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| TAZEWELL
COUNTY ILLINOIS |
GENEALOGY
TRAILS |
NEWSPAPER
TIDBITS |
ST JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH, PEKIN ILLINOIS
 The First Church building of St. Joseph Catholic Church at 200 Susannah St. has been a residence for a long time. The Oldtimer Recalls by Roy Preston I promised Mr. Ralph Morris that I would look into history and come up with something about St. Joseph Church. First St. Joseph Church building is probably the oldest Church building still in existence. I find that contemporaneous with the coming of the first settler to the Illinois valley, was the establishment of the Catholic Church in Pekin. When the church on Seventh and Broadway was dedicated, it was the 233rd anniversary of Catholics in Pekin, Tazewell County at that time was called. "The home of the Illini," History tells us that LaSalle was the first white person to step off his canoe in Pekin. In early history of Pekin, the rites of the Church were celebrated so far as possible at firesides of the pioneers. Occasionally a Jesult priest would gather the faithful together and celebrate mass in some rough cabin. It was not until the late 50's that services were held with much regularity. Pekin and Peoria belonged to the Chicago diocese. The first Church was located in Flint's hall on N. Fifth street according to the Bates Directory. The German and Irish people worshipped together. In 1800 the Germans decided to hold an all-German service and the church separated. German population stayed at the flint house and the Irish worshippers moved to a house on the southwest corner of Susannah and S. Second. The building was dedicated Nov 9, 1863. House is still standing and is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Morris, who live there. Mrs. Susie Neumann, who lived near the church when a young girl, relates the good ties the children had when the church was located in this building. The German congregation moved, date not known, to the corner of Ninth and Catherine streets, where a school was built, in addition to a church. A parsonage was built east of the church and is still standing. To many the name of Father Grussi is familiar. In 1900 Father D. J. Sullivan took charge of the St. Joseph Church and a building program was underway. In 1903 the cornerstone was laid at the corner of Broadway and S. Seventh street. On Oct 17 1904, the church was dedicated. Cost was $15,000. Mrs Neumann also phoned advising that she has the badge or button worn by the people of Pekin during the street fair of Oct 11, 12, 13, 14, in 1899. She also remembers that Pekin Hardware had a booth in the center of Court Street during the fair. The store advertised the "Quick Meal" cook stove. Each day Mrs. Belle Smith and Mrs. Cora Strickfaden baked biscuits on the stove and served the to those at the fair. Another question asked was regarding the date of the Pekin Centennial. Printed in an edition of the Pekin Daily Times of July 1924, is the program of the big Pekin Centennial. I will try to answer some of the other questions at a future time. Some tie ago John Moss asked if we could find out which building or house in Pekin was the oldest. The church building is no doubt the oldest building used for this purpose. Plans are now under way to replace St. Joseph Church at Broadway and Seventh streets, with a new church and parsonage. |
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