GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 2: Midwest United States
Wisconsin: WI-10

Catholic Church. Diocese of Green Bay. Archives
1910 South Webster Avenue
P.O. Box 23825
Green Bay, WI 54305-3825

Phone: 920-437-7531
Email: See website

 

Hours: See website

Access: See website

Copying facilities: Yes

 

History: The Diocese of Green Bay was erected, 1868. It reported 1,390 baptized Native American Catholics, 1900, and the National Council of Catholic Bishops estimated 1,336, 1999. Green Bay and its predecessors (Cincinnati-1821-1833; Detroit, 1833-1843; Milwaukee, 1843-1868) have served the following parishes, missions, and schools with Native Americans:

1660-1765 (Green Bay, 1868-present)	St. Francis Xavier Mission (Menominee, Métis, Ojibwa), Green Bay
1831-1836? (Green Bay, 1868-present)	Indian School (Menominee, Métis, Ojibwa), Green Bay
1836-1843? (Green Bay, 1868-present)	St. John Neopomucene Church and School (Menominee, Métis, Ojibwa), Little Chute
1843-1852? (Green Bay, 1868-present)	St. Francis Xavier Mission and School (Menominee, Métis), Lake Poygan
1859-present (Green Bay, 1868-present)	St. Michael Church (Menominee), Keshena, Menominee Reservation
1876-1954 (closed)	Our Lady of the Woods/ St. Mary of the Woods/ Our Lady of Sorrows Mission (Menominee), Kenepoway/ West Branch, Menominee Reservation
1876-before 2000 (closed)	St. Joseph of the Lake Mission (Menominee), Little Oconto/ South Branch, Menominee Reservation
1881-1926 (closed)	St. Francis Mission (Stockbridge), Red Springs, Stockbridge Reservation
1881-1980	St. Joseph School (Menominee, Oneida, Stockbridge), Keshena, Menominee Reservation
1891-present	Immaculate Conception/ St. Mary Church (Oneida), De Pere/ Oneida, Oneida Reservation
1909-present	St. Joseph Mission (Oneida), Oneida, Oneida Reservation
1909-present	St. Anthony Church (Menominee), Neopit, Menominee Reservation
1926-present	St. Francis Solanus Church (Stockbridge), Gresham, Stockbridge Reservation

 

Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:

Inclusive dates: 1840-ongoing, undated

Volume: Over 2 cubic feet (includes 16 rolls microfilm and 132 microfiche cards 

Description: 2 series.

 

/1 Parish Files and Sacramental Records

Inclusive dates: 1840-ongoing, undated

Volume: Over 2 cubic feet (includes 16 rolls microfilm and 132 microfiche cards

Description: Arranged alphabetically by parish location and there under by record type.

A. Freedom, St. Nicholas Church, 1890-1897: includes some baptismal records for Oneida, Immaculate Conception Church

B. Green Bay, St. Francis Xavier Mission, 1840-1852, 1 volume; baptisms, 1840-1852; handwritten by Reverend F.J. Bonduel

C. Gresham, St. Francis Solanus Church, 1881-2004; several items within 5 folders, 3 rolls microfilm, 23 microfiche; a predominantly non-Native American parish, with some Stockbridge Indian parishioners after St. Francis Mission, Red Springs, closed, 1926:

1. Sacramental records, 1881-2004; baptisms, 1881-2004; first communions, 1954-2003, confirmations, 1898-2004, marriages, 1881-2004, funerals, 1882-2004

2. Legal records, dates unknown, 2 folders

3. Financial records, dates unknown, 1 folder

4. Historical records, dates unknown, 1 folder

5. Photographs, dates unknown, 1 folder

D. Kenepoway (Kinepowa)/ West Branch, Our Lady of the Woods/ St. Mary of the Woods/ Our Lady of Sorrows Mission, 1880-1952?, 1 folder; historical records; although the mission had a cemetery, no burial records are known to exist

E. Keshena, St. Michael Church and St. Joseph School, 1877-present, 11 folders, 7 rolls microfilm, 53 microfiche:

1. Sacramental records, 1877-2004, also includes Little Oconto/ South Branch, St. Joseph of the Lake Mission, ca. 1877-before 2000, and some baptisms from Oneida, Immaculate Conception Church, 1890-1897; baptisms, 1877-2004; first communions, 1881-2003, Confirmations, 1882-2004, marriages, 1880-2004, funerals, 1880-2004; see also New London, Most Precious Blood Church, 1860s

2. Legal records, 1970-1981, 1 folder: regarding the transfer of property

3. Correspondence, 1877-1878, 1880, 1883-1885, 1887-1888, 1890-1892, 1894, 1899, 1902, 1905-1910, 1912-1914, 1926, 1946, 1951-1952, 1954-1958, 1963- 1966, 1968-1972, 1975-1976, 1978-ongoing, 1 folder (over 300 letters): major correspondents include Rev. Servatius Altmicks, O.F.M. [Franciscans], Rev. Odoric Derenthal, O.F.M., Rev. Blase Krake, O.F.M., Rev. Floribert Veverka, Rev. Alexis Pruemer, Bishop Francis X. Krautbauer, Bishop Frederick X. Katzer, Archbishop Sebastian G. Messmer, Bishop Stanislaus V. Bona, Bishop Aloysius J. Wycislo, and the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions; a major topic is the transfer of parishes from Franciscan to diocesan control, ca. 1970s-1980s

