The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-05-31
THE HISTORY OF THE ST. AN
THONGS CHURCH AT ELY,
MINI.

About distance of one hundred
and twenty miles northeast of Duluth,
or else if you take the D. & |. R. train
you will arrive after a slow and tire
some journey of more than five hours
time to the town of Ely, this town is
geographically lying in the county of
ST. Louis, in the state of Minnesota,
and constitutes the capital town on
the Vermillion Range. The name of
this town is probably not much known
outside the county of st. Louis, but
would venture to say that this little
eagle nest of town possesses a more
highly honored reputation in certain
class of people called Iron Magnates,"
than many big cities throughout the
States. This northern region is boast
ing of immense wealth in the form Of
iron ore laid in the bosom of the
mother earth by her Creator
Just recently Ely has been placed
on the map to occupy very important
position designating namely one ter
minus of the great Wilson Highway
which will run from Ely to Ell Paso,
Texas. And thus Ely will enjoy still
wider publicity all over the country.
1t is also worth while mentioning that
this northern part of Minnesota pos
sesses a natural prerogative of beauty
and ornament in her numerous lakes
and for that reason also called the re-
gion of Ten Thousand Lakes. This
part of the country is also the dOmicile
of the king of the quadrupeds, "the
big moose" and makes a happy hunt
ing ground for the visitor during hunt
ing season.
The Town of Ely is a contracted set
Element of about six thousand inhabi-
tants. The town proper is situated in
a slowly declining hill surrounded by
a number of locations, which were
formed in the vicinity of the different
mines. The human dwellings are
mostly wooden framed buildings
though here and there can be noticed
a house of brick or concrete, but the
pride and the ornament of the town is
a group of public buildings which
could rival whether Instructive or in
style with public schools of many big
cities.
The population of Ely is a conglom-
Grafton of various foreign nationalities
and real Americans. The nationalities
are the following: Slovenes, Firms,
Swedes, and Americans. Being a
strictly mining region most of the
residents are employed underground.
The iron industry up here is very
prolific since there are seven mines
operating day and night accommodating
during the winter time the iron ore
into big piles, which is in the spring
shipped to the iron ore docks at Two
Harbors, there loaded on the steamers
and conveyed to the foundries in the
East E.!; ~
As-there is multiplicity of nation
alities there is also a variety of creeds
and churches. There are six churches
in all. the M. e. church. Swedish-Luth
eran. Presbyterian, Finn Protestant
HOLY Rollers, and the last, but not
least, the Catholic Church.
In order to relate the history of the
Catholic Church of Ely, we have to &c
back in the past for nearly three
decades of years About the year 1885
while Ely was not yet in existence
there was a town of quite Importance
by the name of Tower, also on the Yer
million Range at a distance of twenty
miles southwest of Ely. This toWr
showed a great prosperity in the fiel6
of iron industry. One big mine was
working with it's full power where
many miners were employed and earn
ing their bread The population was
predominantly Catholic, but there was
neither a church nor priest to theil
spiritual help. Soon after frame
church was erected in honor OF st
Martin which still exists and Rev
Father Champagne, of Duluth, pait
occasional visits to these people. The
same year Rev. j. F. Buh was ap