The Mccunes and Staffords, the Proposed Catholic Church in Beverly, Ohio, and the Catholic Church in Keokuk, Iowa by Donald M
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Vol. XXXVI, No. 2 February, 2011 The McCunes and Staffords, the Proposed Catholic Church in Beverly, Ohio, and the Catholic Church in Keokuk, Iowa by Donald M. Schlegel (Part 2 of 3, continued from Vol. XXXVI, No. 1) McCune Developments northwest of Beverly. Also buried with her were McCune continued to live in Beverly and carry George W. McCune and John S. McCune, no doubt on this work on the canal.30 Payments for her infant sons. On November 30, 1842, McCune’s Muskingum River improvements from June, 1840 father, the pioneering Peter McCune, died in Beverly. to June, 1843 included Peter Cornyn on the contract He had lived in Ohio for twenty years, “during which for Section 4, John McCune for Section 10, and time he proved himself a good citizen, an affectionate Arthur Taggart for Section 13. James Taggart was husband, a kind parent and a practical Catholic.”33 a partner with Crossen and Bell for Section 6. For On May 1, 1843, John McCune married Mary Section 6 payments also were made to J. R. Straughn C. Odell before Father James McCaffrey in Morgan and Arthur Taggart.31 John meanwhile became a County.34 Mary had been born in Maryland and property owner there. In 1841 he purchased from brought to Ohio by her parents while still a young John Dodge lots 1 & 2 in Square 39 in Beverly for child. She had joined the Catholic Church at the age $230.00. This was the northwest corner of Ferry of 12 or 13 and became a strict, zealous, and and Fifth, the central intersection of the town. This exemplary member.35 John Odell, a native of may have been the McCune home, or perhaps a Maryland like Mary, was living in McConnellsville in store. (He sold these lots on July 29, 1853.) Two 1840 and was a farmer in the area in 1850. He days later lhe purchased from Dodge lot 4 in Square probably was Mary’s brother. 44 of Beverly for $150.00. This was on the From 1842 through 1845 John was in business southwest corner of Sixth and Canal and probably with his brother Charles T. McCune as John McCune was the site of a warehouse. In 1846 he purchased & Co. In July, 1846 John still was a resident of from Martin and Bridget Stafford lots 10 and 11 in Beverly.36 Square 39 in Beverly for $1,182.25. These were on the northeast corner of Fifth and Canal and McCune Moves to Keokuk probably were warehouses or store rooms.32 In 1846 the U.S. Congress granted lands on The year 1842 was a sorrowful one for both sides of the Des Moines River in Iowa to the McCune. On February 25 his wife Roseanna state of Iowa, as soon as it would be admitted to the (Rogers) died in Beverly. She was interred in the Union (which happened near the end of that year). Catholic cemetery at Sherlock’s Settlement or Meigs The lands were to be sold and the proceeds devoted Creek, now Hackney, in the hills seven miles north- to improving navigation on that river. Samuel R. 211 Curtis, who had been in charge of the Muskingum same time as Samuel Curtis and worked on the river River improvements in Ohio until 1839, in about improvements with him.38 The last record of him in 1848 moved to Keokuk, on the Mississippi River Ohio is the 1846 Catholic Telegraph notice. Dates at the mouth of the Des Moines. Keokuk about this given for his arrival in Keokuk vary from 1847 to time was described as being situated on the side of 1849.39 His daughter Catherine was born in Ohio a bare clay bank that sloped steeply down to the about 1849. Mrs. McCune’s obituary says that the Mississippi, with dilapidated, rickety houses. Curtis family moved west “permanently” in the fall of 1850. surveyed the river and wrote a report to the state on John apparently moved first, following Curtis, and the needed improvements, showing that because of sent for the rest of the family when things seemed to the low banks near its mouth, ten miles of canal would be prospering.40 be needed there, along with several dams and locks The family sold Peter McCune’s former upriver, to open navigation as far as Ottumwa. The property in Centre Township, Guernsey County, Board of Public Works awarded contracts for the Ohio in 1849. In April Peter McCune [Jr.] of first locks, dams and canals closest to the Mississippi Washington County gave Samuel B. Robinson of in 1848 and Curtis was appointed chief engineer. Beverly a power of attorney to sell his interest. Although it appears that work started by 1849, Charles T. McCune of VanBuren