Collections

(33) HOLY FAMILY SCHOOL & (137) HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL
ST. IGNATIUS, MONTANA

Collections Inventory
1864–1988

OVERVIEW

Repository: Providence Archives, Seattle, Washington

Creator: Sisters of Providence, St. Ignatius Province

Record Group: Providence of the Holy Family: Holy Family School/St. Julian Hospital/Holy Family Hospital, St. Ignatius, Montana

Record Group No.: 33/137

Date: 1864-1988

Abstract: Records created, received and collected by the religious community of the Sisters of Providence relating to the works done at St. Ignatius Mission, St. Ignatius, Montana, including the Holy Family School (1864-1919) and the hospital known first as St. Julian Hospital, and then Holy Family Hospital (1914-1977).  The collection includes materials relating to the students, staff, patients as well as the other religious communities living and working at St. Ignatius including the Jesuit Fathers and the Ursuline Sisters.  Due to the close proximity and interrelated ministries of the school and the hospital, these institutions are being treated as one entity in this finding aid.   
Quantity: 3.5 linear ft.; 8 document boxes; Several oversized documents

HISTORY OF THE MISSION

St. Ignatius Mission was established by Pierre DeSmet, S.J., and Adrian Hoecken, S.J., both Fathers of the religious order of the Society of Jesus, commonly known as Jesuits.  The mission was first located on the bank of the Pend d’Oreille River near Cusick, Washington, but in 1854 was relocated to what is now St. Ignatius, Montana, to be more convenient to a greater number of Native Americans of the Pend d’Oreilles or Kalispel tribe.  The Treaty of Hellgate between the confederated tribes of the Flathead, Kootenay, and Upper Pend d'Oreilles and Isaac Stevens, governor and superintendent of Indian affairs for Washington Territory effectively established Flathead Indian Reservation.  The treaty was ratifed by Congress and signed by President James Buchanan in 1859.  By Article V of the treaty, the United States was to provide an agriculture and industrial school as well as a blacksmith shop, a carpenter shop, a wagon and plough-maker shop, a sawmill, a flour mill, and finally to employ a physician to provide medical services for the residents of the reservation.  The Fathers and Brothers at St. Ignatius were to see to these facilities on behalf of the government. 

In 1863, the Jesuits started construction of a boarding school.  Father DeSmet visited the Sisters of Providence at Vancouver, Washington, to ask for their help in founding the school.  The sisters would be in charge of the Indian girls and the Jesuits would look to the education of the Indian boys.  Three sisters were dispatched from Montreal for the mission; they traveled with Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart and five other sisters destined for Vancouver, Washington.  Their journey from Montreal began June 1, 1864 and they arrived July 4 at Vancouver.  From Vancouver, the three named for St. Ignatius, Sisters Mary of the Infant Jesus, Mary Edward, and Remi, would travel with three Jesuits to Montana.  On September 12, 1864, the group of sisters and Jesuits started their long expedition making their first major stop at Walla Walla, Washington, where fourth recruit Sister Paul Miki joined the caravan.  Over the next month, the group, by day, traveled over mountains, across rivers and lakes, and through forests all the while on horseback or boat; by night, they set up camp.  On October 17, 1864, they arrived, exhausted, at the Mission.

Soon after arriving at St. Ignatius, the sisters began study of the Flathead language under the tutelage of Father Urban Grassi, S.J.  The sisters learned the prayers of the Catechism so that they could teach a group of Indian girls who gathered at the sisters’ house each morning.  The sisters started with two students: Liza and Emely Brown, sisters of 14 and 12 years respectively.  The Sisters of Providence found that it was difficult to retain the students.  As the annalist remarked in the Chronicles, it was not uncommon for the native parents to enroll their children only to withdraw them a short time later.  In the first year, the number of boarders fluctuated between two and six.  The early years were so trying, in fact, that closing the school was discussed, but in the end the school remained open.  By 1867, the number of pupils began increasing: boarders are listed in the Personnel and Works report at 15.  By 1874, 30 pupils were listed.  Over 1000 students would be taught by the time the school closed in 1919. 
     
In 1890, the Jesuits asked the Ursuline sisters to open a kindergarten for the young children of St. Ignatius Mission.  It was agreed that as their students reached the age of six, the girls would then be sent to school to be taught by the Sisters of Providence and the boys would be taught by the Jesuits.  This arrangement was disappointing to the Sisters of Providence who would lose their younger students to the Ursulines.  The relations between the Sisters of Providence and the Jesuits continued to be strained as the sisters continued to lose teaching responsibilities to the Ursulines.  In the meantime, the Sisters of Providence kept busy in other ministries including visiting the sick in their homes, prescribing medication to patients, and donating meals to the needy. 

