GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 3: Western United States
California: CA-111

Ursulines. Western Province. Provincialate
400 Angola Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
9248 Lakewood Drive (postal address)
Windsor, CA 95492

Phone: 707-484-7841

Ursulines. Western Province. Archives (presumptive location)
168 Werner Avenue
Daly City, CA 94014

 

History: The Ursulines were founded in Italy, 1535, and made their first U.S. foundation, 1727. They established the Western Province, 1901, the Archives for which were relocated from Great Falls, Montana, 2020-2021. The Western Province and its predecessor staffed the following Native Americans missions, parishes, and schools in Montana and Alaska.

1884-1933	St. Labre School (Cheyenne), Ashland, Montana
1890-1917 (closed)	St. Peter School (Assiniboine, Atsina, Siksika, Métis), Cascade/ Fort Shaw, Montana; expanded and staffed until destroyed by fire
1887-1921	St. Francis Xavier School (Crow), St. Xavier, Crow Reservation, Montana
1887-1936	St. Paul School (Atsina, Assiniboine), Hays, Fort Belknap Reservation, Montana
1890-1931 (closed)	Holy Family School (Siksika), Browning/ Birch Creek, Blackfoot Reservation, Montana
1890-1962 (closed)	St. Ignatius School (Salish), St. Ignatius, Flathead Reservation, Montana
1890-1897 (closed)	St. John Berchman School (Salish), Jocko/ Arlee/ Jocko Valley, Flathead Reservation, Montana
1890-1898 (closed)	St. Charles School (Crow), Pryor, Crow Reservation, Montana
1895-1905	Pryor Creek Boarding School (Crow), Crow Reservation, Montana
1905-1943 (relocated)	St. Mary School (Eskimo), Akulurak, Alaska
1910-1920s	St. Michael School (Eskimo), St. Michael/ St. Ursula’s-by-the-Sea, Alaska
1919-1941	Our Lady of Lourdes Mission and Orphanage (Eskimo), Pilgrim Springs, Alaska
1919-1941	Pilgrim Springs Mission and Orphanage (Eskimo), Pilgrim Springs, Alaska
1950-1987 (closed)	St. Mary’s School (Eskimo), Andrefsky River, St. Marys, Alaska
1989-1995	St. Aloysius Church (Eskimo), Tanana, Alaska

 

Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans: 

Inclusive dates: 1884-ongoing, undated

Volume: Over 25.7 cubic feet 

Description: 15 series include Native Catholic records:

 

/1 “Series 415, St. Labre’s School, Ashland, Montana” 

Inclusive dates: 1896-1992, undated

Volume: 1.2 cubic foot

Description: Education and evangelization of Cheyenne Indian children by Ursulines.

A. Annals, 1896-1910; 2 volumes

B. Correspondence (mostly copies), 1911-1933; primarily with Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions; most copies from Marquette University Special Collections and Archives, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions Records

C. Histories, clippings, notes, and pamphlets, 1919-1992, undated

D. School Enrollment Reports to Government, 1899-1906; 1 volume

 

/2 “Series 420, St. Peter’s Mission and School, [Cascade/ Fort Shaw] Montana”

Inclusive dates: 1884-1983, undated 

Volume: 5 cubic feet

Description: Education and evangelization of Assiniboine, Atsina, and Siksika Indian children by Ursulines.

A. Annals and Convent Diaries, 1884-1927, .4 cubic foot (10 volumes)

B. Correspondence and Subject Files, 1902-1989, undated, .8 cubic foot

1. Commencement Programs, 1902, 1907, 1 folder

2. Fire, 1918, 1 folder

3. Biographical Files, re: former students and teachers

a. De Camp, Ralph, undated, 1 folder

b. Lewis Tabor, Isabel (1866-, Siksika), news clippings, notes, undated, 1 folder

c. Pings, Mabel Evelyn (1884-), 1959-1969, undated, 1 folder

d. Riel, Louis, article by Henri Letourneau, clippings, notes, 1906-1983, undated, 1 folder

4. Reminiscences by former students

a. Conelly Sullivan, Mary Nora (non-Native American), undated, 1 folder

b. Hayes, Mary Agnes (1874-) as told to Mother Bernadette, O.S.U., 1959, 1 folder

5. Financial Accounts, 1893-1918, 1.2 cubic feet

6. Financial Accounts to Government, 1885-1897, .4 cubic foot

7. Minutes of Local Chapter Meetings, 1893, 1.2 cubic feet

8. School Enrollment Reports of Student Boarders, 1898-1899, .4 cubic foot

 

/3 “Series 425, St. Paul’s School, Hays, Montana”

Inclusive dates: 1931-1981, undated

Volume: .3 cubic foot

Description: Education and evangelization of Atsina and Assiniboine Indian children by Ursulines.

