The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-12-28

There is no name more closely identi-
fed with the history of the civilizing of
the territory embraced within the
boundaries of Montana than that of
Father Ravalli Priest, physician, me-
chanic, engineer and architect, his
work was of such a varied nature and
ne eXcelled in so many varied lines
that his name is one which is con-
nected with almost every movement in
The early settlement of western Mon
tana. Proud, indeed should be the
county that is honored by his name,
and proud would be the gentle priest
If he knew that this honor had been
bestowed upon him by the people of
Montana, for Ravalli county, the
county of the Bitter Root, is the very
region that was particularly dear to the
pioneer priest whose first work in Mon
t5n3 was in the valley that now forms
the principal portion of the country
that bears his name, and whose life
was ushered out in the very shade of
the mount of St Mary which was so
particularly dear to him. His monu-
ment rises from the plain within the
shadow of this mountain-'dear old
Saint Mary's" he used to call it-but
no Shaft of marble is needed to pre-
serve to the people of western Mon
tana the memory of this sanity old
man, who gave the best of life that
was rich in attainment to the Bitter
Root valley and its surrounding coun-
try.
In the field in which Father RavalH
labored there are three churches that
will always be identified with his name
Naturally the first of these is the mis-
g Oh At Col,
Stevensvilic. This mission was found
ed in 1S4l, when Father De Smet and
his few associates established the mis-
sion under the shadow of the mountain
that bears still the name that these
priests bestowed upon it-St Mary's.
In 1914 Father Ravalli arrived upon the
scene. He was one of the volunteers
who had responded to the call of Faith
er De Smet. He reached the Bitter
Root valley in the fan of 1874 and soon
had in operation the first grist mill
ever constructed in the northwest.
Shortly afterward he constructed a saw
mill, making his saws from wagon
tires welded together He worked
among the Indians of the Bitter Root
till the missionaries were compelled. 10
abandon ii in 1850 when he went TO
the Occur d'Alene mission and to ST.
Ignatius, returning in 1866 to his favor
lite suUt, the Bitter Root. In this year
he designed and built the mission
church at St Mary's and there was
his home till the grim reaper called
him in 1854 to the reward which await
ed him.
By reason of his preference for the
field of st Marys mission and his
special fondness for the Bitter Root
valley the mission church at st. Mary's
viii always be the one that is most
closely identified with the memory of
this great priest. The church proper is
about 15X54 feet, one-storied, built of
logs and whitewashed. The front is /
clapboarded and has a square tower in |
the center, five feet square, surmount- |
ed by an open belfry, supplied with a /
bell, and from the peak arises a white /
cross. This tower has long, latticed |
windows on three sides. Back of the t
main church building is a log addition |
lower than the church itself, and still !
back of this is third attached build |
ing, even lower than the first addition. |
AT the extreme end is a story and a |
half log building. which afforded living I
quarters for Father Ravalli, Father !
Aste and their associates. Father |
taste is still living and is the only
one of that band of pioneer priests who
survives. The church faces the east
and is in almost the very condition in !
which the priest last saw it.