at St. Joseph's in 1847. It was housed in a log schoolhouse on the rear of the church property. The Precious Blood Fathers attended St. Joseph's church until 1852, when the first resident pastor was appointed. While this activity was taking place in Tiffin, a great development was going on in the neighborhood of Tiffin due to advent of the Precious Blood Fathers. The Precious Blood Fathers came to America in response to the urgent appeal of Bishop Purcell. Under the leadership of Rev. Francis de Sales Brunner, they reached Cincinnati in January of 1844 and were immediately assigned to St. Alphonsus Church, Peru, Huron County. Father Brunner established a convent for his order at New Riegel in 1844, one at Thompson in Seneca County in 1845 and a third at Glandorf in 1847. Some of the original buildings are still standing. After the coming of the Precious Blood Fathers, the spiritual wants of the German settlers in Northern Ohio were well taken care of. The Precious Blood Fathers organized the parish and supervised the building of St. Joseph's church, Tiffin in 1845, while in 1846 they built a log church at Bismarck in Huron County. As the same time they were equally busy in the missions south of Tiffin. In 1845 Father Brunner built a church in St. Stephens, Seneca County and the following year at New Washington. In addition to this they took care of Shelby Settlement, Bucyrus and other mission stations. After 1830, Sandusky became a center of development. The Catholics residing there were attended from Peru and Tiffin until 1840, when Father Machebeuf was appointed the first resident pastor. He said Mass for a time in the U. S. Customs building, but in 1841 a tract of land was donated to him by Mr. W. H. Mills, a non-Catholic, for the purpose of erecting a church. The corner-stone of Holy Angels' Church was laid in 1841, but due to a lack of funds the church was not completed until 1845. In the memoirs of Bishop Machebeuf we read, "I went to Sandusky to take pastoral charge of the place on the first day of January, 1840. From Sandusky I continued for some time to visit Lower Sandusky (Fremont), Maumee, Toledo, and all the missions of the northwest." Father Machebeuf was a very active missionary. In addition to his work in Sandusky, he built churches at La Prairie and Toussaint in Ottawa county, rented TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1065 halls for religious service in Fremont and Toledo and said Mass at regular intervals in Port Clinton, Maumee and other centers. The development of a Catholic parish in Lower Sandusky (Fremont) is particularly interesting. The first Catholics to settle in Fremont were three Momenay brothers, who came there in 1816. They were joined in 1822 by John B. Beaugrand. These early settlers came from Detroit. Rev. Gabriel Richard of Detroit visited them and said Mass and preached for them and for the French Catholics at La Prairie in 1823. Bishop Fenwick visited Fremont several times on the occasion of his journeys to Northern Ohio between 1826 and 1831. After this the growing parish was attended by Father Quinn, Father McNamee, Father Tschenhens and Father Machebeuf. After Father Machebeuf went to Sandusky, he assumed full responsibility for the growing congregation at Fremont. In the early years of the mission, Mass was said in the home of Mr. Beaugrand and in that of Joseph Hunsinger. When the congregation had become too large for these accommodations, a hall was rented. In 1841 Father Machebeuf took steps toward the erection of a permanent church. He was greatly aided by L. Q. Rawson and A. Dickinson, non-Catholics, married to the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Beaugrand. The church was completed in 1844 and dedicated to St. Ann. The first resident pastor of St. Ann's Church was Rev. William L. Nightingale, who took charge in 1848. While the development around Sandusky, Fremont and Tiffin during this decade was steadily but relatively slow, the Maumee Valley had become the center of great activity. Father Machebeuf visited Toledo in 1839. He described this visit as follows, "Only a few Catholics were in Toledo at the time, There being no suitable house wherein to hold divine service, I rented a room over a drug store, constructed an altar with some boxes, which I covered with calico." The prospects here however were promising for Bishop Purcell wrote in 1841, "This place is in all probability destined to be one of the most populous commercial cities in the Northwest." Bishop Purcell was so convinced of the future of Toledo that immediately after his visit in 1841 he appointed Rev. Amadeus Rappe as resident pastor. In spite of its promise, Toledo was still only a struggling village. Father Machebeuf wrote in his memoirs, "Toledo was a real mud hole on the banks of the Maumee. It comprised a few frame houses, some log cabins, 1066 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY swamps, ponds of muddy water, and worse yet, a number of persons sick with Maumee fever." Rev. Amadeus Rappe was a young man who had come from France to work in the missions of the United States. He arrived in 1840 and devoted the first year to the study of English. Upon his arrival in Toledo in 1841, he took charge of all the missions in the Maumee Valley as far as the Indiana line, with exception of the German settlements at Glandorf and Delphos. He remained in Toledo until 1847, when the Diocese of Cleveland was established and he was made the first Bishop of Cleveland. The amount of work done by Father Rappe in the Maumee Valley is most surprising. Father Rappe attended Defiance throughout the entire time of his pastorate in Toledo. In the fall of 1844 a lot was donated by Mr. H. G. Phillips for the erection of a church. The church was begun at once under the direction of Father Rappe and completed early in 1845. It was dedicated to St. John. This parish received its first resident pastor, Rev. Louis J. Filiere, in 1850. Maumee also came under the care of Father Rappe in 1841. Previous to this time the Catholics of Maumee had been served by the priests from St. Mary's parish, Tiffin. Shortly before Father Rappe took charge, Father McNamee had bought an unfinished Episcopalian church which he had completed and dedicated to St. Joseph. The first resident pastor of Maumee was Rev. Sebastian Sanner who went there in 1849. Providence was another mission station to which Father Rappe devoted himself in whole-hearted manner. Providence was a thriving canal town in the early forties, located on the north bank of the Maumee River, opposite the present site of Grand Rapids.. It was platted by Peter Manor in 1835, and the Catholics living there had been visited by the priests from St. Mary's, Tiffin as early as 1832. Father Machebeuf speaks Providence as a small village composed of canal workers in t1 account of his first visit in 1839. After Father Rappe's appointment to Toledo, he visited Providence regularly. The town developed steadily and among the settlers were a great many Irish Catholics. In 1845 Peter Manor deeded to Bishop Purcell a two-acre tract of land for the erection of a church. Father Rappe began the construction of a church at once and completed it the same year. The church was an attractive little brick structure which may still be seen from the river road. The church has remained in constant use since it was built and is TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1067 the oldest church building in use at the present time in the diocese. The first resident pastor of Providence was Rev. L. J. Filiere who took charge of the parish in 1854. During this decade the village was devastated by a cholera epidemic and by a very destructive fire, from which it never recovered. ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH, PROVIDENCE, LUCAS COUNTY In addition to the above towns, Father Rappe visited at regular intervals Delaware Bend, Hicksville, Junction, Napoleon and New Bavaria. For a time he also attended Toussaint, Oak Harbor and Fremont. In 1846 Rev. Louis De Goesbriand was appointed assistant to Father Rappe at Toledo. When Father Rappe was made Bishop of Cleveland in 1847, Father De Goesbriand was made pastor of St. Francis de Sales church, Toledo. He later became Bishop of Burlington, Vermont. During the time of his stay in Toledo Father De Goesbriand assisted Father Rappe in the care of the Maumee Valley missions. Father De Goesbriand also visited Archbold and SixMile-Wood (Raab's Corners). He constructed a log church at Six-Mile-Wood in 1847. This building served the congregation until 1864 when it was replaced by a larger, frame structure. When Father Rappe came to Toledo in 1841 he made use of the hall over the drug store which Father Machebeuf had rented. He at once set about securing a permanent church. Father Rappe 1068 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY himself wrote, February 14, 1842, "My prospects for building a church are encouraging. Fourteen hundred dollars have been subscribed in Toledo and I reckon upon four hundred more from the public works." In the fall of 1842 however a Presbyterian church on Superior street was offered for sale and was purchased by Father Rappe for his congregation. The interior was remodeled and the