4. Financial records, dates unknown, 1 folder

5. Histories, 1933, undated, 21 pages:

6. "History of Keshena Mission," 1933, 11 typed pages: author unidentified

7. "Menominee Indian Missions," undated, 10 typed pages: author unidentified

8. Photographs, 1895, undated, 1 folder (at least 9 prints)

9. Cemetery, dates unknown, 1 folder

10. Miscellaneous, undated, 2 folders; clippings

11. School, dates unknown, 2 folders; St. Joseph Industrial School

F. Little Oconto/ South Branch, St. Joseph of the Lake Mission, 1882-2000, 5 folders:

1. Sacramental records: see Keshena, St. Michael Church

2. Legal records, dates unknown, 2 folders

3. Correspondence, dates unknown, 1 folder

4. Financial records, dates unknown, 1 folder

5. Historical records, dates unknown, 1 folder; includes listing on national and state registers of historic places in 2000

G. Marinette, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 1875-1930s: includes White Rapids station

1. Sacramental records, 1875-1930s, 2 folders

2. White Rapids historical records, undated

H. Neopit, St. Anthony Church, 1908-2004, undated, 6 folders, 3 rolls microfilm, and 39 microfiche:

1. Sacramental records, 1909-2004; baptisms, 1909-2004; first communions, 1910-2003, confirmations, 1911-2004, marriages, 1909-2004, funerals, 1909-2004

2. Legal records, 1960s-1981, 1 folder; regarding the transfer of property

3. Correspondence, 1908-1910, 1913-1914, 1946-1947, 1951-1952, 1958, 19681969, 1972-1973, 1976, 1978-present, 1 folder (over 50 letters): major correspondents include Rev. Blase Krake, O.F.M., Rev. Simon Schwarz, Rev. Marcellus Cabo, O.F.M., Archbishop Sebastian Messmer, Bishop Stanislaus Bona, and Bishop Aloysius Wycislo

4. Financial records, dates unknown, 1 folder

5. Histories and historical notes, undated, 1 folder: includes a "History of St. Anthony's Parish," undated, 8 typed pages, author unidentified

6. Photographs, 1970s-ongoing, 1 folder (at least 2 prints)

I. Oneida, Immaculate Conception/ St. Mary Church, 1890-1981, undated, 5 folders, 3 rolls microfilm, 19 microfiche:

1. Sacramental records, 1889-2005; baptisms, 1889-2005; first communions, 1906-2005, confirmations, 1890-2005, marriages, 1893-2005, funerals, 1892-2005; for baptisms, 1890-1897, see also Keshena, St. Michael Church, and Freedom, St. Nicholas Church

2. Legal records and Financial reports, 1949-present, 2 folders; includes transfer of property

3. Correspondence, 1890-1891, 1905-1907, 1937, 1939, 1947-1948, 1951, 1956- 1957, 1961-present, 1 folder (over 40 letters): major correspondents include Rev. P.J. Lochman and Bishop Frederick Katzer

4. Historical records, 1924, 1967, undated, 1 folder; includes histories of the Catholic Church on the Oneida Reservation by Rev. Aloysius A. Vissers, O.Praem. [Premonstratensians], 1924, and Rev. Adrian Traeger, O.Praem., 1967

5. Clippings, undated, 1 folder

J. Oneida, St. Joseph Church, 1926-2005, undated, 6 folders, 3 rolls microfilm, 21 microfiche:

1. Sacramental records, 1933-2005; baptisms, 1933-2005; first communions, 1940-2005, confirmations, 1949-2005, marriages, 1947-2005, funerals, 1947-2005

2. Legal records, 1913-present, 2 folders; re: transfer of property

3. Correspondence, 1926, 1938-1939, 1947, 1962, 1970, 1972-1978, 1980-present, 1 folder (over 20 letters): major correspondents include Rev. Thomas G. Fox, Rev. Willard Van De Loo, and Bishop Aloysius Wycislo

4. Financial records, dates unknown, 1 folder

5. Historical records, dates unknown, 1 folder

6. Photograph, undated, 1 folder (at least 1 print)

K. Red Springs, Stockbridge Reservation, Holy Angels/ St. Mary Mission, 1881-1925, 4 folders, 2 rolls microfilm, and 2 microfiche:

1. Sacramental records, 1881-1925; baptisms, 1881-1925; marriages, 1904-1922, funerals, 1888-1924

2. Correspondence, dates unknown, 1 folder

3. Financial records, dates unknown, 1 folder

4. Historical records, dates unknown, 1 folder

5. Mergers/closures, 1925?, 1 folder

 

/2 "Orders of Priests"

Inclusive dates: ca. 1940s-1980s?

Volume: At least .1 cubic foot

Description: Arranged alphabetically by the name of the congregation. 

A. Franciscans, Sacred Heart Province, St. Louis, Missouri, 1945, 1949, 1958, 1963, 1966-1967, 1972-1980s, 1 folder: Correspondence relating to the appointment of Franciscans to various Native missions and to financial matters; major correspondents include Bishop Aloysius Wycislo and Rev. Vitus Duschinsky, O.F.M., Provincial Minister of the Sacred Heart Province

B. Premonstratensians, De Pere, Wisconsin, ca. 1940s-1980s, 1 folder

 

For student attendance records at Catholic schools that served Native Americans – see also -- Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records, Marquette University Special Collections and Archives, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

 

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.

new1984/rev2006-2018