A. Annals, 1934-1936; 2 volumes

B. Correspondence, clippings, and pamphlets, 1931-1981, undated

 

/4 “Series 430, St. Xavier’s School, St. Xavier, Montana”

Inclusive dates: 1916-1990, undated

Volume: .3 cubic foot

Description: Education and evangelization of Crow Indian children by Ursulines.

A. Correspondence, clippings, and pamphlets, 1916-1990, undated

B. Photographs (copies) by Rev. Prando, S.J. [Jesuits], ca. 1890, undated; 16 prints; from Smithsonian Institution

 

/5 “Series 435, St. Ignatius School, St. Ignatius, Montana”

Inclusive dates: 1890-1975, undated 

Volume: Ca. 6 cubic feet

Description: Education and evangelization of Salish Indian children by Ursulines and Jesuits.  

A. Annals and Convent Diaries, 1919-1972, .9 cubic foot (17 volumes)

B. Correspondence

1. With Ursuline Provincials, 1941-1962, 1 folder

2. With Rev. John B. Tenelly, S.S. [Sulpicians], Director of Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, 1961-1972, 1 folder

C. Financial Accounts, 1966-1972, 2 volumes

D. Historical Accounts, notes, clippings, 1890-1975, undated; includes History of St. Ignatius Mission, Rev. William L. Davis, S.J., 1954

E. Minutes of Local Chapter Meetings, 1953-1970, 1 volume

F. Personal Papers: Mother Amata Dunn, O.S.U., correspondence, clippings, notes, pamphlets, teaching notes, 1930s-1970s, undated

G. Photographs, 1922-1955, undated; ca. 20 prints

H. Scrapbooks, 1955-1972, undated, .4 cubic foot (2 volumes)

 

/6 “Series 438, St. John Berchman Mission, Arlee, Montana”

Inclusive dates: 1959

Volume: 1 folder

Description: Evangelization of Salish Indians by Ursulines; clipping.  

 

/7 “Series 440, Holy Family School, Montana” 

Inclusive dates: 1911-1960, undated 

Volume: Less than .3 cubic foot 

Description: Education and evangelization of Siksika Indian children by Ursulines.

A. Annals and Diaries, 1934-1939; 2 volumes

B. Financial Accounts, 1936-1939; 2 volumes

C. History of the Holy Family Mission, Montana, from 1890 to 1935, Hugh M. Black, M.A. dissertation, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1960; 1 folder

D. Correspondence, 1927-1940; mostly with Ursuline superiors; ca. .05 cubic foot

E. Photographs, 1911-1935, undated; 1 folder

 

/8 “Series 442, St. Anne’s Church, Heart Butte, Montana”

Inclusive dates: 1941-1977, undated 

Volume: 1 folder 

Description: Evangelization of Siksika Indians by Ursulines; clippings and photographs. 

 

/9 “Series 445, St. Charles Mission, Pryor, Montana” 

Inclusive dates: 1961, undated 

Volume: 1 folder

Description: Evangelization of Crow Indians by Ursulines; clipping and photographs.     

 

 /10 “Series 491, St. Mary’s School, Akulurak and St. Marys, Alaska”

Inclusive dates: 1905-1980s  

Volume: Ca. 3.5 cubic feet  

Description: Education and evangelization of Eskimo children by Ursulines and Sisters of the Snows (Eskimo).

A. Annals, 1931-1988, 2.4 cubic feet

B. Correspondence, 1939-1987; with Ursuline superiors and Jesuits, e.g. Rev. Segundo Llorente, S.J., Rev. John Fox, S.J., approximately .6 cubic foot

C. Journals, 1954-1955, 3 folders

D. Photograph Albums, 1937-1963, undated, 3 albums

E. Newsletters

1. Alaskan Shepherd, 1980-, 2 folders

2. St. Mary’s News Notes, 1934-1956, 1 folder

3. The Bells of St. Mary’s, 1957-1960, 1 folder

F. Sister Antoinette Recalls the Eskimo of Akulurak, Alaska, Lois Lyford, 1975, 1 folder

 

/11 “Series 492, St. Michael’s Mission, St. Michael, Alaska”

Inclusive dates: 1907-1918 

Volume: Less than .3 cubic foot

Description: Education and evangelization of Eskimo children by Ursulines. 

 

/12 “Series 494, Pilgrim Springs, Alaska” 

Inclusive dates: 1919-1941  

Volume: Less than .3 cubic foot  

Description: Evangelization of the Eskimo by Ursulines. 

 

/13 “Series 495, Hooper Bay Mission, Alaska” 

Inclusive dates: 1941-1943

Volume: Less than .3 cubic foot   

Description: Evangelization of the Eskimo and training for the Sisters of the Snows (Eskimo) by Ursulines.  

 

/14 “Photo Albums”

Volume: Unknown 

Inclusive dates: Unknown

Description: Unprocessed. 

 

/15 “Sisters Biographical and Personnel Files”  

Volume: 6 cubic feet

Inclusive dates: 1884-ongoing

Description: Arranged alphabetically by surname; includes assignments of individual sisters. 

 

Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives.

new2006/rev2020