church dedicated to St. Francis de Sales. There was a basement under the building which Father Rappe fitted out as a residence for himself. This building is still in use, housing St. Francis de Sales school. It is one of the best preserved monuments of pioneer days in Toledo. From the time of his appointment to Toledo Father Rappe was anxious to open a parish school but he did not succeed in doing this until 1845. He had been endeavoring in the meantime to secure the services of the Notre Dame Sisters in Cincinnati as teachers for the proposed school. These Sisters had come from Namur, Belgium in 1840 at the request of Bishop Purcell. Finally in 1845, with an increase in the membership of the community in Cincinnati, Father Rappe secured the appointment of five Sisters to conduct a school in Toledo. Mother Louis Gonzaga was named superior and the five Sisters came to Toledo by canal boat in September of that year. Father Rappe secured for them two frame houses at the corner of Cherry and Erie streets. One of these houses was used as a residence while the other served as a school. Classes began on October 20. The first year was very successful and after a visit to Toledo the following April, Bishop Purcell wrote, "The Sisters and scholars are blessed with excellent health." The late spring of 1846 and the entire year of 1847 were fever stricken times in Toledo and both the teachers and children suffered severely. During the fever epidemic of 1846-47 two of the Sisters died, of whom one, Sister Xavier, is buried in St. Francis de Sales cemetery. As a result of this heavy loss and continued sickness, the Sisters were withdrawn from Toledo in the summer of 1848. After the withdrawal of the Notre Dame Sisters the school was conducted by lay teachers in the basement of the church until the arrival of the Ursulines in 1854. In the summer of 1847 Rev. Amadeus Rappe was named first bishop of the newly established diocese of Cleveland. Father De Goesbriand then became pastor of St. Francis de Sales and served in this capacity until the following year, when he was TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1069 appointed pastor of the cathedral in Cleveland. Rev. Philip Foley was placed in charge of St. Francis de Sales. Due to the political disturbances in Germany in 1848, a great many German immigrants came to America during that year and the years immediately following. A large delegation of these thrifty people took up their residence in Toledo. In 1849 Father Foley enlarged St. Francis de Sales church to make room for these new parishioners. Separate services with sermons in their native language were held for them by Father Sanner and later by Rev. Philip Flum, both pastors of Maumee. In 1854 Bishop Rappe appointed Rev. Charles Evard as resident pastor to establish a parish for the German Catholics in Toledo. Father Evard at once bought lots at the corner of Michigan street, extending from Cherry to Orange street. He began the construction of a brick church which was used for the first time in the fall of 1856. It was formally dedicated to St. Mary in March of 1857. A few years later Father Evard opened a school in the basement of the church. The basement was used as a school until 1873 when a three-story brick school was built on Orange Street. St. Mary's church has been greatly enlarged since 1856 but the original brick work still remains a part of the present structure. The parish was placed in charge of the Jesuit Fathers in 1869 and has remained in their custody since that time. In a previous paragraph mention was made of the settlement of Glandorf in 1833-34, under the direction of Rev. William J. Horstmann. Those who accompanied Father Horstmann were John F. Kahle, A. Iburg, C. Strop, J. Wischmann, F. Breideck, M. Bockrath and W. Guelcher. They made their little settlement in the woods of Putnam County in January and February of 1834. A log church was completed early in March. The pioneers received considerable help from the friendly Ottawa Indians, who lived in the neighborhood at the time. During the years which immediately followed the original settlement a number of other families came to join the little colony. In 1837 a second log church was constructed to replace the first chapel which had been outgrown in the meantime. The following year Father Horstmann built a grist mill on Cranberry Creek at his own expense. In 1841, Rev. George Boehne came to St. John's, Glandorf, as assistant to Father Horstmann, whose health was beginning to fail. Two years later Father Horstmann died, deeply mourned by the entire settlement. Father Boehne succeeded him as pas- 1070 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY tor. Bishop Purcell describes a visit to Glandorf in 1840, and states that at that time there were 122 families in the parish. He continues, "the church, in point of material and style, is well suited to forest scene around." In 1846 Father Boehne with the cooperation of the entire parish began the construction of a brick church. The material and labor were donated by the congregation and the attractive structure was completed in 1848. During the years of their pastorate at Glandorf, both Father Boehne and Father Horstmann attended to the spiritual wants of a little settlement about 18 miles distant. This was Fort Jennings, named after the fort constructed by Colonel Jennings in the war of 1812. A settlement was begun here in 1830. Among the pioneers were J. F. Wellman, H. J. Boehmer, F. H. Gerking and F. Von der Embse. A very interesting arrangement existed here in the fact that in 1840 the Catholics and Protestants united for the construction of a church and school. The school was held jointly with separate religious instruction while the church was used in the forenoon by the Catholics for Mass and in the afternoon for Protestant services. This arrangement continued until 1854. In 1848 Father Boehne was made the first resident pastor of Fort Jennings, while the Precious Blood Fathers took charge of Glandorf, building a convent there the same year. In the little band of pioneers who accompanied Father Horstmann to Glandorf was Frederick Bredeick. Shortly after 1840 Frederick Bredeick secured land near the western boundary of Allen County, on the route of the Miami-Erie Canal. The tract was known as Ten-Mile-Woods. He interested a number of his former countrymen in coming here to make their homes. A party of over forty German settlers arrived at Defiance in the fall of 1842, under the leadership of Theodore Wrocklage. They were guided by Mr. Wrocklage and Mr. Bredeick from Defiance through the woods to their new homes in Allen County. In 1844 the colony was greatly strengthened by the arrival of Rev. John 0. Bredeick with an additional party of settlers. Father Bredeick also brought to the colony considerable personal means with which he was able to produce many improvements in the settlement. A log church was built in 1844 and enlarged in 1846 to take care of the growing needs. In the same year Father Bredeick began the construction of a new church. This was a very unusual building. It was made of solid timber cut in the nearby forest. The building was over 100 ft. in length and 60 ft. in TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1071 width. The work involved in hewing the timbers and raising them aloft was tremendous. The building was not completed until 1853. It was used until 1878, when it was replaced by a brick church. The settlement was originally known as Ten-Mile-Woods or Section Ten, but the name Delphos was given to it at the suggestion of Father Bredeick. In 1858 the parish suffered a severe blow in the death of Father Bredeick. He was succeeded by Rev. Francis Westerholt, who had been pastor of Defiance since 1855. 1850-1911. The pioneer period, in the strict sense of the word, ended about 1850. It had been an era of scattered log cabins, trails through wet and tangled woods, few missionaries, long trips from place to place, Mass and instruction in the cabins of the settlers, a few rude churches, but courage and faith amid the most difficult surroundings. Just prior to 1850, a more rapid development had begun. The first waves of German and Irish immigration were being felt and the settlement of Northwestern Ohio was well under way. Towns and villages were being established, churches built and resident pastors appointed. At the middle of the century everything was in readiness for the steady, organized progress which followed. The period between 1850 and 1911 was one of the consistent growth in which the Catholic church kept pace with the increase in the general population and material development in this part of the state. Outstanding features in the development of Catholicity during this time were : the steady Irish and German immigration between 1850 and 1880, the Polish immigration after 1870, the Hungarian immigration in the late nineties, the coming of religious orders- of women, the establishment of a number of charitable institutions, the introduction of the Sisters as teachers in the parish schools and finally the founding of St. John's College. In 1911 Northwestern Ohio was made an independent diocese with headquarters in Toledo. It had remained a part of the diocese of Cleveland