GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 3: Western United States
Oregon: OR-21

Catholic Church. Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
2838 East Burnside Street
Portland, OR 97214

Phone: 503-233-8334
Email: See website (About: Staff Directory/ Contact)

 

Hours: See website 

Access: Some restrictions apply

Copying Facilities: Yes 

 

History: The Vicariate Apostolate of Oregon City was erected for present-day British Columbia excluding Vancouver’s Island, Idaho, Montana west of Helena, Oregon, and Washington State, 1843. The Archdiocese of Oregon City succeeded the vicariate, 1846, which was renamed the Archdiocese of Portland, 1862. The Portland Archdiocese reported 1,900 baptized Native American Catholics for Oregon, 1900, and Baker and Portland combined reported fewer than 1,000 and 12,800 Native Catholics for Oregon respectively, 1999. Portland has administered the following Native mission, parishes, and schools in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington State:

1838-1906 (no longer Native) (Portland, 1843-1906)	St. Francis Xavier Mission (Cowlitz, Klickitat), Toledo/ Cowlitz Prairie, Washington
1839-1898 (no longer Native) (Portland, 1843-1898)	St. Paul Mission (e.g. Cayuse, Grand Ronde, Métis), St. Paul/ Willamette Valley/ French Prairie, Oregon
1839 (closed) (Portland, 1843)	Willamette Academy (e.g. Cayuse, Grand Ronde, Métis), Willamette, Oregon
1843-1849 (closed) (Portland, 1843-1849)	St. Joseph’s College and Academy for Girls (e.g. Cayuse, Grand Ronde, Métis), Willamette, Oregon
1844-1854 (relocated) (Portland, 1844-1848)	St. Ignatius Mission (Kalispel), Pend Oreille River, Washington
1846-1858 (closed)	Yam Hill Church (Cayuse), Yamhill, Oregon
1847-1853 (Portland, 1847-1848)	St. Michael Chapel (Salish), Montana
1847-1852 (Portland, 1847-1848)	St. Anne Mission (Cayuse), Umatilla River, Oregon
1847-1850s (no longer Native) (Portland, 1847-1848)	St. Rose of the Cayuse Mission (Cayuse), Walla Walla River, Washington
1847-1856 (closed) (Portland, 1847-1848)	St. Joseph Mission/ Ahtanum Mission (Yakama), Yakima, Washington
1846-1888 (no longer Native) (Portland, 1848-1903)	St. Peter Church (Cayuse, Grand Ronde, Nez Perce, Paiute, Walla Walla, Wasco, Washo), The Dalles, Oregon
1861-present	St. Michael the Arcangel Mission (Grand Ronde), Grand Ronde, Grand Ronde Reservation, Oregon
1865-present (Portland, 1865-1903)	St. Andrew/ St. Anne Mission (Cayuse, Nez Perce, Umatilla, Walla Walla), Pendleton, Umatilla Reservation, Oregon
1888-present (Portland, 1865-1903)	St. Ann Mission School (Cayuse, Nez Perce, Umatilla, Walla Walla), Pendleton, Umatilla Reservation, Oregon
1889-present	Our Lady of Guadeloupe/ St. Mary Mission (Chinook, Klamath, Siletz), Siletz Reservation, Oregon
1899-present (Portland, 1899-1903)	Holy Family Mission (Paiute), Burns, Burns Reservation, Oregon
1906 (closed)	Grande Ronde School (Grand Ronde), Grand Ronde Reservation, Oregon
1906-1909 (closed)	Siletz School (Chinook, Klamath, Siletz), Siletz Reservation, Oregon
1932-ca. 1970 (closed)	St. Augustine Mission (Siltez), Oceanlake, Oregon

 

Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans: 

Inclusive dates: 1839-ongoing

Volume: Ca. 2.5 cubic feet 

Description: 7 series include Native Catholic records; however, the processing for some series was incomplete when surveyed by a Marquette University archivist, 2006:

 

/1 Bishops’ Papers

Inclusive dates: 1839-present

Volume: More than 2 cubic feet within ca. 15 cubic feet

Description: Native American evangelization was a major concern by Archbishop Blanchet and a lesser concern by his successors.

