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CHAPTER I.
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RANDOM VISITS OF MISSIONARY PRIESTS
The first house, within the limits of the present city of Norwalk, was built by Platt Benedict in 1817. It was a log structure of diminutive size, and of rude workmanship. Soon after its completion it was burned to the ground by the Indians. It was, however, rebuilt the same year, and once more marked the beginning of our city. In May, 1818, when Norwalk was one year old, it was made the county seat of Huron County. The trend of immigration to this beautiful spot was so rapid that in 1819, when the first census was taken, there were 109 souls. There were some “Irish laborers” and “French huntsmen” among the number, and, although their religion is not mentioned, it may be reasonably supposed that a portion of them were Catholics. There was, at this time, no church of any kind in Norwalk. The first church was built by the Methodists in 1820. The Episcopalians organized one year later.
The first Catholic, who settled in Norwalk, was John P. McArdle, who came here with his family in 1826, from Wellsburg, Va. He bought a piece of land situated between Main and Seminary streets, and directly east of Wooster Street. He put up a frame dwelling on the corner of East Main and Wooster streets, where now stands the residence of Mrs. Anna E. Strong, opposite the new St. Paul’s Catholic
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Church. At the corner of Wooster and Seminary streets Mr. McArdle built another house, in which he placed a printing press, which he had brought with him, and in partnership with Geo. T. Buckingham, who resided where St. Paul’s Church now stands, edited the Norwalk Reporter, which made its appearance in 1827, and was the first newspaper printed in Norwalk. The Norwalk Reporter was short lived, and after the lapse of some years was merged into the Reflector. After the suspension of his paper Mr. McArdle devoted his time to book-binding, at which he labored a number of years, and then removed to Fremont where he engaged in the lumber business. In 1864, at the age of 80 years, he retired, and in 1874 he died at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. W.L. Hamilton, in Republic, Ohio, being then nearly 90 years old.
During the year 1828 Rev. Stephen Theodore Badin passed through Norwalk, and, stopping at the house of Mr. McArdle, baptized two children for him, and also imparted instruction to his wife, who was not yet Catholic, but became one later on. In company with Mr. McArdle Father Badin visited some other Catholic families, who are said to have resided in this vicinity, but whose names can not now be ascertained. This was the first pastoral visitation to Norwalk since the advent of the white man.
This information was obtained from Mrs. McArdle herself. She was well known to the writer of this Outline History, as he met her frequently, and administered the sacraments to her during the years 1881 and 1882, at Republic, O., where she died in 1884, at a very advanced age. Father Badin had given her a book entitled Catholic Tenets Explained, which she valued very highly and which she presented to the present writer, in whose possession it has ever since remained.
One September evening in 1828, just as the sun was setting, there came into Norwalk, along the East Main street road, two queer looking wagons, each drawn by a yoke of oxen. They drove into a livery barn and put up their cattle for the night directly opposite the presents Williams mansion. Mr. Theodore Williams, then a lad of eight years, saw them and imparted this information. Each wagon contained two families. Peter Bauer and Anton Phillips, with their families, occupied one wagon; the other belonged to Joseph Carabin and Clem. Baumgartner. Peter Bauer had six children, Joseph Carabin eight, Clem. Baumgartner none, and Anton Philipps [sic] two. Early on the following morning the party left Norwalk and proceeded in the direction toward Cincinnati, where they expected to meet friends. All went well as far as Vredenbourgh, such was then the name of Peru. At this place the Carabin wagon broke down beyond the hope of repair. It was impossible for the
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Carabin party to proceed farther, and after some deliberation, they concluded that they had gone far enough, and began looking around for a homestead. The Bauer party - among whom was Sister Francisca, who had been exiled by the French government, and who was an aunt of Mr. Bauer, not wishing to leave the friends, with whom they had come from Europe, alone in the woods, determined to remain with them and to make the best of it. Land was then worth $5 per acre in that vicinity. They took up the sites upon which they lived long and expired in peace. They were all from Lorraine, and were, of course, all Catholics. They wrote to their friends at home and soon attracted others to their neighborhood. Jacob Shoenacker, and his brother Matthias, the Hoeffel, Gilzheimer, Keller and Grimmer families arrived during the summer of 1829. Protasius Behrmann, with two grown sons and a daughter, and Blasius Schnurr arrived in November, 1829, and a little later the same year came the Wagner family. John Humbel and Blasius Brock came in the autumn of 1829, and located nearer to the town of Norwalk than did the others. Anton Burger came in November, 1831, and Jacob Greenfelder in the spring of 1832.
