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FRANKLIN COUNTY, MO.

by 

ELLEN MEARA DOLAN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

        I wish to thank Rev. Donald Molitor for his valuable help in obtaining first-hand information from area residents.

        Rev. Bernard E. Granich, Archdiocesan Archivist, made his files available to me.

        Miss Catherine Weidle, librarian at Pius XII Memorial Library, St. Louis University, located much helpful source material.  

        A special thanks to the many Pacific, Mo. residents who supplied information for the compiling of the book and to those in St. Louis, Mo., who searched old records and data for my benefit. A list of these is included with the bibliography.

        I acknowledge use of the materials in the St. Louis Room of the Pius Xll Library and records of Archdiocesan archives.

DEDICATION

FOR:      A/I those who have given of their time and support necessary for the upkeep and restoration of St. Patrick’s Church and the upkeep of the cemetery.

        In the early 1830’s an Irish family was on the last stage of a wearing journey from their homeland to a promising new territory in Missouri. George and Sarah McNamee and their small children had landed in New Orleans and were traveling up the Mississippi River by boat to the St. Louis landing. Suddenly the boat was stopped. In a short time, the dread word “cholera” swept among the passengers. All were told that St. Louis was in the throes of this fearful disease and they must not proceed any farther

        The McNamees, almost within sight of their goal, had their future shattered abruptly. A bewildering, keenly disap­pointing turn of events for a man with a wife and children to establish in a new home. But George marshalled his family, collected his belongings and immediately turned west. He and his family set out on foot and traveled by unfamiliar trails through strange country for over forty miles. They eventually reached the Meramec River and evidently liked both the people and the land they found. They built a home and be­gan their new life in a free and promising territory.

        The McNamees . . resourceful, strong, resolute, undis­mayed by hardship, adventurous . .  were typical of the many early Irish immigrants who laid the foundations for the settlement of Armagh on the banks of the Meramec River in Franklin County, Mo. and who became the first parishioners of St. Patrick’s Church.

        The history of the parish reflects a variety of traits in its pastors and parishioners, all of them contributing to a vital, progressive chain of growth and service. Many of its pastors were distinguished scholars; others were builders with broad vision; still others were gentle, humble, intensely spir­itual men. The settlers had a natural affinity for the land and the willingness to spend long, hard hours cultivating it. Many came directly from Ireland, and later Germany and Austria, while others moved to the Meramec from Virginia, Indiana, Chicago, New Orleans and St. Louis. Prominent among the characteristics of both pastors and parishioners was a friend­ly, generous attitude toward life as they worked new fields in the service of their God.

        In 1837 Rev. Van Quickenborne, S.J., a missionary priest who traveled extensively through the state of Missouri, rode through the Armagh area and subsequently reported not one Catholic in the vicinity. His search was not exhaus­tive and he obviously overlooked some, but there were cer­tainly few Catholics among the settlers at this time. Des­cendants of John Brennan, a Greek and Latin scholar from Chicago, hold deed and records indicating that he paid taxes on a property as early as 1820. In 1825 Severn Muir arrived from Baltimore and in 1830 a deed for property was re­corded for the Connolly family. There were still several In­dians in the hills and various Kentucky woodsmen had migrated to the Meramec.

        In the early 1840’s the Armagh area was reportedly served by representatives of the Lazarist community: Rev. Burke, Rev. Timon, who became a bishop later; and Rev. Patrick O’Brien, prominently associated at a later date with St. Michael’s Church in St. Louis. But the man who founded the parish and built its first church was Rev. Peter Richard Donnelly.

        Father Donnelly, although plagued with ill health all his missionary life, was well-suited to lay the foundations of a new parish in a remote location. He was born in Roscommon, Ireland, in 1804, the youngest of a large family of boys. Two of his older brothers were priests in their native land and Donnelly resolved to follow their example, but to serve in a foreign land. He came to St. Louis, studied in that diocese and was ordained by Bishop Rosati on November 20, 1836 at St. Mary’s Church at the Barrens, Perry County. He was sent immediately to work in the Arkansas wilderness and in 1831 was appointed pastor of Pine Bluff there. He spent much time expanding his activities and by 1838 had collected funds and laid the groundwork for a new parish at Little Rock. His resolute work must be admired for by this time he was suf­fering continually from fever. Donnelly's correspondence with Bishop Rosati in 1839 indicates that he was subsisting on “a little bread and milk only.” Father Donnelly was then relieved temporarily of his strenuous missionary work and given a less exacting appointment at St. Peter’s in Gravois (Kirkwood). It is likely that as he traveled from this station, he became acquainted with the settlers and the terrain near the Meramec.

        The land at this time was extremely rough and for the most part untilled. Travel, even by horseback, was difficult because the only trails were narrow openings blazed through dark forests. The trails followed the line of least resistance and often crossed and recrossed the same creek many times in the space of a few miles.

        In 1842 Father Donnelly, somewhat recovered from his illness, again received a major task, this time from Bishop Kenrick. He was commissioned to organize the Irish and French Catholics along the Meramec River in Franklin County. While making preparations for this new assignment, Father Donnelly persuaded several Irish families in St. Louis and some new arrivals from New Orleans and the east to join him and take possession of a large tract of land in Franklin County.

        St. Louis at this time was becoming uncomfortable for Irish Catholic immigrants. Older inhabitants feared that the immigrants, now arriving in increasing numbers, would snatch occupations and seize control of city affairs. They formed a violent anti-immigrant party, the Nativists. In 1840 Nativists began publication of The St. Louis New Era news­paper, which printed sarcastic editorials against the Irish and German immigrants. It was becoming clear all over the United States that Irish Catholic immigrants might fare better both spiritually and materially in their own communities. A rash of these colonies sprang up around the country. Most of them were indebted for their origin to one person generally a missionary priest, who built his foundation so firmly that the project continued to prosper long after he had left.

        Such was the case of Father Donnelly at Armagh. According to records Father Donnelly was established as pastor of St. Patrick’s in Armagh, Franklin County, in 1843 and began work on a church in 1844. Irish immigrants tended to cling to familiar terms from their homeland when they reached the raw new country of America. The name given the settlement, Armagh, reflects the parishioners un­breakable hold on Irish tradition. The original Armagh was a hill deeded to St. Patrick by a grateful convert on which he built his permanent See. So lasting reminders of Ireland’s holy city and its patron saint were brought to a Missouri wilderness.

