Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1924-05-01

priest was absent, walked ION to
Portage and back home = over 100
miles on foot. They stayed at our
place all night on their return home
The first means of raising money
was a dance given in a hotel under
the hill in 1864 The next was a pic
mic to Devils Lake in 1871. The first
church choir / remember consisted
of Mary Fiber, Mary Power, Nellie
Power, Mrs Horstman tmother of the
Horstman Bros.) Maggie Udell, Mary
Cairnes and Kate Coughlin. That was
before the Melzls came to town. The
Melzls have favored us with the best
talent in the city for over thirty
five years without pay.
Father Laigneil little Hollander,
was our next pastor, from IA to '76.
He labored very hard to build new
church, holding many meetings to d.
eide whether to build where the red
brick church was or where we had
purchased the Schrihtr property. Foo
ishIy we chose the latter and it
took thousands of dollars to fill the
ravine. IN December 1874, we had our
first fair, and how we looked forward
to it. The fish pond and the grab bag
were new to u.s. Mr.. McGinnis gave
a Durham COW, some one else a hog,
which was there alive in d box, others
live turkeys, sacks of flour, cord Of
wood and everything else you could
imagine. They voted on the hand,
soonest young lady in Baraboo. Alice
Terry and Annie O'C0nnell were the
contestants and they were SO near a
tie that the committee bought two
sets of Jewelry and gave each set.
We cleared $150000 Mr.. Ballone OF
Freedom said he would give what
pine timber they wished to cut and
haul for the new church. Father Laig-
neil went to Freedom and helped fell
and saw the timber and rode down to
Baraboo on the Hogs. The farmers
hauled them to BarabOO. Someone
out on the bluff toward Merrimack
gave thes other trmbers. Father Laig-
neil had the first parochial school,
taught by a Miss Ahern in the par
fish house. He organized a girls
soda1ity and "a temperance society
for the men. The, cream brick church
was built in 1874 and 1875, at cost
of about S5OOOUsA. We had many new
mem bers since the time we purchas-
ed the old church, Messrs- Mlchards,
Halliseys, Cosgroves, Fays, bona
hues, Mike and Jerry Coughlins and
their mother, Durwards, Maddens,
Lafertys. Laheys, Brennans, ORour-
kes. Tom and Henry Kelleys, Cor
mans. Herforts, Manns, Kunzlemans,
win Toole Sr., MelzIs, Jim and Mike
Megan, Andres, Murphys, Lauers, Sui
livans, Falveys, Currans, stecke1-
bauers, O,DonneTls Kanes, Cunning
hams. Ballones, Wellers, Goggins,
DIVERS. Bradleys, Crowleys, Weiden-
kopfs. and many others. Father La1g-
neil went home to Holland in the
srring of 1876, leaving many friends
nraying for his return. The church
was dedicated in September 1877 and
the ST. Micheals cemetery was bless
ed on the same day. Father Gunkel,
a German, was our pastor from 1876
to 1878. and Father Michael took his
place from 1878 to 1880.
In March, 1880, Father LAWN ar
rived here just in time for the St.
PatrTcks day celebration. He was
an eloquent speaker who never gave
a. long sermon, but very good one,
He had been a chaplain in ire Civil
war and often told of his experiences
with dying soldiers and Of their
bravery. He was unfortunate IN
being at the Newal, hotel fn Mil
waukee the night of that terrible fire.
He was saved but he was never the
same afterward. He was our pastor
seven and one half years and we
hated to see him leave.
In 1887, Father i. T. Durward was
assigned this parislt Many knew him
for his people belonged to this par
ish. During his stay here st. JOS
eph's cemetery was purchased, the
parish house built and the first sis
ters' school established, and our
present church built and paid for,
costing $S0,0OOOO Mr.. Ballone died
at North Freedom in 1894, leaving
all of his $SOOOGO estate except
about 100000 to st. Joseph's con
gregation. The WITH was contested
and went through court for "a couple
of years. At last it was settled and
we> only realized about $1S00.00. That
was the starting of our present
church.
In October 1911 our Bishop sent