Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-02-01
EARLY IOWA HISTORY.

The State Historical society of Iowa.
at iowa City, has just unearthed
volume in the old country, written in
Italian, the author being an Italian,
Samuel Mazzuchelli. the first catholic
priest to establish churches within
what is now the state of Iowa. The
book in part, is history of Iowa and
supposed to be the only one of Its
kind in existence.
The book was published at Milan in
the year 1874 and bears the title.
"Memorie Istoriche ed Edificanti dun
Missionario Apostolico deli ordine
del Predicatori fra varie Tribu di Sell
vaggi fra Cattolici Protestant
negli Stati-Uniti d. America" (His
torical and Edifying Memoir of an
Apostolic Missionary of the Order OF
Predicants Among Various Tribes OF
Savages and Among the Catholics and
Professionals Of the United States OF
America.)
Mazzuchelli left Rome In 1928 and
came first to Cincinnati, where he
learend the English language. He
tells Of his life there. of an excursion
down into Kentucky and of his as
signment soon afterward to post on
the Great Lakes. For a number OF
years he made Mackinaw his head
quarters, teaching the Hurons and 9th
ers in that vicinity and making nu-
merous journeys to Green Bay and the
Winnebagoes on the Fox and Wiscon-
sin rivers, reaching in one trip as far
as Prairie du Chen.
In 1885 he made up his mind to ex-
tend the gospel to the benighted peo-
pie who had settled along the west
shore of the Mississippi in the coun-
try which was then attached to the
territory Of Michigan. So he journey,
ed to Prairie du Chen, thence to
Galena and across to the little settle
ment at Dubuque. Here he celebrat-
ed mass in the house of Patrick Quig-
ley and began to prepare for the build
ing of a church AS a result of his
labors the stone walls of two churches
were soon rising. The priest de
scribes the founding of the town, es
timating the population in July 1885 at
about two hundred and fifty.
From Dubuque southwark he con
tinued his ministrations. His Memoir
tells of the organization of the terri
tory of Wisconsin in the following year
discusses the territorial government
and comments on the spiritual and
temporal condition of the settlers. He
reached Davenport and Bloomington
(now Muscatine) and built churches
and preached to the inhabitants. His
book Is not only commentary on the
religious history of early Iowa, but is
full of discussions of political and so
cial conditions, descriptions of the
climate and the products, the people
and their customs. He treats of thu
early legislative assemblies and tn,
organization and administration of thu
territory of Iowa. His journeying
took him to Iowa City, where the ston
capitol was in the process of construe
ton, and he tells enthusiastically G
it's dimensions and its location on tn
crest of hill above the river.
In the year 1889 Bishop Loras wa
sent to Iowa to take charge of tn
diocese of Dubuque. Mazzuchelli col
tinued his work with him. Togethe
they visited Burlington and othe
towns along the river, establishe
churches and ropagating the faith.
Mazzuchelli was pioneer. H
must needs be priest and teache
and architect and finance agent, all {
the same time and his Memoir ind
Gates a man of wide interests. Til
book has several valuable early mar
and table showing the origins of a
the dioceses in the United States
Professor Shambaugh considers til
book one of the most valuable acqui
itions of the historical society. H
states that considerable sum was e
pended in purchasing the book afte
It's location had been discovered