        Bishop Kenrick purchased three acres of land about four miles south of the present Pacific, Mo. on the right bank of the Meramec River. It was a slightly elevated plot of level ground overlooking the river near a spot known locally as the “Priest’s Ford.” The deed for the acreage was recorded on June 21, 1844, and Father Donnelly began construction of the church. It was a small primitive struc­ture, measuring only 18 x 24 feet. Walls were built of hewn logs, caulked with mud, and it was covered with a clapboard roof. The adjoining land was set aside for a cemetery and was eventually enclosed with a steel fence.

        The new parishioners were also busy clearing land, which they had purchased for approximately $1.50 an acre, and erecting homes. Since there was at this time no parochial residence, Father Donnelly stayed with several early families in turn. One of these early settlers, Matthew Lynch, sought the advice of Indian inhabitants when choosing a site for his log cabin. The cabin, built in 1843, has been restored and enlarged and still stands on the favorable spot chosen by friendly Indians.

        Father Donnelly also constructed simple churches at St. Bridget’s in Downpatrick (Pacific), and at St. Columbkille’s on the Big River, Jefferson County. It was quite an extensive area for one man traveling by horseback to ser­vice, but in 1845 there were only about 700 priests in the entire United States. The missionary priest therefore had to extend his work as far as possible to reach a maximum number of Catholics.

        Father Donnelly remained at St. Patrick’s only long enough to get the parish firmly started. He suffered a re­currence of ill health and was recalled to St. Louis. But for such a brief stay, he accomplished a good deal of missionary work in the wilderness. It is obvious that he was a doer, rather than a talker. And indeed, from childhood on, he had “little to say.” He was characterized by his con­temporaries as a quiet man whose actions were brisk and efficient. His grasp of the English language was not compre­hensive enough to make him an outstanding teacher, but his willingness won him the respect and love of the parishioners.

        Father Donnelly returned to St. Louis in 1845, served as a hospital chaplain, as assistant at the Cathedral and eventually he resided with the Archbishop, where he was the only priest in the area who could still hear confessions in his native Gaelic tongue. He died on July 1, 1879, while on a trip to Chicago.

        The following article by Rev. D. Phelan appeared in the newspaper, Western Watchman, on July 9, 1879:

“The last but one of the venerable pioneers of upper Mississippi is gone. The death of Father Donnelly has left in the person of the venerable Abbe St. Cyr a solitary inheritor of the traditions of the old Catholic settlements of what was once known as upper Louisiana. They labored together in the swamps of Arkansas, in the backwoods of Missouri, and through the hunting grounds of the Indians from Kaskaskia to Michigan. The trials and hardships they endured during the quarter of a century which they spent in the wilds of the west can not be imagined now. Father Donnelly was a priest in St. Louis before it merited the name of a respectable village. He rode from mission to mission through a country stretching from St. Charles to New Orleans at a time when the very name of Chicago was unknown. Truly these were days when the office required . . . the qualities of a martyr. His death occurred in Chicago, Friday, July 1, after a brief illness. His remains were brought to this city and interred in Calvary Ceme­tery on the 3rd inst., and were accompanied to the grave by a large number of priests and laity. Few knew him intimately, he having outlived most of his old acquaintances. Yet, those who knew him can bear testimony to the wonderful regularity of his life, and his stern, but unobtrusive piety. A faithful servant during a long lifetime, may he soon enter into the joy of his Lord. RIP.”

        In late 1845 Rev. Dennis Byrne was assigned to Armagh. Records indicate he may have resided in Gasconade County and serviced at St. Bridget’s also. Father Byrne made a brief stay in Franklin County. His most conspicuous missionary work was later accomplished at Edina, Mo. near the begin­ning of the Santa Fe Trail.

        St. Patrick’s had no resident pastor until the arrival of Rev. John O’Hanlon in 1847. Father O’Hanlon, a creative priest from Sandymount, Dublin, left a vivid description of his stay at Armagh in his Life and Scenery in Missouri. Upon his assignment, he departed from St. Louis by the stage coach that ran at that time to Jefferson City and arrived at the ho­tel of Mr. Peregrine Tippet. The following day he traveled to Armagh, where he stayed with the Lynch family. He said Mass in the vacant log church about a mile from the Lynch home.

After Mass the parishioners gathered outside to greet the new pastor. They immediately made the practical and generous offer to purchase a horse, saddle and bridle for the use of their new priest. Father O’Hanlon admitted he was no judge of horseflesh and so a farmer offered to choose one for him. In the meantime several of the men offered him the loan of a horse.

        His horse, Tecumseh, was finally chosen and Father O’Hanlon began his work. He had to make the acquaintance of the parishioners and discover the various trails that led to the houses and farms of the settlement. He found traveling arduous. Most of the settlers had chosen to build on the hills as the sloughs prevalent in low lying areas were malaria-rid­den. After the ups and downs of a long day’s ride, he would spend the night with a friendly settler and share the family’s meal. It was not unusual for his sleep to be disturbed by the cry of a chicken, pig or lamb being carried off by a wolf in the middle of the night.

        Father O’Hanlon found a hospitable and generous spirit universal among these early settlers. They unfailingly re­sponded with a welcome wherever he stopped. He records the senior members of his congregation as almost exclusively Irish by birth and their children, of course, natives of the locality. One of the earliest settlers he encountered was Jack Withington, who had lived in the area for over 30 years be­fore the priest’s arrival. Father O’Hanlon described Jack as tall, hardy and healthy, dressed continually in buckskin and the owner of excellent beagles for deer hunting around the salt-licks.

    Other early settlers in the Armagh vicinity were:

         Father O’Hanlon felt he had just barely begun his work when he was recalled to St. Louis. A fellow student from seminary days, Rev. James Stehlé, was to be sent as Father O’Hanlon’s successor. Parishioners were dismayed at this change for they had become fond of the energetic priest. Father O’Hanlon had much difficulty persuading them that this change of pastors would be to their advantage. German immigrants were also increasing in the Armagh area and they would benefit from Father Stehlé’s administration.

