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Chronological Notes

Rev. Michael Shine (1915)

Bishop McGovern

[McG 240 ]

Historical Notes On Wyoming [McGovern, History, 240-247]

Sent to Bishop McGovern in 1915 by the late Rev. Michael Shine of Plattsmouth, Nebr.

1742-1743, the first known white men to enter the present State of Wyoming were the sons of Pierre Gauthier Varennes, (commonly known as “Sieur de la Verendrye”). On their expedition to the Rocky Mountains in 1742-3, from Fort La Reine, (Portage la Prairie, Manitoba), they were at the foot of the Big Horn mountains and near the Tongue River in January, 1743.

Route Map of the U. S.-1908.

Proceedings of Mis. Val. Hist. Assn., Vol. 1, 53.

The original journal of this expedition can be found in Margry’s Discoveries, etc., of the French in the West, etc., 6 Vols. in French from the Archives of The French Government, Vol. VI, 598. A Map of the journey can be found in Parkman’s Half Century of Conflict, Vol. II, 29-58. Also notes on the journey.

1807, John Colter, a former member of Lewis & Clark’s Expedition, discovered “Colter’s Hell” in the Yellowstone Park district. It was a kind of a tar spring near the mouth of the Stinking Water River ([Shoshoni River now?].

[ 241 ]

Bonneville’s Adventures.

DeSmet, Western Missions and Missionaries, 86.

1811-1812, Hunt’s “Astoria Party” of 60 men, of whom 40 were French Canadians, passed through Wyoming.

Washington Irving, “Astoria” p. 221.

Cath. Hist. Magazine (N.Y.) II, 61.

1823, Thos. Fitzpatrick (from 1823 to 1852) and Stephen Provost, a Frenchman, were noted trappers and traders in Wyoming along with Glen Ashley, Jim Bridger, the Sublette brothers, Andrew Drips, Henry Vanderburgh, Lucien Fontanelle and Robert Campbell and a host of other noted characters. Fitzpatrick was a Canadian Irishman and a relative of the present Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Fitzpatrick, KC.M.G., chief justice of Canada.

Chittenden’s History of the American Fur Trade.

Irving’s “Bonneville and Astoria.”

Life and Letters of DeSmet.

History of the Catholic Church in Utah, by Dean Harris.

1832-1883, Captain Bonneville spent considerable time wandering over Wyoming. He was the leader of an exploring and fur trading expedition on his own account.

Irving”s “Bonneville Adventures.”

Also see History of Am. Fur Trade, Chittenden.

[ 242 ]

1842-1844, Fremont’s Expedition gives a detailed report of his journeys in Wyoming.

Fremont’s “Reports and Explorations.”

1833, Captain Sir William Drummond Stewart, a baronet from Perthshire, Scotland, accompanied by Dr. Benjamin Harrison, son of General William Henry Harrison, were on a hunting trip in Wyoming.

Hist. of Am. Fur Trade, 300-304.

The Missouri Fur Company, the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, and the American Fur Company sent innumerable expeditions and trading caravans to the Green River Rendezvous and to Fort Laramie.

The fur bearing animals were unfit to trap from the middle of June to the middle of September and hence the trappers went to the Rendezvous for trade and supplies.

1821, Laramie Peak was named after a trader, Jacques LaRamie, who died at its base this year.

Mokler, Transition of the West, Vol. I, 40.

1831, a delegation of four Nez Perce Indians passed through on their way to St Louis from the Flatheads to ask for a “blackrobe” to come and instruct them. Narcissus and Paul of this delegation died in St Louis and were buried there by Frs. Saulnier and Roux, the other two, “Rabbit Skin Leggins” and “No Horns On His Head” embarked in May, 1832,

[ 243 ] on the steamboat “Yellowstone” but died after reaching the mouth of the Yellowstone River.

Smithsonian Report 1885, 94-95.

Am. Cath. Hist. Records (Phila.) Vol. I, 190.

U.S.H. Magazine (N. Y.), II, 69.

1834-1835, Fort Laramie was built as a trading post, and later became a military post, and was an important station on the Oregon Trail.

See Hist. of Am. Fur Trade.

1837, Ignace La Mouse, Sr., an Iroquois, 3 Flatheads and 1 Nez Perce arrived at Fort Laramie on their way to St Louis for a “blackrobe.” All were shortly afterwards killed by the Sioux at Ash Hollow, Nebraska.

Amer. Cath. Hist. Records, I, 190.

1839, November, Peter Gaucher, Iroquois, returned through Wyoming from St Louis, with the good news that a “blackrobe” would come the following spring.

A.C.H. Recs., I, 190.

1840, July, Father Peter John DeSmet, S.J., arrived at the Green River Rendezvous, with the American Fur Company caravan, under the leadership of Captain Andrew Drips of St Louis, Mo. On Sunday, July 5th, 1840, Fr DeSmet celebrated the first Mass on the prairie (at the Rendezvous) for the traders, trappers, hunters and Indians, and preached in French and in English, and to the Flathead and Snake [Shoshone] Indians [ 244 ]*** through interpreters. The Canadians sang a portion of the Mass in Latin, and canticles in French, whilst the Indians chanted hymns in their native tongue. This spot was known for years afterwards as “La prairie de la Messe.” The next day a dozen Canadian hunters followed Fr DeSmet, and went to confession and communion.

