Monroe County, OH, Catholic Churches

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Vol. XIV, No. .6 - June. 29: Sts. Peter and Paul June, 1989

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STS. PETER AND PAUL MISSION

DOUGHERTY'S SETTLEMENT or CRANE'S NEST,

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY, ca 1841-ca 1869

Among the rough, wooded hills of Washington and Wayne townships in Monroe County, Ohio the only good highways in the first half of the nineteenth century were the water courses. It was the creeks and small rivers which the settlers followed into the country from the Ohio and it was along the bottom lands that they settled. Along Crane's Nest Creek (the lower part now called the Little Muskingum) their houses, stores, and mills were built. About the year 1841 the log church of Saints Peter and Paul was built by a few Catholic families in an area on the creek known as Dougherty's Settlement.

The exact location of the church is still pointed out as "Chapel Bottom," the bottom land on the east side of the Little Muskingum River, across the road and south from the Cox residence at 39887 Stonehouse Road (County Road42). It is directly across the river from the Dougherty Cemetery. (1) The date of construction of the church is less certain. The parish history of Woodsfield St. Sylvester states that Sts. Peter and Paul was built in 1839 (2) but this date seems a little early. Sketches of three of the founding families were published in the 1882 history of Monroe County. (3) Each of these mentions the church, but they do not provide enough information to place its date beyond doubt.

Edward Dougherty was a son of David and Sarah (Maloy) Dougherty, born in Co. Donegal, Ireland in 1809. The parents came to Monroe County in 1817 and Edward settled in Washington Township in 1833. "He came here when there were but few settlers, mostly hunters. He helped build the first school-house, on the Gray farm; also the first church, of logs, on the creek, named St. Paul and St. Peter." This simply dates the church to 1833 or later.

William Dougherty was born in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland in 1816, a son of Patrick and Rose (McTeague) Dougherty. "His father settled in Wayne Township, August 9, 1820, one of the early settlers in the unbroken forest, and helped to clear the country and organize schools.... Their first church, and the present one, the church of St. Paul and St. Peter, is located in Washington township, and was built in 1847." This date is of no value, for the church is known to have been older; Sts. Peter and Paul is first listed in the annual Catholic Directory of 1843, a mission of Beaver St. Dominic.

The sketch of John W. Poulton states that his father, John Poulton, "settled near Antioch, Perry township, in 1841, and cleared his first farm

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near that place. He went into the wild woods and helped to build the first Catholic church in Washington township, Monroe county." This would place the construction of the church no earlier than 1841. John Poulton was married in Belmont County in 1834 and was living near the present Temperanceville when the 1840 census was taken. (4) If he indeed helped with the construction of the church, then it could have been built no earlier than 1841. It may have been built that very year, if the date of 1847 mentioned in the William Dougherty sketch (see above) was a misreading of a hand-written 1841. A stone preserved from the old Archer's Settlement church says that it was erected in 1841 "under direction of Rev. Peter Murphy." This was Rev. William Peter Murphy of Beaver. Sts. Peter and Paul Church was probably also erected under his direction and was named after his own patron.

Nothing is known of the mission for more than a decade after its founding. The annual directories list it as a mission of Rev. Charles McCallion of Beaver in the years 1843 through 1846 and of Rev. John C. Kroemer of Miltonsburg, 1848 through 1854.

In November of 1852 the remarkable Rev. J. W. Brummer was sent to Beaver as pastor, relieving Father Kroemer of some of his duties in the wide mission area. Father Brummer wrote many long letters to Archbishop Purcell and these provide astounding glimpses of the difficult condition of the Church in Monroe County, including Crane's Nest. (5) Father Brummer had been stationed at Dayton but had gotten into a quarrel there and as a result had been transferred. He viewed the assignment to Beaver as a punishment and this colored his early view of the missions and their people. In January of 1853 he wrote, "you gave me penance here enough for it on corn bread & creeks, rain & cold & the most ignorant people that want to be instructed & so disordered that every one ought to have a priest for himself continually yet I am alone run[n]ing or rather tumbling about on horseback from one place to another[.] wanting to do good to all I can do no good to any & whatever might be done or learned is long undone & forgotten before the time I come round again. "When he came to Crane's Nest, the people were just pulling one of the men drunk and half dead out of the creek, "who not three weeks ago had heard you & Father Hengehold instruct them & giving them the Pledge." Others "would not come to church the way of a c[o]ouple hundred rods distance after I coming 24 miles through heavy rain to give them Mass."