In the autumn of 1829 Bishop Fenwick, of Cincinnati, passed through Norwalk, riding on a little dark-gray French pony. He was on his way from Fremont to Vredenbourgh. After taking refreshment and much needed rest at the house of Mr. McArdle, he continued his journey to Mr. Joseph Carabin, Mr. McArdle, accompanying him thither on foot, in order to point out the way. The Bishop remained over night, and called on the other Catholic families in that neighborhood. This was the first Episcopal visitation at Norwalk.
Bishop Fenwick was attracted to the house of Mr. Carabin by reason of a letter, sent him some time before, and stating that one of Carabin’s sons, who ad been preparing for priesthood in Lorraine, France, had, with his parents, come to America, and desired to enter the ministry, here. The Bishop was anxious to procure him for mission work in his vast diocese, especially so, because by association with the Indians on the journey and frontier, the young Carabin had acquired a good knowledge of the Indian language. The Bishop examined him, was delighted with his proficiency, with his earnest and manly appearance, took him along to Cincinnati, and in 1831 ordained him Priest. Father Carabin was sent to Detroit, from whence as a base he labored among the Indians, who were scattered through Michigan and Wisconsin, with great success till November, 1846, when he was taken sick and had to desist from his work. In December of that year he returned from his arduous post to the home of his parents in Peru, in order to recover from the effects of malaria fever, to which he had fallen a victim in the
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marshy region of the Great Northwest. On year lter, namely, December, 1847, he was received into the Diocese of Cleveland by Bishop Rappe. Being still an invalid he was stationed at Peru, where he remained till September, 1850. He died in Cleveland August 1st, 1873.
During the summer of 1830 Bishop Fenwick visited Peru a second time. He celebrated mass at the house of Jos. Carabin. The house was a long hut, one story high and comprised three apartments. The Bishop heard confessions, and gave Holy Communion. Six children, who had been prepared by Sister Francisca, received their first Holy Communion, and were after mass confirmed. The Rt. Rev. Bishop exhorted them to remain firm in their faith, and to exert themselves to the task of building a church, promising that he would instruct his priests, laboring in Northern Ohio, to attend them at regular intervals.
In May, 1830, Father John Martin Henni,- afterwards Archbishop of Milwaukee,- came from Canton, Ohio, on a pastoral tour to Norwalk and vicinity. His first call was on Mr. McArdle, who informed him where the Catholics resided, and went along to show him the way. He baptized three children for Mrs. Eliza M. Cleary on the Monroeville road. Thence he proceeded to Peru, celebrated mass in the house of Mr. Bauer, heard confessions, preached to the people and instructed the children. Father Henni visited Catholics of Norwalk and Peru five times in 1830, 1831 and 1832, prior to the arrival of the Redemptionist Father, F.X. Haetscher.
During the month of October, 1831, Bishop Fenwick, on his detour from Detroit, Michigan, to Canton, O., called for the last time at the house of Mr. McArdle, whence he proceeded to Peru, visited Joseph Carabin, and rested for the night at the house of Peter Bauer. The following morning he celebrated mass and preached a sermon in which he expressed delight that the Catholics in this wild country remained so fervently attached to their faith, predicted great things for them in the near future, and praised the zeal they manifested in their efforts to erect a church. He promised he would return and bless their church as soon as he would hear of its completion. But alas! eleven months later he fell victim to the cholera scourge. He died at Wooster, O., September 26th, 1832.