        Father O’Hanlon relinquished his horse to Father Stehlé and returned to St. Louis that November with an Irish wagonner. There Father O’Hanlon’s intellectual gifts were uti­lized in editing a new Catholic newspaper, the St. Louis News Letter He eventually returned to Ireland, became a writer of much distinction and was elevated to Canon.

        Father Stehlé, speaking broken English but of a kindly disposition, remained at St. Patrick’s only a short time and by the following year, 1848, the parish was being visited by Rev. Eysvogels from Washington, Mo. in 1849 and 1850 Rev. Edward Hamil was Armagh’s pastor.

        Father Hamil was born at Tyman, Ireland in the diocese of Armagh, in 1819. He was ordained by Bishop Kenrick in St. Louis on June 29, 1849, and immediately became the new pastor at St. Patrick’s. Statistics [or the parish during his stay record 600 parishioners and 14 baptisms. Following his service at St. Patrick’s, Father Hamil moved on to St. Charles County; to Lexington, another Irish settlement near Marshall, Mo.; and finally severed his connection with St. Louis to join the Kansas City Diocese.

        In 1851 and early 18.52 Rev. Patrick Ward, a native of Ireland, administered the parish. Father Ward was a former classmate of Father O’Hanlon and was ordained at the Old Cathedral by Bishop Kenrick on May 29, 1847. He had been pastor at St. Michael’s in St. Louis for a short time before his arrival at Armagh.

        Until 1849 railroad lines from the east ran only to St. Louis. In 1850 new construction west of the Mississippi began. Many Irishmen became prominent railroad contractors and they hired their countrymen from St. Louis and more distant areas. The Pacific Railroad reached Franklin (Pacific) in 1853 and work on its southwest branch began in 1855. As the workers moved west, many of them found the land at Armagh to their liking and invested their earnings in property. Even widows receiving settlements from the railroad companies invested in small farms. About this same time, the most severe famines had struck Ireland and forced many of its people to look to America for survival. For the next few years St. Patrick’s expanded rapidly.

        Rev. Philip Grace was assigned to the parish as pastor just after his ordination on April 10, 1852. He quickly realized that the original log structure would not suffice for a church any longer. It certainly was not large enough to accommodate the growing community and it was no longer located in the center of the parish. Another site, approxi­mately three miles south of the first church, was chosen. Mr. Patrick McBrearty deeded seven acres of land to the archdiocese for the use of a church, presbytery, school and any connected buildings.

        Father Grace set to work at once to raise the neces­sary funds for building the new church. Parishioners, now a little more affluent, subscribed generously, but additional money was needed. The young priest personally began to solicit funds from Catholics of the surrounding countryside. He traveled the length of the railroad line from St. Louis to St. Joseph seeking help for his new church. The response was rewarding and Father Grace was able to begin the foun­dation of the present “Rock” Church. in 1857 the corner­stone was dedicated by Rev. Ryan, later Archbishop of Philadelphia, and Rev. Dennis Phelan spoke on the occasion.

        Construction moved slowly because all the stones for the church were being quarried by hand. A well-known ridge of sandstone and limestone runs through the state and likely was the source of supply. Native Irishmen had had much experience with stone in their homeland and the results of the building were extremely skillful. Each stone was carefully fitted without the aid of mortar and so had to be cut as perfectly as possible. Work under these conditions took long, careful hours.

        Among the workers on the church was a large Irishman, Dan McAuley, known to his neighbors as “Riverboat Dan.’ Dan was surrounded by an interesting legend. In his early years, he traveled up and down the Mississippi River and turned his hand to the cards. One evening as he sat on deck possibly counting his winnings, he had a vision. It graphic­ally portrayed a very bad end if he did not give up his present life. Dan, much struck by this warning, immediately left the boat and traveled inland to Armagh. His strength and skill were a welcome addition to the community, where he purchased a farm and erected several substantial build­ings. One of these, “McAuley’s Rock House,” still stands.

        An illustration of the extremely arduous and sometimes dangerous life led by the missionary priests of the time oc­curred during rather Grace’s administration. While the pastor was away, either soliciting funds or making a retreat, Father John McCaffrey, a young pastor at Richwoods, Washington County, took care of Armagh parishioners. He responded to a call for a priest to visit a sick settler living north of the Meramec River. In attempting to cross the river at a point known as “Withington Ford” his horse baulked. Father McCaffrey was evidently injured in falling from his horse, sank into the river and drowned. A few days later his body was found and brought to Old Mines for burial. He was described by a contemporary as a man of excellent qualities of head and heart, and more familiar than any other of the time with Holy Scripture.

        Father Grace also became a victim of the difficult life. During the building of the new church his health began to decline. While he made certain that the church was of sound construction, his personal living quarters were in a rough log cabin. This, coupled with his long and strenuous rides through the mission country in all kinds of weather, proved too much for his failing strength. On October 29, 1859, when the walls of his ambitious new church had only risen a few feet, Father Grace died. He had spent the entire seven years since his ordination among the Armagh settlers, who had grown to love him for his goodness and spirituality. He was buried first in the church cemetery, but later moved to lie under an altar in the church he had begun.

        For several years following Father Grace’s death, there was again no resident pastor at St. Patrick’s. Rev. James O’Regan is listed as pastor of Downpatrick and he serviced Armagh from there. Other priests who said Mass and ad­ministered the sacraments to St. Patrick’s people were:     Rev. James Fox, Rev. Edward Shea, Rev. Patrick Fleming and Rev. Michael Flannery. All were native Irishmen who had chosen the difficult vocation of missionary priest in the New World

        Father Fox was born in County Wicklow, Ireland, in 1820 and was educated for the priesthood at Carlow. The future Archbishop Ryan was his classmate. He came to St. Louis in 1849 and was ordained on June 29 in the Cathedral by Archbishop Kenrick. In 1850 he was pastor of Old Mines and probably visited St. Patrick’s at this time. He gave long and exhausting service in country missions and re­turned to St. Louis in 1868.

        Father Shea was born in Ireland in 1844, but came to this country as an infant. He was ordained by Archbishop Kenrick on July 4, 1868 and was assigned as assistant to Father Fox at Old Mines.

