South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-02-20
NILES PLANS To
MEMORABLE
JESUIT PRIEST
Raise Fund to Build Monument
to Claude Jean AIIouez-
Has Been Dead for
200 Years.
News-Times Special Service :

berry, sapplings and a matted over
growth Of lOw-growing vines, the
hallowed resting place OF Claude
Jean Allouez. French jesuit. who
died in the ottawa missions among
the Miami Indians of the st. Joseph
river, near Niles, Mich, Aug. 81,
1859. has remained scarcely noticed
and unmarked. save with a crude
wooden cross, these 200 and more
years.
1t might Yet have remained a
place Of only passing curiosity had
it not been brought before the Wom-
ans Progressive league of Niles.
which had determined that the his
tory of a man who had risked the
hardships and privationS of those
early days of the states history de-
manjed fitting recognition.
Except for a few pioneers who
had heard the story of the intrepid
jesuit in his effort TO spread the
( message of the Gospel among the
savages, no one had ever interested
himself in his burial place. Tho
story of this early missionary. hand
ed down from father TO son and
grandson, kept aglow in the hearts
of the early settlers a love for the
man who had dared to civilize and
Christianize the barbarious redskin.
Cross Crumblcs in Decay.
When the wooden cross crumbled
from decay, a new one was put up,
and finally William Isaac Cummings
a descendant of one of the pioneer
families, pleaded that the owners of
that portion of the property where
Father Allouez was buried be given
to the Progressive league. Mr.. and
Mrs. II. o. Wilkinson, the owners,
gladly consented, donating a piece
of ground some 60 feet square for
the erection of a monument, which
the committee of the league in
charge of the work decided should
be granite cross II feet high.
The work of clearing the ground,
erecting a memorial and making the
premises attractive TO sightseers
was turned over TO the Historical
committee Of the league, composed
of Mrs. w. l.. Rabbit. wife of a
Niles lumberman. as chairman, and
lAAt AOllON AliE telulcHs WIN dSSiSltu
her in the work: Mrs. w G. Blish
Mrs. Hilles Smith, Mrs. l. II. Bee
son, Mrs. Fl. L. Fox, Mrs. L f.
Wood. Mrs. Josephine Wurz, Mrs.
Harry DeMott, Mrs. Henry Rose
warren, Mrs. T. w. Ready, Mrs.
! Thomas II. Koran, Miss Mae Jeffer-
son. Mrs. ". L. Fowler and Miss
Carplyn Sou1hworth
Delves Into History.
AS the committee delved into the
history of Father Allouez they be-
came more and more impressed
with the Importance of their under
taking, for they found that he had
been one Of the leaders of Cath
olicity in the west, and the builder
of the first missions. In her effort
| to lay before her committee some
of the important events in his life,
/ deemed necessary to better equip
them for the task ahead, Mrs. Bab-
/ bitt did some Independent research
| work. She first discovered there was
no single comprehensive history OF
the jesuit, and it was necessary to
seek information from various libra
ries throughout the country. This
resulted in obtaining many facts in
scattered form from the "Jesuits
! Relations" and Pioneer Priests OF
America" BY r. ]. Campbell, S. ].
The search for information on the
| life of the Jesuit inspired a greater
/ effort for facts concerning him al
Notre Dame, and plans were made
to compile an up TO date co1npre-
! hensive summary of his career. His
history was later made the subject
of a valedictory address at Notre
Dame by John Lemmer. which was
printed in installments by the Niles
] Daily Sun. of Niles, TO aid in en-
| phasizing the importance of the work
! at hand.
Was Catholic Leader.
Briefly these histories pieced to-
| gether revealed that Father AL
! louez was the leader of Catholicity
in the west; that he was the apos-
tie OF the Ottawas and the builder
of the first missions in Wisconsin;
that he was the predecessor and CO.
worker of the famous Father Mar
| quette. mentioned so often in Mich
/ igan history; that he took charge
/ and put on a firm basis the famous
| 1iaskaskian mission, which death
had compelled Father Marquette "a
relinquish, and that a town in the
/ Northern Peninsular of Michigan
had been named after him in recog-
milton OF his great work
The state of Michigan realized
and appreciated that the work OF
! the Progressive league was among
the most important Of last year and
| this year. and the Michigan Histori-
cal commission asked for a report
on It. This was submitted by Mrs
Rabbit together with a summarized
history OF the man. II is now on file
| in the capitol.
A report on the work was also
read at meeting Of the state Fed
Grafton of Women's Clubs in Battle
Creek, Jan. Is.
Raise Fund for Monument
Mrs. Rabbits report shows thai
1864 was raised by her committee