In accordance with Bishop Fenwick’s wishes those sturdy pioneer Catholics labored with determination to erect a beautiful house of worship. Two acres of land were donated for church and school purposes by Mr. Taylor, who was not a Catholic, and who in this act of generosity deserves to be gratefully remembered. A frame structure 32x40
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feet in dimensions was begun in the autumn of 1830, and by the following spring, though not finished, was far enough advanced to be used for divine services. It stood about 60 feet back, or west, of the Norwalk road, and 20 feet from the south line, on a slight elevation; the altar was at the end towards the road. It had four windows on each side, and a high double door at the west end. At the end towards the road the roof sloped up from three sides, and on the summit was a wooden cross. At the west end a small, square belfry was erected and into this a moderate sized bell, the gift of Father Henni, was placed. When, four years later, the church was enlarged, the belfry was remodeled and removed to the west end of the addition, and there remained till the church was pulled down. Two bells were in 1838 placed into it.
Almost all the work was done by the farmers free of charge. Mr. August Sattig and his son Martin, who had come to Norwalk in the fall of 1831, assisted very materially in drawing logs and lumber. The only outlay was for sawing the logs into boards, for nails, hinges, window sash and glass, amounting in all to about $100. The church was weather-boarded horizontally with rough boards on the outside and was never painted. The interior was lined with rough boards on the outsides and ceiling. The ceiling was flat, and was about sixteen feet from the floor. When finished the church looked imposing for those days. The first altar was likewise of rough boards, and looked very much like a long, high table placed against the wall. The first pews were made of round logs, hewn flat on the upper surface; holes were bored into the lower surface, and wooden pins were driven into them for feet to elevate them sufficiently from the floor. For seven years these pews rendered service. Father Post, in his report in 1838, refers to them in these words: “In the Church rough logs of wood took the place of pews.” There was no kneeling benches, - the floor supplying their deficiency - and for several years there was no communion railing.
A mistake, which appears in some histories regarding this church, ought to be corrected. It is usually assumed that the first church was of logs, and that the addition annexed in 1836-7 was frame. Just the contrary was true. The original building was frame, and the later enlargement was of hewn logs. This was proven to the writer by three eyewitnesses; one was Mary Carabin, nee Hettel, who recently died at Monroeville, O., and who was 12 years of age when the addition was built; the other is Peter Hohler, who came to Peru in October, 1834, at the age of 17, who attended mass for nearly two years in the first church, and who, when 19 years of age helped to build the log addition. Mr. Hohler is still living, and resides on his farm about one mile south
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from where the old church stood. Both of these witnesses were very emphatic in their statement, and were prepared to swear to the truth of what they said. But the most important testimony concerning those pioneer days was obtained from Mr. Martin Sattig, who was 20 years of age when the first part of that church was built, and who hauled lumber for both the first and second parts. The largest portion of the logs in the enlargement came from the land of August Sattig, the father of Martin. Mr. Martin Sattig, who is still enjoying good health, and who resides only a few squares from St. Paul’s church, remembers all the Priests of Peru from Father Haetcher’s time on till the present day.
During the summer of 1831-1832, although the church was not finished, but only enclosed, mass was celebrated therein as often as a Priest chanced to come into this section of the country. Father Henni, of Canton, Ohio, is said to have the honor of offering the Sacred Victim of Atonement for the first time within these hallowed walls. Rarely indeed did these pioneers experience the happiness of assisting mass on Sundays, because the neighboring priests has their own flock to attend to that day. They considered themselves highly honored if they could the solace of religion on some week day. On any day of the week, if a priest, either by chance or by previous appointment, came into this vicinity, a few young men would start out afoot in different directions to notify the Catholics, who resided within favorable access. One evening was sufficient to spread the news within a radius of seven or eight miles, and no matter what work they had on hand it was instantly postponed, and preparation made to get to church as early as possible.
On Sundays they used to assemble in the church at an appointed hour, recite the rosary, chant German and Latin hymns; occasionally some one of the laity would read the gospel of the day, say the litany of Loretto, or some other prayers. Sister Francisca would teach the children Catechism, after which all again dispersed to their respective homes.
