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Hamilton County : Cincinnati
The Sisters of
Notre Dame came to Cincinnati in 1840, at the urgent request of Bishop
John Baptist Purcell, direct from the Mother House in
Namur, Belgium. During the year previous, this pious and cultured
prelate, while on a tour of Europe, desired to call on the Baroness de Copens,
whose sister, a Religious, he had met in America. Arrived at her residence in
company with the Abbi Brassac, it was ascertained that the Baroness was absent,
attending a retreat, in the Convert of Notre Dame et Namur, and thither they
went. This convent, which is known as the "Mother House" of the Sisters of Notre
Dame, was founded in 1807 by the Venerable Julia Billiart, and at the time of
the good Bishop's visit, in 1839, was governed by mother Ignatius. The latter
received her visitors most cordially, and after inspecting the various
departments of the institute.
Bishop Purcell was so impressed with the holy rules of the Religious, and their
admirable educational methods, what hr, there and then, determined to establish
a House of this Order in Cincinnati, which was then a city of about forty five
thousand inhabitants with, comparatively speaking, few institutions for the
complete to and high education of girls and young ladies. In the following year
(1840) the good Bishop was enabled to party out his project. The Rev. Mother
Ignatius, at the request of his Lordship sent eight Sisters of Noble Dame on the
important mission. These zealous missionaries, whose names am held m
introduction to this day by thousands of grateful pupils en this city, and in
many parts of the United States were: Sister Louis de
Gonzague, Superior; Sister Louise; Sister Xavier; Sister Ignatia; Sister Rosine;
Sister Melanie; Sister Humbeline and Sister Mary Pauline. The Sisters
set sail from Antwerp, September 9, and entered the harbor of New York, October
19, 1840, They donned secular dress here, and traveled according to the usual
custom of those pioneer days by boat and stage to Cincinnati, arriving on the
eve of All Saints. They attracted much attention both on the streets and in the
Cathedral at divine service; and were soon known as the “accomplished French
ladies.” The first house occupied by the Sisters was on Sycamore street,
opposite the old cathedral (now St Xavier). It was soon found too small far the
growing wants of the community and school. About a dozen yards from their humble
abode there stood a house and garden, once the property of Rev. Oliver M.
Spencer, pastor of the adjacent Methodist Church. The street on which this
property was situated had originally been called Gano street, in honor of Judge
Gano, but its name had been changed to Sixth street. The house and garden of Mr.
Spencer with its rare plants and beautiful trees, was considered one of the most
elegant and desirable pieces of property is the city. The Sisters purchased this
property from Josiah Lawrence, the owner, at the time of their coming to
Cincinnati Mr. Lawrence was a stanch member of the Methodist Church, but his
niece, who was largely instrumental through her kind, personal efforts, in
procuring this property for the Sisters had the happiness, subsequently of
becoming a Religious of Notre Dame a this very house. Christmas morning found
the little community settled in their new home, and here their first school was
opened January 18, 1841. The foundation prospered beyond the fondest homes of
any of its projectors. The pupils of the Sister, were from the most refined and
wealthy families, and many were Protestants In a few months boarders and day
scholars numbered sixty, and the records of the first years continually make
mention of buildings, erected or enlarged, for the accommodation of the
increasing number of pupil, and Sisters. But it was not for the wealthy classes
that these good Sisters had come so far. A parting injunction of their Mother
Superior had been to help the poor to their utmost ability, and indeed the
institute of Notre Dame had been established by the Venerable Mother Julia
Billiart "to instruct the poor in the most abandoned localities." It was on this
is moment, that they might labor among the poor classes, that Sister Superior
Louise rejected an offer of the Right Rev. Bishop Purcell, by which they would
have come into possession of the beautiful estate, in Brown county, afterward
presented to the Ursuline Nuns. She Sister Superior of Notre Dame alleged, as
her reason for declining the offer, that their rules did net permit them to
commence a Foundation in a locality where they could not instruct and educate
the poor as well as the rich. Classes for those unable to pay for their tuition
were opened at the same time as the boarding school, and the delighted teachers
soon saw the pupils, in the parochial school surpass , in number those of the
academy. This free school has developed into the present “St Xavier Girl
Parochial School." taught gratuitously by the Sisters of Notre Dame for
fifty-three years, twelve teachers being employed at present, thereby saving the
State thousands of dollars yearly. In the course of time. twelve other schools
were opened in the city, and are conducted by the Sisters of Notre Dame to this
day. St. Xavier's School was established in 1810; St. Mary's. Thirteenth street,
1847; Holy Trinity, fifth street, 1848. St Paul’s, Pendleton, 1850; St
Philomena's, Pearl street, 1853; St, Joseph’s, Laurel street, 1855; St
Augustine's, Bank street, 1862; St Anthony's. Budd street, 1864; St Ann's, New
street, 1867; St George’s, Corryville, 1877; St. Henry’s, Flint street, 1878.
