Category: 1847

A Day In Kansas History - 173 Years Ago

4/28/2020

On April 28, 1847, one of the longest, continuous-running stories in Kansas history got its start in Neosho County. Political wrangling and planning started a few years earlier; but when the Osage Mission opened, in April of 1847, it had a substantial effect on the future of of the Osage People, education, religion, commerce, and the settlement of southern Kansas and the four-state region. The story continues.

On April 28, 1847, several ox-drawn carts lumbered into the grounds of a newly constructed mission-yard. Five weary men climbed down from the carts and were quickly surrounded by an enthusiastic group of Osage who had come to greet the Tapuska-Watanka (priest lords). The missionaries included Mission Director, Father John Schoenmakers; his young assistant Father John Bax; and three coadjutor brothers: John Sheehan, John De Bruyn and Thomas Coglan (Brother Thomas O’Donnell joined them in 1848). All of the missionaries had already immigrated to a new land when they came to America, and the Mission site might have seemed alien. Father Bax’s impression of their arrival was embodied in a letter to Father Pierre Jean De Smet:

"It would be impossible to paint for you the enthusiasm with which we were received … At first sight of these savages … I could not suppress the pain I felt … The adults had only a slight covering over the middle of the body; the little children, even as old as six or seven years, were wholly destitute of clothing. Half serious, half jesting, I thought that a truly savage portion of the Lord’s vineyard had been given to me to cultivate.”

These men were the first missionaries to staff the government's Osage Mission Indian boy's school. A group of four Loretto Sisters opened the girl's school the following October. More Jesuits and Lorettos would follow.

The mission was so remote and foreboding that government contractors rushed through construction of the mission buildings so they could return to civilization. As a result the missionaries dealt with leaks, a fireplace chimney collapse and structural problems for years. But the schools thrived, as best as they could, with inadequate funding; and through famine, epidemics, floods, a War and deaths.

Through it's trials, the missionaries witnessed the birth of civilization in southern Kansas. They watched barren prairies transform into a landscape of homesteads and small towns and the Jesuits assisted with the founding of several settlements. With Osage Mission serving as the Jesuit missionary headquarters, south of the Santa Fe Trail, they established more than 150 mission stations in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Colorado.

When the Osage land cessions occurred during the 1865 - 1870 period, the Jesuits and Lorettos had a plan and the means to execute it. As part of the Osage land cession treaties, Father Schoenmakers was gifted a section of land by the Osages, and options to buy more, which he did. When he founded the town of Osage Mission, he already had a church, schools and a well trained staff of school teachers and administrators. Beginning with the establishment of his town company, Father Schoenmakers undertook the work of transitioning the Indian schools into public schools and he and Sister Bridget Hayden built two prestigious frontier boarding colleges.

The mission and it's schools eventually evolved into a very unique new town and the schools we enjoy today. The schools on the lots west of the present St. Francis Catholic Church have provided continuous, quality education for 173 years — They have never missed a term!

The following link from the St. Francis Catholic Church website is an abridged version of the Osage Mission Story:

St. Francis Catholic Church History Page

For the entire 15 chapter Osage Mission story,follow THIS LINK. [1]

Some Reference Information:
1. The Saint Francis Catholic Church history page does not include Chapter 14 of the A Catholic Mission "Our Story" page (The Anti-Horse Thief Association).

A Day in Kansas History — 172 Years Ago

4/28/2019

Southern Kansas and the Four-State Region Began to Change That Day.

On April 28, 1847, several ox-drawn carts lumbered into the grounds of a newly constructed mission-yard. Five weary men climbed down from the carts and were quickly surrounded by an enthusiastic group of Osage who had come to greet the Tapuska-Watanka (priest lords). The missionaries included Father John Schoenmakers; his young assistant Father John Bax; and three coadjutor brothers: John Sheehan, John De Bruyn and Thomas Coglan (Brother Thomas O’Donnell joined them in 1848). All of the missionaries had already immigrated to a new land when they came to America, but the Mission site might have seemed alien. Father Bax’s impression of their arrival was embodied in a letter to Father Pierre Jean De Smet:

“It would be impossible to paint for you the enthusiasm with which we were received … At first sight of these savages … I could not suppress the pain I felt … The adults had only a slight covering over the middle of the body; the little children, even as old as six or seven years, were wholly destitute of clothing. Half serious, half jesting, I thought that a truly savage portion of the Lord’s vineyard had been given to me to cultivate.”

St. Paul High School, Completed in 2009, is the Latest Evolution of the Original Mission Schools.

The following link from the St. Francis Catholic Church website is an abridged version of the Osage Mission Story:

St. Francis Catholic Church History Page

For the entire 15 chapter Osage Mission story, follow THIS LINK. [1]

Some Reference Information:
1. The Saint Francis Catholic Church history page does not include Chapter 14 of the A Catholic Mission "Our Story" page (The Anti-Horse Thief Association).

