The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-31


from Prairie du Chen was ordered to
remove the houses. He went to work,
assisted by some soldiers, and, one
after another, unroofed the cottages
extending about five miles along the
river. The settlers were forced to seek
new homes.
"A new settlement was formed about
two miles below the cave.
There were Rondo, who purchased
the only cultivated piece of ground in
the place; Phelan's old claim. Vital
Guerin, Gervais and his brother, etc.
I had to visit occasionally these for
saken families; it became necessary to
choose a suitable spot for a church.
The three points offered, one called
La Pointe Basse, or Point Leclair (now
| on account of a sand bar in its vicin-
| ity. commonly known as Pigs Eye BARI.
objected to that place; it was the
extreme end of the settlement, and
being low ground, was exposed in high
water to inundation. The idea of hay
ing church swept down towards st.
Louis one day did not please me. Two
| and one-half acres further up, on his
| elevated claim, a Catholic named
Charles Mousseau, offered me an acre
of his ground; but neither did this
place suit my purpose. I was truly
looking ahead to the future, as well as
/ seeing to the present time.
STEAMBOATS, could not stop there;
the bank was too steep and space on
| the summit was too narrow and COM
munication difficult with the places of
the other settlers up and down the
| river After mature reflection, several
/ persons asked me to put up the church
as near as possible to the cave, it be-
Ing more convenient for me on my
way from st. Peters to cross the river
at this point, and that place being the
nearest point to the head of navigation
outside the reservation line.
Farmers Give Gro6nd.
"Messrs. B. Gervais and Vital Guerfn,
two good, quiet farmers, owned the
only spot that appeared likely to suit.
They both consented to give the
ground necessary for the church,
I garden and a small graveyard. I ac-
cepted the extreme eastern part of
Mr.. Vital's claim and the extreme west
of Mr.. Gervais'.
TN the month of October, f841, had
on the above stated place logs cut and
! prepared, and soon a poor log church
that would well remind one Of the sta
BILE at Bethlehem was built. The nu-
cleus of st. Paul was formed. On Nov.
1 I blessed the new basilica, smaller
indeed, than the basiiica of ST. Paul
in Rome, but as well adapted as the
latter for prayer and love to arise
therein from pious hearts. {
-'The church was thus dedicated to
St Paul, and 1 expressed a wish that
the settlement should be known by no
other name. I succeeded in this I
had previously to this time fixed my
residence at st. Peter, and as the name
of st. Paul is generally connected with
that of ST. Peter, and the Gentiles be-
ing well represented in the new place
in the persons of the Indians, called 1t
st. PauPs. Henceforward we could call
the Apostle St Paul our protector. And
as model of apostolic life could de-
sire better patron"
Had Rome in Mind.
Thus was ST. Paul named, and It
will be noticed as curious that Father
Ga1tier evidently has Rome frequently
in mind. since he named his first little
log church, which was situated on
Second street, between Minnesota and
Cedar streets, after the basilica in that
holy city.
Perhaps it was modesty that re-
strained him from calling the little
half breed settlement, with It's slight
sprinkling of white settlers, after the
great city and perchance could he have
foreseen the future greatness, the
splendid future of the city that sprang
from that tiny nucleus he might have
ventured to give 1t the name Of the
ancient italian city. the home Of the
holy father and the great mother
church. q.
Be that as 1t may, there is a singu-
lar similarity between the sites of
Rome, set upon it's seven hills in old
Europe, and St Paul, also set on seven
beautiful hills in this far Western
state.
(Much the information in the above
article was furnished by Asemblyman
William A. Van Slyke.)