Soon enough, however, his attitude changed toward these "poor but very generous people," and even in later years after he had been assigned elsewhere he continued to solicit the Archbishop for their spiritual care. In 1853 he reported that the people at Crane's Nest wished to have a church in a better location; they would use the old one as a school house and "give a small place around it for play ground with a good deed for the same for I understand there is no deed made of any account of the old church & lot." William Dougherty jr., Edward Dougherty, and another had offered three different pieces of land for the new church. One site was "opposite the old one across the creek where the graveyard is." Father Brummer seems not to have encouraged them, for he wrote, "These are the speculations of these wild regions[;] what is feasable of all this & what will be done the future must teach & you must determine. For my part I feel I am not made for these things & I would much rather work at getting up living temples of the Holy G[h]ost in as far as my little capacity with God's assistence goes"... (6)

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In January of 1854 Father Brummer wrote an eight-page letter to the Archbishop which, simply stated, was a plea for a third priest for the area. He was still stationed at Beaver and Father Kroemer was living at Miltonsburg. He noted that the new annual directory listed Father Kroemer as attending Crane's Nest, Wills Creek, Archer's Settlement, and Immaculate Conception (Enoch or Fulda), but that Father Kroemer, "weak and infirm", could not possibly attend to them all. In his opinion "the Congregations of St. Peter & Paul Cranes Nest & St. Michaels Duck Creek [Archer's] are inevitably lost to the Church & heaven & you may forthwith erase them from the map of your authority & jurisdiction if they do not get a good Pastor speedily." He menioned also the hundreds of Irish building the Marietta railroad, "poor good people", and scattered Catholics at Martinsville, Bridgeport, Bellaire, and "every place along the River down to Marietta." He thought a third priest could build a church at Bellaire or Bridgeport and Crane's Nest and attend the scattered Catholics along the Ohio River, though the assignment would be "anything but a comfortable & agreeable mission." Apparently based on some intention expressed previously by the Archbishop, Fr. Brummer had already announced to the people of Sts. Peter and Paul that they would have another priest and he had left with Mr. Poulton $30 in cash plus some pledges to give to the new priest. (7)

Archbishop Purcell responded by sending the third priest, Rev. S. Herzog. The outcome was reported in another letter from Father Brummer to the Archbishop, dated May 18, 1854:

I must announce to your Lordship the important event that the great champion you sent to these savage regions of Archers & Cranes Nest Revd. S. Herzog "venit - vidit - et - fugit" & is I hope now lodged in some part of good father Dieters hospitable Residence at Zanesville to recover from the fright & then reorganize & repair his scattered - Baggages for some other expedition. Deo Gratias! a Similibus libera nos Domine! Father Herzog may be very good in his place but to put him in these places is both killing him & these missions. I lost eight whole days of this precious paschal time & went to some expense & to great tr[o]uble to wait on him & bring him here & thus it ends now.

Fully a year later, the situation had not changed. The two priests still had seven missions (Beaver St. Dominic, Washington St. Patrick, Miltonsburg St. John the Baptist, Fulda Immaculate Conception, Crane's Nest Sts. Peter & Paul, Archer's Settlement St. Michael, and Wills Creek St. Joseph), besides calls from the railroad and Bellaire. Father Kroemer was completely broken down and could not answer even the most urgent calls. The danger to the priests was not only physical, as Father Brummer wrote:

...the priest always running about is always distracted becomes careless to his own prayers, meditation & even breviary (this I say of myself not of saintly Father Kroemer) & very seldom gets the chance to go to confession his mind is occupied with his worldly temperary material difficulties & trubles more & more he becomes a man of worldly mind & how can such a person bring & lead these poor & ----- people to become good catholics & save their souls. He actually does more harm than good & both pastor & people must go to distruction. It has been this wild, unsettled life of the priests

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that were sent here, successively, & nearly all ruined or at least made dissipated & distracted that has caused the ruin of most of these missions. Certainly the mismanagement & neglect of supplying pastors have done their share too. If things go on this way most of these missions will become what Archers is now, die away & if you sent a third priest he will not be able to get his support except by worldly ---- & management & incompatible with his state of a good priest. (8)

On August 1, 1855, Father Brummer wrote again to the Archbishop, in preparation for a visit he was to make that month. (He had learned of the date of the visit by reading the Telegraph!) The new St. Mary's Church, replacing Beaver St. Dominic, would be dedicated on August 15. In addition, the Archbishop would visit Washington, Wills Creek St. Joseph, and Crane's Nest. There would be over twenty to be confirmed at the latter. Father Brummer could not attend to instruct them himself, so he had appointed Mr. James Hilliard to do that. He added, "You need not think of coming here without helping Cranes Nest &c. with another priest that can attend them." This, however, the Archbishop could not or would not do.

