The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-06-14

plh. II was SAD day then that mehiorsole
July %, 1851, when, quoting from the files
of the FREE TRADER, between II and one
o clock our citizens were startled by the cry
of fire " which was found to have broken
out in the steeple Of the Catholic church at
this place. In few minutes the whole stee-
Pile was in blaze, and in less than half an
hour IL fell with a terrible crash on the main
body of the church, which was also by this
time envclOped in flames. The fire next com
municatod with the parsonage adjoining the
church on the east, and in short time both
buildings were in ruins Here, by the al
most superhuman efforts Of our citizesS, the
progress of the destroyer was arrested Even
the kitchen and stable belonging to the par
sonage were saved, although attached to the
main building and strong west wind blow
ing" The fire originated from the tire-pot
used by timer who had been engaged in
t0hng the floors of the steeple, and who
was temporarily absent. Thee Joss then in
flicted was total, there being not cent of
insurance on the building
Serious as the loss was Father 'Donnell
was not one to become downhearted or dis
couraged To rebuild so handsome an edi.
fee was all but impossible, it is true; ana
the first efforts were to secure temporary
place of worship. At first these were found
in the court house, Hon. William Reddiek
being sheriff after which the congregation
met in the Walker & liickling warehouse,
on the south bank of the canal and on the
east side of La Sale street.
Soon after Father O'Donnell was transfer
red to Quincy, where he remained until the
following year, when, together with his
brother Rev. Michael O'Donnell, of Joliet,
he visited his old Pensioners, who were dy-
ing from the cholera. In this noble work
of visiting the sick and attending the death
beds, these two priests sacrificed their own
lives, they themselves being stricken to death
by the scourge.
FutueT " DDHuCli ouNSSooNA ""~
Dunno, who set about the work of raising
money to rebuild the church. This was no
slight task it may be truly supposed, nor
was any attempt made to erect so fine a
structure as the one previously burned. SUI
fcient funds were secured, however, to
erect the present st. COLUMBIA church on La
Sale street, the corner stone Of which was
laid in the same year, 1852. 1t was, we are
informed, at this period of the church 8 his
tory that the name of st. COLUMBIA was for
mally given it.
Father Dunno continued in charge Of the
parish here until October, 1854, when he was
transferred to ST. Patrick's church, Chicago,
where he remained up to the time OF his
death, in 1868.
The next to take charge of the parish was
Father McGorr risk, who labored untiringly
for the success of his church here until
1859. when he was transferred, and was
succeeded by Father Patrick Terry, who
came to Ottawa in May of that year.
Father Terry was young, active and ener-
getic, man of large brain and active smy-
pathies, who gained the confidence, respect
and love Of his Pensioners, which never
failed him at any time during his long resi-
dence of % years in Ottawa. One of his
first cares in coming to Ottawa was to es-
tablish that noble institution the Sisters of
the Order Of Mercy. The present convent
of st. Xayiers was built under his admins
tration. and received his fostering care. AS
the wears we mt by Father Terry found the
old church grow too small as the city and
county became more populous and wealthy,
and determined to build a new church-one
that should be as handsome, or more so, as
ample and in every way as acceptable, by
comparison of changed times and such, as
that lamented building Of 1851. He went
to work with zeal and vigor characteristic
of the man and secured pledges and funds
that warranted breaking ground in 1878 for
q building that would have been IN second
to none in the lesser cities Of the state.
Plans were made for magnificent stone
structure in the medieval or gothic style, to
cost 500 600 or more 1t was at that time
somewhat expected by many that in the di-
vision of Illinois into Dioceses Ottawa
would become a see city and st. COLUMBIA
church n cathedral. Whether this was or
was not considered in the plans OF Father
Terry. we know not, but the foundations
were put in for a larger church than now
stands, noble and grand as it is. year or
two after this foundation was completed, the
Peoria Diocese was created and Ottawa be-
came part thereof. Father Terry, invested
with the title of Dean, was transferred TN
1881 to St. Patrick's church Of Chicago
where, thirty years previous, he began his
priestly career as an assistant. By these
changes the work of church building was
abandoned for the present, and for several
wears the foundation walls were undis-
turbed.