This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 edition. Excerpt: ...St. Francis Building Society, whose purpose was the raising of funds for the building of a church. With the money collected by the society, and with loaned capital, building operations were begun on the 7th of June, 1870, and completed by the end of July. The church was a frame building, placed in front of the monastery choir and facing Fourth Street, and with the galleries had a seating capacity of 600. It was dedicated July 31, 1870, a solemn High Mass being sung in the monastery choir in the morning by the Rev. Father Xavier. The collection taken up in the morning amounted to $9.76. In the afternoon the dedication of the Church took place, Father Ivo Prass performing the ceremony, Father Francis Haas preaching in German, and Rev. Joseph Schmidt, S. J., of St. Gall's church, in English. Although the weather was very hot, large crowds had assembled to witness the ceremony and several societies from the neighboring parishes also attended. The collection in the afternoon amounted to $71.73. Following the dedication of the church, the regular parochial services were introduced, at six and eight o'clock were low Masses, at ten the High Mass, at two o'clock Christian doctrine, at three Vespers, and in the evening services with sermon and benediction. Milwaukee's population in 1870 was 17,400, the Sixth Ward's about 1,700. There were seven Catholic churches, Holy Trinity on the South Side, St. Mary's on the East Side, St. Joseph's on the West Side for the Germans, the Cathedral and St. Gall's (then at Third and Sycamore Streets) for the English-speaking, St. Stanislaus for the Poles, and St. John's Nepomuk for the Bohemians. The southern limit of St. Francis parish was Vliet Street, the western Seventh Street, the eastern the Milwaukee River....