until that time. In 1911 Rt. Rev. Joseph Schrembs, who had been Vicar-General of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Mich., was named first bishop of Toledo. The immigration which began in large numbers about 1850 brought many Catholics into this part of the state. In some localities the pioneers were predominantly German, while in other places they were chiefly Irish. In every instance the Bishop of 1072 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Cleveland tried to supply them with the religious care which they desired. During the first decade after 1850 parishes were organized at Archbold, Bellevue, Clyde, Custar, Lima, Millersville, Port Clinton, Upper Sandusky, and in a number of other centers. A brief statement of the development in a few of these places might be of interest. A small number of Catholics settled in the woods at Archbold shortly after 1845. Rev. Louis J. Filiere, stationed at St. John's, Defiance, visited them and said Mass for them there. In 1850, he bought a small piece of property and erected a log chapel. This chapel served the congregation until 1868 when Father Becker secured a more suitable site and built a frame church. At about this same time settlements were growing up along the road between Fremont and Norwalk. In 1853 Rev. Thomas J. Walsh of St. Ann's, Fremont, said Mass and preached for the first time in the village of Clyde. He used a log house which stood on the site of the present New York Central freight depot. In 1859 property was obtained and a church was built The parish was attended regularly from Fremont and later from Bellevue until 1872 when the first resident pastor was sent there. The settlement at Bellevue was visited regularly from Norwalk. Finally in 1859, Rev. Narcissus Ponchel of St. Mary's, Norwalk, purchased an old warehouse and fitted it out as a church. In 1861 Rev. James Monahan went to Bellevue as the first resident pastor. He opened a parish school shortly after his arrival. The warehouse building served as a church until 1884. Due to the railroad development at this time, Crestline had become a thriving village. A parish was established there in 1854. A few years later Peter Dousset donated a lot for a church which was completed in 1861. One of the most interesting foundations of this period, due to its later rise, was that of Lima. This village was laid out by James Riley in 1831. Catholics began to settle there after 1843. Mass was said by Precious Blood priests in the homes of Lawrence O'Connell and Nicholas Gunckel. This continued until 1857, when Nicholas Gunckel donated property for the erection of a church. A great deal of work on the new church was done free of charge by John Goebel. The first resident pastor was Rev. Edward J. Murphy, who came to Lima in 1861. He purchased additional land and also received a donation of property from Matthias H. Nichols, a non-Catholic. Father Murphy TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1073 opened a parish school in 1865. The parish rapidly outgrew its first church and in 1871 a large, new church was constructed. These few examples give an idea of the development which was taking place throughout Northwestern Ohio about 1850. It was a stable, healthy growth, which promised much for the future. During the next decade, between 1860 and 1870, a still more rapid increase took place. Twenty-five new parishes were established during those ten years, including Bowling Green, Carey, Hamler, Kelley's Island, Ottawa, Caragher, Ottoville, Perrysburg, Wauseon. Toledo had grown in the meantime from a village of 5,000 in the fifties to a city of considerable proportions. The parish at Bowling Green was organized in 1860 and attended by the priests at Maumee and Perrysburg until 1869. After that date it was attached to Providence as a mission. The first church was built in 1881 by Rev. H. Kolopp. A few Catholic families settled at Carey prior to 1860. For several years they attended Mass at Berwick or Crawfordsville. In 1868 Rev. E. J. Vattmann, pastor of Findlay, assembled the Catholic inhabitants for the purpose of establishing a parish. This infant congregation, after a short time, was placed in charge of Rev. Joseph P. Gloden, pastor at the nearby village of Berwick, now known as Adrian. Father Gloden was a very energetic man. He had built up the parish at Berwick and opened a parish school there in 1871. He carried the same energy to Carey, where he completed the church which had been begun in 1867. Father Gloden asked to have the church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, under the title of Our Lady of Consolation. Due to his zeal and devotion the little church became a place of pilgrimage for those who sought the prayers of the Blessed Virgin. Kelley's Island, formerly known as Cunningham's Island, attracted a number of settlers about the middle of the century. A Catholic parish was organized there in 1861. It was attended by Rev. George A. Verlet, pastor at Port Clinton, who built a stone church there in 1863. The first resident pastor was Rev. Charles Kuemin who took charge in 1865. Kelley's Island has had a number of distinguished men as pastors, among them Rev. Nicholas A. Moes, later Rector of the Cleveland Seminary, and Rev. John T. O'Connell, the present Vicar-General of the Diocese of Toledo. Two parishes in Putnam County took shape at this time, one at Ottawa, the other at Ottoville. The Catholics at Ottawa for- 1074 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY merly attended the church at Glandorf but in 1861 Matthias Mueller donated land for a church in the village. The new church was begun in 1868. The parish has been in charge of the Precious Blood Fathers who have developed it into a very prosperous and thriving congregation. The parish at Ottoville was originally laid out by Rev. John Otto Bredeick, pioneer priest at Delphos. Father Bredeick bought 40 acres, which he platted in lots and sold, thereby creating a fund for the erection of a church. He died before the task was completed but his successor, Father Westerholt built a church with the funds in 1860. The first resident pastor was Rev. A. J. Abel, who assumed charge of the parish in 1864. The present, magnificent church was built by Rev. Michael Mueller 1885-1887. While general progress was going on throughout the entire area of Northwestern Ohio, a marked change was taking place in Toledo itself. It had been a notoriously unhealthy village with numerous swamps and pools in the forties. But it was made the terminal of the canals and later the central point in railroad construction. The opportunities for employment and business brought many inhabitants. A large number of splendid citizens were included in the Irish and German settlers who located here between 1850 and 1870. The original German settlement was along Cherry Street and resulted in the founding of St. Mary's Parish, described in a previous paragraph. About 1850 an additional German settlement grew up along South St. Clair Street. The Catholics in this neighborhood attended St. Mary's church for several years. Finally in 1866, Bishop Rappe appointed Rev. Peter Danenhoffer pastor of a new parish to be organized on South St. Clair Street. Four lots were bought and a temporary church and school erected at once. The parish grew so rapidly that in 1873 a large new church was begun. The parish was known as St. Peter's and has continued to prosper, although many of the inhabitants have moved to other parts of the city due to the encroachment of business and industry. The Irish settlers who came to Toledo at this time were also forced to seek homes on the outskirts of the city. A colony was thus formed on what was known as "The Hill," high ground along the west bank of the Swan Creek Valley. These people were mostly Catholics and for a time attended St. Francis de Sales Church. In 1862 Rev. Edward Hannin was sent to Toledo to organize a parish in this district. Father Hannin bought TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1075 property and began the erection of a church in the summer of the same year. The site was at the corner of Lafayette and Thirteenth streets and the church when completed was dedicated to St. Patrick. Father Hannin also opened a parish school in the fall of 1863. The school was known as St. Patrick's Academy and for a long time held a prominent place among the educational institutions of the city. Father Hannin was a remarkable char- REV. EDWARD HANNIN (1826-1902) Founder and Rector of St. Patrick's Parish, Toledo acter and did a great deal to build up a spirit of thrift and ambition as well as good morals among the new settlers who formed his parish. The confidence reposed in him by his superiors in the Church is evidenced by the fact that he was named administrator of the Diocese of Cleveland after the resignation of Bishop Rappe in 1870 and filled that office with tact and ability for two years. The last years of Father Hannin's life were devoted to the building of the magnificent stone church which stands on the site of the original pioneer structure. Another Irish settlement was made in the sixties on the west 1076 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY bank of the Maumee River about a mile