        Father Fleming was from the diocese of Limmerick, Ireland and until 1851 was a professor at Carondelet Seminary. He later organized the Immaculate Conception parish at Hannibal, Mo.

        Even though the parish had expanded and certainly needed a full-time priest, the county was unsettled by a na­tional crisis, the Civil War. The Armagh settlers, like the rest of the state, were divided in their loyalities. Many of the men served the Union Army, among them George Stuhlman's grandfather, who joined not to “free the slaves, but to keep the Union together.” And some settlers had come from Virginia and other Southern states and so supported the Southern cause. Southern sympathizers were apparently in the minority because several of them hid in the corn or nearby woods for weeks while their families brought food and supplies to them secretly.

        The railroad in nearby Pacific was a line of transport for the Union soldiers. George Stuhlman recalls his grand­mother baking pies and bringing them to town to sell to the soldiers enroute to Sedalia.

        Events of the war touched Armagh briefly when Rebel guerillas invaded the area from Grubville. As headquarters, they chose Signal Hill, a spot close to St. Patrick’s and later confirmed as a strategic choice by the location of the Nike Missile Base there. As word of the guerilla presence swept around, settlers rounded up their horses and took the sensible precaution of hiding them in Phelan’s Woods.

        The Confederates began to move toward Pacific. They stopped at some of the farms on the way. John McHenry had just finished milking his cow, when one of the Rebels traveling on the fringe of the detachment helped himself to the bucket of milk and drank almost the entire contents.

        They also stopped at the McAuley home, where only the mother and daughters remained. They demanded food and then forced two of the McAuley girls to accompany them as hostages on their ride to Pacific. They also recruited Dan Brennan and Mr. Maguire and others to gather wood. The soldiers piled lumber on the railroad bridge between Catawissa and Pacific, smeared it with tar and set it on fire. The soldiers and their hostages continued into Pacific, where several stores were looted by the guerillas. They chopped down telegraph poles and destroyed railroad track.

        George Stuhlman remembers that his grandfather, who was serving in the Home Guard under General Lyons and had the assignment to guard bridges to the east, fore­stalled part of the looting. He was granted leave when he heard of the imminence of the Rebels and returned to Pacific where he had nearly 1000 kegs of wine buried. He was a carpenter by trade and this represented many hours of work but he was taking no chances. If the Rebels found the wine, their destruction might get completely out of bounds. Without fuss, he emptied every single keg of wine.

        The hostages suffered only one night of imprison­ment. Union soldiers overtook the guerillas the following day and returned the settlers home unharmed.

        Serving St. Patrick’s during this time of conflict was Rev. Francis P. Gallagher, who spent the year of 1863 and 1864 at Armagh. He was born in Donegal, Ireland, on Janu­ary 15, 1835, and studied for the priesthood in his home­land. As a young student he made a brilliant record and on the very eve of his ordination, he decided to leave Ireland and join the apostolic works of the American missions. In 1860 he enrolled in the St. Louis Seminary. He founded a parish in Rolla, Mo. in 1862 before coming to St. Patrick’s at Armagh.  

        Father Phelan described him as a good classical scholar “by all odds the highest mark in the diocese. He had a mind capable of any study and a memory that never let go. Yet with all he was a man of the most profound humility.” Father Gallagher’s later years were spent at St. Theresa’s Church, which he founded in north St. Louis.

        Just as these missionary priests found a horse a nec­essary means of serving the parish, so the settlers needed them as almost the only means of keeping in touch with neighbors and supplies. In the 1850’s and 1860’s horse thieves became a real threat. Thieves took as many horses as they could handle and moved them out of the area usually to St. Louis, where they sold them. The Horse Thief’s Society was formed with Jim Sheerin as secretary . When word of a stolen horse was received, the men passed the information around as fast as they could to the farmers.If they found the thief, he was, brought to court with a usual sentence of two years in a penitentiary. Also, there is a tree in the area referred to as the “Hanging Tree” with an indication that it was used at least once. An unidentified body was found buried at the base of it.

        As the unsettled events of the Civil War faded and men returned to their farms, St. Patrick’s parish came to its full maturity. The priest who contributed most signifi­cantly to that maturity and to the structure of organization that mark a full scale parish was Rev. Edward Berry.

        Father Berry was born in Clara Hills Townsend, Queen’s County, Ireland, on March 19, 1827. He studied for the priesthood at St. Patrick’s College, County Carlow and was ordained on May 11,1856 for the St. Louis diocese. When he arrived in St. Louis, Archbishop Kenrick assigned him as assistant to the parish in Jefferson City. A few years later he became assistant at St. Bridget’s parish in St. Louis and then went to the mission parish at Indian Creek, Monroe County, Mo.

        In 1864 Father Berry was appointed pastor to St. Patrick’s parish, Armagh, The choice was a wise one for Father Berry, the son of an Irish farmer, established immediate rapport with the Irish farmers at Armagh. He seemed to embody all the characteristics necessary for good adminis­tration of a parish. He had the intellectual ability to teach his people, the spiritual firmness necessary for their guidance and a kindliness and sense of humor that made him appealing to Catholic and Protestant alike. In addition Father Berry possessed a rugged constitution, energy, enthusiasm and a sound business head. All of these qualities were extended to their fullest measure during his life at St. Patrick’s.

        Father Berry was immediately faced with a partially constructed church at St. Patrick’s and the necessity for new ones at St. Bridget’s and St. Columbkille’s. His immediate concern was to get construction of St. Patrick’s underway again. This called for organization, hard work and money. Under Father Berry’s direction work began again on the Rock Church.

        Manpower was now back to full strength and many pa­rishioners contributed time and support to the new work. Chief masons on the building were Archie and Dan Leitch, Edward Mason provided plastering and carpentry work was added by George Neiter. Among others who worked so diligently were:

        Work on the church proceeded quickly and by 1866 it was ready for dedication. Then Father Berry turned his attention to the two other parishes in his care. The cornerstone for St. Bridget’s had been laid in 1857, brick and other materials had been hauled to the site, but nothing more was done until 1867 when Father Berry directed its completion. At St. Columbkille’s parishioners still heard Mass in a log church that was scarcely big enough to hold the entire con­gregation. Many had to kneel outside while Mass was being said. In a short time Father Berry had a new church built on a pleasant knoll near Byrnesville.

