St. Paul

History

Father John Schoenmakers, S.J. founded Osage Mission on April 28, 1847. Called the "Apostle to the Osage" and the "Father of civilization in Southeast Kansas," he served for 36 years as spiritual director, doctor, steward, lawyer, judge, catechist and preacher to the Osage. He served as an officially-appointed U.S. postmaster of Osage Mission from 1851 to 1864. With the relocation of the Osage, he ministered to the needs of the newly-arrived white settlers. He built the present St. Francis Church stone structure. Father Schoenmakers is buried in St. Francis Cemetery one-quarter mile east of the church. The other leading man in the Osage Mission was Kentucky-born John Allan Mathews. He was married to Mary Williams and, after her death, to her sister, Sarah Williams. The Williams sisters were the daughters of William S. Williams and his Osage wife, A-Ci'n-Ga. They first met Mathews while attending school in Kentucky after their mother died. Mathews was a slaveholder and southern sympathizer. He married Mary in Jackson County, Missouri in 1835 and was appointed blacksmith for the Seneca in 1837 and for the Osage in 1839. In about 1861, he gathered a group of Osage who tried to force Schoenmakers to flee the area because they disagreed with his abolitionist ideas. Matthews was killed by the 6th Kansas Cavalry under Gen. James G. Blunt in a skirmish at Chetopa, Kansas on September 18, 1861. During the Civil War, both Union and Confederate troops took an interest in Osage Mission. From about December 1862 to June 1865 Union soldiers were intermittently stationed at or near the mission. At least a couple times, Confederate supporters entered Osage Mission or were in the immediate vicinity. For more information see Osage Mission's post. As early as 1883, there was…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  401
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  369
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  354
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  347
• Killdeer

  Charadrius vociferus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  314
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  305
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  289
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  285

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2025-12-26
  5 km SSW of Peru, Kansas
• M 2.8 — 2014-11-13
  5 km WNW of Prescott, Kansas
• M 3 — 2014-10-01
  9 km SSW of Galesburg, Kansas