In the autumn of 1855 several changes were made in the assignments of the clergy. Father Brummer was given a rest at St. Nicholas in Zanesville and Father John M. Jacquet was sent to replace him at St. Mary's. It would appear that the Archbishop had taken seriously the proposal which Fr. Brummer had made whereby a priest would be stationed on the River. In a letter dated January 8, 1856 Father Brummer remarked that "Revd. father Kennedy is gone to Belair to establish a congregation & church there & attend from there to Cranes nest. poor Cranes nest! I think it will be lost as Archers!" This experiment did not last and Crane's Nest came into the care of Father Jacquet at Batesville (Beaver).

In 1856 and 1857 we at last get a glimpse of the Crane's Nest congregation, for the names of those who made Easter Communions those years were recorded by Father Jacquet in the Marriage Register at St. Mary's. The thirty-four names for 1856 are:

Old Mr. Leek Mrs. Hillard John Paulton

Old Mrs. Leek Old Mrs. Wil. Daugherty Adrian Paulton

James Leek Mrs. Nathan Daugherty Mrs. Paulton

Anna Arnas (?) Barbary Daugherty William Paulton

Mr. McManimy Old Mrs. Sweeney Jacob Daugherty

Old Mrs. Haren Old Mrs. Sweeney her sister Frances Daugherty

Old Mr. Haren Stephen Daugherty Old Wilson

Mrs. Thomas Maier Mrs. Daugherty Edward Daugherty

William Shepherd Catherine Daugherty Mrs. Edward Daugherty

Mr. Shepherd Margaret Daugherty Mary Daugherty

Miss Shepherd Ellen Daugherty Margaret Daugherty

James W. Hillard

In 1857, only twenty-two names were recorded. (9)

About 1858 Father Brummer was sent as pastor to Miltonsburg, Fulda, and Wills Creek, with his residence to be at Fulda when he could make proper arrangements there. Father Jacquet was to keep the other missions, but he was

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expanding his work in Guernsey and Belmont counties and soon prevailed upon Father Brummer to attend Archer's and Crane's Nest. In April of 1859 the Archbishop wrote that he would soon ordain Rev. D. Klueber and would send him to care for Miltonsburg and Wills Creek that autumn. The ordination was delayed however, and the status remained the same. By the spring of 1860 Stephen Dougherty was troubling Father Brummer, "all the time with his complaints of not being better attended. 'How much they would do if they were well attended' & if I go there I hardly get enough to pay expenses. Faith, living Faith is what is wanting & then the pay will follow & for the right priest that would save these poor people." The priest was eventually provided, but not in any way proposed up until then.

The last years of Sts. Peter and Paul mission are almost as obscure as the first. The annual Catholic Directory for the years 1864 through 1879 lists "Dougherty Settlement" as a mission of Fulda. For the later years of this period, this listing is not supported by the only extant annual pastor's report. (10) Rev. D. J. Klueber of Fulda for the year 1868 reported only three missions: St. Michael's (Archer's), St. Henry's (Harrietsville), and St. Patrick's (Fox's Settlement in Washington County). This may be a spurious directory entry, at least in the later years, one which simply was not deleted when the situation changed.

In July of 1865 Rev. Nicholas Pilger was sent to Miltonsburg and relieved Father Klueber of the Monroe County missions. He began a mission at Woodsfield and by 1867 had a church under construction there. In his report to Bishop Rosecrans for 1868 he listed twenty-five souls at Sts. Peter and Paul, Crane's Nest, but one hundred at Woodsfield, where St. Sylvester's Church was nearing completion. The dedication of St Sylvester's on Sept. 12, 1869 by Bishop Rosecrans (at which 32 persons from Woodsfield and Crane's Nest were confirmed) is generally seen as the end of Sts. Peter and Paul mission. Crane's Nest continued to be listed in the annual directories as a mission of Miltonsburg (along with Woodsfield and Wills Creek) through the year 1876. This may be another carry-over, however, for the 1872 report by Father Fladung of Miltonsburg makes no mention of it. The log church must have been abandoned as a mission about 1869 or 1870 and thereafter the people travelled six miles to perform their religious duties in Woodsfield. They finally were sent a resident pastor in the early 1880s.

