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block to the other and which on the south drank in the waters of a little creek that ran down the ravine on the north side of which the church was to stand. We were three months in getting rid of the stumps and underbrush that remained after the trees were felled. In clearing the ground we dug up three relics of the Indian War of 1856, one was a monstrous iron key which belonged to the quartermaster of the sloop of war
209:
328:, which meant that he had not taken a vow of poverty. Thus he was able to accumulate property and wealth. His niece once stated that he had a "sound head for business" and "expensive tastes." Over the years he bought and sold numerous properties and accumulated a comfortable fortune. When he died he left an estate worth over $ 33,000, which was a considerable sum of money in the early 20th century.
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rebuilding of the church was nearly total: Only the belfry and spire of the old church were used in the rebuilt church. The new church was considerably larger: Inside dimensions were 35′ × 120′ (10.7 × 36.6 m), with seating for 700 parishioners. It was dedicated in May 1883. The priest's home was in the basement of the church, where he lived for more than 20 years.
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town and had only about 600 residents. Prefontaine counted only ten
Catholics in the town and only three attended the first mass that he conducted. Bishop Blanchet warned Prefontaine that Seattle had little potential as a Catholic mission, but nevertheless, the bishop gave Prefontaine permission to
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I have vivid recollection of the time we had clearing the land for the new church. Every foot of it was covered with monster trees and dense underbrush. One giant of the forest that we cut down I remember measured eight feet in diameter at the butt and had roots which extended from one side of the
228:
Prefontaine rented a small two-room house at Third Avenue and Yesler Way in
Seattle for $ 6 per month to be used as a church as well as his living quarters. He converted one room to a small chapel so that he could conduct services there while working to raise funds to build a church. He held his
237:
He asked permission from Bishop
Blanchet to build a church in Seattle to support his mission. The bishop had believed that Seattle was a lost cause, but nevertheless he gave the priest permission to build a church as long as Prefontaine would raise the money for it himself and it would cost the
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The church was small: only 50′ × 25′ (15.2 ×7.6 m). After the church was completed, attendance at services increased rapidly and by 1882 the congregation of 300 had outgrown the small church. So
Prefontaine once again set to work to remodel and enlarge the edifice at a cost of $ 16,000. The
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By 1900 Prefontaine's health was declining and in 1901 his niece Marie Rose Pauze came to live with him and tend to him. He began to acquire tastes of a more secular nature, such as fine cigars and good whiskey. He retired in 1903 and purchased a roomy, three-story house on
246:, eventually raising $ 2,000. Prefontaine purchased a plot of land near his house on Third Avenue and Washington Street and began construction of a small church there. He did most of the work himself, including clearing the land and constructing the building.
200:. From there he journeyed around the entire territory, travelling in canoes with the Indians and sleeping in forests and on stream banks. He ministered to the Indians and the white settlers, both Catholics and non-Catholics.
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In 1865 Bishop
Blanchet divided the Puget Sound region of the diocese into two missions. He assigned Prefontaine to the northern mission where he set up his headquarters in the only town that had a Catholic church,
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for the nuns and parishioners, providing for the education of the children, and supervising the building of several churches in the area. While he was in
Steilacoom he met and worked with
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to set up
Catholic education for the children of Seattle. He purchased a plot of land at Second Avenue and Seneca Street for $ 6,800, and in that year the order established the
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159:, he lost his way and had to spend a night out in the open. When he awoke in the morning he discovered that he had spent the night in an Indian burial ground.
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At the intersection of Third Avenue and Yesler Way, which is at the north end of
Prefontaine Place South, just about at the site of his first house, stands a
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to fell the trees on the land before building the church. Yesler was later to claim that he had supplied the lumber for
Seattle's first Catholic Church.
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as a reward for his distinguished service in
Seattle since 1869. He was invested with robes and the title of Monseigneur Member of the Papal Household (
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19:
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433:. In his will he left the sum of $ 5,000 to the city "for a fountain in a public square," although the fountain was not completed until 1925.
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Prefontaine began construction of the church in the winter of 1868–69 and the church was completed and dedicated in the autumn of 1870.
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The plot of land that he purchased was heavily wooded and had to be cleared in order to build the church. Recalled Prefontaine in 1902:
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diocese nothing. In order to raise money for the church, he held fairs in various towns around the Puget Sound area, including Seattle,
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88:, Canada, in 1838, the eldest of five children in a French-speaking, devout Catholic family. His early education took place at
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136:) and a fellow French Canadian. Prefontaine spoke no English, so during his stay in Vancouver he studied English and also
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In Seattle a short street named Prefontaine Place South on the site of his first church is named for Prefontaine.
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On Prefontaine Place South stands the Prefontaine Building, a six-sided but nearly triangular building in the
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to care for sick people. He purchased an old soap factory at Fifth Avenue and Madison Street and persuaded the
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187:. She was a fellow French Canadian missionary, whose mission was also to build churches and schools.
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Father Francis X. Prefontaine and the Our Lady of Good Help Church, which he built in 1869
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Upon completion of Prefontaine's assignment at Fort Stevens, Bishop Blanchet sent him to
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The Msgr. F.X. Prefontaine fountain at Third & Yesler in Seattle, in disrepair
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History of Seattle: From the Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. 2
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and Nicolet College and he went on to study for the priesthood at the
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and decided to set up a ministry there. At that time Seattle was a
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728:. City of Seattle, Seattle Parks and Recreation. Archived from
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Emigrants from pre-Confederation Quebec to the United States
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The Prefontaine Building in Seattle on Prefontaine Place S.
