The O’Neill colony and the first church

To look back at our history, to trace the faith of those who preceded us, to put into print the traditions and events that happened to form the believing community of St. Patrick’s, much research and many sources must be called into play. Oral tradition or that which is handed down by word of mouth from one generation to another generation, from grandparents to grandchildren is often used when parish events are not transcribed into a parish diary. Newspapers are consulted because major events and happenings usually make the local headlines especially when there is a hometown edition.

From a historical point of view Holt County and all that portion of Nebraska lying between the county's west and north boundaries and the west and north boundary lines of the state, and embracing all that territory comprised in the present counties of Boyd, Keya Paha, Rock, Brown, Cherry, Sheridan, Dawes, Box Butte and Sioux, aggregating 16,000 square miles of country, is primarily identified in its evolution from a howling wilderness – the home of the buffalo, elk, antelope, deer, jack rabbit, and their preying enemies -the lean and hungry coyote, wolf, and wild cat, who howled and barked to the majestic silence of the lonely and unpeopled prairies; together with the fantastic painted and picturesque Indian who wandered freely in this territory as its ruling monarch, these animals moved about in a free atmosphere as nature took its course before the civilization of the pale face.

But the faith of the forefathers came to the area as the settlers moved west. As established in the decree of Pope Pius IX of January 6, 1857, the vicariate apostolic of Nebraska included all of Nebraska, all Colorado above the Arkansas River, Wyoming Montana, and the area which became North alld South Dakota west of the Missouri River. Elsewhere in the then United States, immigrants were pouring into the Eastern Coast from Ireland. Crowding in the industrial eastern cities presented grave social and economic problems. Social thought found what was probably its best expression in the colonization efforts of a small number of bishops and priests who were supported by some of the better established laymen. One of these was General John O'Neill, one of the colorful personalities to come out of that era of American history. He was famous in the eyes of many and notorious according to some, spent the first three months of 1874 in a campaign like sweep of the State of Pennsylvania speaking to as many Irish miners as would listen to him. He spent most of the years 1872 and 1873 traveling through the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa Illinois, Missouri, and Nebraska in search of the best location for his colony. O'Neill concluded that Nebraska possessed the greatest advantages for settlers: it was located between the two extremes of temperature, and it offered pure water, fertile land, and millions of acres of free government land and cheap railroad and speculation land. There was also another reason.

Previous to his decision on the best possible site for colonization, O'Neill had been in contact with Messrs. Patrick Fahy and S. M. Boyd of Lincoln, Nebraska, who owned 160 acres of land in Holt County. The two Lincoln men offered General O'Neill $150.00 per month, for a period of four months, if he would tour the East Coast for the purpose of promoting immigration to this county. After O'Neill had visited the 160 acres in Holt County and judged that the area to be good for settlers, he entered into an agreement with Fahy and Boyd in November of 1873 on the terms that they had proposed. O'Neill gave lectures in all of the leading cities in the mining districts of Pennsylvania. In the spring of 1874, a small and weary group of pioneers, under the leadership of General John O'Neill, staked their claims on the prairies of Nebraska along the Elkhorn River. During the layover in Omaha, Mr. Fahy presented General O'Neill with a transcript from the Secretary of State's office showing that Holt County had been officially organized.

On reaching the site in Holt County, the first settlers constructed a sod house. The dwelling was completed on May 19, 1874, exactly one week after their arrival in the area. This thirty-six by eighteen feet shelter served as the common living quarters for all settlers, until such time as they would be able to build their own log houses. The sod house was known as the "Grand Central." This bit of pioneer wit was apparently not amusing to the many immigrants who, having heard of the "Grand Central," had traveled many weary miles buoyed up by the vision of a modern hotel, and arrived to find a soddie surrounded by barren plains.

Many obstacles faced these original colonists. While it was true that many of the settlers numbered farmers among their ancestors, most of them were young enough to have spent the greater part of their lives on the east coast in the industrial areas where they had no experience in farming.

They were now forced to live off the land. The early settlers reported that the land looked promising at first sight; tall prairie grass gave the impression of fertility and future crops seelned to be assured. Their official farm advisor was a priest. Father Pierre J. Bedard, who not only served the spiritual needs of a settlement of French Canadians fifty miles from the O'Neill community, but also served as doctor and teacher as well, in both areas.

Unfortunately, the colonists' farming efforts that first summer of 1874 failed to bring about the desired results. While it was true that lack of experience was a contributing factor that caused the crop failure, as was the summer drought which affected the entire area, the real reason that the land did not yield the expected fruits was the fact, to be realized a number of years later, that the soil was naturally very poor and much more suited to cattle-raising than farming. Some of the twenty-five families and coreligionists left and felt that General O'Neill had given them false hopes in coming from the East. But the colonists gathered together in O'Neill City on August 22, 1875 and drew up resolutions which were unanimously adopted.

"Whereas, we have been fortunate beyond our expectations, in securing our homesteads in the locality chosen by General O'Neill, for the establishment of his Irish American Colony and whereas, we entertain a profound anxiety to urge upon our countrymen the necessity of improving this opportunity of securing homes for ourselves - an opportunity which will be irretrievably lost in the near future and - whereas, we know from experience (there being representative men from nearly every State and Territory in the Union) that, no part of the West offers so many advantages to settlers and particularly to Irish Americans as the O'Neill settlements in Holt County, Nebraska. Splendid land, pure water, and a healthy climate, therefore be it resolved that first we hold ourselves in readiness to furnish all necessary information about the Colony to those desirous of obtaining it. Second, that we will extend a welcoming, and so far as lies in our power, a helping hand to those who come here to settle. Third, that we return our warmest thanks to General O'Neill and shall ever feel grateful for the untiring zeal manifested, and the self-sacrifice endured for the welfare of the colonists. Fourth, that a copy of these resolutions be sell it to the /rz.s/? Wor/d for publication."

