Recollections of My Life and Reflections on Times and Events During It: A Memoir by Father W. J. Howlett Main Menu Introduction Table of Contents Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Other Writings by Father W. J. Howlett Timeline Howlett Family Tree William J. Howlett Family Tree Maps and Geography: Howlett's First Trip West Fr. Howlett moved with his family to Denver when he was a child, and then moved to St. Thomas Seminary in Bardstown, KY several years later. This map recounts the path he took to get to both places. Maps and Geography: Howlett's European travels Fr. Howlett traveled far and wide during his trip to Europe. Here is a map of the places he recorded visiting. Maps and Geography: Howlett in Paris, 1872-1873 This map shows the locations that Fr. Howlett mentioned visiting while in Paris, France. Maps and Geography: Howlett in London, 1874 This map shows the locations that Fr. Howlett mentioned visiting while vacationing in London, England Maps and Geography: Colorado Missions with Terrain Fr. Howlett's Colorado mission locations, with Colorado terrain. Index Acknowledgements Contributors' Biographies HIST 394 at CUA, Spring 2020

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for it was a little paradise of flowers, fruit, shade trees and fountains. It was made so through Gods gift of a spring of water on a nearby mountain which, piped down to this place, showed what the whole desert might be if blessed with rain. Apart from the employees of the railroad, the only signs of life were a few Digger Indians who roam as lords of the sandy waste, but where they get their food was a mystery.

          The valley of Salt Lake is a relief after such a journey, and you welcome the voices of the children crying: “Here are your genuine Mormon apples,” and it sounds peculiar coming from Mormon children at every station. But the apples were good and the pride reasonable, and no doubt that little Mormon apple merchants increased their sales by advertising the fruit as Mormon grown.

          One day was all I could give to Salt Lake, but there are not many sights there, and they have often been described. The fine cathedral of Bishop Scanlon was not finished and the Bishop himself was not at home. Father Kieley took me to the Tabernacle, the Temple, the grave of Brigham Young who had prophesied that he would rise again twenty years after his death. The Mormons did not erect any monument over him, but a plain stone inside, and iron fence with a sort of canopy over it. Forty-one years have passed since then and I have yet to hear of the resurrection of Brigham Young.
          
          Denver was my next move, and two years at St. Leo’s settled things down to their regular course, and Bishop Matz sent me to a new field of labor in the Cathedral parish. The financial condition of the Cathedral parish was anything but encouraging, but it was not desperate; only time would be necessary to devise plans and put them to work. Before much could be done, the depression came on and forced everything to a standstill to await better times.
            
          Early in 1894 the consecration of Bishop Tierney of Hartford, Connecticut, took place, and as he was a great friend of Bishop Matz, and of myself also (we were both alumni of St. Thomas Seminary​​​​​​​ in Kentucky) I had the honor of an appointment from Bishop Matz to represent him and the Diocese at the consecration, and the pleasure of visiting him and some other old friends in the East. Among them were Msgr. Denis O’Callaghan of Boston, and Father Michael Ronan, another student of St. Thomas in Kentucky, who was pastor of St. Peter’s church in Lowell, Mass. Father Ronan was building his new church, and he gave me the history of the sale of the former church and the purchase of the new site. His old church was in the midst of the business section and he wanted a location more conveniently located among the homes of his people. He had his eye on a beautiful spot, but it would cost $180,000. At that time a new Post Office was needed in Lowell and the site of the old church was ideal for it. But the Ayer Sassaparilla Company had vast interests in another section of the city and were willing to donate a site for the government building. Hood’s Sassaparilla Company opposed Ayer and was in favor of down town site. Father Ronan’s old church occupied the exact spot that suited the Hood’s and they joined with Father Ronan in raising a fund to buy the new church site. Ayers offered their location to the government for One Dollar,

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