Thermopolis, St. Francis Bishop McGovern

Thermopolis, St. Francis
Bishop McGovern

[225] The Big Horn basin country was organized as a missionary field in 1906. The Most Rev. J. J. Keane, D.D., bishop of Cheyenne, appointed Rev. Nicholas J. Endres the fist resident priest, with headquarters at Cody.

Before the arrival of Fr. Endres, services had been held at various times in Cody by the Jesuit Fathers of the Crow Indian Mission, Montana. The names of these priests as recorded in the baptismal records are: Rev. P.P. Prando, Rev. Joseph C. Cardon and Rev. Thomas Grant. Likewise Bishop Keane made several trips through the district. During these trips children were baptized and missions of a few days duration were given.

Fr. Endres arrived in Thermopolis in October, 1906. About twenty persons witnessed the celebration of the first Mass which was said on a Sunday at the home of Mr. Jerry Ryan. An appreciative congregation received the welcome news that Mass would be said once a month.

Fr. Endres went from Thermopolis to Cody. The trip by stage to Worland was indeed a pioneer experience. The dust and sand, a foot deep, made the journey tedious. The washing scene which occurred in front of the restaurant before meal-time was typical of the early [226] days. The Burlington railroad had built into Worland from Billings and its first train was run July 12, 1906. The extension from Thermopolis to Casper came some years later during Bishop McGovern’s regime.

At this period Cody was a very busy town; the government projects at the Shoshone river were under construction, but the congregation was small, about six families. The pastor lived in a rented room for three years. He said Mass every day on a dresser, improvised as an altar. From Cody he traveled to the stations of Thermopolis and Meeteetse. Occasional trips were made down the Greybull valley, and to the camps up the Shoshone river, Corbett and the Dam. There were no Catholics in Basin at that time. Powell did not exist and the coal camps at Gebo and Crosby had not started. The building of the towns of Manderson and Greybull began in 1906.

On Sundays Mass had to be celebrated in any hall that could be had. In Cody, Kath Hall was used for many years. In Meeteetse, the Catholics assembled at the home of Mr. Angus J. McDonald and his niece, Miss Anna McIntosh. Mass was said in the town hall in Thermopolis and later in the Masonic hall.

The pastor endured many hardships during the first three years. The territory to be covered comprised some 12,000 square miles and the distance between the missions was difficult to traverse. The weather conditions [227] were often very bad and the scheduled hours of the stage coaches were inconsiderate of the passenger’s comfort or convenience.

St. Francis’ church in Thermopolis was built in 1909. It was a modest frame building, in appearance resembling a cottage. The ground for the building was donated by the city and Mr. Jerry Ryan. Upon the completion of the church, the pastor moved from Cody and made Thermopolis his headquarters. The first Mass was celebrated in the new house of worship on Christmas Day.

The church of St. Philip in Basin was also built in 1909.

The churches of St. Francis and St. Philip were dedicated in 1910. The former had a debt of $1,000.00 and the latter a debt of $850.00.

The church of the Holy Ghost, Cody, was built in 1915 and owes its existence to Mrs. Nellie DeMaris, who gave $2;000.00 toward the building and lot. Miss Veronica Murphy, Elmhurst, Ill., gave a donation of $500.00 toward the church and requested that it be dedicated to the Holy Ghost.

The years 1914-18 were prosperous years for America. The World War had created an unnatural prosperity and expansion was noticeable in many fields.

A new period for the church as well as for business began in 1915. Oil was discovered in Grass Creek and [228] a new settlement sprang up. Elk Basin developed a little community, and Greybull, which had been but a small railroad division, blossomed over-night and assumed a metropolitan appearance.

All these changes, in addition to the establishment of the big irrigating projects around Powell, Lovell and Worland, and the development of the sugar beet industry, were responsible for an influx of people, among whom were many Catholics.

With the large increase in the membership of his flock, the stage coach, saddle horse and one train a day methods of transportation would have proved irritatingly inadequate for the priest, and it was a happy coincidence for him that at this time the automobile found a permanent place in transportation.

At various times Meeteetse, Elk Basin, Deaver, Lovell, Greybull, Worland, Manderson, Gebo and Crosby and the outlying communities of Lysite and Armento were visited. It was customary to start out from Thermopolis, visit the communities lying along the Big Horn river, say Mass in Powell and Cody on Sundays, visit Deaver, Lovell and Elk Basin on weekdays, and on the return journey, Meeteetse. The pastor would cover several hundred miles in the two-week period of his visits, and in addition to his regular visits would handle the extra calls such as weddings, sick calls and funerals. It was indeed a missionary life.