above the mouth of Swan Creek. In 1867 Father Hannin bought land at the corner of Western Avenue and Sumner Street and built a small church for these people. Rev. John Quinn was sent as the first resident pastor in 1868. The church was known as the Immaculate Conception. This part of the city developed very rapidly and in 1870 Father Quinn bought property at the corner of Dix and Jervis streets where he built a larger church and a school. From 1878 to 1889, Rev. Patrick O'Brien, whose name is prominent in the civic life of Toledo, was pastor of the Immaculate Conception Parish. The present church, at the corner of Maumee and Eastern avenues, was built by Rev. T. P. McCarthy and dedicated in 1896. It would be impossible in the short limits of this narrative to describe in detail the steady progress which continued during the succeeding years. Parishes were established at Cecil, Willard, Deshler, Kalida, Leipsic, Oak Harbor, Cloverdale, Gibsonburg, North Baltimore, Swanton, Moneneetown, Huron, Payne, and in a number of other centers. In Toledo, the Good Shepherd parish was founded to accommodate the Irish settlers who had located in East Toledo. A few years later the Sacred Heart parish was organized for the Germans of the same locality. St. Joseph's parish was established in 1854 to serve the French speaking people on the west side of the river. In 1871 St. Louis' church was built for the French settlers on the East Side. Later growth of the city brought about the establishment of St. Ann's, near the corner of Cancroft Street and Monroe; St. Michael's in North Toledo; St. Ignatius', now Holy Rosary, in Ironville ; St. Charles' at Air Line Junction; and St. Agnes' in West Toledo. A very interesting and promising addition to the population of Toledo was made about 1870 with the coming of the Polish immigration. These people have been greatly handicapped by the strange language and customs of the country but have developed rapidly and will be an important factor in the civic life of the very near future. Two Polish settlements were made in Toledo about the same time, the one was along Nebraska Avenue, beyond the Irish and German settlements of the previous decade, the other was en Lagrange Street, some distance beyond Forest Cemetery. The settlers along Lagrange Street attended St. Mary's Church until 1874, when they were given permission to organize 1078 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY a parish of their own. Rev. V. Lewandowski was appointed pastor. In 1876 he built a combination church and school at the corner of Bronson and Dexter streets. The parish grew and prospered until 1885, when serious discord occurred which retarded progress for a time. Rev. J. M. Koudelka then took charge of the parish and restored peace and harmony. Before 1890 the parish had completely outgrown its old home. In that year new property was bought on the corner of Lagrange and Dexter streets and the construction of a beautiful, new St. Hedwig's church was begun. It was dedicated in 1893. Since that time the number of Polish Catholics in the Lagrange street district has increased enormously. St. Adalbert's parish was founded later and at the present time both these churches and schools are very much overcrowded. The Polish settlers along Nebraska Avenue at first attended Mass at St. Peter's church on South St. Clair Street. After the founding of St. Hedwig's parish they came to this church where they could hear sermons in their own language. By 1881 the number of families in this district had become sufficiently large to warrant a parish there. Rev. V. Lewandowski of St. Hedwig's organized the congregation and secured property for them on the corner of Nebraska and Junction avenues. A church was built and dedicated to St. Anthony in the summer of 1882. This parish also grew very rapidly and in the course of time a new church and a large school were built on the site. The Polish-American population of this district has increased even more rapidly than that of the Lagrange street district. Four additional parishes have been founded in this territory, Nativity, St. Stanislaus, St. Hyacinth's and Our Lady of Lourdes. Another important immigration began about 1888. This was the Hungarian settlement which located near Consaul Street in East Toledo. These people, like the Polish people, were handicapped by language and customs but are a thrifty and energetic race and will be heard from in the future. A Hungarian parish was established in East Toledo in 1892 and was attended at regular intervals by Rev. C. Boehm of Cleveland. This arrangement continued until 1898, when Rev. R. Paulovits was sent to Toledo as the first resident pastor. He at once obtained property and built a church which was dedicated to St. Stephen. In recent years, under the direction of Rev. Elmer Eordogh, a complete set of splendid brick buildings has been erected for the parish. A series of events which had a great deal of influence on the TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1079 development of Catholicity in Northwestern Ohio was the establishment of the various religious orders in this part of the state. We have seen how the Notre Dame Sisters of Cincinnati came to Toledo in the forties but were forced to withdraw on account of sickness and death in the community. The first permanent establishment of Sisters was founded at New Riegel (Wolf's Creek) in 1844. The first convent consisted of a log cabin with a log chapel attached to it. The original Sisters came from Europe but they were soon joined by young women from the neighboring district. These Sisters taught in the parish school and conducted an orphanage for girls in the convent. The second convent of the Precious Blood Sisters was at Thompson in Seneca County. This institution was founded by Sisters from the New Riegel community in 1845. The original buildings were of logs but were replaced in 1870 by a large brick structure. These Sisters likewise taught school and conducted an orphanage for girls. In 1850 the Sisters built a chapel in the woods on their property about one mile from the convent, which has since become very noted as a place of pilgrimage under the name "Maria Steig." This same community also founded a convent at Glandorf in 1849. Another interesting foundation was that of the Ursuline Sisters, who came to Cleveland in 1850. Bishop Rappe went to Europe in 1849 to secure Sisters to conduct schools and charitable institutions in his pioneer diocese. He obtained the consent of the Ursulines at Boulogne-sur-mer and the following year the little colony arrived in Cleveland. In 1854, at the request of the bishop, they established a house in Toledo, occupying the property at the corner of Erie and Cherry streets, left vacant by the withdrawal of the Notre Dame Sisters. The Ursulines took charge of the two parochial schools in operation in Toledo which at that time was a town of 8,000 inhabitants. A few years later they opened a boarding school in the convent. As years went by the community grew and prospered, furnishing teachers for very many of the parish schools of the city, as these increased in number. Shortly before 1900 property for a new convent was secured on Collingwood Avenue and eventually the entire institution was transferred to this new location. In 1863, the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland also founded a branch of the community in Tiffin. These Sisters immediately 1080 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY took charge of the two parochial schools in Tiffin and at the same time opened an academy in the convent building. Through the influence of Father Campion, pastor of St. Francis de Sales parish, the Grey Nuns of Montreal established a branch in Toledo. They came to Toledo in 1855 and occupied temporary frame quarters downtown until 1858 when the first part of the new orphan asylum on Cherry Street was completed. This was a frame building located on a two-acre piece of property where St. Anthony's Orphanage now stands. It was known at URSULINE ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART, TOLEDO that time as St. Vincent's Orphanage. The third floor of the orphanage was used for housing the sick, who were cared for by the Sisters. From this modest beginning has grown the large. St. Vincent's Hospital of the present day. Probably the most interesting of all the religious foundations in this part of the state is that of St. Francis Home in. Tiffin. This institution was established by Rev. Joseph L. Bihn, pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Tiffin, in 1867. He was very much concerned in having an institution to care for dependent children TOLEDO ANDAND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1081 and for aged people. Father Bihn interested a number of women in this good cause and they adopted the rule of St. Francis. Father Bihn bought a 58-acre farm east of Tiffin, which was increased by gifts from John Greiveldinger and his widowed daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Schaefer, bringing the total acreage to 400. The original members of the community were Mrs. Schaefer and her two daughters. Mrs. Schaefer took the name of Sister Frances and was Mother Superior of the community