A document titled ‘Notes for the History of Roseburg Parish, Oregon’ by Fr. Urban Riordan OFM Cap. providing an overview of the early organization, changing territories, and pastoral leadership of St. Joseph’s Parish in Douglas County, Oregon. It records that the parish was organized between 1851 and 1871, originally covering most of eastern Douglas County, with numerous outlying missions including Myrtle Creek, Yoncalla, Riddle, and formerly Marshfield (Coos Bay). The text outlines structural transitions, such as relinquishing Glendale to the Grants Pass parish in 1945, while keeping town masses in Drain active within a community hall. The history includes detailed chronological record of serving clergy compiled from records. It begins with the pioneering missionary travels in 1851 by Rev. Fr. Croke and early pastors at the original St. Stephen’s Church, traces the construction of St. Joseph’s Church under Rev. Fr. Wensersky, and provides an exact timeline of successive pastors from 1889 through 1910, including the transition from diocesan priests to Capuchin friars in 1912 and its subsequent history up to 1946.
Riordan, Urban, 1891-1972, Capuchin priest