A Date in Kansas History — April 28, 1847.

4/28/2018

The Mission Was a School and the Headquarters for Jesuit Missionary Work. [1]

On April 28, 1847, a small procession of ox-drawn wagons rolled onto the grounds of a newly built mission schools campus. The location was a remote eminence one mile north of the juncture of Flat Rock Creek with the Neosho River in present Neosho County, Kansas [2]. Five weary men climbed down from the carts and were quickly surrounded by an enthusiastic group of Osage who had come to greet the Tapuska-Watanka (priest lords). The wagons carried furniture, equipment and supplies to start the new mission and sustain it for a few months.

Father John Schoenmakers

The men were Jesuit Missionaries Father John Schoenmakers, his young assistant Father John Bax and three coadjutor brothers: John Sheehan, John De Bruyn and Thomas Coglan (Brother Thomas O’Donnell joined them in 1848). All of the men were immigrants to the United States. All would spend the rest of their lives here. One of them, Father Bax, lived slightly more than five years after his arrival. He might have worked himself to death trying to help his beloved Osage through the Black Measles epidemic of the early 50's. All of the founding Jesuits are buried in St. Francis Cemetery just one-quarter mile east of the mission site.[3]

The Catholic Osage Mission served two purposes. It was an Osage Indian school operated by the Jesuits, with the Sisters of Loretto, under contract with the United States Government. It also served as the Jesuit headquarters for missionary activity south of the Santa Fe Trail.

1. Was the Mission Successful?
From the following, you can certainly sense frustration expressed by an Italian nobleman turned missionary.

"It is difficult at this Mission among the Osage to write annual letters for there are but few things worthy of notice. From the very beginning of this mission in 1847 to the present very little was accomplished among the aborigines and there is little hope of accomplishing anything in the future."
- Father Paul Ponziglione from an annual letter, date unknown.

There were reasons to be discouraged — and many reasons to be proud.

1. The Osage Mission and Schools:
In spite of constant funding issues, the mission school was successful. The Jesuits and Lorettos found the young Osage to be smart, attentive and enthusiastic students. In fact, some Osage Mission students and their offspring did well in later life. Conversion to Catholicism met with mixed success. Among the half-breed Osage were some French Canadians who had been baptized young and showed cooperation with the priests — but many of them knew little about the faith. Some of the full-blood Osage were religious and, when treated fairly, were submissive to authority and the teachings of the church. But the mission's main drawback was time. Given the twenty-three year lifespan of the mission, early language barriers, constant funding issues, and the nomadic nature of the flock, there was not enough time to fully influence a people who already had deep religious beliefs. Today, many Osage embrace a strong Catholic faith that is blended with their early religious culture.

2. Jesuit Missionary Work:
As a missionary headquarters, the mission was very successful. In fact, the Osage Mission Jesuits played an important part in the settlement of southern Kansas, southwest Missouri, northwest Arkansas and northern Oklahoma. In addition to spreading and nurturing their faith; the missionary priests gave several fledgling settlements an important component for growth — a church. In some cases they also started schools. To date we have accounted for more than 150 mission stations in the four states listed above and Father Philip Colleton traveled as far as Pueblo, Colorado. Some stations were temporary but many evolved into churches. Father Paul Ponziglione said the first Mass in Wichita at a location only blocks from the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Mission Stations Established by Osage Mission Jesuits (Click to Enlarge.)

As part of his missionary work, Father Schoenmakers served as a counselor to the Osage in matters of legal and government affairs as well as spiritual needs. In this capacity, Father John's word was often final. His influence with the Osage and the government played an important part in the settlement of treaty disputes among the government, the Osage and the settlers. His intervention into the controversial Sturgis Treaty negotiations likely prevented a serious disservice to the tribe, the southern Kansas settlers and the state of Kansas.

Overall, the mission and it's missionaries left a pretty important mark on the Osage people and the state of Kansas.

Some Reference Information.

The top illustration was cropped from a painting of the mission that is attributed to Charlie Beechwood. Beechwood was likely the first white student to enroll in the Osage Mission schools in 1865. The painting was actually done for Charlie in 1930, by "E. Hill", from Beechwood's description. See "Beechwood" for more information.
Using current landmarks, the Catholic Osage Mission sat on the ground between our existing schools and the St. Francis de Heironymo Catholic Church in St. Paul. The existing church building was not started until 24 years after the arrival of the Jesuits. The original log church sat about 215 feet west of the existing church.
By October of 1847 Father Schoenmakers had recruited the initial group of Loretto Sisters to run the Osage Mission girl's department. Several of them were also immigrants who spent the remainder of their lives here. Many of them are also buried in St. Francis Cemetery.

Thoughts 'n Things

A Day In Kansas History - 173 Years Ago

A Day in Kansas History — 172 Years Ago

A Date in Kansas History — April 28, 1847.

Thoughts 'n Things

Archives

Categories