until 1893. The Sisters of St. Francis have conducted an orphanage and an old people's home in the convent buildings since the foundation of the institution. They also operated a hospital at Lorain and furnished teachers for a number of schools. The Notre Dame Sisters have taught many schools in Toledo and vicinity. This community was forced to leave Germany by the anti-religious movement known as the "Kultur-Kampf." They came to Cleveland and founded a house there in 1874. In the same year they took charge of St. John's school, Delphos, in 1877 they took over St. Mary's school, Toledo, and since that time they have furnished teachers for a large number of schools in Northwestern Ohio. In• 1901 the Notre Dame Sisters purchased property on the corner of Monroe and Bancroft streets, Toledo, where they built a convent and academy. This academy has held a prominent place among the educational institutions of Toledo. In 1898, the Jesuit Fathers, who had been in charge of St. Mary's parish, Toledo, since 1869, opened St. John's College in the Carrington residence on the corner of Walnut and Superior streets. There was a demand for a boys' school of this type and within the next few years the increased enrollment required the erection of two additional buildings. Since that time the entire block, bounded by Superior, Locust, Huron and Walnut streets, has been purchased by the college, together with a gymnasium on the opposite corner. In recent years the diocese deeded to the Jesuit Fathers a tract of land opposite Ottawa Park where new college buildings will be erected as soon as circumstances permit. From 1911 to 1921. The development of Northwestern. Ohio was so rapid after 1900 that it was thought necessary for the welfare of religion in this part of the state to organize a separate Diocese at Toledo. In accordance with this plan the Cleveland Diocese was divided and the sixteen counties of Northwestern Ohio were formed into the new Diocese of Toledo. 1082 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY In the summer of 1911, Rt. Rev. Joseph Schrembs, Vicar-General of Grand Rapids, Mich., was appointed first bishop of the new diocese. He arrived to take up his duties in October of that year. Bishop Schrembs was a man of unusual energy and ability and he set about at once establishing the organization of the new diocese. His interest and tireless labor was an inspiration to pastors and people. The amount of work accomplished during the ten years in which he was Bishop of Toledo surpasses all expectation. One of the first acts of Bishop Schrembs was to secure additional hospital facilities for the diocese, a want which was keenly felt. Early in 1912 the Mercy Sisters of Big Rapids, Mich., sent a small band to Toledo Diocese. These Sisters, with the aid of a citizens committee, secured land at Tiffin and began at once the erection of Mercy Hospital, Tiffin. In 1916 the Reynolds homestead and adjoining property on Madison Avenue in Toledo were purchased and work begun on Mercy Hospital, Toledo. In the following year St. Rita's Hospital, Lima, was built. In the summer of 1915, the bishop secured the foundation of a branch of the Visitation Order in Toledo. This is a community devoted entirely to prayer. The Visitation Sisters resided on Collingwood Avenue until the completion of their new convent on the boulevard in 1918. The Ursuline Sisters at Tiffin and at Toledo were united to form one community in July of 1914. In May of 1916 the Redemptorist Fathers were welcomed to the diocese and given charge of St. Gerard's parish, Lima. They built a combination church and school at once and in 1919 completed a beautiful large convent building. The Redemptorist Fathers have stationed a number of priests at Lima and have given a great deal of assistance to all the parishes of Northwestern Ohio by furnishing preachers for special occasions, such as missions and retreats. On December 8, 1916, a branch of the Franciscan Sisters from Rochester, Minn., was established in Toledo. These Sisters devote themselves to teaching in schools of Polish-American parishes. A large tract of land was purchased near Sylvania and a temporary Mother House constructed. Some idea of the growth which took place during this time may be obtained by comparing the first annual report of the diocese published in 1913 with the report of 1920. In 1913 there 88 parishes with resident pastors, while in 1920 there were 102. TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1083 In 1913 there were 68 parish schools with an enrollment of 14,096, while in 1920 there were 84 parish schools with an enrollment of 18,050. In the meantime the number of diocesan priests had increased from 94 to 122 and the number of elementary school teachers from 335 to 465. Upon his arrival in Toledo, Bishop Schrembs appointed Rev. R. I. Kinnane, D. D., as temporary Secretary and Chancellor. Rev. John T. O'Connell, LL. D., was appointed Vicar-General. In 1913, owing to ill health Father Kinnane was transferred to the pastorate of Port Clinton and Rev. August J. Schwertner was named permanent Chancellor and Rev. Barry O'Toole Secretary to the bishop. In 1912 property was purchased on the corner of Collingwood avenue and Islington street as a site for the bishop's residence, the Chancery Office and the new cathedral. Work was begun on the bishop's residence and Chancery Office in the autumn of 1912. Ground was broken for the new Cathedral School in the summer of 1913. This building contained a basement chapel capable of seating over 1,000 and in March of 1915 was made the parish church of the newly organized Cathedral Chapel parish. In 1915 the office of Diocesan Director of Charities and Cemeteries was organized and Rev. Karl J. Alter was appointed director. Father Alter was given supervision of all the charitable organizations and institutions in the diocese with offices in St. Anthony's Orphanage. In 1915 the schools of the diocese were organized in a unified system under the management of the Diocesan School Board. Uniform textbooks and uniform course of study were adopted. Prior to this time each order of Sisters had managed its own schools more or less independently. In the same year Rev. George Johnson was appointed Diocesan Superintendent of Schools. He was given leave of absence to specialize in education. He completed his course and received a Ph.D. in education in June 1919. Doctor Johnson's work in the organization of the school system of the diocese was outstanding and as a result of this prestige he was named instructor in education at the Catholic University, Washington, D. C., in September of 1921. In June, 1915, the Braun residence on the corner of Seventeenth and Monroe streets was purchased and remodeled to serve as a business girls' home. It was conducted by the Mercy Sisters and known as St. Philomena's Home. This institution was oper- 1084 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY ated until 1921, when the task of providing a residence for girls working in Toledo was taken over by the National Catholic Community House. The National Catholic Community House was opened in September of 1919 in the old Ursuline Convent building on the corner of Cherry and Erie streets, Toledo. Its original purpose was to aid in carrying out the post-war reconstruction program of the National Catholic War Council. It has since been developed into a boarding home for girls and a general welfare center. In addition to the central community house on Cherry street, a branch known as the East Toledo Community House has been conducted near St. Stephen's church in East Toledo. Owing to the prevailing lack of knowledge and sometimes suspicion of Catholic doctrine on the part of the general population, it was thought advisable to appoint a mission band who would devote their entire time to holding lectures for non-Catholics on the doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church. Rev. R. C. Goebel and Rev. A. J. Sawkins were appointed to this work and began with an open meeting of information at Spencerville in the fall of 1915. They continued their educational activity along this line until 1918 when a shortage of priests in the diocese required the appointment of Father Goebel to the pastorate of Bowling Green and the withdrawal of Father Sawkins to serve as chaplain in the Army. A great deal of building was done during the ten years between 1911 and 1921. During that time 24 new churches and 27 new schools were completed and put into service in Northwestern Ohio. Besides churches and schools a large number of other parish buildings were constructed. It would be impossible in the brief space of this article to enumerate any of these buildings although many of them were magnificent structures. The church at St. Patrick's Settlement, near Bascom, and the pilgrimage chapel at Maria Steig in Seneca County were destroyed by fire in 1913. Both of these buildings were rebuilt, although the location of St. Patrick's Church was changed to Bascom. On March 9, 1918, a tornado destroyed the church at Miller City and on March 28, 1920, an equally severe tornado demolished the church at Raab and greatly damaged the church at Swanton. All of these churches were immediately replaced by larger and more