The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-10-09

the hope that her adopted son, John Nc
Sweeney, would become priest in their
church but which was never realized.
He was well educated, and as many re-
member he became one of the fore
most criminal lawyers in Ohio. He fin
ally moved to Wooster, where he died
and left son practicing at the bar
who bears the full name of his father
and is an influential and talented man.
From 1880 to 1S45 the Catholic church
in Canton probably received the most
strength from foreign emigration. At
that time the tide of emigrants to this
part of the country was very great, and
after the completion of the Ohio canal
Massillon became the great Wheat City
of this whole region. So when the roads
were good about this time of the year
long trains Of wagons could be seen go
ing from Canton to Massillon, loaded
with wheat and other products Of the
farm. And when these trains Of wagons
returned 1t was no uncommon thing 70
see them loaded down with emigrants
with their ponderous trunks, chests and
luggage, seeking a home in this new
country. can we'll remember these
scenes. A large per cent of these emf
grants were Catholics, although there
were quite number Of Lutherans and
other sects.
Then It was that such families as the
Biecheles, Dannemillers, Bechels and
others came among us, and have since
become some of our most solid families.
Our young people will bear in mind that
in those days we had no railroad in
Stark county, and the Ohio canal was
wonderful improvement over the old
Conestoga wagons, and the even more
primitive means of transportation Of
those other days.
The first priest in charge of the Can
ton congregation was Rev. John A.
Hill, who was a nephew of Lord Hill
Of England, and a relative of Rev. Ro-
land Hill, the famous Baptist minister
of England. He had been a commander
of regiment in the battle of Waterloo,
and after that eventful battle, had been
married and he and his wife were both
soon converted to the faith of the Catho-
lie church; and were afterward i'm
pressed that it was their duty
to consecrate themselves to the
service of the church. They there
tering convent in Italy while he fitted
himself for the priesthood. After the
completion of his education in the old
country he came to America and served
few years as Catholic missionary.
He finally came to Canton about the
time the first Catholic house Of worship
was completed in 1924. He only lived
few years, and on September g. 1928,
he died. and at his own request was
buried near the church on the south side.
I remember seeing the headstone there
frequently; but before the old church
building was taken down in September,
1848, the remains were taken up and re-
moved to st. Josephs about a mile south
Of Somerset, Perry county, o. This Ia
near the place where General Phil Sheri-
dan was born, who was also a firm
Catholic. Rev. Hill died few years be-
fore General Sheridan was born.
For several years after the death of
Priest Hill several short pastorates oc-
CURED until about 1881, Rev. John NJ.
Henni was put in charge as settled
priest Of st. Johns congregation and
think he staid until 1884. During the pas
torate of Rev. Henni, In or about 1888,
this region was visited with the scorurge
Of cholera, One Of the church's bishops
came here in the interests of the con-
gregation. I think his name was Fen
wick, and he was taken violently sick
while on stage coach near Wooster,
| on his way home and died. Massillon.
think, suffered more than we did from
the cholera, but we had some very sud-
den deaths. too. I remember very well
the death of old Mrs. Walker. who lived
the second door from our home, and who
was enjoying good health only few
hours before she died; and Of Mr.. Bern
ard, the first proprietor Of the Stark