FIRST SETTLERS -
GLENCOE
Although Our Lady of
Perpetual Help Parish was not officially incorporated as such until
December 9, 1890, the congregation traces its origins back to 1854 when
Mass was celebrated intermittently in homes of early settlers in Buffalo
County southwest of the present city of Arcadia, Wisconsin. The
Cornelius and John Gleason homes in Glencoe Township were used for this
purpose, as was the Henry Doelle home in the Town of Cross. A
pioneer priest, Father Joerger, residing in Fountain City, occasionally
forded the Trempealeau River to administer to the wants of the early
settlers. Missionary priests from La Crosse and Prairie du Chien
made trips here several times a year, and in 1857, Father Henry Tappert
from La Crosse organized the Congregation of St. Joseph at Glencoe.
THE FIRST LOG CHURCH
A small log church was built
on a ten acre tract of land donated by John Gleason for that
purpose. By 1867 this structure and location were considered
inadequate, and one year later a larger church was built three miles
northwest on a tract of land donated by George Bichsel. Early
records indicate that five parishioners were buried at the original site
and later reburied in what is presently St. Joseph Cemetery. The
original ten acres were sold by St. Joseph Cemetery Association in 1975.
PIONEERS IN MYERS
VALLEY
Four years after the first
settlers arrived in the Glencoe area, other Catholic settlers had
purchased land from the government in an area southeast of the present
City of Arcadia. In 1858, Nic and Casper Maiers and Carl Zeller
arrived by oxen from Roxberry, Wisconsin. Within the next year Peter
Meyers, Leo Remlinger, John Bill and Mike Rohn cam from the State of New
York. These settlers were part of the so-called "Bishop
Settlement." They attended Mass at the first log church at
Glencoe. However, since there was no bridge across the Trempealeau
River, and since it was difficult, at time impossible to cross the water,
and since the small church at Glencoe was already becoming too small to
accommodate all the Catholics in the area, the settlers east of the river
petitioned Bishop Henni of Milwaukee for permission to organize a
congregation in Meyers Valley.
A church building was an
unknown for these people, so, for a number of years Mass was offered in
homes. Early records indicate that, "Nic Maiers, of sturdy
Teutonic blood, gladly offered his homestead in this locality."
His home was used for this purpose from 1864 until 1867. This house
is still standing as a landmark in Meyers Valley. It was
subsequently owned by Ed Haines and Florian Haines, and is presently
occupied by the Charles Buettner family.
In the year 1867 new churches
were built both at Glencoe and Meyers Valley. St. Joseph church
Glencoe was built on the front area of what is presently St. Joseph
cemetery. St. Peter and Paul church, Myers Valley was constructed on
the far eastern section of what is now the old section of Calvary
cemetery.
St. Joseph church was
dedicated in 1868 by Father L. Spitzenberger who attended it from Fountain
City. In 1875 a parish house was built and the first resident priest
was Father A. Wendl who was pastor for one year. For the next
seventeen years the following pastors served the congregation:
Fathers Pius Schmidt, Joseph Bauer, N. Flammang, W. Hackner, Bernard
Klein, W. Weckes and H. J. Untraut.
The new church in Meyers
Valley, also built in 1867 was done so under the direction of Father
Florentine Zadzioski, pastor at Sacred Heart, Pine Creek. It was
built from lumber hauled from Merrillan, Wisconsin, the timber cut from
the neighboring forests and sized by hand. The names of Peter,
Nicholas and Casper Meyer, Frank Zeller and Jerome O'Brien stand out in
that undertaking. It was served by Father Lay from Waumandee,
Fathers Pius Schmidt, N. Flammang and J. Bauer from Glencoe and Father W.
Hackner from Fountain City.
THE MOVE TO ARCADIA
In the meantime, the village
of Arcadia had sprung up and developed into the business center of
Trempealeau County. Catholics of the village objected to walking to
Myers Valley to church, and also the small church was no longer large
enough to accommodate the congregation. But the farmers held
tenaciously to the idea that ever second farm should have a church at its
door, and a stubborn contest, threatening to disrupt the little flock,
ensued. Eventually, the village convinced the farmers that they
could come to Arcadia as easily to church as to do their trading.
