GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 2: Midwest United States
Wisconsin: WI-43

Catholic Church. Diocese of Superior. Chancery Office
1201 Hughitt Avenue
P.O. Box 969
Superior, WI 54880

Phone: 715-392-2937
Email: See website

 

Hours: See website 

Access: Some restrictions apply

Copying facilities: Yes

 

History: The Diocese of Superior was erected for northwest Wisconsin, 1905. Superior and its predecessors (Detroit, 1833-1843; Milwaukee, 1843-1855; La Crosse, 1855-1905) have served the following missions, parishes, and schools with Métis and Ojibwa Indian parishioners:

1835-present (Superior, 1905-present)	St. Joseph Mission (Métis, Ojibwa), La Pointe
1855-1910s (no longer Native) (Superior, 1905-1910s)	St. Francis Xavier/ Assumption Church (Ojibwa), Superior
1860-present (Superior, 1905-present)	Holy Family/ Christ Church (Ojibwa), Bayfield
1868-present (Superior, 1905-present)	Our Lady of Seven Dolors Mission (Ojibwa), Odanah, Bad River Reservation
1878-ca. 1910s (no longer Native) (Superior, 1905-1910s)	St. Agnes Church (Ojibwa), Ashland
1880-present (Superior, 1905-present)	St. Francis of Assisi Mission (Ojibwa), Flambeau/ Flambeaufarm
1882-1919 (closed) (Superior, 1905-1919)	Our Lady of Perpetual Help Mission (Ojibwa), Mouth of Yellow River
1882-1934 (closed) (Superior, 1905-1934)	St. Anthony of Padua Mission (Ojibwa), Pakwawong, Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation
1885-present (Superior, 1905-present)	St. Francis Solanus Church (Ojibwa), Reserve, Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation
1889-1942 (closed) (Superior, 1905-1942)	St. Joseph Mission (Ojibwa), Bellilfalls
1889-ca. 1920s (no longer Native) (Superior, 1905-ca. 1920s)	Our Lady of Good Counsel/ St. Mary of Good Counsel Mission (Ojibwa), Solon Springs
ca. 1889-present (Superior, 1905-present)	St. Anthony of Padua/ St. Mary of the Angels Mission (Ojibwa), Gordon
1892-1937 (closed) (Superior, 1905-1937)	Holy Angels Mission (Ojibwa), Mud Lake
1893-present (Superior, 1905-present)	St. Francis Church (Ojibwa), Red Cliff, Red Cliff Reservation
1895-present (Superior, 1905-present)	St. Anthony of Padua Mission, Lac du Flambeau, Lac du Flambeau Reservation
1894-ca. 1915 (closed) (Superior, 1905-ca. 1915)	St. Joseph Mission (Ojibwa), New Village, Lac du Flambeau, Lac du Flambeau Reservation
1900-1962 (closed) (Superior, 1905-1962)	St. Anthony Mission (Ojibwa), Belanger Settlement
ca. 1904-1910 (closed) (Superior, 1905-1910)	Sacred Heart Mission (Ojibwa), Trade River
1905-present	St. Anthony of Padua Church (Ojibwa), Lac du Flambeau, Lac du Flambeau Reservation
1910-1912 (no longer Native)	St. Mary Magdalene Mission (Ojibwa), Springbrook
1919-present	Our Lady of Perpetual Help Mission (Ojibwa), Danbury
1920-present	St. Mary Magdalene Mission (Ojibwa), Couderay, Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation
1934-present	St. Ignatius Mission (Ojibwa), New Post, Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation

 

Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:

Inclusive dates: ca. 1900-ongoing, undated

Volume: Ca. 2 cubic feet

Description: 6 series include Native Catholic records:

 

/1 Parish Files

Inclusive dates: 1906-1959 

Volume: .4 cubic foot 

Description: This series is arranged alphabetically by location of the parish or mission. 

