'

The Origin of St. Patrick of Armagh Colony, Settlement and Parish

 From Three Informed Sources

By William A. Sullivan

This document is based on the following three published reports:

Life and Scenery in Missouri, Reminiscences of a Missionary Priest by Rev. Canon John O’Hanlon, (Dublin: James Duffy & Co. Ltd.. 1890)

Sketches of the Pioneer Priests. Father Berry. Father Grace. Father Gallagher, Father Donnely, and Other Priests, Individuals and Incidents Connected With the History of Armagh Parish, Original Manuscript Written by Joseph F. McNamee. Supplemented by Parish Records Furnished By Rev. Father T. J. Walsh (Pacific, Mo: The Plowman Press, 1928) Note: On the page following the title, is an explanation that this book was underwritten by a Knights of Columbus Group in the area of Pacific/Catawissa. The group had planned to publish it for many years, but failed to do so until 1928. It says that the manuscript was written “some 20 years earlier”.

Father Berry’s Own Words, Written In May 1885, by Father Edward Berry, published on pages 29 and 30 of Sketches of the Pioneer Priests (above).

Father O’Hanlon was ordained in Ireland and came to St. Louis early enough to describe great floods on the Mississippi in 1844. He was appointed Assistant Priest to St. Patrick’s Church in St. Louis. He noted a rapid increase in the population of the city and a great increase in “Catholic work” to be done in his assigned parish. He commented that the Irish immigrants had such poor living conditions that they were frequently tempted to spend their meager earnings in saloons and disreputable places. The priests took this situation as a challenge and preached incessantly against such a lifestyle. They agreed among themselves to encourage Irish men to move to the countryside, away from the saloons, and try their hand at farming.

He was not good about noting the dates of events, particularly the year, but I have concluded that his time at the Armagh Settlement was in October and November 1847.

He begins Chapter 24:

Several years before this period, an Ulster priest, named Father Donnelly, had induced several Irish families, chiefly from St. Louis, to take possession of a large tract of land, which they purchased on or near the banks of a beautiful and clear stream, called the River Merrimac. This colony dwelt about forty or fifty miles west from St. Louis, and it was thus distinguished: viz., Armagh Settlement in Franklin County, along the south banks of the Merrimac. where there had been a log church erected and dedicated to St. Patrick; Downpatrick Settlement in Jefferson County. on the north banks, where another log church had been erected, while the latter was dedicated to St. Bridget, and, I believe, one has since been erected to St. Columkille in that same settlement.”

Joseph F. McNamee wrote in circa 1908: The parish of Armagh was established by Most Rev. P. R. Kenrick, it is thought, in 1844, Rev. P. Donnely being the first pastor. The exact date could not be ascertained by writer as the records of St. Patrick’s Church were destroyed by fire.” Later he added, “About four miles south of where Pacific now stands, the first St. Patrick’s Church was erected on the right bank of the Meramec River in Franklin County, under the direction of Father Donnely. The site chosen for the first church is an elevated plot of level ground overlooking the Meramec, near the Priest’s Ford.

The walls of the church were built of hewn logs, and it was covered with a clapboard roof Although eighty years have passed since this church was built, its ruins may still be seen…”

In the back of Mr. McNamee’s book, which was written 20 years before it was published, the publishers have added words written by Father Edward Berry, Pastor of St. Patrick of Armagh Church in May 1885.

The old records of this church were all destroyed by fire on the 1st of April 1885. They were very valuable, giving a full account of all the marriages that took place since the I” priest came to the Merrimac Settlement—recording the names and dates of all the priests that came here since 1834. This place was visited for several years by priests from St. Louis previous to the time of a settled pastor. They were Father Burke, Father Timon, afterwards Bishop Timon of Buffalo, and others who were Lazarist Fathers—-also Father Patrick O’Brien visited here and was the first appointed pastor to this place. Father Peter Donelly became the next pastor. He resided here for some time, organized the Merrimac Settlement—by which name it was known up to his time—into a parish called Armagh Parish. The church, a log one built over near the Merrimac River on ground belonging to the Archbishop (Peter R. Kenrick), which was afterwards sold to Mr. John Whelan, was called St. Patrick’s Church.