1914 marked the 50th anniversary of the mission school.  The Chronicles detail the jubilee celebration that consisted of a two-day festival that opened with a high Mass of Thanksgiving.  Sister Mary of the Infant Jesus, the only living foundress at the time of the celebration, shared her stories of the early years at the mission.  The celebration continued with a banquet.  The second day of the festival included an outing to St. Marys Lake, eleven miles away from St. Ignatius in the Mission Range of the Rockies.  1914 also was the year that St. Julian Hospital was erected, in order to better meet the needs of the sick and infirm.  St. Julian was a boon to the community; the closest hospital had previously been in Missoula, Montana, some 40 miles away. 

On December 9, 1919, the school and the sisters’ living quarters were destroyed in a fire.  It was an extremely cold day: the Chronicles mention 30 degree below zero temperatures.  The fire ignited when an employee, using a blow-torch to defrost frozen pipes, accidentally caused the ceiling to catch fire.  The Provincial Council decided against rebuilding the school and instead focused all of their attention on the hospital.  It was decided in 1920 to rename St. Julian Hospital as Holy Family Hospital to honor the mission that had for so many years been carried on by the Sisters of Providence.  From September 1920 to May 1922,  the sisters operated a parochial school but the Jesuits decided to close the school since the Ursulines were in the process of having a large boarding school built for both Indian and white children.  The new Ursuline Academy would be able to accommodate the children of the parish previously instructed by the Sisters of Providence.

The Sisters of Providence celebrated their centennial at St. Ignatius in 1964.  The slate of festive activities included a luncheon, open house and tea at Holy Family Hospital, a singing and dancing program by Flathead-Kootenai Tribal members, and performances by the singing group Treble Triad of Sacred Heart Academy, Missoula, Montana. The happy occasion was diminished by a tragic car accident the evening following the celebration: six sisters heading home to Great Falls, Montana, were involved in an accident that proved fatal for Sister Elizabeth Kathleen and Sister Rita Mary.
  
Besides running a school and hospital at St. Ignatius, the Sisters of Providence also oversaw a farm that resulted in the cultivation of their land for raising crops and grazing cattle.  Throughout the years, the farm grew in acreage as land was donated or purchased by the Sisters of Providence.  The produce of the farm including meat and milk from the cattle as well as fruit and vegetables was used by the sisters for the school and hospital.  In years when crops were abundant, the sisters shared produce with other nearby Providence institutions, notably Sacred Heart Academy in Missoula, Montana.  Records of the Deliberations of the Provincial Council indicate that due to increasing wages and expensive farm equipment, the farm at Holy Family Hospital had been operating at a loss between 1954 and 1959.  In March of 1959, Sister Joseph Arthur, S.P., Superior of Holy Family Hospital, asked and was granted permission by the Provincial Administration to sell off 103 heads of cattle, all farm implements, and to lease 500 acres of farming land plus 900 acres of grazing land for annual revenue of over $5,000.  In April 1959 remaining farming items were auctioned off.  This effectively ended the farming interests of the sisters at St. Ignatius. 

For much of its existence, Holy Family Hospital was under a renewable annual contract with the United States Government for the “hospitalization to such Flathead Indians as are unable to pay for the same themselves.”  Holy Family Hospital was reimbursed by the Government for their expenses. For more information, see the legal series in this collection for the actual contracts and agreements.  In 1977, after several years of financial difficulties, lack of patients, and problems retaining doctors, Holy Family Hospital was purchased by the community of St. Ignatius.  The hospital was renamed Mission Valley Hospital.

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SCOPE AND CONTENT

The record group documents the history, activities, works and individuals of the local religious community and the administration and operation of Providence of the Holy Family, Holy Family School, St. Julian Hospital, and Holy Family Hospital at St. Ignatius, Montana. The records span the years 1864-1988, the bulk dating from 1910-1970. 

ARRANGEMENT

The record group is divided into 10 series: History, Personnel, Administration, Reports, Local Community, Financial, Facility, Legal, Farm, and Subject Series. Some series are further divided into sub-series. At the folder level, records are arranged alphabetically, topically, or in chronological order as indicated in the series description.    

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Restrictions:
Providence Archives, Seattle, is a private repository. Access to some records is at the discretion of the archivist.

Preferred Citation:
[Title of cited item and/or series]. (33/137) Providence of the Holy Family/Holy Family School/St. Julian Hospital/Holy Family Hospital, St. Ignatius, Montana. Providence Archives, Seattle, Washington.

