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 90 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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but Father Ronan’s offer was One Cent. The low bid got the business, and Father had framed and hanging in his room a warrant on the U.S. Treasury for the amount. He valued the souvenir more than the cash.
    
          Upon my return to Denver the depression was at its worst and I saw no hope for any betterment in the Cathedral affairs, and was relieved when Bishops Matz offered me the parish of Georgetown. This was his old parish in the mountains, but it had deteriorated greatly on account of the slump in the price of silver, and a great part of the congregation had moved away to find better opportunities. There was some debt on both churches there and very little revenue to meet them with, but I managed by the greatest economy to clear them off. The church at Silver Blume had but few members except Italian miners, and they never came to church except for a funeral or marriage.
    
          For more than two years I struggled along with what good material I found and got the financial condition in order, and in 1897 Bishop Matz sent me to Colorado City, a village between Colorado Springs and Manitou, but not incorporated with Colorado Springs. Father Bender had built a small church there, but it never was entirely finished or furnished. Father Nis had charge of it for a time, but it was now being served from Manitou and had a congregation of about thirty families. I was given some additional territory from the west end of Colorado Springs, and set about paying off a debt of $500 and completing the church. Pews were put in, a gallery built, a permanent altar set up and the interior plainly but appropriately decorated. A residence was needed and provided and a hall built for social and dramatic gatherings and I had a very comfortable home and a growing parish where I hoped to spend the rest of my days. It was all clear of debt also.
    
          It was then that the idea came to me to write the biography of Bishop Machebeuf . Years had passed since his death and no serious effort had been made to reserve the memory of his life and labors. I wrote his sister in France and received a copy of his correspondence with her for so many years and some information from her and from his brother upon their early family life, all of which formed the foundation and essence of the work. The gathering of matter was slow, and in the meantime another task was requested by some of my old fellow seminarians.
    
          The old seminary of St. Thomas had fallen into ruins, and its history existed only in scattered fragments and not even in a picture of its sacred halls was in existence. Could I and would I write a memorial of it and its work that saved Kentucky to the church and the faith to half of the middle West? A visit to the old grounds, for there was little left but the grounds, decided me to do my best to preserve its traditions, and my spare time in 1905 was given to the production of the volume entitled “A Historical Tribute” to St. Thomas Seminary near Bardstown, Kentucky.
    
          The cause of my writing this book was more accidental than premeditated. In 1883, while I was in St. Louis, a convention was held there of the Catholic Knights of America , a social and insurance organiza-

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