beautiful buildings. The development at Carey is deserving of particular mention. Shortly after the arrival of Bishop Schrembs the pilgrimage TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1085 church at Carey was entrusted to the care of the Franciscan Fathers. Carey had become a great center of devotion and thousands of people came there each year at the time of the pilgrimages. Improvements were needed to take care of the large crowds which visited the shrine. The Franciscan. Fathers began at once to enlarge the facilities by the purchase of additional property. A new school was completed in 1915. Two years later a convent for the Franciscan Fathers was built capable of housing the priests needed on the occasion of the pilgrimages. In 1919 the Pilgrim House was ready for use. This is a large hospice owned by the Franciscan Sisters of Tiffin at which pilgrims to the shrine may obtain room and board. Shortly after this a magnificent new church was begun and completed in 1925. The buildings at Carey are uniform in style and material and present a splendid appearance. While the country was engaged in war during 1917-1918 the parishes carried on extensive patriotic activity. Red Cross centers were established in every parish and a great deal of material was prepared for the men in service. The parish schools carried on extensive publicity campaigns on behalf of the Liberty Loan drives and the national welfare drive. Government announcements relative to the draft and other common undertakings were made from the pulpits. A solemn Field Mass was held in Ottawa Park, Toledo, on June 30, 1918, at which prayers were offered for the success of the war and for the men engaged in it. Over 50,000 people attended the service. On October 17, 1919, Cardinal Mercier visited Toledo. It was the occasion for a great civic as well as religious celebration. In September of 1920 the Central Catholic High School was founded. This school began with a commercial course in the old Cathedral school building on Superior street. It was moved to the new Cathedral Chapel building on Collingwood Avenue and developed into a four-year high school. Students were attracted to the school from all parts of the city so that before 1920 it had outgrown its quarters at the Cathedral Chapel. In September of 1920 Bishop Schrembs leased the Toledo University building on the corner of Cherry and Page streets and established the school on an inter-parish basis. A gift of $5,000 for the new undertaking was received from Theodore F. MacManus of Detroit. The high school opened with an enrollment of 386. Changes occurred in the spring of 1921 which deeply affected the Catholic church in Northwestern Ohio. The first announce- 1086 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY ment was that of the appointment of Monsignor August J. Schwertner to the bishopric of Wichita, Kas. Monsignor Schwertner had filled the office of Chancellor in a distinguished manner since 1913 and his transfer was regarded as a serious loss to Toledo and Northwestern Ohio. He was consecrated bishop in St. Francis de Sales Cathedral on June 8, 1921 and shortly after left to take charge of his diocese in Kansas. On May 11, 1921, shortly after the announcement of Monsignor Schwertner's transfer, the news was made public that Bishop Schrembs had been made Bishop of Cleveland. This announcement was a blow both to the Catholic and non-Catholic population in this part of the state. On September 4, 1921, Bishop Schrembs bade farewell to Toledo and left to take up his duties in the larger Diocese of Cleveland. From 1921 to 1930. Shortly before Bishop Schrembs left for Cleveland word arrived from Rome that Rev. Samuel A. Stritch, Chancellor of the Diocese of Nashville, was appointed Bishop of Toledo. The consecration of the new bishop took place in St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, Toledo, on November 30, 1921. Bishop Stritch was the youngest bishop in the United States at the time of his appointment, being only thirty-five years of age. He had been particularly fitted for his work, however, by his experience in the Diocese of Nashville. Ordained young, he had been pastor of a large parish in Memphis for a number of years when his outstanding merit led to his appointment as Chancellor of the Diocese. In the Diocese of Nashville, the Chancellor is at the same time Superintendent of Schools and Director of Charities. He thus became acquainted with the most important aspects of diocesan administration. Bishop Stritch proved to be a man of kind disposition, a tireless student of history and literature and a keen observer of current affairs, both civic and religious. The first confirmation tour in the spring of 1922 gave Bishop Stritch an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the priests of his diocese and it is doubtful if any bishop ever succeeded in establishing such whole-hearted trust on the part of a large body of clergy as Bishop Stritch did on this original tour. This respect and trust have been increased in the seven years of successful administration since that time. The seven years since 1922 have formed a period of steady growth. During that time 16 new churches and 23 new schools have been built, the hospital and school facilities have been greatly TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1087 increased, charitable and welfare work have been organized and extended and the administrative departments of the diocese have been considerably strengthened. Soon after his appointment, Bishop Stritch undertook to extend the college facilities of the diocese. He called together a meeting of those interested in education at which plans were drawn up for the establishment of Mary Manse and the Teachers' MARY MANSE COLLEGE, TOLEDO Mary Manse is the woman's college of St. John's University, Toledo, Ohio. It was founded in 1922 by the Rt. Rev. Samuel A. Stritch, D.D., Bishop of Toledo, and given to the Ursuline Nuns to conduct as a diocesan college where the young women of Northwestern Ohio who desire a Catholic college education might obtain it at home or within a short distance of home. The college graduated its first class in 1926 at a joint commencement with St. John's college, Toledo. Seventeen professors are now on the faculty and forty-one courses are being offered to one hundred twenty students enrolled. Rt. Rev. Samuel A. Stritch, D.D., is chairman of the Board of Directors; Very Reverend William H. Fitzgerald is President; Mother Marguerita is Vice-President; and Sister Mary Aquinas is Dean. The college, which is recognized by the State and meets all the requirements of standardizing agencies for its enrollment, is located at 2441-2447 Collingwood Avenue, Toledo, Ohio. College. Both of these institutions were organized as departments of St. John's University. The Teachers' College opened in the summer of 1922 with an enrollment of 149 students. Mary Manse began operations in September of 1922 with 36 freshman students. 1088 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Mary Manse was placed in charge of the Ursuline Nuns and housed in buildings purchased by them on Collingwood avenue adjacent to their convent. Additional buildings have been constructed on the property and the attendance has continued to increase until, during the school year 1929-1930, 87 young women are enrolled in the college. During the same period the Teachers' College underwent a rapid development. During the first two years after its organization the part-time classes were held in the Central Catholic High School building at the corner of Page and Cherry streets but were later transferred to the Cathedral Chapel School on Collingwood Avenue. The full-time classes were conducted in the various convents. In the spring of 1929 provision was made for holding the full-time classes in the Curtis residence on Cherry Street and the part-time classes in the new Central Catholic High School building. The attendance at the Teachers' College in 1929 was as follows: Summer session 506, Saturday session 235, full-time session 45. A noteworthy event which occurred in September of 1922 was the transfer of three counties, Erie, Huron and Richland, from the jurisdiction of Cleveland to the Toledo Diocese. The transfer was made officially in St. Peter's Church, Mansfield. In the three counties there were 18 parishes, 13 elementary schools and 3 high schools. The elementary schools had an enrollment of 2,355 and the high schools an enrollment of 181. The Catholic population in the three counties numbered about 13,000. The first definite steps toward the erection of the new cathedral were taken in June of 1922. Several years prior to this time Bishop Schrembs had engaged the architect firm of Comes, Perry and McMillan of Pittsburgh to draw the plans. They had begun work on the plans immediately after the completion of the Cathedral Chapel school and the bishop's residence. In June of 1922 a campaign was conducted in the Cathedral Chapel parish to raise funds for the new building. The drive was under the management of. Rev. Anthony J. Dean, pastor of the Cathedral Chapel, assisted by Rev. Raymond G. Kirsch and Rev. Harold P. Chilcote. The sum of $537,000 was subscribed by members of the parish. The