Catholic Hist. Magazine (NY, 1888), Vol. II, 79-80.

1841, Fathers DeSmet, Point and Mengarini with 3 lay brothers passed through Wyoming on their way to the Flathead Indians.

1843, Fr P. Devos, and Adrien Hoecken, S.J., passed through to the Flatheads.

1844, Fathers Zerbinati and Joset, with Brother Magri passed through to the Flatheads.

1846, Parkman mentions that a priest heard confessions it Fort Laramie (“Oregon Trail,” 196).

1847, Fr DeSmet at Fort Laramie on his way to St Louis from Oregon.

1849, Fr DeSmet was among the Sioux Indians in eastern Wyoming near the northern boundary of Nebraska. During this trip he baptized many Indian children.

1851, Fr DeSmet traversed Wyoming on his way from Fort Benton to Fort Laramie and thence to the mouth of Horse Creek in Nebraska to attend the Great Indian Council [Council Bluffs?]. On this occasion he drew a map of Indian country of the upper Missouri and of the upper Platte [ 245 ] rivers, which was used in the Council and later sent to Washington, D.C.

Life and Letters of DeSmet, 1498 et passim by Chittenden.

1832-1833, see Captain Bonneville’s remarks on the religious observances of the Nez Perce Indians who had been made acquainted with Catholic practices by the French traders and the Catholic Iroquois Indians who had drifted west from Canada and New York.

Irving’s “Bonneville’s Adventures,” Chapt IX.

1846, the Mormons passed through Wyoming.

1849, the California gold hunters or “Forty-niners” also passed through Wyoming along the Oregon Trail.

Wyoming formed a part of the “Louisiana Purchase” and was at least theoretically under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the church authorities at New Orleans. Later it fell under the bishop of St Louis, MO (1827) and in 1851 it was included in the vicariate of the Indian Territory east of the Rocky Mountains which had Most Rev. John B. Miege, D.D., as vicar apostolic. In 1857 it comprised a part of the vicariate of Nebraska, until 1885, when it formed a part of the diocese of Omaha. It was erected into the diocese of Cheyenne on Aug. 9 [or 11?], 1887, and the first bishop Most Rev. Maurice F. Burke, D.D., was consecrated on Oct. 28, 1887, and was transferred to St [ 246 ] Joseph, Mo., June 19, 1893. Second bishop, Most Rev. Thomas M. Lenihan, D.D., consecrated Feb. 24, 1897, and died Dec. 15, 1901. Third bishop, Most Rev. James J. Keane, D. D., consecrated Oct. 28, 1902, transferred to Dubuque as archbishop, Aug. 11, 1911. Fourth bishop, Most Rev. Patrick A. McGovern, D.D., consecrated April 11, 1912, still in charge.

1868, Wyoming was organized as a Territory. Ency. Brit. XIV-713.

1867, Fall of, ***William Kelly went to Cheyenne as the first resident priest. The following extract is from a letter written by him on July 18, 1883:

“In the fall of 1867, the Union Pacific railroad having been extended to within a short distance from Cheyenne I was sent by Bishop O’Gorman to that town to take charge of the spiritual interests of the Catholics resident there and in the vicinity. For 6 months besides holding services at Cheyenne I visited the railroad camps lying westward from the town. {In the spring of 1868 General Stephenson, commandant at Fort D. A. Russell, kindly and generously donated 4 lots of ground whereon to erect a Catholic church [Mistake, see McGovern, 28, n.1]}. The first churches were under the patronage of St John Baptist. The church and parochial residence were built and completed in the summer of the same year, 1868, at an expense of about $4,000.00.

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“At this time my missionary field extended from Sidney, Nebraska, westward to Wasatch Canyon in Utah, running northwards as far as Fort Laramie. With the exception of an occasional Sunday’s Mass at Laramie City and Fort Sanders, Mass was celebrated regularly every Sunday at Cheyenne, after the erection of the church, the other days of the week being devoted to missionary work along the railroad.

“On these trips the section houses were converted into temporary churches. In the summer of 1869, Bishop O’Gorman accompanied by Fr Ryan and another priest visited Cheyenne and Laramie City and administered the sacrament of confirmation at both places. Towards the end of October, 1869, I left Cheyenne and was succeeded there by Rev. Fr Erlach. The late Very Rev. William Byrne succeeded Fr Erlach in the spring of 1871. After him cam Rev. Fr McGoldrick. To him succeeded Rev. Fr Jennette. Then followed the late Fr Hayes.

“The first resident priest at Laramie City was Rev. Fr Cusson, who remained there until 1879 when he was succeeded by the present pastor, Fr Cummiskey.” (Original letter in my possession [One does not know if “my” means Shine or McGovern].)