A. Bayfield, Holy Family Church and School, 1906-1958 (majority from the 1950s), 1 folder: major correspondents include Rev. Regis Watts, Bishop Albert G. Meyer, and Bishop Joseph A. Annabring

B. Lac du Flambeau, St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1906-1959 (majority from the 1940s-1950s), 1 folder: major correspondents include Rev. Lawrence Henninger, Bishop William P. O'Connor, Bishop Albert Meyer, and Bishop Joseph Annabring

C. New Post, St. Ignatius Mission, 1922-1950 (majority from the 1920s-1930s), 1 folder: major correspondents include Rev. Ignatius Kinney, Rev. John Kauer, and Bishop Theodore Reverman

D. Odanah, Our Lady of Seven Dolors Mission and St. Mary School, 1906-1959 (majority from the 1930s-1950s), 1 folder: major correspondents include Rev. Emeran Fox, Rev. Symphorian Nothoff, Rev. Bertram Mitchell, Bishop Theodore Reverman, and Bishop Albert Meyer

E. Red Cliff, St. Francis Church and School, 1912-1959 (majority from the 1940s-1950s), 1 folder: major correspondents include Rev. Oscar Rascher, Rev. Clementin Grosskopf, Bishop Joseph A. Annabring, Bishop William O'Connor, and Bishop Albert Meyer

F. Reserve, St. Francis Solanus Mission and School, 1906-1958 (majority from the 1920s-1930s), .1 cubic foot: major correspondents include Rev. Philip B. Gordon (Ojibwa), Rev. Ignatius Kinney, Rev. John Kauer, Bishop Theodore Reverman, and the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions

 

/2 "Missions - Business" and "Indian Missions"

Inclusive dates: 1901-1949, undated

Volume: .2 cubic foot

Description: This series is arranged alphabetically by location of the parish. It primarily contains financial correspondence and legal documents relating to land transactions. 

A. Bayfield, Holy Family Church, 1930s, 1 folder: primarily correspondence

B. Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, 1908-1911, 5 letters

C. Lac du Flambeau, St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1901, 1906-1909, 2 folders: primarily correspondence

D. Odanah, Our Lady of Seven Dolors Mission and St. Mary School, 1902-1924, 1930-1949, .1 cubic foot: includes correspondence, financial and statistical reports, and historical notes

E. Red Cliff, St. Francis Church, 1913, undated, 1 folder: correspondence and clippings

F. Reserve, St. Francis Solanus Church, 1908-1909, 1 folder: primarily correspondence

 

/3 Deceased Priests' Files 

Inclusive dates: ca.1900-1981 

Volume: .65 cubic foot

Description: This series is arranged alphabetically by surname. 

A. Gordon (Ojibwa), Rev. Philip B., ca. 1900-1981, .6 cubic foot:

1. Correspondence, 1906-1981 (majority from 1906-1920), .3 cubic foot: major correspondents include the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, Bishop Augustin F. Schinner, and Bishop Joseph M. Koudelka; correspondence from 1948-1981 is about Rev. Gordon

2. Diary, 1909, 1913-1914, 1 volume: handwritten with daily entries

3. Photographs, ca.1900-1940s, approximately 475 prints

B. Kinney, Rev. Ignatius, 1920s-1930s, 1 folder: biographical records and correspondence regarding St. Francis Solanus Church, Reserve

 

/4 Financial and Statistical Reports 

Inclusive dates: 1908-ongoing

Volume: .5 cubic foot

Description: The series contains annual reports from each Indian parish, mission, and school within the diocese.

 

/5 "Religious Men and Women" 

Inclusive dates 1930-1945, 1949

Volume: 2 folders

Description: This series contains correspondence with religious orders working within the diocese. The letters primarily relate to appointments and finances and are arranged alphabetically by order. 

A. Franciscans, Sacred Heart Province, St. Louis, 1930-1945, 30 letters

B. Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1949, 15 letters: regarding St. Mary School, Odanah.

 

/6 Diocesan newspaper

Inclusive dates: 1953-ongoing

Volume: Occasional articles

Description: The Catholic Herald Citizen.  

 

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