County, Iowa gave overall little construction was completed. By 1856 power of attorney to the same Robinson in May. only 3 locks and 2 dams had been built and “the John and Mary C. McCune and Martin and Bridget whole of the lands...were disposed of and very little Stafford sold their interests in July for $1800; and practical good accomplished toward the navigation Charles T. McCune, Peter McCune, and James E. of the river.” From 1850 to 1853 Curtis was engineer and Margaret Burke sold their share for $1800 in in charge of the harbor improvement and other public December. It would appear that John, as eldest works at St. Louis.37 son, received two shares of the estate, a practice John McCune moved to Keokuk about the not unknown among the Irish.41 Partial plat of Beverly, Ohio, from the 1870s, on which places associated with John McCune have been marked: A-the canal built by McCune; B-the lock built by Taggart; C-lot 11 in square 44; D-lots 10 & 11 in square 39; E-lots 1 & 2 in square 39; F-lots 15-18 in square 29, site of proposed St. Michael’s Church; G-site of St. Bernard’s Church. 212 Keokuk, Iowa, the late 1840s. Main Street leads uphill from the landing. Among the buildings to the right, perhaps half way up the hill as drawn, was the site of St. John’s Church. John McCune built his house on the bluff on the right. The mouth of the DesMoines River is downriver, to the left. The drawing was turned into a lithograph and published by Henry Lewis in Das Illustrirte Mississippithal. The Catholic Church in Keokuk the second half of 1849 the Catholic population The first Catholic church in Keokuk, St. John increased by fifty percent, including four or five who the Evangelist Church, was built in 1844. Rt. Rev. were “very well off.”46 Mathias Loras, Bishop of Dubuque, paid $50 down Father John George Alleman, formerly a on lots 5 and 6 in block 12, at the corner of Second Dominican who served the Ohio missions, had left and Blondeau streets, in 1843.42 The church was that order and had become affiliated with the Diocese 20 by 30 feet, 12 feet high, built of stone foundation, of Dubuque about 1841. He had been ordained in log walls, and clapboard roof. The builders were a Zanesville in 1834 and had made the missionary few Catholics of mixed French and American Indian rounds at least as far as Beaver in Guernsey County, ancestry and Father Lucien Galtier, a priest sent by Chillicothe, and Mt. Vernon. In Iowa he visited the bishop who stayed there a few months and Keokuk in late 1847 and reported to the bishop, “I carried out his share, or more, of the manual labor.43 kept Church here yesterday and found some very “The site was...on the brow of the hill over-looking decent new settlers catholic.” Repairs and the rapids, with a magnificent view of Illinois and improvements were made to the church (new Missouri...”44 The Catholic graveyard was shingles for the roof, a floor, windows) and he noted established on the same lots. An adjacent lot (number that the building would be ready for service whenever 4) with a small house was purchased by Father the bishop should come. Father Alleman was Galtier in 1844. Title to most real estate in the city, stationed at Fort Madison, about twenty miles to including the Church lots, was not clear and remained the north. In 1849 he remarked to Father Villars in dispute for many years.45 that even if requested for a sick call, he would not Catholics were few in number in the town, visit the workers on the canal. But later he said he especially those who knew their faith and practiced had a mind to pay a visit “there to Iowa (said he) of it when possible. Father Gaultier reported a Catholic his friends of Ohio.” These apparently were workers population of 74 souls in Keokuk in 1845, but when on the Des Moines River improvements, not far from the first resident pastor, Rev. John Villars, arrived in Keokuk, and may well have included John McCune. 1848 he found only six Catholic families. During Father Villars shortly thereafter began visiting the 213 canal workers himself on weekdays and offered and Second streets and so, as in Beverly, had Mass for them as often as possible.47 property on the main street of the town.50 The other Father Villars made several additions of frame half of this lot was across an alley from the Catholic construction to the original Saint John Church in church and cemetery property. Keokuk, making a long, rather ramshackle structure.48 Adelaide, daughter of John and Mary Margaret McCune Burke in Keokuk McCune, was baptized there in August, 1851.