So the first church was built
in Arcadia on the present site of Our Lady's convent at the cost of
$6,000. The first services were held on January 1, 1885 by Father
Bernard Klein who continued to live at Glencoe. On June 9, 1888,
Father H. J. Untraut, who has assumed the pastorate of both places for
three years previous, realizing that the future of the church would be in
Arcadia, moved from Glencoe to the village. From that time until its
closing in 1947, Glencoe was to be the mission of Arcadia. The
Glencoe church of St. Joseph was dismantled in 1949. Many events
happened during and after the closing of Glencoe: parish picnics,
the transfer of the bell to the church in Arcadia, and when the mission
was closed, the Glencoe contingent occupied one section of Our Lady's
church as a group.
OFFICIAL PARISH
INCORPORATION
On July 31, 1898, the
congregation in Arcadia was incorporated with John T. Haines and Nicholas
Myers as the first trustees. An old document, signed by the
Secretary of the State of Wisconsin and dated December 8, 1890, indicates
that the parish title was changed from Ss. Peter and Paul to Our Lady of
Perpetual Help. One of the reasons for the change was that Father
Untraut had procured from Rome a fine copy of the miraculous picture of
Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The picture was later to be enshrined in
the new church built in 1903. Because of its symbolic and artistic
qualities it is still highly treasured.
FIRST PAROCHIAL
SCHOOL
There is evidence that a
parochial school of sorts was established at St. Joseph church in the
1880's. The pastor and a lay teacher were probably the first
catechists and it is known that a number of the students boarded on the
parish premises. However, accurate records indicate that on December
3, 1889, Father Untraut opened the first parochial school in
Arcadia. A residence in the area of the parish property was used for
this purpose. The school was staffed by two School Sisters of Notre
Dame from Milwaukee and had an enrollment of 58 students. Father
Untraut was succeeded by Father A. Birsner in 1894. He remained
pastor until 1896. During his pastorate a new schoolhouse was built
at a cost of $2,500. He resigned due to ill health and in 1896 was
succeeded by Father John B. Hauck.
THE FATHERS HAUCK
The coming of Father John
Hauck marks the beginning of a new and important parish achievement.
Even in the early nineties it began to be realized that the parish would
outgrow the dimensions of the church building. The motion for a new
church prevailed by an overwhelming majority. The building business
was postponed, however, because of the ill health of Father Hauck.
But the year 1901 was spent in making building preparations. On
March 10, 1902 the contract was awarded for the present church, and on May
3, 1903 the church was dedicated by the bishop of La Crosse.
"THE GREATEST
GALA DAY" IN ARCADIA
The following colorful
account appeared in the Arcadia News-Leader following the dedication of
the church: "Although the first services were held on Christmas
at midnight, 1902, the year 1903 brought in its train a succession of
events and solemn festivities in the grand new Our Lady of Perpetual Help
church. On February 4, a new bell was blessed by Very Reverend A.
Kremer, Vicar General of the Diocese of La Crosse. The ceremony took
place at 7:30 p.m. Father Joseph Hauck, brother of the pastor
preached a most eloquent English sermon. The Vicar General spoke
both in German and in English. After the sermon of dedication,
contributions were taken up, each donor striking the newly blessed bell
with a wooden hammer.
"The grandest gala day
Arcadia has ever witnessed was assuredly May 3, 1903, the day on which the
dedication of the new church took place. Excursion trains brought
visitors from Winona, Dodge, Independence and all the villages on the
line, while the neighboring parishes and the country people came in
vehicles where roads were well nigh impassible. On the day before
rain fell in torrents from 4:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
Not-withstanding this, St. Joseph Society and the Bon Ton Orchestra met
the Most Reverend Bishop at the depot and escorted His Grace to the church
amid the joyous pealing of the bells.
"The Sisters had
understood that the church was to be entirely bare at the dedication and
had made no arrangements for decoration it. When the bishop came he
said that it could be ornamented with all the splendor that could be put
on. Fortunately, the ladies had palms for the tables which they
lent. These with some pretty cut flowers trimmed the sanctuary
beautifully.
"The weather on May 3
was delightful and between 4,000 and 5,000 visitors were in Arcadia to
attend the event. The "Catholic Hill" was covered with
straw so that the crowds, in spite of the mud, had standing room.
The excursion trains were met by the Catholic societies headed by the
local band. A Pontifical Mass was celebrated, and on the same
afternoon Bishop Schwebach conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation to 149
young people."