        His life among the St. Patrick’s settlers was a busy one. A typical Sunday for the active priest is described in Pioneer Priests. He arose at 5 a.m. and heard confessions from 6 to 7:30 a.m. His first Mass was celebrated before 8 a.m., he heard confessions again from 9 to 10 a.m. and began the cele­bration of the second Mass at 10:30 a.m. He ate breakfast between 12 noon and 1 p.m. and then took a short rest. From 3 to 4 p.m. during the summer months he gave cate­chism instruction to the children of the parish. These were held at St. Patrick’s on alternate Sundays and at each of the other two churches once a month.

        Father Berry was always ready to answer a sick call and many times arose at midnight to ride miles away and administer sacraments to the sick or dying. And he faithfully traveled the 20 mile radius of the three parishes on horseback to assure himself that all was well with his parishioners.

        Shortly before Easter in 1885, Father Berry and his pa­rishioners received a disheartening blow. A fire broke out in the parochial residence adjoining the church. A faulty stove was probably the cause. Before it was discovered the fire had made considerable headway. Immediately the church bell was rung and nearby farmers hurried to help. But it was too late. The flames had leaped to the church, igniting the dry shingles on the roof and soon both the residence and the church were enveloped in flames. The vestments, altar linens, Stations of the Cross, a crucifix and a large oil painting of St. Patrick were saved from the fire. Everything else, including a fine pipe organ, was destroyed.

        The whole parish was dismayed. Father Berry’s disap­pointment was coupled with his concern for the farmers, whose crop had recently failed. With characteristic energy, Father Berry organized his parishioners and set to work to rebuild both the residence and the church. He stayed with the family of W. L. Dickinson while directing the rebuilding. Subscriptions were taken and an encouraging sum of money received. Then parishioners of St. Columbkille’s contributed a large sum and his former parishioners from St. Bridget’s in St. Louis added to the collection. In less than a year’s time both the church and the residence were completed. On Easter Sunday, 1886, Mass was celebrated once again in St. Patrick’s. The following fall the church was dedicated by Rev. Brady, Vicar-General of the Archdiocese. In Father Berry’s words, it was “as substantial and handsome as any country church in the state.” And as he visited with his parishioners, he said repeatedly, “The church is paid for, thanks to God.”

        Organizations of spiritual, fraternal, charitable or social origin are often the backbone of a parish structure. Aware of this, Father Berry suggested the formation of a benevolent society at St. Patrick’s. Following are the minutes from the first organizational meeting of the St. Patrick’s Benevolent Society, founded in 1865 and active until 1901:

“A number of parishioners of Armagh Parish, Franklin County, Missouri, in order to establish a more perfect union among each other and also to diffuse knowledge among its members, to assist its worthy pastor in objects of a benevolent charac­ter, do by the advice and consent of their worthy pastor, agree to meet at the residence of Rev. Father Berry on Dec. 31 for the purpose of or­ganizing themselves into a society for the purposes aforementioned.”

        Charter members of 

 (Other members are were:listed in the back of the book.)

        Among the first of the Society the social events sponsored by the organization was a St. Patrick’s Day Banquet. The first dinner was held in 1871 at the McNamee School and George and Hugh McNamee, committee heads, were given the sum of $34.00 to provide food and entertainment. An account of its success was provided by a McNamee descendant.

“St. Patrick’s Day eventually arrived ... It was a beautiful spring day, the sun shining, the air balmy. At an early hour, the members of the society began to assemble on the school ground. When the mem­bers of the Franklin Band arrived, approximately at noon, that was the signal to the members of St. Patrick’s Benevolent Society to fall into line for marching.

        James F. McBrearty acted as Sergeant-at-Arms, Newton Redmond, U.S. Flag-bearer, and we very much regret we cannot remember the names of the members who carried the beautiful silk banner of St. Patrick .

        There were four members of the band, two who played the brass instruments, one who played the bass drum, and one who . . . played the snare drum. The band took the lead and then the flag and banner-bearers, then the members of the so­ciety two by two fell into line. When the band struck up Stephen Foster’s ‘Carry Me Back to Ole Virginia’ away they marched down the narrow wagon road which was lined on each side with giant oak trees. The road extended in an east-west direction from the new schoolhouse to the site of the Burned Schoolhouse about one half mile distant . . . Michael McNamee, an expert on the flute and Owen McNamee on the fife rested the band by playing the melodies, ‘Wearing of the Green’ and St. Patricks Day.’ . . there were plenty of Irish wit, humor and repartee bandied back and forward across the table. After satisfying the inner man with the palatable viands spread before them, the members of the organization and the invited guests departed for their respective homes as the sun was sinking behind the high hill west of the schoolhouse..."

        The St. Patrick’s Banquet was enjoyed annually for many years. Music was always provided and the usual fare was ham and wine.

        In order to raise funds for various charitable and practical uses the society also began to hold a summer picnic on church grounds. The first of these was proposed for July 4, 1876 as an opportune way to reduce the debt of the church. The picnics, later changed to the middle of August, drew the parishioners into a tight unit working side by side for a worthwhile end. The night before the picnic, men dug a huge pit and filled it with firewood. Early the next day it was lit and the roasting of the meat began. Three or four whole beeves and several sheep were roasted through the day.

        The annual event began with Mass in St. Patrick’s. The church was always crowded to the doors and nearly all re­ceived Communion. Following this was the serving of a huge dinner. Meal tickets in early years were $.25 and entitled the holder to all he could eat and drink. Parishioners pro­vided cakes, pies, potato salad and a variety of other home grown products. The woks, who had been sprinkling the meat with water, vinegar and seasonings as it turned on the spits, staggered over to the tables with the meat. Ice and soda were hauled in from Pacific and Catawissa for the day and younger members of the parish took turns cranking the han­dle of a hand-made ice cream maker.

