History of St. Mary’s Congregation at Platteville
The Beginnings
In 1826, the earliest settlers looking for lead and zinc ore, found considerable deposits of these minerals, and formed a settlement where Platteville now stands. Among these prospectors were many Catholics; and, although we have no definite information, we can be sure that it was not long until these people were visited by priests from other communities.
One can clearly picture the hardy pioneer Catholics gathering around one of these visiting priests. Shortly, after his arrival, all Catholics would know of it by way of the grapevine, and everyone would hasten to the home where the priest had stopped. There would be baptisms, blessings of marriages, confessions, to be followed by Mass and Holy Communion the next morning. There would be instructions for the children and some preparation for them to make their First Confession and Holy Communion. Then all would gather in the spot set aside for burial grounds while the priest blessed the graves of those who had passed away since a priest had last visited the town. Such scenes undoubtedly were witnessed many times here in Platteville in the early 1830’s.
These early settlers had no church building, and the Masses were celebrated in the homes of many of the pioneer families. Mentioned in the early records as used for this purpose were the Dorsey home, the Fee residence, and the David Gardner home. Other Catholic names that dot the early records are: Bannigan, Carroll, Halligan, Droulette, McManus, Slater, McGovern, Gallagher, Savage, McLoughlin, and O’Malley. Judging from the sound of the names, many of these families must have lived in a settlement south of the present city on the old Platteville-Dubuque Road, a settlement known as ‘Irish Hill”.
In 1840 or 1841, Potosi received a resident pastor, and Platteville, or “Irish Hill Hall,” became one of its missions. Father James Causse and his assistant, Father William Brown Dougherty, formally organized a mission parish in Platteville proper during Autumn of 1842. The first Mass probably was offered before 1842 in the Micka home, not far from the location of the current church. Later, Mass was said in the home of John Morrison and Bernhard McKerney and undoubtedly in the homes of several other pioneer families. The priests stationed at Potosi had charge of the Platteville mission for about fifteen years, except for the years of 1850-1851, when Father Causse was stationed at Mineral Point, from where he visited Platteville once a month.
The Parish Building
Some difficulty has been experienced in establishing the facts in regard to the first church building. There are reports that the first church building was situated on the corner of Cedar and Elm Streets, and while these reports may be true, they could not be definitely verified. If the first church was at this site, preparations surely must have been made very quickly for a new one to be built on the site of the present church. For this lot “five” in Block thirty-seven, sixty by one hundred thirty-two feet on the corner of Cedar and Court Streets was donated February 8, 1846, by Mr. Rountree. ( Mr. Rountree was accustomed to donate ground to all religious denominations for church use). There is a stipulation in the deed that the lot should be used for church purposes only. Three years later, in 1849, lot “seven” in the same block, was bought from Mr. Amos Robinson for ninety dollars, and the lot on which the old parish rectory stood was purchased May 8, 1856, from Mr. C. Bell for three hundred and fifty dollars. The deeds from which we derived this information at the time (1952) were researched at the Chancery Office in Madison.
The School Building
As far back as 1864, Platteville sensed the need for formal instruction of the youth in their faith; for at that early date Father Charles Exel was conducting classes in his rectory. However, it was not until 1935 that St. Mary’s School was built under the guidance of Father Francis X. Gray. For many years the dream of a parish school had been cherished by the former pastor, Father Lillis, and many of his people. One of them, Mrs. Roseliep, had very generously given Father Lillis a check for one thousand dollars for a new school; but failing health did not permit Father Lillis to realize his dream. Through the zeal of Father Gray the dream became a reality, and a long felt need was fully met.
The school was built at a cost of approximately $33,000, and contained four large classrooms, two on each floor, with a kitchen, dining hall, store room, and girls’ and boys’ washrooms in the basement. Connected to the two-story building which faces Cedar Street is a 52 ft. X 80 ft. gymnasium. This indeed was a start where the children would be given every possible opportunity for development, spiritual, scholastic, and physical.
The Catholic parish school always places a greater financial burden on the parish, but it has been for years the conviction of church leaders, both clerical and lay, that both parish and people are amply repaid for the bearing of these added financial burdens. In Catholic schools the children have all the advantages of the curriculum available in public school; and in addition, they are instructed daily in the most important of all studies, the study of their Catholic religion. The history of St. Mary’s was borne out of these strong convictions.
The doors of the St. Mary’s School were first opened on October 21, 1935, and a group of 122 students greeted the Priest and Sisters. The first graduation took place in 1936 with the following thirteen completing their grade school education: Walter Stiles, Kathleen Piquette, Marie Nordorf, Mary Martens, Bernadine Loring, Dorthory Gregory, Eileen Duave, Clifford Bisbach, Paul Bernhardt, Betty Mae Johnson, Helen Knapp, Leornard Udelhoven and James O’Brien.
Enrollment for the 2009-2010 academic year will be around 125 students. For the past 75 years, St. Mary’s has continued to graduate many young people. They go on to further their education and labors with a greater knowledge of God and their Catholic Religion, and thus are educated and trained with a reasonable hope that they will prove themselves more fervent members of their church and more loyal citizens of their country.
_ O’Conner, William P. (D.D., Ph.D.); Souvenir Booklet for the Dedication of the St. Mary’s School Addition; Madison, WI; July 15, 1953.