In April 2003 1 found that St. Patrick’s log church was high above the east bank of Winch Creek, near where it empties into the Meramec River from the south. The land which contains the first log church and cemetery has been part of the John Phelan farm for more than 100 years, so I think he misspelled Phelan when he wrote “afterwards sold to Mr. John Whelan.”

Since clapboard was used for the roof of the log church, we know that sawmills were available to provide sawed lumber. We also can observe that logs were the usual building construction material in that early time. The clapboard panels found at the ruins of a log cabin on Long John McNamee’s land could have been the roof of the cabin, not the siding of a later building as earlier assumed.

Returning to Canon O’Hanlon’s book:

It so happened that Father Donnelly began to fail in health, and the archbishop deemed it necessary to recall him to St. Louis. where a charge involving less physical labour was assigned to him. I was selected to replace him, and accordingly, having received notice to that effect, immediate preparations were made for departure. Packing up a few articles of clothing and some necessary books in a traveling trunk, I resolved on sending for what remained, and to be conveyed by one of the ordinary market-wagons, when I arrived at my new destination. On the evening of September 29% I left St. Louis by the stage coach running to Jefferson City, and I traveled over a rough unmacadamised road all night. It was bitterly cold. I had an uncomfortable rheumatic sensation towards morning, when I arrived at the stage-hostelry of Mr. Peregrine Tippet, an American Catholic, and one of my new flock. That same evening, I left his place and I slept at Downpatrick Settlement. Next day, I crossed over the clear waters of the Merrimac on horseback, and at the usual ford for the Armagh Settlement.

Today (2004) that day and a half journey can be completed in less than 1 hour.

In Mr. McNamee’s book he tells the story of the priest who was thrown by his horse while crossing the river at “the Withington Ford”. I have frequently heard it called “the Priest’s Ford”. It crossed the Meramec just west, or upstream, of Winch Creek.

The Bishop’s House

Long John McNamee, my great, great, great grandfather, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland in 1811. In 1838 he married in Baltimore, MD and in 1840 his first son, Michael, was born in Baltimore. In 1842 Long John’s second child, his daughter Catherine, was born in Missouri. When Catherine died in 1928 a published obituary said that she was born at the Bishop’s house. “The family resided for a short time in the Bishop’s house, which stood near the banks of the Meramec River”. In 1845 Long John purchased 40 acres of land within the parish.

I believe that Long John and his wife and son lived in Father Donnelly’s log cabin on the land owned by Bishop Kenrick adjacent to the church and the cemetery where Long John was subsequently buried. I think the young couple functioned as housekeeper and groundskeeper for Father Donnelly and when they left for their own land in 1845 the priest was unable to maintain his home and the constant traveling required to fulfill his mission. That’s why, even though there was a log home there, successor pastors of this flock did not use the building.

Back to the Rev. Canon O’Hanlon:

There for the remainder of my stay, I lodged with an Irish family, named Lynch. These people lived about one mile distant from the Church of St. Patrick, which I visited that day, the l~’ of October. Beside it, the deserted log-house of Father Donnelly stood, and it then remained untenanted.

I have read that Matthew Lynch’s log cabin is preserved as a historical site in Franklin County, Mo.. though I do not know exactly where it is located.

In “Pioneer Priests” Joseph F. McNamee quotes Father O’Hanlon: “Canon O’Hanlan of Sandymount, Dublin, recounts his experience while attending the mission on the banks of the Meramec River, in Franklin County, Missouri, in his book entitled “Memoirs of the Early Missions.” In this connection he says:

In those early days there was no parochial residence. The priest, while attending the mission, was lodged in the home of one of the Catholic parishioners.