Accession Information:
Records were transferred to Providence Archives, Seattle from the St. Ignatius Province Archives, Spokane; Providence of the Holy Family/Holy Family School/St. Julian Hospital/Holy Family Hospital; Provincial Administration and other offices; sisters; and other interested parties.

Processing Information:
Records arranged and described by Emily Hughes Dominick, Associate Archivist; completed on April 7, 2008.

Separated Material:
Some oversized material was separated for flat storage.  Separation notes indicate accordingly their placement within the record group.

Related Record Groups and other Collections:
The following record groups also contain records or information relating to the works at St. Ignatius, Montana: Provincial Administration records; Provincial Superior records; Provincial Council records; Sister Personnel records including (3637) Sr. Providencia Tolan, SP; The Little Journal of Providence volumes, and the historical reference library.  There is also a scrapbook and photograph collection relating to the works at St. Ignatius, Montana.

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BOX AND FOLDER LIST

SERIES 1: HISTORY

History record series contains two sets of Chronicles.  The first set is divided into four bound volumes and spans from 1864 to 1977.  Until 1919, the Chronicles detail activities of Providence Holy Family which included the sisters’ local community, the school and the hospital.  On July 9, 1919, the House of Providence and St. Julian Hospital were divided into separate entities.  The Chronicles are handwritten up until 1957 and in French through June of 1938 with some scattered entries in English before that date.  The final volume is typescript in English.  

The second set of Chronicles consists of two bound volumes alternating between typescript and handwritten entries.  The volume that covers 1952-1977 also contains the Chronicles for Providence Hospital, Wallace, Idaho from 1952-1968.  After these two complete sets of the Chronicles are two sets of the English translations of the early Chronicles.  The Chronicles form the core of the record group providing a concise, authoritative, annual record of the academy’s activities, as well as financial, statistical and personnel information.  

The rest of this series contains written histories pertaining to the Jesuits and their establishment of St. Ignatius Mission as well as guide books to the Mission and historic data about the founding of the hospital.  Other historical materials can be found in the subject series that includes information about other Montana missions, the anniversaries of the Mission and the Sisters of Providence at St. Ignatius, and news clippings.
  
Box 1

Chronicles, 1864-1920, set 1
Chronicles, 1919-1946, set 1
Chronicles, 1946-1957, set 1
Chronicles, 1957-1977, set 1

Box 2

Chronicles, 1864-1952, set 2
Chronicles 1952-1977, set 2
Chronicles 1864-1938, English translation set 1

Box 3

Chronicles 1864-1938, English translation set 2 
Journey from Walla Walla, undated
“A History of St. Ignatius Mission,” by William L. Davis, S.J., 1954
“100 Years in the Flathead Valley: The St. Ignatius Centennial,” 1954
“Jesuits in Montana: 1840-1960,” by Wilfred Schoenberg, S.J., 1960
“The Heritage of Mission Valley,” by St. Ignatius Senior Citizens, compiled and edited by Olive C. Wehr, 1975
“St. Ignatius Mission: National Historic Site,” 1977
“St. Ignatius Mission: Historical Guide Book and Key to Frescoes,” undated
Founding and history of Holy Family Hospital, 1947-1977
Sisters of Providence at St. Ignatius Mission, 1974, 1976, 1984

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SERIES 2: PERSONNEL

Personnel record series has two sub-series: Student Records and Hospital Departmental Records.  The Student Records sub-series contains registers of student enrollment as well as ledgers with dates of communion and confirmation.  The Hospital Departmental Records sub-series includes correspondence to and from the Business Office regarding a protracted dispute of payment.

Box 4

Sub-series 1: Student Records

Register of students, dates of first communion and confirmation, 1864-1919
Enrollment ledger, 1864-1919

Sub-series 1: Hospital Departmental Records

Business Office, Correspondence, 1961-1962

SERIES 3: ADMINISTRATION

The Administration record series consists of one folder containing correspondence and other documents relating to the Administrator of the Hospital and the advisory board.  Other correspondence to and from the Superior and/or Administrator of Holy Family can be found in the Subject Series and Facility Series depending on the nature of the correspondence.

Box 4

General, 1961-1972

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SERIES 4: REPORTS

The Reports record series is made up primarily of “Personnel and Works” and Semi-Annual and Annual Financial Reports required by the religious community.  Also contained within this series is the final report that details the closing of Holy Family Hospital in 1977. 
  
Box 4

Personnel and Works, 1913-1976
Final Report, Closing of the Institution, 1977

SERIES 5: LOCAL COMMUNITY

Local Community records concern the governance of the convent (local community) and the religious life of its resident sisters. The series contains proces verbal (reports of the regular official visitation of the provincial superior, superior general, or their representatives) and other general information pertaining to the community. 