A. Archbishop Francis Xavier Norbert Blanchet (1795-1883), Vicar Apostolic of Oregon, 1843-1846, Bishop of Oregon City, 1846-1850, and Archbishop of Oregon City, 1850-1880: 1843-1883, over 50% of ca. 4 cubic feet; re: correspondence, clippings, historical sketches, journals, reports, and a Kutchin-English dictionary; most letters in French; notable subjects include Native missions at Fort Vancouver, St. Paul, Cowlitz, Willamette, The Dalles, Warm Springs, Walla Walla, Nez Perce, upper Columbia River, and Boise; notable correspondents include Bishop A.M.A. Blanchet, Rev. Francis X. Blanchet, Rev. James Bouchard (Delaware), S.J. [Jesuits], Rev. Joseph M. Cataldo, S.J. [Jesuits], Rev. B. Delorme, Rev. Modeste Demers, Bishop Joseph Norbert Provencher, Archbishop Charles-Jean Seghers, Archbishop Joseph Signay, George Simpson, and the Society for the Propagation of the Faith

B. Archbishop Charles-Jean Seghers (1839-1886), 1862-1895, few letters within ca. 1.5 cubic feet; some letters in French

C. Archbishop William Hickley Gross, C.Ss.R. [Redemptorists] (1837-1898), 1885-1898, few letters within ca..6 cubic foot

D. Archbishop Alexander Christie (1848-1925), 1899-1824, few letters within ca. .3 cubic foot; re: correspondence

E. Archbishop Edward Daniel Howard (1877-1983), 1932-1964, few letters within ca. 4 cubic feet

F. Archbishop Robert Joseph Dwyer (1908-1976), undated, few letters within ca. 2 cubic feet

G. Archbishop Cornelius Michael Power (1913-1997), 1874-1991, few letters within ca. 1 cubic foot

H. Archbishop William Joseph Levada (1936- ), 1986-1995, few letters within ca. 1 cubic foot

I. Archbishop Francis Eugene George, O.M.I. [Oblates of Mary Immaculate] (1937- ), 1996-2000, few letters within ca. .3 cubic foot; re: correspondence, booklets, and clippings

J. Archbishop John George Vlazny (1937- ), 1997-present: 1998-present, few letters within ca. .1 cubic foot; re: correspondence and booklets

 

/2 Sacramental Records

Inclusive dates: 1861-1971

Volume: Several volumes, at least in part 

Description: Arrangement alphabetical by location of parishes and there under by name; includes baptisms, first communions, confirmations, marriages, and burials for the following Native and non-Native parishes that have had a few Native parishioners and/or attended Native missions and stations:

A. Chemawa, St. Michael Archangel, 1912-1965; baptisms

B. Salem, Sacred Heart Church, 1930-1964; first communions and confirmations

C. Corvallis, St. Mary Church, 1861-1943; baptisms, marriages, and burials

D. Grand Ronde, St. Michael the Archangel Mission, 1886-1971; includes burial records; published in Catholic Church Records of the Pacific Northwest by Harriet Duncan Munnick, 1972

E. McMinnville, St. James, 1875-1912; baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials

F. Portland, St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 1888-1952; baptisms, first communions, and marriages

G. Salem, St. Joseph, 1862-1969; baptisms, marriages, and burials; published in Catholic Church Records of the Pacific Northwest by Harriet Duncan Munnick, 1972

H. Siletz Reservation, St. Mary Mission, 1894-1941; baptisms, marriages, and burials

I. St. Paul (Willamette Valley, French Prairie), St. Paul, 3 volumes, 1839-1898; published in Catholic Church Records of the Pacific Northwest by Harriet Duncan Munnick, 1972

 

/3 “Parish Files 

Inclusive dates: 1860-ongoing

Volume: Several folders 

Description: Arranged alphabetically by location of parishes and there under by name; includes correspondence, clippings, and histories for Native parishes and attended Native missions and stations:

A. Corvallis, St. Mary Church, 1860-1953, .3 cubic foot

B. Newport, St. Mary, Star of the Sea Church, 1889- ongoing

C. St. Paul Mission St. Pauls, 1900-1913

D. Salem, St. Joseph Church, 1902- ongoing

E. Salem, St. Vincent de Paul Church, 1929- ongoing

 

/4 Photographs

Inclusive dates: Unknown

Volume: At least a few

Description: Unprocessed; includes priests and parishes. 

 

/5 Priests’ Papers

Inclusive dates: Unknown

Volume: Few folders

Description: Arranged alphabetically by surname with 1 folder/person, including: 

A. Rev. James Bouchard (Delaware), S.J. [Jesuits]

B. Rev. Joseph M. Cataldo, S.J.

 

/6 Religious Community Files

Inclusive dates: 1902-ongoing 

Volume: .2 cubic foot

Description: Arranged alphabetically by name of community; the records relating to the Sisters of Charity of Providence, Seattle, 1912-; are believed to partially pertain to Native evangelization. 

 

/7 Archdiocesan Newspaper 

Inclusive dates: 1870-ongoing

Volume: Few articles 

Description: The Catholic Sentinel has included occasional articles on Native Americans and Catholic evangelization throughout Oregon. It was established in 1870 and acquired by the Archdiocese of Portland, ca. 1920, when it became the official newspaper for both Portland and Baker.      

 

Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives.

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