[229] An epidemic of influenza in 1918, following the close of the war, created a distressing condition throughout the country. Innumerable trips were made by the pastor in the fall and early winter of that year. Often he would receive as many as three sick calls at the same time and each of the three would be in different localities. Some of the trips would take four days and it was nothing unusual for the pastor to return to Thermopolis and be told that one of his flock had died and been buried in his absence. Christmas that year was a sad day. The pastor applied to the bishop for an assistant, but the bishop could not oblige him because of the scarcity of priests.

In the fall of 1918, a generous benefactor, whose identity is known only to Bishop McGovern, gave $3,000.00 toward the building of a church in Worland. The people of the town added $1,500.00 to the sum and with this amount, two lots were bought and the church built and furnished. Rev. Jos. Conrath, of Rawlins, donated the altar.

An oil refinery was built in Greybull and the workers coming in more than doubled the population. Prior to this Greybull had almost no Catholic population and a private home had been used for services. The increased population made a church an imperative necessity, and an appeal was made to the Catholic Church Extension Society. They responded graciously [230] with $750.00. The congregation raised $1,000.00. The Lincoln Land Company donated one lot and a second lot was purchased from that corporation. Services were held in the new church in January, 1920.

Regular services were held in Greybull, Basin, Worland, and Thermopolis from December, 1919, until the fall of 1926, when the parish was divided and Rev. John Marley was appointed pastor of Greybull, with Basin and Lovell as missions.

In 1925, the lay trustees of the church of St. Francis were Robert J. Price and George W. Hebard. During the course of this year, Robert J. Price was succeeded by Frank M. Milek. Lay trustees of the church of St. Mary Magdalene, Worland, were Vincent T. Ryan and Charles Cavanaugh. Gross receipts for the year from all sources and for all purposes, diocesan as well as parochial, were $2,708.35. Balance in the treasury (Dec. 31, 1925) was $45.70.

In 1926, electric lights were installed in the Worland church. The roof of the Thermopolis church was repaired. B.L. Schaffer succeeded Vincent T. Ryan as trustee of the Worland church. On May 9th, confirmation was administered by the Most Rev. Patrick A. McGovern, D.D., to thirty-one candidates at Thermopolis; on May 1lth, to nine at Worland; and on May 12th to thirty-two at Greybull. Gross receipts were [231] $2,214.55. The balance in the treasury was $45.30. In 1927 the gross receipts were $2,303.70 and the balance in the treasury was $20.90.

In 1928 a few old pews were replaced with new ones in the Thermopolis church. Toward the end of the year a fund was started for the purpose of erecting a new church edifice. The Altar and Rosary society made the initial donation of $100.00. Gross receipts were $2,472.60 and the balance in the general treasury was $10.50. There was $100.00 in the new church fund.

The exterior of the Worland church was painted in 1929. New furniture was added to the pastor’s living quarters. In June the pastor resumed charge of the Greybull and Basin churches and continued to administer to them until April, 1933. The gross receipts were $3,206.69 and there was a balance of $7.65 in the treasury. There was $820.89 in the new church fund.

In 1930 the interior of the Worland church was kalsomined. Gross receipts were $3,361.87 with a balance of $12.00 in the treasury. The new church fund had $1,690.46.

In 1931 the paving assessments on the Thermopolis church property were finally cleared after nine annual installments. Gross receipts were $2,885.69 and a [232] balance of $87.80 in the treasury. There was $2,149.75 in the new church fund.

Rev. M.A. Connell, S.J., of St. Stephen’s Indian Mission conducted a mission in the parish in 1932. Most Rev. Patrick A. McGovern, D.D., administered confirmation to thirty candidates May 29th at Thermopolis; May 31st, nineteen, Worland; and June 1st, twenty-four, Greybull.

A new kitchen was added to the pastor’s living quarters at a cost of $1,009.10. The project was financed through a donation from the Altar and Rosary society of $185.00, a gift of $225.00 from the Extension Society, a personal contribution from the pastor of $289.10 and a loan of 8310.00 from the new church fund. Gross receipts were $2,688.90 with no balance in the treasury. There was $2,361.74 in the new church fund. There was a debt of $310.00.

After a long and successful pastorate, Fr. Endres was transferred to Newcastle in June, 1933. To replace him came Rev. James McBride of Pine Bluffs. Gross receipts were $1,576.29 and there was a balance of $6.78 in the treasury. There was still a debt of $310.00. The new church fund had $2,451.41.