        There were sometimes races following dinner and even a makeshift bowling alley. In 1882 a new half was built with the proceeds and for the picnics thereafter, lumber was brought from Pacific for a dance floor. Father Berry was doubtful about round dancing and drinking, but overcame his reluctance and the members enjoyed dancing the rest of the day and into the evening to the accompaniment of bands from surrounding towns and even to talented parish­ioners. Among these was Mr. McCreary, who was merry with his fiddle, Gus Gold on base fiddle, Joe Weard on guitar and Jacob Fisher as square dance caller.

        When the floor became too crowded, some of the younger members even danced on the grass nearby. After building decorative wood arbors and setting up a line of pic­nic tables all the way from the hall to the old cistern, every­body deserved some relaxation.

        Later that night the children were bundled into the back of wagons, which had been filled with hay and covered with quilts by their families. They slept while their parents con­tinued to dance. One man says his best of childhood memo­ries was driving home half-asleep in the back of a wagon and listening to the sound of distant music as he rode over the hills late at night.

        The new hall served many purposes. Catechism instruc­tion was given there, meetings were held and Christmas and Easter Monday Balls were given. An item from the Meramec Valley Transcript of Friday, April 22, 1892 states: “All who attended the ball given at the Rock Church Monday night report a lively time and a large attendance.” Parishioners, now settled into the routine of farm life, their church built, could afford to relax a little with their neighbors.

        And now Father Berry urged advancement of their cul­tural life. To encourage the reading of good literature a li­brary was established in the hail. Gradually a collection of history, philosophy, classics and the standard books of Catholic authors was accumulated. A Library Association was formed and the ladies admitted to it between January, 1876, and May, 1888 were:

        In addition to helping retire the church debt, proceeds from the picnics and balls were given at various times as gifts to Father Berry, to the Irish Land League and for the purchase of a fine new pump organ for the church. The new organ, costing $320.00 was transported from Tennessee.

         Father Berry settled disputes, gave advice, teased the young people and made his warmth and energy available to all. His weekly summons in rich brogue to “Ring that bell!” is still remembered. And so is his fondness for children. A little girl visiting him was asked, “Alice, would you like a ring?” Alice immediately responded that she would. With that Father Berry, eyes twinkling, picked up a small bell on his desk and rang it. The two chuckled over his joke for a long time.

        Community life, though now far easier than at the settlement’s beginning, could still deal harsh blows. One of the earliest settlers, Mrs. Ann Calvin Lynch, lost a husband and three children due to smallpox within a week. And yet Mrs. Lynch was strong enough to turn from her own tragedy and lend her help to others faced with misfortune. A two-year-old neighbor, Frank Henan, was left an orphan. When Mrs. Lynch heard about it, she rode straight to the bereaved farm, picked up the little boy and rode home with him. As they went the frightened child looked up at her and asked, “Will you be my Mommy now?” And without further fuss, she added a new child to her household.

        Another mother had two small children who were very ill. She carried them in her arms all the way to Father Berry and asked for his help. With utmost kindness, he said, “The Lord should take these two.” Seeing hopeless cases was part of his burden.

        In spite of tragedy the parish continued to grow and prosper. By 1891 a vacant house in the surrounding area was considered a rarity. And in 1898 Father Berry requested that the name “Armagh” be changed to Catawissa in the Catholic Directory of parishes. He continued to travel on horseback over the territory in his charge, but began to show signs of age and fatigue. Several of his priest friends urged him to give up this strenuous post and come to the city, but Father Berry steadily refused. “If His Grace, the Archbishop, will just let me stay in Armagh, I will be satisfied,” he said.

        And the Archbishop understood. “To take him away from those people whom he loves would break the old man’s heart,” was his decis4on. And so Father Berry continued to serve his parishioners.

        An intense heat wave struck the area in the summer of 1901. Father Berry kept up his usual summer activities and one morning walked out to a nearby field, where some of the farmers were working. The heat proved too much for him and he was hardly able to get back to his house. He recovered somewhat and retired for the night. The next morning he was up early enough to have the church bell rung, but by evening, was unable to speak. That night, July 24, 1901, he died.

        Funeral services were held on July 27 and were attended by many of his parishioners and friends. Father Eugene Coyle, rector of the Old Cathedral, summed up his long service:“His conduct was above reproach and edified both his class­mates and superior. He graduated with the highest honors. He might have had a successful career as a businessman, or have honorably filled some position of trust as a statesman but he chose the better part and consecrated his life to the service of Almighty God. For nearly half a century he la­bored in the vineyard of the Lord, bore the burdens and the heat, and died in harness. While all the virtues were exempli­fied in the life of Father Berry, if I might mention one that stood out in bold relief from all the rest, I would say, the crowning glory of his life was his simplicity.” Thus Father Berry was buried in St. Patrick’s cemetery, among the re­mains of the people he had known and served all his ordained life.

        Rev. Edward Thomas Gallaher succeeded Father Berry as pastor of St. Patrick’s in 1902. Father Gallaher, a rotund friendly man, was formerly a member of the Redemptorist Congregation and served at Indian Creek in 1893. He resigned from there in 1889 and became pastor of Old Mines. He was formally adopted as a member of the Archdiocese and spent four years at Armagh.

        Father Gallaher continued the long tradition of service at St. Patrick’s. A high point in the memory of those who knew him was the way he handled Confirmation. The young children who were to be confirmed knelt with lighted candles on either side of the road leading to the church. A solemn procession, led by a Civil War veteran carrying the American flag and followed by horses and a band filed through the ranks of children. Terminating the procession was the bishop, who had been met at the railroad station in Pacific and es­corted by parishioners and Father Gallaher to the church.

        Father Gallaher’s good-natured concern for the well­being of his parishioners was often in evidence. Mrs. Turn-bull, a widow of the parish, needed help to continue living on her farm. Father Gallaher went to a St. Louis orphan home and brought a young boy, Mike Costello, to live in Armagh with Mrs. Turnbull. He worked on her farm and in return, grew up in healthy country surroundings. Mike made many friends, served as an altar boy, and later was one of the founders of the Temperance Society, along with John Mc­Namee and Jim McCann. The Knights of Columbus, Father Edward Berry Chapter, was also formed.