amount contributed by the parish was later increased to more than $800,000 and in 1929 plans were being formulated by which the other parishes of the diocese might contribute toward the completion of the building. Ground was TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1089 broken for the new building in the fall of 1924 and the corner stone was laid by Cardinal John Czernoch, Primate of Hungary, June 27, 1926. At the present time work is progressing rapidly on the interior of the building, which will be ready for occupancy before the end of 1930. It will be a center of religious devotion and a beautiful addition to the fine buildings of Toledo. In keeping with the general interest in foreign mission work throughout the country, Bishop Stritch organized in November of 1923 the diocesan office for Home and Foreign Missions. Rev. Herman S. Gabel was named Director. During the first year CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY QUEEN OF THE ROSARY, TOLEDO $21,789 were collected for the missions. Father Gabel has filled this office so capably that interest in missionary work has decidedly increased. The contributions made during the past year amounted to $50,578. In November of 1923 the Toledo Catholic Charities was organized as a separate corporation. This corporation has supervision of all hospitals, charitable institutions and welfare organizations in the diocese. Father Alter continued as Director of Cemeteries and Charities. Under his direction, a very unique campaign was held during September of 1924. This was a cam- 1090 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY paign urging all people to make some contribution to charity in their wills. The response since that date has been very good. In 1925 Rev. Harold P. Chilcote was appointed assistant to Father Alter and placed in charge of juvenile guidance. Father Alter's work in Toledo attracted so much attention that in 1929 he was named President of the National Service School in Washington, D. C., a graduate school for the training of social workers. He was suceeded locally by Rev. Harold P. Chilcote. Another event of importance in 1923 was the establishment of Calvert High School, Tiffin. In that year the Ursuline Sisters discontinued their academy, which they had conducted for many years and turned the building over to the diocese for use as a centralized high school. Rev. Anthony J. Gallagher was appointed principal and the high school opened in September of 1923 with an enrollment of 74 freshman students. The high school has continued to develop since that time and now has an attendance of more than 240. When Erie, Huron and Richland counties were transferred to the Toledo Diocese in 1922, this transfer included Providence Hospital, Sandusky. This hospital had been founded as an emergency hospital by the District Nurses Association in 1902. Shortly after its foundation, the Sisters of Charity of Cleveland were invited to take charge of the institution. They conducted the hospital until the transfer of Erie County to Toledo Diocese. At that time the Charity Sisters of Cleveland were replaced by the Franciscan Sisters of Sylvania, Ohio. A new modern hospital building was begun in June of 1925 and completed the following year. During 1924-1925 St. Vincent's Hospital, Toledo, was also enlarged by the addition of a large wing. This addition increased the capacity of St. Vincent's Hospital to 347 beds. The growth in the hospital facilities of the diocese can be best seen by comparing the number of patients cared for in 1922 with that of 1928. In 1922, 9,624 patients were cared for in the hospitals of the diocese, while in 1928 this number had increased to 16,089. Two new novitiate buildings were erected during 1924-1925, the one was that of the Notre Dame Sisters at the corner of Monroe Street and Secor Road, the other was the new home of the Mercy Sisters at Fremont. Prior to 1924 the Notre Dame Sisters of Toledo were merely a branch of the Cleveland com- TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1091 munity, but in that year Toledo was made a separate province of the order and the new novitiate on Secor Road was the result of this separation. The Mercy Sisters purchased an estate on the Ballville Road just outside of Fremont. Here they erected a new building and named the institution Our Lady of the Pines, suggested by the pine covered knoll on which it stands. While the Notre Dame and Mercy Sisters were erecting their now novitiates, the Good Shepherd Sisters were busily engaged in the removal of their convent and home for girls from Lagrange Street to a more suitable location on the Chicago Pike. The Good Shepherd Order is a community of Sisters devoted to welfare work among wayward or delinquent girls. They were persuaded to establish an institution in Toledo in 1906. They bought property on Lagrange Street and later built a convent building there. In 1920, they purchased a tract of farm land at the corner of Chicago Pike and Reynolds Road. Building was delayed until more funds were available but in 1925 a part of the community was moved to the new site and the construction of a school building was begun. The main building was completed the following year and the entire institution moved to the new location. Honor was shed upon the Diocese of Toledo in 1924 by the appointment of Rev. George Barry O'Toole as President of the Catholic University of Peking, China. Doctor O'Toole, formerly secretary to Bishop Schrembs and later professor at St. Vincent's Seminary, Beatty, Pa., was instrumental in founding the Catholic University of Peking. He traveled through China in 1920 and upon his return, via Rome, brought to the attention of the church authorities the necessity of a university in that country. The task of founding the institution was entrusted to the American Benedictines in 1923 and the following year the actual organization was begun. Doctor O'Toole left Toledo to take up his duties in China in the fall of 1924. An important development of recent years was the construction of the Central Catholic High School. Bishop Schrembs had no sooner secured the Toledo University building on Cherry Street than the school had outgrown the location. In order to relieve the congestion, portable buildings were erected on St. Mary's School yard, located a block away on Page street. In the meantime the officials of the diocese were seeking a suitable site for a new building. Finally through the courtesy of the Board of Directors of Toledo Hospital and the trustees of the Curtis estate, the Curtis property on Cherry Street was purchased in 1092 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY the early part of 1926. This tract consisted of nine acres, ideally located, and its purchase met with general approval. Immediately after the purchase of the property, a campaign was organized to raise $1,000,000 for the new school. The campaign was held in June of 1926 and a total of $1,124,000 was pledged. Intensive work on the plans was begun at once. The architect firm which had prepared the plans for the new Cathedral was employed. This firm was known as Perry and McMillan since the death of Mr. Comes. In the summer of 1926 a six-room brick building was erected on the new property and an athletic field laid out. At the same time some of the portable buildings were removed from St. Mary's on Page Street to the new site. As the plans progressed, the architect firm of McLaughlin of Lima was engaged as consulting and supervising architects. In the spring of 1928 ground was broken for the new building. A. Bentley and Sons Co. were the general contractors. The work progressed very rapidly so that it was possible to house the Freshman and Sophomore classes in the new building in September of the same year. In January of 1929 the entire school was removed to its new home. Rev. Raymond G. Kirsch is principal of the high school and Rev. Norbert M. Shumaker is assistant principal. The staff numbers 54 instructors and the enrollment during the school year 1929-1930 numbers over 1,300 students. An interesting event which occurred during 1926 was the rebuilding of St. Peter's Church, Norwalk. This was done at the personal expense of Mrs. Margaret Fisher. St. Peter's parish was a parish to which considerable historic interest was attached. This parish was begun by Father Czakert, one of the Redemptorist Fathers associated with Father Tschenhens at Peru, in 1836. Father Czakert said Mass and instructed the people in a log cabin on East League Street from 1836 to 1838. In 1840 Rev. Joseph Freigang became pastor of Peru and he immediately bought property for a church in Norwalk. The following year he built the first church, a frame structure, which he named St. Peter's. A parish school was opened there in 1843. The congregation flourished until 1856 when the numbers were considerably reduced by the founding of St. Mary's parish by the English speaking portion of the congregation. Owing to the inconvenient location of St. Peter's Church, on the western edge of the city, a large part of the people withdrew in 1868 and established St. TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION -1093 Paul's parish. St. Peter's continued as a separate parish until 1891, when