In 1831 and 1832 a number of Catholic families settled in Norwalk and Milan. Among them were August Sattig, Matthias Koelble, Michael Brady, Patrick Cook, John Cook, Nicholas Burger, and the Bradly family. There were others who arrived about this time, but their names are forgotten. All these had to assist in divine services in Peru, as Vredenbourgh was afterwards called, and formed one parish with the Catholics at that place. During the same period, that is 1832, Peru also received quite an accretion by the arrival of Anton
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Bauer, Henry Ehrmann, Peter Schlosser, and the Hammersmith family who came here from Detroit, Michigan.
Jacob Schreiner and John Smith, with his family, came to Peru during the summer of 1833. Anton Schaeffer, who was never married, Peter Schaeffer with his wife and three children, John Hettel with wife and two children, and Joseph Adam Hettel with wife and four children came in the spring of 1833.
Rev. F. X. Haetscher, of the Redeemer Order, came to Peru about the end of July 1832, but did not remain longer than two or three months, when he departed for Detroit. At the request of Father Haetscher, a rude log house was begun on an elevated location some distance from the church and on the opposite end of the wagon road. This house was intended to serve as a pastoral residence, but proved so inadequate that it was abandoned in 1834.
Rev. Frederick Rese, who on October 6th, 1833, was consecrated first Bishop of Detroit, visited Peru five or six times during the years 1831, 1832, and 1833. He lives in the recollection of the old people as a man of diminutive stature, with an abnormally large head. His sermons were powerful and made a deep impression; so much so that old people of this day, who were scarcely more than “tiny tots,” claim yet to remember them, and in proof of their assertion relate some of his anecdotes and illustrations. Father Henni, of Canton, O., came here in the spring of 1833 and remained long enough to enable all, who so desired, to make their Easter duty. It is supposed that he remained about a week. He was here again in January or February, 1834.
Late in the summer of 1833 Rev. F.X. Tschehens, of the Order of the Holy Redeemer, arrived in Peru, and remained for several weeks. He reported that there were 100 Catholic families, who attended divine services in Peru. Though he did not remain permanently, he took great interest in the spiritual welfare of these, almost forlorn, Catholics, and gave them such good encouragement of soon receiving a regular pastor, that later in the year work was begun toward the erection of a suitable pastoral residence. Mr. Martin Sattig assisted in hewing logs for this building. The material used in this building was about all furnished gratis by the farmers, among whom Mr. August Sattig deserves honorable mention. While this house was in course of construction the visiting clergymen boarded with some family, mostly at Mr. Peter Bauer’s.
The year 1834 brought another quota of Catholics from the old country. To Norwalk, came Joseph Eker, A. Birkmeyer,
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Joseph Christoph, Michael Downey, the Hughs, Carroll and Garry families. To Peru came Anton Haemann, John Kohler, Matthias Zimmer, Jacob Haas, George Freimuth, Henry Setzler, George Schwan, Carmillus Eidel, and John Chrisostomus Hohler, who arrived in December, 1834, and whose son Peter, then 17 years old, has already been mentioned. This son is still living and to him the writer is indebted for much valuable information.
Three miles north of Peru, and about the same distance west of Norwalk, there was in those days an immense forest of white oak and hickory wood. Vast herds of wild swine used to feed and fatten here every autumn. To secure their winter’s pork the early settlers needed only to take their guns, go to this place and shoot as many swine as they could carry off. From this circumstance the place received the sobriquet “Sau-wald,” which it retains to this day. This fertile region and beautiful timberland soon attracted the attention of new-comers, and in 1834 there were domiciled in this locality Frank Jos. Hermann, Jacob Hoeffel, Christian Dufner, Conrad Simon, and the Meyer and Scheldt families, who all obtained a large tract of valuable land for a mere pittance. The families mentioned thus far were all Catholics and attended divine services at Peru, and formed an amazing increase for the new parish.