        Father Gallaher’s love of fun made him very popular with his parishioners. One year at the picnic Father decided to add some interest to the entertainment. He challenged two large men, George Bay, who often provided the ice and soda for the day, and John Conley to race against him. Each of the three was to put up $1.00 as a stake with the winner receiv­ing half and the other half to be used to treat the losers.

        The race course was determined to be from the picket fence to the cemetery gates. The three men, all well over 200 pounds, lined up. George suddenly slipped off his shoes. At the sound of “Go,” they all started off. Shoeless George went like a streak and easily outdistanced his competitors. The losers graciously accepted a cold drink as consolation prize.

        It was a shock to the parishioners when, after a brief four year pastorate, Father Gallaher died in March, 1906. He too was buried in St. Patrick’s cemetery. His successor was Rev. Arthur O’Reilly, who had been serving as chaplain at the nearby Sisters of Mercy Home (now St. Joseph Hill Infirmary).

        Father O’Reilly, tall, slender, soft-spoken, was a very well-educated man and took many pains to pass learning onto his parishioners. There was no Catholic school ever associated with the parish and, in fact, there were no public schools in the area. The books in the church library were available and seemed to be the only ready material available for public use. One wife decided to teach her husband, 22-years-old, to read and write at home. But the best way to provide for the children’s secular study was through subscription schools.

        One of the these was the McNamee School, located east of the church in an area known as “little Ireland.” Parents contributed to a general fund and hired competent teachers. Among these were Mr. Joseph McNamee, Mr. Cashells and Mr. Scheer. Students remember the school house as a long room lined with windows. The windows were covered with paper smeared with lard to allow light to filter in.

        During summer months Father O’Reilly undertook the religious education of the children. John Murphy recalls a daily walk of five miles over the hills with his friends and neighbors to the church to attend catechism classes. Others came on horseback: Mary and Ann Brennan, Jim Mack, Mary Buscher, Tom Mangan and his sister, Joe and John Green.

        The classes usually started early in the morning and were conducted by Father O’Reilly in the middle pews of the church. Sometimes the children moved outside and sat on the grass. And at times they performed chores around the church and parochial residence for Father. The classes often lasted late into the afternoon. Hungry students on their way home stopped at the Lynch orchard and supplied them­selves with apples and pears to fill them until they reached home.

        When Father O’Reilly wished to visit a parishioner, he would usually drive his buggy and small horse to the Mangan or McNamee home and ask one of the boys to guide him. Tom Mangan remembers accompanying him many times in the little buggy through overgrown trails. They moved very slowly and Tom had to use his knife repeatedly to keep the brush out of the buggy. On sick calls Father usually rode the horse because many of the roads were too muddy for a buggy.

        Although the sick of the parish readily called on Father O’Reilly for spiritual help, they learned to depend on them­selves and close neighbors for medical help in minor ailments and births. Doctor Booth, characterized as a rough but excel­lent surgeon, and Doctors McNey and Smith, also good medical men, were available for major sickness. But even when telephones were installed, the doctor had to be sum­moned from some distance and then had to travel rough roads in a buggy to reach his patient.

        Many times emergency operations were performed on the spot. One young man was kicked in the head by a horse and was obviously in serious condition. The youth was brought into a nearby farmhouse and held in the lap of his friend until the doctors arrived. They performed a lengthy, delicate operation on the patient, lying on the dining room table, while his friend held a flashlight to guide them.

        Sunday Mass was still the focal point of parish life. Father O’Reilly said one Mass at St. James, which was built in 1913, and one Mass at St. Patrick’s each Sunday, alternating early and late. When he was to say the early Mass at St. James, Father often went to Catawissa on Saturday night, stayed with a parishioner there, and was up early on Sunday morning. His time of return was uncertain and St. Patrick’s members often waited for him in the bitter cold.

        As they drove their wagons and buggies to the church each Sunday, they passed the property of Mr. Sherry, a Seventh Day Adventist, who observed his sabbath on Saturday. Mr. Sherry seemed to always be hard at work near the road every Sunday at church time. One Sunday afternoon a St. Patrick’s parishioner visiting a store in Catawissa com­mented on this to Doctor Smith. “Don’t you think he should stop work on Sunday?” asked the parishioner. Doctor Smith countered with, “Well, it’s no worse than going to church on Sunday and then coming to a store.”

        Each Sunday the parishioners tied their horses and bug­gies to individual oak hitching posts. There were three lines of them running below the church and each had his own spot. Extra posts were provided for occasional users. The pa­rishioners then usually visited the graves in the adjoining cemetery or chatted with their neighbors until Father O’Reilly arrived from Catawissa.

        Father was known for his learned and lengthy sermons, which he usually gave before Mass. The church in winter was mildly heated by two stoves in the rear. Near the altar it was so cold that Father often wore his overcoat and the water in the cruets was close to the freezing point. Mass was very solemn and in Lent it was followed by the rosary, led by Mrs. Mary Hanley, Father’s housekeeper. Benediction was rare, except on special occasions. Choir members included Cora Brady, Mary Brennan, John Brennan, Joe Enright, and Katy Mangan. Organists for many years at St. Patrick’s were Joseph McNamee and Mrs. Virginia Scheve, grand-niece of Father Berry.

        When Father’s housekeeper left, he usually had for company an orphan boy from St. Louis. Peter Brady was one of those who stayed the longest and assisted Father as server at Mass. Eventually the orphan boys left and it became obvious to the parishioners that Father was not taking care of himself. His clothes were worn and his meals were scarce. The farmers had their own way of adding to Father’s small income. At various times of the year they would augment his supplies with products of their own fields. One man would bring Father a wagon load of hay, another one of corn, another of wheat.

        The community was still solidly knit, but change was in the air. The condition of the roads leading to the church became steadily worse, without much hope of improvement. One man remembers a funeral at which the wagon bearing the coffin could not approach the church doors and he helped carry the casket through the mud and into the church. The bishop, on a visit from St. Louis was being escorted through the St. Patrick’s area. When he reached a large mud puddle, he told his escort, “That’s far enough.” By 1913 Confirmations were being held in St. James Church at Catawissa

         A short time later two roads in the area were closed to traffic. This made St. Patrick’s inaccessible for many of its parishioners and they began to gravitate to St. James. In 1924 Father O’Reilly was transferred to Catawissa and St. Patrick’s Church became a mission once more. That same year the church was the scene of its final marriage ceremony, as Mr. and Mrs. John Murphy were the last couple to be united before an altar that had served hundreds of faithful Armagh Catholics.