The Thermopolis church and rectory were renovated with kalsomine and varnish in 1934. In June, Fr. McBride was transferred to Newcastle and was succeeded by Rev. Philip W. Krass, formerly assistant [233] at Rawlins. The Worland church was damaged by lightning to the extent of $109.50, which amount was covered by insurance. George W. Herard, a trustee of the Thermopolis church since 1910, died and was replaced by William P. Schroeder. The debt of $310.00 was paid and the parish was free from indebtedness. Gross receipts were $2,712.75 and the balance in the treasury was $137.79. There was $2,546.65 in the new church fund.

The Worland church was re-roofed at a cost of $324.70 in 1935. Gross receipts were $3,022.71, balance in treasury, $183.97. The new church fund had $2,747.63.

Charles F. Reilly succeeded B.L. Schaffer as trustee of the Worland church in 1936. Gross receipts were $3,638.03, treasury balance, $144.62. There was $4,200.72 in the new church fund.

The seating capacity of the Worland church was increased through the addition of five new pews in 1937. Vacation schools were conducted in Thermopolis and Worland by the Dominican sisters of Adrian, Michigan. Gross receipts were $4,579.68 and treasury balance was $241.13. The new church fund had swelled to $5,843.89.

In 1938 the interior of the Thermopolis church was kalsomined and drapes added to the sanctuary, back of the altar. The church became too small to [234] accommodate the entire congregation at one Mass and the pastor received from the Apostolic Delegate at Washington the faculty to triplicate on Sundays. The Mass said in Gebo on the first Sunday of each month was discontinued because of the closing of the mines there. Worland for the first time in its history was attended every Sunday and holy day of obligation.

Most Rev. Patrick A. McGovern, D.D., administered the sacrament of confirmation to sixty-two children and adults, May 8th at Thermopolis; of this number, twenty-three were from Worland. Vacation schools were again conducted by the Dominican sisters of Adrian, Mich. The exterior of the Worland church was repainted.

During the year there were fifty baptisms, divided as follows: Thermopolis, 7 infants and 9 adults; Worland, 9 white infants, 23 Mexican infants, and 2 adults. There were six marriages, four in Thermopolis and two in Worland. Gross receipts were $3,791.32 with a treasury balance of $1,277.65. There was $6,264.88 in the new church fund.

In Jan., 1941, the new church fund had $10,000.00.

McGovern, Bishop Patrick A., ed., History of The Diocese of Cheyenne (Cheyenne: Wyoming Labor Journal, 1941).

