The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-07
MISSION LAND SOLD
PURCHASE OF HISTORIC Proc
ERTY AT sTEvENsvILLE. III
ESTABLISHED MANY YEARS AGO
First Flour and Saw Mills Ever Erect
ed in Montana Built by the
Jesuit Fathers. ~
ESTABLISHED MANY YEARS AGO

Twelve acres of land, comprising
twelve ourteenths Of the historic old
Roman Catholic mission of st. Marys
at Stevensville were transferred by pur-
chase to David l.. Kennonee Of SteYens-
Vile yesterday, says the Missoula Mis-
soulian.
The price is not stated, and the reason
for the sale as given by those who are
in a position to know is that the extra
land about the mission was rather more
of a burden than a benefit to the insti-
tuition, since in these modern days large
parcels. of land are not necessary ad-
juncts to mission churches. -
"Cradle Of Christianity" :.
BY this transfer Mr.. Kennon comes
into possession of the most famous land
connected with early missionary work
among the Indians. -
Father Palladino calls the mission "the
cradle of Christianity of the Northwest"
and says that from here radiated all the
later and larger work among the redmfn
of Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Cali
fornia.
st. Mary's mission was established 81
years ago by Father P. ]. De Smet. a
Jesuit priest of Belgian birth. r.
He was accompanied by two other
young missionaries as energetic and zeal
GUS as himself, Father Gregory Mengh-
RIM, a Roman, and Father Nicholas
Point, Vendean, and three lay brothers
of various nationalities. -
Their adverse nationalities seem to
have foreshadowed the cosmopolitan
character of the population of the state
Of Montana.
= Father Do smet Arrives.
Father De Smet and his companions
made their return start for the Montana
missionary fields from st. Louis in. the
spring of 1S41, and arrived in the Bitter
Root valley where the mission was to
be located. in the fall of that year.
They had assembled the slope OF. the
mountains, re-crossing the main divide.
and by the Deer Lodge pass had de-
scended into the valley Of that name
and followed it down to the Little Black.
foot, just where Garrison is today. The
stream, which has since been called by
the ominous name of the Helrs Gate.
was christened by Father De Smet the
St. Ignatius river. -
The travellers followed the course of
these waters down to the present site OF
Mlssoula. and thence ascending the Bit
ter Root valley some % miles, arrived tat
sA1S Spos Which uOW lies between the
present townsite of Stevensville and did
Fort Owen. :.
This was to be the end of their Jour
ney and the location of the first mission
in all The Northwest. q.
First Flour Mill.
The first flour mill in Montana Was
started at St Mary's mission by Father
Ravalli. who was not alone an excellent
missionary. according to Father Palia-
dino an able physician and good artist.
but an expert mechanic, who cotra
handle with skill the tools and impae-
ments Of almost any trade. +
Flour was a scarce article in those
days. and what little they had Was
brought from Vancouver or Fort Col
vile. exclusively for altar purposes and
more than once there had not been
enough to supply them with mass brean
the year round.
Father Ravalli's mechanical skill ana
ingenuity soon supplied the deficiency
and he soon had built up and running a
miniature grist mill.
First Saw Mill. g
The first saw mill in the country vaa