St. Peter's Mission (Ulm, Mont.)

The Jesuits' eagerness to also missionize the Flatheads' traditional enemies, the Blackfoot, is often cited as one reason for the growing antipathy shown them during the 1850s at St. Mary's Mission in the Bitterroot Valley. Father De Smet made first contact in 1840, and in subsequent years purposely traveled through Blackfoot territory, a route usually avoided by other frontiersmen. In response to the overtures of Jesuit Fr. Nicholas Point, many of the tribe officially converted over the winter of 1846-1847. It remained an unwelcoming region, however, and no serious efforts were made to establish a permanent mission until 1859. After two short-lived attempts, sturdy Fr. Joseph Giorda and his companions finally succeeded in settling at a spot along the Missouri River near present Ulm, Montana. This third St. Peter's Mission, enduring for three years, was a heroic, impoverished and futile endeavor. Native unrest, fueled by discovery of gold in the region, forced closure and relocation once again in Spring, 1866. Trouble only intensified, however, culminating in the murder of the mission herdsman at the very moment the Jesuits were poised to begin residence at their fourth site. Fr. Giorda made the decision to close this new mission before it began, and the Jesuits did not return to their chosen spot by Bird Tail Rock for another eight years.

From the description of St. Peter's Mission records, 1855-2006. (Graham Public Library). WorldCat record id: 537669980