Black Robes in the Northwest

Father Pierre deSmet

Before he had seen any white men and before there were horses in the northern Rockies, Shining Shirt, a medicine man of the Salish tribe, prophesized the arrival of pale-skinned men in long, black skirts. They would teach them a new way of praying and how to reach the place of happiness. This prophecy was reinforced years later when migrating Catholic Iroquois from Quebec confirmed the existence of white men in black robes (Jesuit priests) who carried crucifixes, said the Big Prayer (mass) and did not marry. The Indian religion was false and they would never reach the home of the Great Spirit.

The tribes of the Inland Northwest (Salish or Flathead, Nez Perce, Coeur d’Alene) became obsessed with the desire for a Black Robe to come live among them and teach this new religion. They sent a total of four delegations over ten years to the Catholic Church in St. Louis and, finally, in 1841, Belgium-born priest Pierre deSmet arrived. He established a mission and small settlement in the Bitterroot Valley of what is now the state of Montana, and named it St. Marys. Later, he returned to Europe to recruit additional missionaries, among them Father Anthony Ravelli. Ravelli, born to a wealthy family in Italy, brought with him a range of skills: pharmacist, doctor, artist, architect, engineer. His talents are visible today in the mission church he built and decorated in classic Renaissance style with paints created from local berries and minerals. He sculpted statues of Mary

Saint Marys Mission Church

and St. Ignatius of Loyola, and used a hand lathe to carve the altar rail and baptismal font.

Cataldo Mission Church, Idaho

St. Marys was the first of the Pacific Northwest missions, but it was soon followed by others. The Cataldo Mission in the Idaho Panhandle near Coeur d’Alene was established in 1850, and is the state’s oldest, standing building. This charming, Italianate church is another example of Father Ravalli’s ingenuity and workmanship, and is created from the simple tools and local building materials available on the frontier at that time. He faux-painted the altar to resemble marble, crafted chandeliers from tin cans, and stained the ceiling with huckleberry juice. There’s not a nail in the entire building.

Interior, St. Ignatius Church

By far the most prosperous of the missions was St. Ignatius, also located in Montana, north of present-day Missoula. It had a saw mill, grain mill and school for boys. Later, the Jesuits were joined by the sisters of Providence and Ursuline who established a girls’ school and hospital. In the early 1890s, the need grew for a much larger facility and the current church was constructed using a million bricks made from local clay. However, the building’s most striking feature is the interior collection of 58 colorful frescoes painted on the walls and ceiling. The artist, Brother Joseph Carignano, was the mission’s cook and had no formal training in the arts.

All of these mission churches are National Historic Sites and open to the public.  St. Marys, located in Stevensville, Mont., about an hour’s drive south of Missoula, is open during the summer months only. Visitors are welcomed to explore the mission grounds including a museum, visitor center, Father Ravalli’s cabin and pharmacy, cemetery, Salish encampment, but a guide is required to view the chapel interior.

St. Ignatius on the Flathead Indian Reservation

St. Ignatius, about an hour’s drive north of Missoula, remains a functioning Catholic church located on the Flathead Indian Reservation and is open daily.  In addition to the beautiful paintings inside the church, the grounds include original log structures housing a small museum with mission and native artifacts.

Interior, Cataldo Mission

The Cataldo church is the centerpiece of Old MissionState Park, 25 miles east of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, along Interstate 90. With its pretty, hillside setting and charming rustic interior, it is not surprising that it is a popular venue for weddings. Of the three missions, this one offers the most extensive visitor center and museum. The first-rate exhibition, Sacred Encounters, was organized by Washington State University and explores the complexities of two intersecting cultures: European Christian missionaries, and indigenous populations with a very different sacred belief system and lifestyle. Highly recommended.

 

 

Following the Flight of the Nez Perce

One of the most tragic events in American history began with the definition of the word, home.  To the settlers of the newly-opened West, it meant a permanent house with a barn on a piece of tillable land. To the Nez Perce tribe, or Nimiipuu, “home” encompassed a wide swath of northeastern Oregon, southwestern Washington, and central Idaho. A nomadic tribe, their ancestors had lived here for generations following their seasonal food sources of camas root, salmon, and game. From their first encounter with white men, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Nez Perce lived in harmony with their new neighbors. However, a revised reservation boundary drawn up in 1863 forced the tribe into 700,000 acres near Lapwai, Idaho. A number of Nez Perce, including Chief Joseph’s Wallowa band, refused to sign and relinquish their “home;” they became known as “non-treaty” Indians. Relations grew tense and in 1877, the U.S. Army, under the command of General O.O. Howard, was ordered to remove the non-treaties to the Lapwai reservation, triggering a 1,100-mile pursuit across Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.



Nez Perce Nat'l Historic Park Visitor Center

To follow the actual route the Nez Perce took requires a four-wheel drive and, perhaps, a horse, but a passenger car will get you close enough to understand the human endurance required to make this journey. The fact that the route passes through some of the most scenic landscape in the West is an extra bonus. A good starting point is the Nez Perce National Historical Park Visitor Center on US 95, east of Lewiston, Idaho. Located on the site where Henry and Elizabeth Spalding established their Presbyterian mission, the center offers a video, display of Nez Perce artifacts, along with a selection of books and maps.

White Bird Overlook

Continuing on US 95, a slight detour south of Grangeville leads to the White Bird Battlefield overlook.  Interpretive signs tell the story of the first encounter between Howard’s army and Nez Perce warriors. At the end, 34 soldiers were killed.  While they suffered no casualties, Chief Joseph’s band of 750 people and 2,000 horses realized their best hope of safety was to travel east to Buffalo Country, and seek help from their allies, the Crow tribe.