Back to INDEX		Thermopolis, St. Francis Bishop McGovern [225] The Big Horn basin country was organized as a missionary field in 1906. The Most Rev. J. J. Keane, D.D., bishop of Cheyenne, appointed Rev. Nicholas J. Endres the fist resident priest, with headquarters at Cody. Before the arrival of Fr. Endres, services had been held at various times in Cody by the Jesuit Fathers of the Crow Indian Mission, Montana. The names of these priests as recorded in the baptismal records are: Rev. P.P. Prando, Rev. Joseph C. Cardon and Rev. Thomas Grant. Likewise Bishop Keane made several trips through the district. During these trips children were baptized and missions of a few days duration were given. Fr. Endres arrived in Thermopolis in October, 1906. About twenty persons witnessed the celebration of the first Mass which was said on a Sunday at the home of Mr. Jerry Ryan. An appreciative congregation received the welcome news that Mass would be said once a month. Fr. Endres went from Thermopolis to Cody. The trip by stage to Worland was indeed a pioneer experience. The dust and sand, a foot deep, made the journey tedious. The washing scene which occurred in front of the restaurant before meal-time was typical of the early [226] days. The Burlington railroad had built into Worland from Billings and its first train was run July 12, 1906. The extension from Thermopolis to Casper came some years later during Bishop McGovern’s regime. At this period Cody was a very busy town; the government projects at the Shoshone river were under construction, but the congregation was small, about six families. The pastor lived in a rented room for three years. He said Mass every day on a dresser, improvised as an altar. From Cody he traveled to the stations of Thermopolis and Meeteetse. Occasional trips were made down the Greybull valley, and to the camps up the Shoshone river, Corbett and the Dam. There were no Catholics in Basin at that time. Powell did not exist and the coal camps at Gebo and Crosby had not started. The building of the towns of Manderson and Greybull began in 1906. On Sundays Mass had to be celebrated in any hall that could be had. In Cody, Kath Hall was used for many years. In Meeteetse, the Catholics assembled at the home of Mr. Angus J. McDonald and his niece, Miss Anna McIntosh. Mass was said in the town hall in Thermopolis and later in the Masonic hall. The pastor endured many hardships during the first three years. The territory to be covered comprised some 12,000 square miles and the distance between the missions was difficult to traverse. The weather conditions [227] were often very bad and the scheduled hours of the stage coaches were inconsiderate of the passenger’s comfort or convenience. St. Francis’ church in Thermopolis was built in 1909. It was a modest frame building, in appearance resembling a cottage. The ground for the building was donated by the city and Mr. Jerry Ryan. Upon the completion of the church, the pastor moved from Cody and made Thermopolis his headquarters. The first Mass was celebrated in the new house of worship on Christmas Day. The church of St. Philip in Basin was also built in 1909. The churches of St. Francis and St. Philip were dedicated in 1910. The former had a debt of $1,000.00 and the latter a debt of $850.00. The church of the Holy Ghost, Cody, was built in 1915 and owes its existence to Mrs. Nellie DeMaris, who gave $2;000.00 toward the building and lot. Miss Veronica Murphy, Elmhurst, Ill., gave a donation of $500.00 toward the church and requested that it be dedicated to the Holy Ghost. The years 1914-18 were prosperous years for America. The World War had created an unnatural prosperity and expansion was noticeable in many fields. A new period for the church as well as for business began in 1915. Oil was discovered in Grass Creek and [228] a new settlement sprang up. Elk Basin developed a little community, and Greybull, which had been but a small railroad division, blossomed over-night and assumed a metropolitan appearance. All these changes, in addition to the establishment of the big irrigating projects around Powell, Lovell and Worland, and the development of the sugar beet industry, were responsible for an influx of people, among whom were many Catholics. With the large increase in the membership of his flock, the stage coach, saddle horse and one train a day methods of transportation would have proved irritatingly inadequate for the priest, and it was a happy coincidence for him that at this time the automobile found a permanent place in transportation. At various times Meeteetse, Elk Basin, Deaver, Lovell, Greybull, Worland, Manderson, Gebo and Crosby and the outlying communities of Lysite and Armento were visited. It was customary to start out from Thermopolis, visit the communities lying along the Big Horn river, say Mass in Powell and Cody on Sundays, visit Deaver, Lovell and Elk Basin on weekdays, and on the return journey, Meeteetse. The pastor would cover several hundred miles in the two-week period of his visits, and in addition to his regular visits would handle the extra calls such as weddings, sick calls and funerals. It was indeed a missionary life. [229] An epidemic of influenza in 1918, following the close of the war, created a distressing condition throughout the country. Innumerable trips were made by the pastor in the fall and early winter of that year. Often he would receive as many as three sick calls at the same time and each of the three would be in different localities. Some of the trips would take four days and it was nothing unusual for the pastor to return to Thermopolis and be told that one of his flock had died and been buried in his absence. Christmas that year was a sad day. The pastor applied to the bishop for an assistant, but the bishop could not oblige him because of the scarcity of priests. In the fall of 1918, a generous benefactor, whose identity is known only to Bishop McGovern, gave $3,000.00 toward the building of a church in Worland. The people of the town added $1,500.00 to the sum and with this amount, two lots were bought and the church built and furnished. Rev. Jos. Conrath, of Rawlins, donated the altar. An oil refinery was built in Greybull and the workers coming in more than doubled the population. Prior to this Greybull had almost no Catholic population and a private home had been used for