Adding to the confusion in the history of Sts. Peter and Paul mission is the evidence for two additional Catholic churches and one church property near Crane's Nest Creek. The two churches appear both on John B. Noll's 1869 map of Monroe County and in Caldwell's 1898 atlas. No other evidence of their existence has been found. One was located on the east side of Moose Ridge Road, near a school house in Section 2. This is just south of the old village of Edwina in Wayne Township. The other was located on the hill overlooking the west end of New Castle, now called Laing's, in Green Township. This was near the Crane's Nest Fork of the Little Muskingum.

The other property was on the west side of State Route 537 in Section 15 in Washington Township, southeast of Graysville, between the road and Clear Fork Creek. It was deeded to Bishop Rosecrans by B. F. Oblinger in 1875 "for the Catholics of Elm Cove." Bishop Watterson sold this property in 1882. (See Monroe Co. Deed Records 32/118 and 39/477.)

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NOTES

1. Pointed out by Mr. John Paulus of Francis Paulus Road, who was shown the site by his father and others.

2. See for example the sketch in the Steubenville Register, Nov. 2, 1984, supplement page 59.

3. Historical Hand Atlas ... containing-History of Northwestern Ohio ... and Monroe County...; Chicago & Toledo: H. H. Hardesty & Co., 1882; biographical section, pages 10, 14, and 22.

4. Belmont County Marriage Register 3, page 263; census of 1840, Belmont County, Somerset Township, page 22. An interesting note: on December 27, 1841 John Poulton purchased from Edward Dougherty and wife Sarah 39 acres 1/4 mile south of the Dougherty Cemetery (Monroe Co. Deed Record 2/420).

5. The letters were copied by the late Rev. Herman Mattingly at the University of Notre Dame Archives and the copies were placed in the Archives of the Diocese of Columbus.

6. Brummer to Purcell, Jan. 7, 1853.

7. Same to same, Jan. 21, 1854.

8. Same to same, May 24, 1855.

9. Courtesy of Rev. Charles Mascolino, pastor of Barnesville Church of the Assumption and Temperanceville St. Mary.

10. The 1868 and 1872 reports are preserved in the Archives of the Diocese of Columbus.

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DOUGHERTY CEMETERY, CRANES NEST CREEK

Section 6, Washington Township, Monroe County, Ohio

These stones were read on April 20, 1989, with the assistance of Mr. John Paulus and Rev. George J. Schlegel. Every legible stone is included.

Ernest S., died [center broken out] ...1883, aged 1Mo...

John N. Cline, Feb. 27, 1831; Oct. 30, 1907 )

Margaret Cline, June 10, 1834, Apr. 6, 1903 )

Elmer, son of J. & S.E. Cox, Nov. 1, 1877-Dec: 9, 1877. Of such is Thy

kingdom of heaven.

Catherine A. Dougherty-Cronin, Feb. 25, 1854, June 22, 1883

Peter, son of Wm. J. & S. Dougherty, died Dec. 28, 1851, aged 8M 8D.

William, son of Wm. J. & S. Dougherty, died Oct. 19, 1841, aged 3Y 10M & 27D. Emily, daughter of John & Mary Daugherty, died Apr. 23, 1865, aged 3M & 5D. ) Infant daughter of John & Mary Daugherty, died Mar. 13, 1870. )

Infant daughter of John & Mary Daugherty, died Dec. 13, 1870. )

Infant daughter of John & Mary Daugherty, died Dec. 24, 1870, aged 13 ds. )

John S., son of Wm & Sarah Dougherty jr., died November 8, 1861, aged 16

y’s, 11 mo's, & 29 d's.

Sarah, wife of Wm. Dougherty jr., Died Jun 11, 1855, Aged 36Y 1M & 26D.

David Dougherty, born May 28, 1829, died Jan. 26, 1894

Margaret, wife of David Dougherty, died May 28, 1889, aged 56 Y 3M 18 D.

Jeremiah Daugherty, born July 21, 1833, died Nov. 22, 1885 )

Sarah Daugherty, born Sept. 1, 1834, died Aug. 5, 1895 )

Cynthia A., daughter of D. & M. Daugherty, died Feb. 11, 1879, aged 19 Ys 1 Mo

Infant son of D. & M. Daugherty, died Mar. 11, 1869.