This was signed by the members who were the Committee on Resolutions which consisted of the following: Patrick Hagerty of Winona, Minnesota; John Reddy of Lacon, Illinois, Patrick S. Hughes of Dover, New Hampshire; Thomas Connolly of Manchester, Vermont; Thomas Harrington of Ansona, Connecticut; Michael H. McGrath of Brooklyn, New York; Patrick Murray of New York City, New York; John J. O'Neill of Elizabeth, New Jersey; Edward Gallagher of Barclay, Pennsylvania; William Joyce of Hazleton, Ohio; Timothy O'Connor of Chicago, Illinois; Patrick Barrett of Tennenville, Michigan; John Fallon of St. Louis, Missouri, Joseph Kresser of Dubuque, Iowa; Thomas Gallagher of Ottumwa, Iowa; Michael Dillon of Granier County, Texas; Niel S., Brennen of peabody, Massachusetts; Charles Donnelly of Port Huron, Michigan. The document was closed with the following statement: I most cheerfully endorse the foregoing resolutions. This was then signed: P. J. Bedard, Pastor.

Then came the gold rush to the Black Hills of South Dakota. O'Neill was the last place where the gold seekers could buy provisions and thus the community began to prosper. More and more families in the East who were ready and willing to take advantage of the Government's offer to settle on the land of the West, and by that very fact became owners of it, were too poor to finance the journey to the lands being offered. General O'Neill began to receive numerous letters begging to come West but could not afford the trip out there. He also felt that it was about time that the colony began to think about having a resident priest, and thus having its own parish. Many feel that the church was founded on May 12, 1874, .when the colonists reached the present site of the town. Father Bedard came from Frenchtown, a colony of French Canadian Catholics which was founded in 1871. This colony came from Kanakee. Illinois, and settled in the northwest part of Antelope County and on the north bank of the Elkhorn River. Father Bedard was the only Catholic priest between West Point, Nebraska, and Butte, Montana. His first Mass in Holt County was said in the sod house of Thomas Cain, in the presence of the said Thomas Cain and his wife, John Reddy and his wife Bridget, John Fallon and his wife Mary, James Ryan and his wife, Michael McGrath and his wife Mary, Patrick Murray and his wife , Joseph Kresser and his wife, John Grady, Tim Connor, R. J. Hayes, T. N. J. Hynes and Ann Fallon. Thomas Hynes served that Mass and most of Father Bedard's other Masses in O'Neill for Father came at intervals of two or three months and services were usually held at Cain's and at John Fallon's.

But others feel that the first Mass in O'Neill was in the residence of John Hannegan, in the summer of 1875.

Now that services were being held on a regular basis, the General approached Father Bedard and formed the "Irish Emigrant Aid Society." The General believed that such societies would be in a position to loan the necessary funds to the settlers who wanted to go West and be able to make a considerable profit from the interest charged. O'Neill was confident that within three to five years after selecting his homestead, the average settler would be able to pay off his debt easily. These societies were to be formed in the cities and towns of the Eastern and Middle States because it was in these areas where there were a few wealthy men who through the assistance of the parish priest could help fellow Irishmen to move to Nebraska.

There was a great destiny for Holt County, but in the latter part of July, 1876, grasshoppers temporarily postponed it. The grasshoppers covered the ground to a depth of four to six inches. The aerial flight of the insects was about one and one-half miles to two miles wide and lasted for nearly two days. Such severe crop damage, amounting to over fifty per cent loss in the colony, caused many of the homesteaders to decide to leave the colony.

The official organization of Holt County occurred in the summer of 1876. In the face of the grasshopper scourge, it provided the struggling settlers with badly needed encouragement. They had been looking forward to the area's official recognition as a County for many months.

The children of the settlers were able to attend a school which was established by one of the settlers in her own home. General O'Neill wrote to Bishop James O'Connor, the Vicar Apostolic of Nebraska, explaining the work he had already done in Holt County and his hopes of the future in the establishment of a parish and also future Catholic settlements. In his reply on January 13, 1877, Bishop O'Connor expressed interest in the General's work, suggested that he colonize railroad lands because of the assistance which the railroad companies would offer, and promised that he would see to it that the settlers would have priestly ministrations.

The settlers then decided to begin the erection of a church for the Lord. They were thankful for the little that they had but now felt that soon a priest would be offering Mass daily in their small colony. Father Bedard was still coming from Frenchtown (present day Neligh) for services in O'Neill. It does not seem that Father Bedard was ever officially attached to the Vicariate of Nebraska. He supervised the building of the new church which was to be a Small frame building measuring eighteen feet by thirty-six feet, at the cost of $1,200.00. The building material was then very high, owing to the long haul by ox team. The colonists hauled the lumber from Yankton, the capital of Dakota Territory which was one-hundred and twenty-five miles from O'Neill and was the closest river port which obtained supplies from the East and Upper Midwestern States. As the church was being built, Father Bedard is reported to have died, probably in Yankton in 1876. The circumstances and place of his death seem lost to history.

The church was completed without pews or seats of any kind and had no bell. The church was erected on the southeast corner of block four in the city of O'Neill. It was completed in July, 1877 and the first Mass was said by a Father Smith of Council Bluffs who was sent here for the purpose and in his sermon he said he brought the glad tidings that O'Neill was going to get a resident pastor.