U.S. 12 crosses North Central Idaho

Their journey followed the Lolo Trail over the Bitterroot Mountains in central Idaho, a route closely approximated today by US 12. Not completed until 1962, this winding, two-lane road follows the Clearwater and Lochsa Rivers through some of the most pristine, remaining wilderness areas. Known as the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway, It parallels the route used by Lewis and Clark and ends at Lolo Pass on the Montana border.

Bitterroot Valley, Western Montana

When the Nez Perce arrived here they falsely assumed they had left the war and pursuing army behind them, and turned south following the Bitterroot Valley. US 93 is the primary route through this lovely valley today, but this busy stretch of road can be avoided by traveling on parallel highway 269.  Not only is the scenery better, but the road passes through the small towns of Stevensville with its old Catholic mission, and Hamilton where you can tour the 25-room mansion of Copper King, Marcus Daly.

Big Hole National Battlefield Site

At the end of the valley, the route crosses the Continental Divide into the Big Hole. By this time, the Nez Perce were feeling comfortable enough to stop for some much needed rest. They set up their teepees along the banks of a stream and settled in. Before dawn on August 9, Colonel Gibbons and the 7^th Infantry fired on the unsuspecting, sleeping village and the Big Hole Battle began. By the end of the carnage, both sides had sustained large losses. After burying their dead, the Nez Perce quickened their retreat across southwestern Montana, headed toward Yellowstone Park.

The road to Bannock Pass

A visitor center at the Big Hole National Battlefield Site offers a broad view of the valley where the fighting took place and an excellent video describing events. Beyond here, the road over Bannock Pass and eastward across Idaho is gravel, but well-graded and easy except for the occasional recalcitrant cow.

At Yellowstone, the army established traps at every exit to the east, but, once again, the Nez Perce managed to evade them. However, it soon became apparent that the Crow would be of no assistance and their only remaining hope was to travel north to asylum in Canada. By then, this ragtag band, now largely women, children and the elderly, had covered over a thousand miles and were exhausted.  Pausing at the Bear Paw Mountains, they were overtaken by the army and after a six-day siege, Chief Joseph surrendered his band, only 40 miles from the Canadian border. A monument marks the lonely, windswept spot.

Wallace, Idaho

One hundred years ago, Wallace, Idaho, nearly disappeared from the map, and what a tragedy that might have been. The town, set in a narrow, wooded canyon surrounded by the Bitterroot Mountains, is the hub of one of the richest mining districts in the world. Over one billion ounces of silver and other precious metals have been extracted from the nearby area earning it the moniker, Silver Capital of the World. It has an amazing collection of late 19th century buildings and the entire town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Like many western mining towns, Wallace has a rowdy past and quirky reputation, but has also experienced some rather spectacular disasters.

After gold and silver were discovered in the region, fortune seekers and miners arrived in droves, and by 1886, Wallace was a thriving community. In 1890, a fire destroyed the entire downtown center. The community rebuilt the town using bricks and cast iron instead of wood so it could survive any future fires. That was a wise decision for in 1910, an epic forest fire swept through the area. In 36 hours, the conflagration, known as the Big Burn, ravaged an area the size of Connecticut, taking 87 lives along the way. Over one-third of Wallace was destroyed.

Throughout the 1890s, Wallace was the scene of violent labor wars between the newly-formed unions and the mining companies. The U.S. Army was called upon to quell the fighting and before things settled down, a train full of dynamite blew up the Bunker Hill Mine, over one thousand miners were held in a makeshift prison, the governor of Idaho was assassinated, and it all ended with a Clarence Darrow trial in Boise. Then, there were several major floods and a dreadful mine accident where over 90 miners lost their lives. No wonder Wallace was chosen as the locale for the disaster film, Dante’s Peak.

Despite its small size, Wallace is home to a trio of excellent museums. The Wallace District Mining Museum, located in an old bakery building in the downtown area, tells the history of the mining industry from the 1880s to present time. There are mine models, drilling equipment, lighting devices, tools and all sorts of guy-stuff related to mining, but of special interest is the exhibit on the labor wars of the late 19th century. The museum is the home of “Old Blinky,” the last stop light on Interstate 90 between Boston and Seattle. Because of the confines of the canyon location, many historic buildings needed to be razed to complete construction of the interstate highway through town. To save them, folks had the entire town put on the National Register, thus ensuring protection from the wrecking ball. The freeway now by-passes town on an elevated viaduct.

The Northern Pacific Railroad Museum is in the attractive town depot. While it’s been 30 years since the last train ran through Wallace, the depot serves as a reminder of a time when the railroad played an important role in the development of the region. The building was constructed in 1901 in the chateau-style architecture so popular in Canada at that time. The bricks were imported from China and originally destined for a luxury hotel in Tacoma that never materialized. Inside, is a museum that should please any railroad buff with all sorts of Northern Pacific memorabilia.

The third museum in town is quite unusual, featuring a tasteful glimpse at the world’s “oldest profession.” For years, a number of brothels operated in Wallace’s red-light district and, while prostitution was illegal in the state of Idaho, law enforcement looked the other way. The Oasis Bordello, opened in 1895, served the community until 1988 when it abruptly closed its doors. The occupants obviously left in a big hurry, taking little with them. The rooms upstairs are as they left them with personal items lying about and dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.
Other things to do in Wallace include a trolley tour through the Sierra Silver Mine; a bicycle ride along the Route of the Hiawatha, considered the best of all the rails-to-trails rides in the country; and, most importantly, indulging in a huckleberry milkshake at the Red Light Garage diner.