Infant son of D. & M. Daugherty, died Feb. 27, 1871.

+ In memory of Philip, son of Daniel & Mary Daugherty, departed this life Feb. 3d 1841 aged - years & 6 mos.

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Edward Daugherty, Aug. 29, 1809, Dec. 6, 1888 (verse)

Sarah, wife of E. Daugherty, Jan. 9, 1815, Aug. 9, 1885

Mary E., wife of Simon Dougherty, died Oct. 10, 1873, Aged 38 Ys 9 Ms 5 Ds.

Simon Dougherty, died Apr. 14, 1889, aged 55Y. 1M. 8D.

James Daugherty, born May 24, 1806, died July 12, 1890. At rest.

Hettie E., wife of Edward Dougherty, born Feb. 5, 1864, died Nov. 20, 1905.

Sgt David Daugherty, Co. K, 62nd Ohio Inf.

Alelia, wife of David G. Dougherty, daughter of Henry and Ann E. Okey, died Aug. 20, 1886, aged 36Y ,,.9,M 28D.

David A., son of I.N. and M F. Daugherty, died July 26, 1866, aged 2Ys 1Mo.

Edward Daugherty, 1841 - 1912. )

Helen M., wife of Edward Daugherty, 1851 - 1894. )

Daniel Daugherty, died April 27, 1857, in his 49 year.

William Daugherty, died Dec. 17, 1851, aged 14 y's, 6 mo's, 7 d's.

Mary E., daughter of Wm. & Margaret Dougherty, died Nov. 3d, 1861 aged 2y's 5m's & 21 d's

+ Cornelius, son of E. & S. Dougherty, May 18, 1851 - Nov. 26, 1876. (verse)

Emily E., daughter of E. & S. Dougherty, Feb. 14, 1857 - Feb. 28, 1888.

In My Father's house are many mansions. Margaret, wife of J. Dougherty, born Mar. 29, 1839, died Oct. 29, 1904.

Dora E. Dougherty, 1882 - 1883.

E. Everitt Dougherty, 1873 - 1894.

Brooklyn H. Dougherty, born Dec. 24, 1902, died Sept. 15, 1904.

Wm. H. Dougherty, Co. K [military marker, remainder buried]

Louisa, daughter of H. & E.A.B. Daugherty, died Jan. 1, 1867, aged 4Ds.

Infant ______of J.W. & M.A. Daugherty, died May 26, 1865, aged 3 days.

William Daugherty, died Jan. 26, 1879 (?), aged 67Y 8M 1D

James Dougherty, born March 22, 1833, died March 4, 1896, 62nd Reg OVI

John Harran, died Dec. 6, 1858 in his 84 year.

Rebecca, wife of John Harran, died Sep. 15, 1863 in her 71 year.

William, son of T. and C. Harn, died March 20, 1855, aged 2 yrs & 18 ds.

Martin, son of T. & C. Harn, died June 17, 1856, aged 10 mos, 21 ds.

Amanda J., daughter of S. & M. Hill, died Jan. 5, 1865, aged 4M 15D.

Robert E., son of S. & M. Hill, died Feb. 23, 1872, aged 9Mos 8Ds.

Margaret, wife of Simeon Hill, born Aug. 12, 1840, died March 10, 1874.

Willie, son of Simeon Hill, born March 12, 1866, died Nov. 26, 1874.

Mollie L., daughter of Simeon Hill, born Feb. 3d, 1873, died Oct 2d, 1875.

Mary E., daughter of J. & N. Lowe, Died Jan. 20, 1857 Aged 3 Mo's & 14 d's.

+ IHS Hugh McMeniama, departed this life Mar. 29, 1853(?), aged 45 years.

+ IHS In memory of Susannah McMeniama, wife of Hugh McMeniama, who departed this life the 11 day of Sept, 1846, in the 31st year of her age. Also Hugh McMeniama, infant son of the above, aged 4 mos & 4 ds.

Denis McMeniama, died April 3, 1859, aged 21 ys, 10 ms, and 29 ds.

Louisa, daughter of J. & R.J. Stafford, died Feb. 20, 1877, aged 17Y 2M 1D.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Copyright 1989, Catholic Record Society - Diocese of Columbus 197 E. Gay Street Columbus, Ohio 43215 Donald M. Schlegel, editor - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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Provided by Charles Burkhart