A number of Irish families who had immigrated from Ireland left the factory towns of Boston and Canton, in the east and wended their way by ox-cart to the west. Settling briefly in Wisconsin, they were dissatisfied with farming conditions there and traveled farther west.
The early Irish-Catholic settlers of Reilly Ridge (located in Utica Township, Chickasaw County Iowa) had no church. Once a month a priest would come by mule team or on horseback, often from as far as Dubuque, to minister to the people. The settlers took turns hosting the traveling priest and having Mass in their homes – the Sylvester REILLYs being the first of these settlers. People from miles around would come to receive the sacraments and have their babies baptized. The community grew fast and homes soon became too small for Sunday services.
The Sylvester REILLY family crossed the Mississippi at Prairie du Chien into Iowa and finally located their home on a ridge in Chickasaw County, where wood and water were plentiful. There Sylvester built a log cabin on this fertile land and began to farm. Soon brothers and sisters, with wives and husbands came to settle nearby. Owen and Mary GALLIGAN, William and Nancy GALLIGAN, Terrence and Mary (GALLIGAN) COMMERFORD, and others. It wasn’t long before the area was known as the Reilly Ridge Settlement. The Irish settlers loved the restfulness of the Iowa prairie, so in contrast to the crowded towns of the east. The lovely wild flowers fascinated them. The cries of wolves in the night did not faze them.
Matthew and Anna (REILLY) SMITH, newly married, arrived from Canton, Massachusetts in late 1857. Anne was a first cousin of Bridget (GALLIGAN) REILLY, and the daughter of Owen REILLY, who had settled in Canton, Mass. Owen’s only sister had married [sic] Patrick GALLIGAN (note of clarification: she probably married Farrell GALLIGAN, Patrick’s father, and they were the parents of Bridget, Sylvester REILLY’s wife).
The men of the community got together. Thirty acres of land on the Ridge were donated by Sylvester REILLY and Terrence COMMERFORD (15 acres each) for a church and cemetery. George ARNOLD hewed out the timber and did the carpentry work and with all the men helping, a modest, wooden slab building was erected. In August 1857, Amos SMITH mounted the cross marking the completion of the church of St Ignatius. There were about 100 members present at the dedication. It was the first house of worship in the county. People came to Mass from as far north as Lourdes and as far south as Lawler (8 miles).
The first priest to say Mass in the church was Father DeCALLY. His servers were John HUNTER and D.R. KIRBY. The first child baptized in the church was Ellen REILLY, daughter of Sylvester and Bridget REILLY.
Priests were supplied from St Rose parish, near Waucoma, in adjoining Fayette County, as there was no resident priest to be had. The men of the parish provided grain and hay for the priest’s horse on the Sunday Mass was offered.
The widow Bridget (McCABE) REILLY, Anne’s mother, arrived from Canton with her grown boys, Terrence, Owen, Charles and Patrick, and the younger children. They soon bought land and settled on farms about a mile north of the church. All these early settlers had large families with children growing up in the area and beginning homes and families of their own. At one time, Reilly Ridge had twenty-four REILLY related families living in the area.
The church building became too small for the growing parish. Additions were made in 1871, which gave St Ignatius the form of a cross. Lumber was brought from Auburn in Fayette County for the purpose and the work was done by James SCALLY. Although plain and unpretentious, the church was beautiful to the builders. They gave freely of their money, time and labor.
The priest of St Rose parish continued to serve St Ignatius. For a number of years the church served as church and school. Patrick KIRBY was the first teacher.
About 1877 a rectory was built on 15 donated acres, just north of the church, and the first resident priest to occupy the new home was Father John REILLY, with his sister, Mary Ann, as housekeeper. After two years Father REILLY was transferred and a Father MURPHY, newly ordained, came to take his place. He was in poor health and left after a few years. From then on the church was again without a resident priest. The rectory fast became dilapidated and was finally sold to John MANLEY for a residence.
Once again, St Ignatius was served by the priest from St Rose. Early and late Masses were said on alternate Sundays. On the weekend when early Mass was to be offered the priest would come the evening before, to stay at the home of one of the parishioners, usually the Sylvester REILLY’s or the Matthew SMITH’s.
A petition was made for the erection of a larger church. The John CARLIN property was donated and a $10,000 church and rectory was built and dedicated in 1900. People again donated generously of their energy, time and money to erect this beautiful, modern church of which they were justly proud. It was 40 x 80 feet, with a tower 100 feet high. Beautiful stained glass windows were donated by parish members. The bell was donated by Terrence N. REILLY. Father F. WRENN was the first pastor.
On August 21, 1907, the parish held its Golden Jubilee with services at the church followed by picnic festivities in the Terrence S. REILLY grove, south of the church, a historic spot in the parish, the homestead of first settlers. About 2,000 people attended.
Fire of unknown origin destroyed the beautiful new St Ignatius Church in May of 1911. Only the rectory was saved. The $4500 in insurance did not cover the loss.
After the debris of the burned church was cleared away, plans were soon underway to erect a new church. Again, people were called on to donate their share and responded generously. At that time a new Catholic Chruch was being built in Jerico, making it difficult to secure carpenters. Good Father Lawrence CRANEY, who was pastor at that time, donned workman’s clothes and assisted by several young men of the parish, installed the lovely oak altars and pews.
The name of St Ignatius was changed to Sacred Heart at the dedication of this new church in 1912. Many priests served the parish in the years following. Much credit was given to Tom SMITH for his untiring efforts in making the priests feel at home by looking after their needs. For years a picnic was held on the parish grounds the first Sunday in August. Band music was furnished and there was bingo and other amusements. Speakers on these occasions were usually office seekers.
The last REILLY on the Ridge was Anne (REILLY) SMITH. She died in April 1926, at the age of 90 and was buried in the Reilly Ridge Cemetery, beside her husband Matthew and infant daughter.
Owen REILLY, son of the immigrant Owen REILLY, who lived his later years in Lawler, was the last to be buried in the family lot in 1928.
The Diamond Jubilee of the church was celebrated in August 1932, and the grandson of Matthew and Anne (REILLY) SMITH, Rev Emmett G. KELLY, of Loras College, Dubuque, gave the address. People came from far and near. Rev James SLOWEY (later Msgr) was pastor at that time.
Up to this time the old cemetery was being neglected, as the descendants of many of the early settlers had moved away. Two former members, Patrick F. GALLIGAN of Lawler and John SMITH of New Hampton, solicited for funds from former members located in other places. Soon the cemetery was made a beauty spot and remained so with perpetual care being obtained later.
In August 1957 the Reilly Ridge Church (first St Ignatius and then Sacred Heart) had its Centennial Celebration. There was much rejoicing and publicity. The New Hampton Economist [newspaper] featured the history of the Reilly Ridge Church, as told by Mary (REILLY) SMITH.
Sources:
We thank Molly O'Reilly for sharing this narrative history of the Reilly Ridge Community and Reilly Family with us. Molly also contributed the 1988 picture (just above).
The first set of pictures comes from the 1919 Chickasaw County History, Volume 1, page 241. I estimate those pictures date between 1912 and 1919, when the history was published.