        Although Mass was still said once a month thereafter at St. Patrick’s, the church was seldom used. In 1929 descendants of the early Armagh settlers became concerned about the care of the cemetery at St. Patrick’s where their parents and grandparents were buried. Martin Geatley and John Brennan organized a perpetual care plan for the cemetery.

        However, the funds proved inadequate and there was no provision for the maintenance of the church itself. In 1939 another group of descendants, much interested in continuing the upkeep of a monument that meant a great deal to them, came forward and offered to help. Rev. Thomas Walsh, pas­tor at St. James, and administrator of St. Patrick’s gave permission to the old Board of Directors to undertake the care of the historic property.

        Members of the board were:

        Permission was also given by Father Walsh to reinstate the picnics that had once been such a part of Armagh life. Mrs. Mattie McEvoy and Mrs. Thelma Pedrotti laid the groundwork for the picnic held on August 26, 1939. During the winter months many people held card parties in their homes for the benefit of St. Patrick’s. The first picnic was a huge success and thereafter, with the exception of the war years, drew hundreds from the St. Patrick’s vicinity and bus loads of descendants and friends from St. Louis.

        Proceeds from the picnic were immediately put to use. The floor of the church had sunk, the interior plaster was badly chipped and the roof was in poor repair. Willing work­ers, headed by W. L. Stephens and Robert Mason, rebuilt the floor and stoop, patched the plaster and replaced the roof. The former parish residence and the fence surrounding received much-needed attention and a new road was built into the cemetery.

        New board members took office under Rev. Charles B. O’Donnell, the next pastor at St. James. They were:

        Work continued and new tile was laid in the center aisle of the church by John McBrearty, Dan Maguire, Mattie McEvoy, Ed and Margaret Morrison, Charlie and Elsie Pedrotti. Frank Miller cared for the cemetery for many years. During these years he planted the beautiful trees we now have on the church lawn, a true memorial to him.

        More and more people began to realize the wealth of history that surrounded the Rock Church and saw the im­portance of permanently maintaining this monument to a rich past. In 1913, Rev. Grover Bell, pastor of St. Bridget’s Church in Pacific, and now administrator of St. Patrick’s, (in Wentzville, Mo.) launched an extensive restoration of the distinguished landmark with the help of a committee of parishioners and the full material support of John F. Lynch. Serving on the restoration committee were:

        During restoration the panelling behind the main altar was re-stained, kneelers were re-bolted, the original flooring sanded and varnished and new carpeting laid. Also new were 16 metal brackets, exact reproductions of the original sup­ports for coal oil lamps.

        A monthly “work day” was set for the second Sunday of each month. Grass cutting and general maintenance being the order of the day.

        St. Patrick’s Church, admired by architects as a fine example of mid-ninteenth century construction, has been restored in the manner early Armagh settlers would have approved. A descendant of a family who was one of the first to offer hospitality to St. Patrick’s priests, a pastor of Irish descent with many of the characteristics of his prede­cessors, and a group of willing parishioners have joined to give the future a glowing memorial of the past.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF CHURCH

         St. Patrick’s Church, Catawissa, Mo. known by residents of the area as the “Rock Church” is constructed of Missouri limestone or sandstone and based on a sever foot pyramid rock foundation. The stones used for the first few feet of the church wails were placed by “dry mortar,” in which each stone was carefully fitted into another without the aid of adhesive material. The remainder of the walls were completed with the aid of traditional wet mortar, but were also carefully worked. As the church was constructed in two different stages, it is supposed that the dry mortar method was used in the first foundation and the quicker wet mortar method was used to finish the walls. All stones were quarried by hand near the church, Interior measurements of the church are 44 ft. by 88 ft.

        The roof, originally slate, is supported by a system of interlocked wooden beams, which have been described by architects as a magnificent piece of engineering. The roof which rises inside to a pointed arch is constructed of wooden planks, fitted tongue and groove without the use of nails. The interior walls, 15 inches thick, and the slanted window­sills are covered with smooth plaster.

        The prominent architectural feature of the church is its Gothic arches. Multiple use of the arches in panelling, communion rail and windows lend a graceful, soaring feeling to the otherwise solid understructure. Particularly beautiful are the elongated arched windows behind the main altar, which are filled with stained glass in lovely muted colors. Two series of wooden Gothic arches outline the church on either side of the main aisle and another series of four arches outlines the base of the choir loft.

        The wooden tabernacle on the main altar is decorated with a trefoil design and surmounted by a crucifix rescued from the fire of 1885. Six gilded wooden candleholders, 3½ feet tall and imprinted with carvings of bleeding hearts, the symbol of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, stand on the main altar. A pale aqua medallion centered with a large shape of a bleeding heart and topped with a crown of thorns, reddish purple flames and white radial arms, is attached to the front of the main altar.

        The two side altars are supported by four slim wooden columns. Hand-made statues of Mary and Joseph stand on the right and left altars, respectively. Near the left altar is a statue of St. Anthony, donated by Mary Therea O’Donnell.

        Still remaining are the following original accoutrements of the church:

Two square wooden collection boxes with long rounded handles

Wrought iron mold for imprinting hosts, decorated with cross and wheat sheaves, with clasp to close and hang and two handles

Bronze bell with ornate cross on top resting on wooden base, 12” in diameter, 18” in height

 Magnificent pump organ, still in working order and fine state of preservation

 Wooden missal stand

A baptismal font of metal and wood

 Veined marble holy water fonts, 1½’’ thick

Framed Stations of the Cross

Large walnut mission cross. Made from tree donated by James Pedrotti, Sr., the lumber cut at a nearby sawmill and the cross was constructed by Tom Brady

        The old bell tower and parochial residence complete the group of buildings on the property. Architects assume that the bell tower dates to the original 1853 construction be­cause the main members have wooden pegs securing them. Metal siding was removed from the tower and the original wood scraped and repaired.

        In 1882, yearly pew rental of $12.50 was contributed to, the parish. On the next page are the remaining names of the original renters.