Box 5

Renovation of Vows, 1903-1946
Official Visitations, 1921-1965

SERIES 6: FINANCIAL

The Financial record series includes two sub-series: Acts of Council and General.   The Acts of Council sub-series are records relating to the deliberations of the local councils as well as those that were seen and approved by the Provincial and General Councils.  Deliberations of the Local Council are records of monthly meetings in which financial account books are reviewed and expense proposals are stated. The deliberations are submitted to the Provincial Council for approval and, occasionally, to the General Council in Montreal, Quebec. An incomplete set of Deliberations of the Provincial Council is kept (see Provincial Council record group). Deliberations of the Provincial Council parallel those of the local council.  The General sub-series contains correspondence pertaining to taxes, audits, and other financial matters pertaining to the hospital.   
   
Box 5

Sub-series 1: Acts of Council

Deliberations of the Local Council, 1898-1916
Deliberations of the Local Council, 1917-1951
Deliberations of the Local Council seen and approved by the Provincial and General Councils, 1938-1952

Sub-series 2: General

General, 1962, 1973

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SERIES 7: FACILITY

The Facility series contains information about the construction of the new hospital building.     

Box 6

Construction of new building, Gus Bouten, Construction Consultant, 1961-1964
Construction of new building, Fox, Ballas & Barrow Architects, 1960-1963
Sewers and Sewage disposal facilities, 1962

SERIES 8: LEGAL

The Legal record series is comprised of records that were kept in the “common safe,” also known as the “three-key box” (each key held by three different sisters). The safe was used to store highly important and confidential documents and the “archives” of the academy, frequently dealing with incorporation, financial, property, loan, contractual, and other legal matters. Contents of the common safe were updated, removed, or added through time.

Box 6

Property Agreements, 1909-1952
Will of Agnes Marceau, 1912
Contracts, Employees, 1914-1955
Contracts, Patients, 1938-1957
Government and Tribal Contracts, 1914-1954
Indian Affairs, hospitalization, 1916-1952
Correspondence re: Bill H.R. 7744/S. 2941, 1930-1932
Flathead Irrigation Project, 1931-1949 and undated

Box 7

Builders contract, 1902
Right-of-way easement contract, 1966-1974
Tax receipts, 1945-1964
Assessments, 1923-1973
Bids, Bonds, and Guarantees, 1960-1963
Water Rights and Monthly statements, 1901-1960
Notice of Appropriation (Water Rights), 1907-1922
Contracts, Timber cutting, 1960-1963
Power of Attorney in matters relating to narcotics order forms, 1966
Montana Corporation, 1953, 1961

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SERIES 9: FARM

The Farm record series is comprised of papers relating to the working and eventual sale and lease of farm property. 

Box 7

Land bids, receipts and correspondence, 1958-1976
Wheat penalties and acreage allotments, 1954-1972
Auction, 1959
Lease Agreements, 1959-1975

SERIES 10: SUBJECT

Subject record series contains records dealing with various topics, events, memorabilia, and groups relating to Providence Holy Family, Holy Family Hospital, St. Ignatius Mission, and the Jesuits. The subjects are arranged alphabetically except the files relating to the anniversaries which are arranged by date.  

Box 8

Anniversaries, Golden Jubilee of Providence Holy Family, 1914
Anniversaries, Diamond Jubilee of Founding of St. Ignatius Mission, 1930
Anniversaries, Centennial Celebration of St. Ignatius Mission, 1954
Anniversaries, Centennial Celebration of St. Ignatius Mission, Centenary Pageant, “One Hundred Years of Progress,” 1954
Anniversaries, Centennial Celebration of Sisters of Providence at St. Ignatius, 1964
Anniversaries, Centennial Celebration of Sisters of Providence at St. Ignatius, newspaper clippings, 1964
Anniversaries, Centennial Celebration of Sisters of Providence at St. Ignatius, correspondence, 1964
Anniversaries, 125th Anniversary of St. Ignatius Mission, 1979
Certificates, 1957-1969
Elk Reduction Program, 1961-1962
Groundbreaking, building, and dedication of new hospital facility, 1961-1963
Indian Healthcare on the Flathead Reservation, History, 1954-1968
Jesuit Fathers, 1938-1984 scattered
Mary Booth (first white child at St. Ignatius Mission), undated
Montana Missions, 1938, 1970-1980
St. Ignatius Mission, General news clippings, 1970-1988
Ursuline Sisters, undated

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