Colored children are taught at St Ann’s school. A school in which deaf mutes are
instructed in the ordinary branche of education was opened in 1889. Many
sodalities for young and married ladies have been flourishing under the care, of
the Sisters for years, while the "Tabernacle Society for the Relief of Poor
Churches" is the latest gem that has been added to the crown of glory which
encircles the fair name of Notre Dame.
Source : (collective work) : History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio :
their past and present, including early settlement and development, antiquarian
researches, their aboriginal history, pioneer history, political organization,
agricultural, mining and manufacturing interests, a history of the city,
villages and townships, religious, educational, social, military and political
history, statistics, biographies and portraits of pioneers and representative
citizens, etc.; Cincinnati: S.B. Nelson & Co., 1894, 1319 pgs.
Seneca County
La vente des terres gouvernementales, achetées aux Indiens Wyandot, commença en 1832. Parmis les premiers colons se trouvent des Belges : Jean Feck, Nicolas Feck, Michel Wagner et probablement Jean-Pierre Glasener, originaires de Habergy. D'autres familles de Bebange, Hachy, Hondelange, Sivry et Vance les rejoignirent.
Marguerite Feck raconta "Les gens connurent les plus grandes difficultés, les femmes étaient terrorisées à la vue des derniers Indiens rôdant dans la région. On ne disposait que du moulin à café pour broyer le peu de sarrasin ou blé noir récolté de-ci de-là. De juin 1835 à mars 1836 on fut privé de pain. Cependant tous s'entraidaient du mieux possible et étaient profondément heureux chaque fois qu'ils gagnaient des terres sur la forêt. L'argent était rare..." (Gonner Vol 1 p. 110)
French Town fut fondé en 1841 par des Luxembourgeois d'expression française qui s'instalèrent au nord de New Riegel, à Big Spring, entre les hameaux de Springville et de Frenchtown, où ils trouvèrent d'autres Belges francophones et des Luxembourgeois.
Les premières familles furent celles de Jean Nicolas Lafontaine, de Vance, partis en 1841 et de Pierre Theis, de Hachy, en 1842. Jean-Jacques Lafontaine, le fils ainé, serait parti en éclaireur vers les années 1836, et en attendant les siens, il aurait fait partie d'un groupe de trappeurs.
Une réplique de la statue de Notre Dame de la Consolation fut intronisée à Carey, une ville tout proche. (voir Leopold Indiana) en 1871 par Joseph Gloden, prêtre luxembourgeois.
Signalons comme colons Jean Grein, Jean Guillaume, François Etgen et Pierre Wagner de Habergy; Jean Theisen de Hondelange; Joseph Lucius de Sampont, Michel et Pierre Theis de Hachy.
(d'après Jean Ducat : Ohio - Seneca County - Des colons venus de Haute Semois in Dentelle Belge 1991/1)
Une liste des premiers colons belges de New Rigel est
donnée dans : Wooden Chalices, Golden Priests, Golden Hearts, A History of
St Boniface Parish, New Riegel, Ohio de Allen Huelskamp (1984) :
de Hachy : Bouillon, Kinn, Lucius, Nepper, Theis
de Sampont : Frankart
de Habergy : Feck, Grein, Niederkohr, Wagner, Nepper
de Toernich : Etgen, Wagner
de Messancy : Perl
de Meix-le-Tige : Wagner
de Fouches : Mathias
de Arlon : Hofbauer
D'autres s'installèrent dans les comtés de Darke et Shelby :
Schiltz,
Goffinet, Huberty, Baltes
Biographies of early settlers in Seneca County
Stark County
En 1834, des habitants de Sampont, dépendance de Hachy,
s'établirent dans le Stark County. Beaucoup de ces Luxembourgeois (Belges et du
Grand Duché) émigraient à cette époque par le port de New Orleans, d'où ils
remontaient le Mississippi et l'Ohio. Le nombre d'émigrants Luxembourgeois
belges, en majorité de langue allemande, qui émigrèrent vers les Etats-Unis
entre 1830 et 1840 est estimé à 300. Ils s'installèrent principalement dans
les Comtés de Seneca, Stark, Henry et Erié.
A.De Smet : L'émigration belge aux Etats-Unis
Lorsque en 1851, Marie Madeleine Lallemand décède à Les
Bulles, son mari et ses enfants étaient instalés en Ohio dans le Comté de
Stark :
son mari : Draime Jean-François, cultivateur à Millport
ses enfants :
+ Marie-Christine (épouse Berger Jean, cultivateur, Jacksonville, ? Cty)
+ Jean-Baptiste, tonnelier (New Berlin)
+ Jacques, tonnelier (Louisville, Kentucky)
+ Marguerite (Vve Drourat, Jean-Baptiste, Bolivar, Tuscarawas Cty)
+ Marie
+ Rosalie
+ Marie-Joseph
+ Gustave
(Dentelle Belge 1992/4 : La famille Draime de Les Bulles en Ohio au 19e s. par
Jean Ducat)