100:
on November 20, 1863, he departed on a long sea voyage for
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style, completed in 1909, the year of Prefontaine's death.
513:
The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History
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at the academy, which is still in operation in Seattle.
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fountain inscribed with the name Francis X. Prefontaine
771:"Historical Sites: Summary for 110 S Prefontaine PL S"
96:
in 1859. Within three weeks after his graduation and
658:. Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington. Archived from
624:. Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington. Archived from
147:
Blanchet assigned the young priest to a ministry at
289:to come to Seattle and establish a hospital there.
216:Prefontaine first landed in Seattle at what is now
175:. The bishop assigned him to such duties as saying
72:priest and built the city's first Catholic church.
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321:and enjoyed reading from his large library there.
300:at that location. In his final years he served as
331:Prefontaine died in 1909 at the age of 70 years.
128:, in February 1864. In Vancouver he served under
828:Roman Catholic missionaries in the United States
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509:"Prefontaine, Father Francis Xavier (1838-1909)"
364:conferred on Prefontaine the honorary degree of
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108:. He was never to return to his native Quebec.
553:. St. James Cathedral, Seattle. Archived from
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803:19th-century Canadian Roman Catholic priests
656:Archives and Records, Archdiocese of Seattle
622:Archives and Records, Archdiocese of Seattle
281:In 1876 Prefontaine secured a contract from
262:Prefontaine may have hired the lumber baron
124:Prefontaine's voyage finally brought him to
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52:, an early resident in the pioneer days of
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144:trade language of the Pacific Northwest.
618:"1850: Diocese of Nesqually Established"
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229:first Mass there on November 24, 1867.
151:on the Oregon side of the mouth of the
745:
16:French Canadian priest and missionary
7:
808:Canadian Roman Catholic missionaries
652:"1867: Our Lady of Good Help Church"
592:. Lewis Publishing Company. p.
589:A History of the Puget Sound Country
225:establish a permanent parish there.
233:The Church of Our Lady of Good Help
833:People from Steilacoom, Washington
68:. He was Seattle's first resident
14:
586:William Farrand Prosser (1903).
551:"Father Francis X. Prefontaine"
132:, Bishop of Nesqually (now the
292:In 1880 Prefontaine asked the
155:. During his trip out to this
1:
104:in the United States via the
717:Donald N. Sherwood (1970s).
258:and two government bayonets.
23:Francis Xavier Prefontaine,
726:Sherwood Park History Files
691:Clarence B. Bagley (1916).
120:Bishop Blanchet, about 1870
42:François Xavier Préfontaine
854:
130:Augustin-Magloire Blanchet
94:Grand Seminary of Montreal
32:Francis Xavier Prefontaine
755:Cite uses generic title (
294:Sisters of the Holy Names
404:47.601375°N 122.329498°W
80:Préfontaine was born in
452:47.601885°N 122.33078°W
409:47.601375; -122.329498
357:
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169:Steilacoom, Washington
134:Archdiocese of Seattle
121:
56:, and a figure in the
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823:People from Longueuil
457:47.601885; -122.33078
366:protonotary apostolic
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287:Sisters of Providence
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185:Sisters of Providence
157:rainy and foggy coast
126:Vancouver, Washington
119:
22:
102:Washington Territory
48:Catholic priest and
662:on December 8, 2009
628:on December 8, 2009
448: /
400: /
54:Seattle, Washington
44:; 1838–1909) was a
798:History of Seattle
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324:Prefontaine was a
298:Holy Names Academy
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122:
62:Puget Sound region
58:history of Seattle
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773:. City of Seattle
374:Edward John O'Dea
106:Isthmus of Panama
90:parochial schools
82:Longueuil, Quebec
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326:secular priest
319:Volunteer Park
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218:Pioneer Square
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153:Columbia River
138:Chinook jargon
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515:. HistoryLink
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360:In July 1908
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191:Port Townsend
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181:Mother Joseph
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112:First mission
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775:. Retrieved
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737:. Retrieved
730:the original
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719:"(no title)"
698:. Retrieved
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664:. Retrieved
660:the original
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630:. Retrieved
626:the original
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602:– via
597:. Retrieved
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559:. Retrieved
555:the original
517:. Retrieved
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372:) by Bishop
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315:Capitol Hill
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264:Henry Yesler
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149:Fort Stevens
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818:1909 deaths
813:1838 births
455: /
443:122°19′51″W
407: /
395:122°19′46″W
362:Pope Pius X
308:Final years
283:King County
244:Port Gamble
222:lumber-mill
792:Categories
777:2010-02-15
739:2010-02-15
700:2010-02-15
666:2010-02-15
632:2010-02-15
599:2010-02-15
561:2010-02-15
519:2010-02-15
440:47°36′07″N
422:Beaux-Arts
392:47°36′05″N
277:Other work
163:Steilacoom
98:ordination
76:Early life
50:missionary
380:Namesakes
370:Monsignor
340:Monsignor
748:cite web
302:chaplain
70:Catholic
60:and the
256:Decatur
240:Olympia
204:Seattle
183:of the
171:, near
84:, near
335:Honors
242:, and
173:Tacoma
142:pidgin
37:French
733:(PDF)
722:(PDF)
468:Notes
317:near
25:circa
757:help
177:mass
140:, a
27:1880
594:475
64:of
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34:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
