Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 September 1916 — COLLEGE RETROSPECT [ARTICLE]

COLLEGE RETROSPECT

Interesting Booklet Issued by St. Joseph College. The Democrat is in receipt of a very Interesting booklet entitled “A Retrospect,” which has just been published by St. Joseph college. The book contains a historical sketch of the college, dating from 1891, when the plans for the same were first considered, following it through the uncertain and rocky stages that followed and finally emerging into the sunlight of stress with the grand institution that today stands as a credit to the county and those who made the same what it is. The first chapter is entitled “The Foundation,” which tells of the establishment of the institution and ►some of the trials necessary to accomplish the same, and from it we extract the following interesting paragraphs:

“A swamp was of on value. It was a place of pestilence. But it was just the place for a monastery, because it made life especially hard, and so the monks carried earth and stone and made a foundation and then set to work to dike and drain and fill up the swamp, till they turned it into fertile ploughland and the pestilence had ceased.” In these words a certain author describes the location of the famous monasteries of the middle ages, the cradles of learning and culture of those days. The quotation is used here as aptly describing •to the

student of 1916, the site upon which the congregational of the Most Precious Blood opened St. Joseph’s college twenty-five years ago. If swamp and lowland made for education, the location was unsurpassed. “It was just the place for a monastery” or college. The land upon which the college now stands had historic associations with the diocese of Fort Wayne for many years before. Originally known as the Spitler farm, it was purchased in 1867 by Bishop Luers. as a site for a prospective orphans’ asylum, and embraced 933 acres. The price paid was SIB,OOO. The bishop’s pastoral upon the subject describes it as “650 acres under fence, 200 under cultivation, 200 wood, the balance prairie.” There were on it two dwelling houses, one of which contained twelve rooms, affording accommodation for forty or fifty orphans. Tn 1868 there were thirty-five orphans in the institution under the direction of the sisters of Holy Cross. Father Joseph Stephan was chaplain of the institution. In those days there were no railroads through Rensselaer: the nearest vantage point being Remington, ten miles south, and the road led through many a pond and slough. The last of the orphans left the asylum in 1887 by their removal to Fort Wayne. The Catholic bureau had purchased a portion of the property opposite the asylum buildings the year it closed and in 1888 was ready to receive its dusky pupils in the new school. Surroundings so wretched to the pale-facfi might not be so ill adapted to those children of nature, inured to the wbods and wib’s. The Indian school remained o->er?H- e until 1 896, when by the v idrawal of the government support, its doors were closed.

Father Henry Drees, provincial of the congregation, desired a separate institution for the collegiates, who were then making their studies with the seminarians at the mother house at Carthagena, Ohio; Bishop DWenger had his heart set upon the establishment of a Catholic college for the priesthood at the diocese at Fort Wayne, and between the provincial and the bishop there was much in common, since the latter, at the time of his elevation to the episeopacy was a missionary priest to the community. The provincial, as his part of the undertaking, was to supply teachers and money; the bishop as the only thing he’ had to give, offered his farm at Rensselaer. An earlier proposition of the same kind had been made to rather Bernard Austermann, Father Henry’s predecessor in office, spme years before; but on account of the unattractiveness of the location itself and its poor geographical position, had been refused. The new suggestion of the bishop to Father Henry was in reality a pressing appeal which neither he nor his conmi Itors felt able to withstand, and the “gift,” after having been long debated and much opposed, was accepted at last. on T he bish °P’s deed conveyed about 3 0 acres; what the college has since- acquired has come by direct purchase of surrounding farms Plans for the college were soon drawn and the contract let in Fort i sqrt ne Tb The date w as’February 6, 1890. The successful* bidders were

the Medlands, father and sons, of Logansport. It is noteworthy that these gentlemen have been prominently identified with the beginning and growth of the college. Every building in the enclosure from the original structure to the imposing new gymnasium, the hall of science and music, is of their construction. In a material sense they are the builders of St. Joseph’s college. Excavations were started as soon as the weather permitted and the work on the foundation progressed so rapidly that it was possible to lay the corner stone early in July. We are indebted to Father Florian Hahn of the Indian school for the particulars. Then follow some very interesting chapters treating on the opening of the college, organization, development and athletics, and closes with a most interesting account of the celebration of the silver jubilee, which opened on June 19, 1916.