services. The increased population made a church an imperative necessity, and an appeal was made to the Catholic Church Extension Society. They responded graciously [230] with $750.00. The congregation raised $1,000.00. The Lincoln Land Company donated one lot and a second lot was purchased from that corporation. Services were held in the new church in January, 1920. Regular services were held in Greybull, Basin, Worland, and Thermopolis from December, 1919, until the fall of 1926, when the parish was divided and Rev. John Marley was appointed pastor of Greybull, with Basin and Lovell as missions. In 1925, the lay trustees of the church of St. Francis were Robert J. Price and George W. Hebard. During the course of this year, Robert J. Price was succeeded by Frank M. Milek. Lay trustees of the church of St. Mary Magdalene, Worland, were Vincent T. Ryan and Charles Cavanaugh. Gross receipts for the year from all sources and for all purposes, diocesan as well as parochial, were $2,708.35. Balance in the treasury (Dec. 31, 1925) was $45.70. In 1926, electric lights were installed in the Worland church. The roof of the Thermopolis church was repaired. B.L. Schaffer succeeded Vincent T. Ryan as trustee of the Worland church. On May 9th, confirmation was administered by the Most Rev. Patrick A. McGovern, D.D., to thirty-one candidates at Thermopolis; on May 1lth, to nine at Worland; and on May 12th to thirty-two at Greybull. Gross receipts were [231] $2,214.55. The balance in the treasury was $45.30. In 1927 the gross receipts were $2,303.70 and the balance in the treasury was $20.90. In 1928 a few old pews were replaced with new ones in the Thermopolis church. Toward the end of the year a fund was started for the purpose of erecting a new church edifice. The Altar and Rosary society made the initial donation of $100.00. Gross receipts were $2,472.60 and the balance in the general treasury was $10.50. There was $100.00 in the new church fund. The exterior of the Worland church was painted in 1929. New furniture was added to the pastor’s living quarters. In June the pastor resumed charge of the Greybull and Basin churches and continued to administer to them until April, 1933. The gross receipts were $3,206.69 and there was a balance of $7.65 in the treasury. There was $820.89 in the new church fund. In 1930 the interior of the Worland church was kalsomined. Gross receipts were $3,361.87 with a balance of $12.00 in the treasury. The new church fund had $1,690.46. In 1931 the paving assessments on the Thermopolis church property were finally cleared after nine annual installments. Gross receipts were $2,885.69 and a [232] balance of $87.80 in the treasury. There was $2,149.75 in the new church fund. Rev. M.A. Connell, S.J., of St. Stephen’s Indian Mission conducted a mission in the parish in 1932. Most Rev. Patrick A. McGovern, D.D., administered confirmation to thirty candidates May 29th at Thermopolis; May 31st, nineteen, Worland; and June 1st, twenty-four, Greybull. A new kitchen was added to the pastor’s living quarters at a cost of $1,009.10. The project was financed through a donation from the Altar and Rosary society of $185.00, a gift of $225.00 from the Extension Society, a personal contribution from the pastor of $289.10 and a loan of 8310.00 from the new church fund. Gross receipts were $2,688.90 with no balance in the treasury. There was $2,361.74 in the new church fund. There was a debt of $310.00. After a long and successful pastorate, Fr. Endres was transferred to Newcastle in June, 1933. To replace him came Rev. James McBride of Pine Bluffs. Gross receipts were $1,576.29 and there was a balance of $6.78 in the treasury. There was still a debt of $310.00. The new church fund had $2,451.41. The Thermopolis church and rectory were renovated with kalsomine and varnish in 1934. In June, Fr. McBride was transferred to Newcastle and was succeeded by Rev. Philip W. Krass, formerly assistant [233] at Rawlins. The Worland church was damaged by lightning to the extent of $109.50, which amount was covered by insurance. George W. Herard, a trustee of the Thermopolis church since 1910, died and was replaced by William P. Schroeder. The debt of $310.00 was paid and the parish was free from indebtedness. Gross receipts were $2,712.75 and the balance in the treasury was $137.79. There was $2,546.65 in the new church fund. The Worland church was re-roofed at a cost of $324.70 in 1935. Gross receipts were $3,022.71, balance in treasury, $183.97. The new church fund had $2,747.63. Charles F. Reilly succeeded B.L. Schaffer as trustee of the Worland church in 1936. Gross receipts were $3,638.03, treasury balance, $144.62. There was $4,200.72 in the new church fund. The seating capacity of the Worland church was increased through the addition of five new pews in 1937. Vacation schools were conducted in Thermopolis and Worland by the Dominican sisters of Adrian, Michigan. Gross receipts were $4,579.68 and treasury balance was $241.13. The new church fund had swelled to $5,843.89. In 1938 the interior of the Thermopolis church was kalsomined and drapes added to the sanctuary, back of the altar. The church became too small to [234] accommodate the entire congregation at one Mass and the pastor received from the Apostolic Delegate at Washington the faculty to triplicate on Sundays. The Mass said in Gebo on the first Sunday of each month was discontinued because of the closing of the mines there. Worland for the first time in its history was attended every Sunday and holy day of obligation. Most Rev. Patrick A. McGovern, D.D., administered the sacrament of confirmation to sixty-two children and adults, May 8th at Thermopolis; of this number, twenty-three were from Worland. Vacation schools were again conducted by the Dominican sisters of Adrian, Mich. The exterior of the Worland church was repainted. During the year there were fifty baptisms, divided as follows: Thermopolis, 7 infants and 9 adults; Worland, 9 white infants, 23 Mexican infants, and 2 adults. There were six marriages, four in Thermopolis and two in Worland. Gross receipts were $3,791.32 with a treasury balance of $1,277.65. There was $6,264.88 in the new church fund. In Jan., 1941, the new church fund had $10,000.00. McGovern, Bishop Patrick A., ed., History of The Diocese of Cheyenne (Cheyenne: Wyoming Labor Journal, 1941). Back to Top