owing to the small attendance, it was made a mission attached to St. Paul's. The restoration of this church through the generosity of Mrs. Fisher was welcomed by all interested in the early history of religion in this part of the state. A new type of institution was added to the educational system of the diocese in September of 1928 with the opening of Nazareth Hall at Grand Rapids, Ohio. The need of a boarding school for Nazareth Hal is the new boarding and day school for boys in the elementary grades, opened September, 1928, by the Ursuline Nuns of Toledo, Ohio, at Ladyglen-on-the-Maumee, their new site at Grand Rapids, Ohio. The building is of Italian architecture of the later Renaissance in buff-colored brick. Situated picturesquely on the east bank of the Maumee River at one of its most beautiful spots, Nazareth Hall is surrounded by nearly four hundred acres of countryside extending for one and one-half miles along the river. The school aims not only to provide thorough preparation for high school, but through its mild but firm discipline to develop manly character and self reliance. Indoor recreation for the boys is provided for in the one hundred foot gymnasium wing. Baseball, Track, Pony-Riding, Rowing, Fishing, Skiing and Swimming, carefully supervised, afford plenty of outdoor sports. boys of elementary school age was felt for a long time and the opening of the schools by the Ursuline nuns met with general approval. A site was purchased on the east bank of the Maumee River about two miles below Grand Rapids. The building is a splendid brick structure erected on an elevation overlooking the river. The Ursuline community expects to build the novitiate on this property in the near future. The national convention of the Catholic Educational Association was held in Toledo, June 25 to 27, 1929. Over 1,400 dele- 1094 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY gates from all parts of the country attended the sessions. The meeting opened with a Solemn Mass in the Cathedral, celebrated by Bishop Robinson of Boston with a sermon by Bishop Stritch of Toledo. The meetings were held in the new Central Catholic High School building and in the auditorium of St. Anthony's Orphanage. Toledo was honored at the convention in the fact that Rev. George Johnson, Ph. D. was elected Secretary General by the trustees of the National Catholic Educational Association. Dr. Johnson is a native of Toledo and was the first superintendent of diocesan schools here. He held this office from 1916 to 1921, when he became an instructor in the Department of Education at the Catholic University, Washington, D. C. Early in 1929 he was appointed Executive Secretary in the department of Education of the. National Catholic Welfare Council. In his office as Secretary General of the National Catholic Educational Association he succeeds Bishop Howard of Covington, Ky., who has held the office with distinction for a number of years. On June 4, 1929, the state convention of the Knights of St. John was held in Tiffin, Ohio. The meeting opened with a Pontifical Field Mass in Hedges Park, celebrated by Rt. Rev. Samuel A. Stritch. The sessions were attended by several thousand knights and the Mass drew a vast crowd of visitors. Bishop Stritch, in his sermon, pointed out that 1929 was the centennial anniversary of the founding of Catholicity in Tiffin, for it was on September 1, 1829 that Bishop Fenwick purchased from Josiah Hedges an acre of land for the building of the first church. On September 15, 1929, Bishop Stritch dedicated the new Knights of Columbus athletic building. This building stands on Sixteenth street near the corner of Jefferson street and was erected at the cost of $235,000. It contains a large swimming pool, gymnasium, handball courts, running track, bowling alleys, as well as a library, lodge rooms and lounging rooms. On June 19, 1929 Toledo and Northwestern Ohio suffered a heavy loss in the death of Monsignor Francis E. Malone. When Bishop Stritch came to Toledo in the fall of 1921, he found the office of Chancellor vacant, owing to recent appointment of Rt. Rev. August J. Schwertner as bishop of Wichita, Kas. The duties of Chancellor were being performed by Dr. Malone who had been secretary to Bishop Schrembs since 1917. Bishop Stritch immediately appointed Dr. Malone Chancellor and named Rev. Max TOLEDO AND THE SANDUSKY REGION - 1095 J. Walz secretary. In 1925 Dr. Malone was made a Monsignor. In the office of Chancellor he was respected for his ability and loved for his characteristic kindness. He was but thirty-nine years of age when he died and his death was a severe blow to the community as well as to the diocese. Summary. The Diocese of Toledo comprises the nineteen counties of Northwestern Ohio, extending as far as the boundary of Erie County on the east, Richland County on the southeast and Allen and Van Wert counties on the Southwest. The other boundaries are formed by the Indiana and Michigan state lines. In this territory there are 8,222 square miles and about 162,000 Catholic people. In the Diocese of Toledo there are 126 parishes with resident pastors, in addition to which there are 22 parishes with churches but without resident pastors. These latter churches are attended at regular intervals by priests from larger, neighboring parishes. The diocesan priests in active service now number 185 with an additional 15 who are sick or retired. Besides the diocesan priests, there are 52 priests of religious orders working in the diocese. These include the Jesuit Fathers at St. John's College; the Redemptorist Fathers at St. Gerard's Convent, Lima ; the Franciscan Fathers at Our Lady of Consolation, Carey; and the Precious Blood Fathers in charge of the following parishes : Alvada, Frank, Reed, Glandorf, Ottawa, Kalida, New Riegel and St. Stephens. The diocese has 109 elementary schools with an enrollment of approximately 24,000, 24 high schools with an enrollment of 3,800, and one university with 800 students in all departments. This includes St. John's College for Men, Mary Manse College and the Teachers' College. The charitable and welfare institutions of the diocese are the following: 2 homes for the aged, the Little Sisters of the Poor on Starr avenue, Toledo and St. Francis Home, Tiffin ; 2 homes for orphans and dependent children, St. Anthony's Orphanage, Toledo and St. Francis Home, Tiffin; one Good Shepherd Home ; 2 community houses, the National Catholic Community House on Cherry Street and the East Side Community House, Toledo; 5 hospitals, St. Vincent's and Mercy Hospital, Toledo, St. Rita's Hospital, Lima, Mercy Hospital, Tiffin and Providence Hospital, Sandusky. The diocesan officials at the present time are as follows : Rt. 1096 - STORY OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY Rev. Msgr. J. T. O'Connell, LL. D. is Vicar General. Monsignor O'Connell was appointed to this office in 1912 by Bishop Schrembs and was reappointed by Bishop Stritch upon his arrival in Toledo in 1921. Dr. O'Connell was made a Monsignor in 1916 in recognition of his long, distinguished service in the diocese. Rev. Max J. Walz is Secretary to the Bishop. He has served in this capacity since 1924. The Diocesan Consultors are : Rt. Rev. Msgr. J. T. O'Connell, Rt. Rev. Msgr. R. I. Kinnane, pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Maumee; Rev. F. L. Hultgen, pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Tiffin; Rev. J. P. Haupert, pastor of Sacred Heart Church, Toledo; Rev. Edward M. O'Hare, Ecclesiastical Superior of the Mercy Sisters, and Rev. F. A. Houck, pastor of St. Ann's Church, Toledo. The Deans of the five deaneries are : Rt. Rev. Msgr. B. Rosinski for Lucas County; Rt. Rev. Msgr. A. E. Manning, LL. D. for Allen, Van Wert, Putnam and Hancock counties ; Rev. F. L. Hultgen for Seneca, Sandusky, Wyandot, Crawford and Wood counties; Rev. W. F. Murphy for Erie, Ottawa and Huron counties; Rev. George H. Lang for Defiance, Henry, Paulding, Williams, and Fulton counties. The Diocesan Director of Charities and Cemeteries is Rev. Harold P. Chilcote. The Diocesan Director of Missions is Rev. Herman S. Gabel. The Diocesan Superintendent of Schools is Rev. Francis J. Macelwane, together with Rev. Norbert M. Shumaker, Assistant Superintendent. Thus we come to the end of our sketch of the development of Catholicity in Northwestern Ohio. It has been indeed a tremendous change from the few missionaries and scattered cabins of 100 years ago to the numerous, magnificent parish buildings of today. The splendid churches, schools, convents and charitable institutions scattered throughout Northwestern Ohio are too numerous to be given the mention they deserve in the brief space of an article of this kind. It is a matter also of sincere regret that the many earnest priests and wholehearted lay people who have labored so long and effectively for the welfare and progress of this part of the state cannot be named and given the credit they have richly merited. Confidence for the future lies in the hope that the younger generation may, with the aid of religion, grow up into a group of virtuous, law-abiding citizens, who will carry on and perfect the good things, both spiritual and material, which their forefathers have bequeathed to them.