Zephyrin Engelhardt, O.F.M., (born Charles Anthony Engelhardt; 1851–1934) was a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
-born
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
and clerical historian of the
Franciscan Order
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
.
Life
Charles Anthony Engelhardt was born November 13, 1851 in Bilshausen, Hanover, Germany to Anthony and Elizabeth Engelhardt. His father was skilled in the manufacture of willowware. In 1852, the family emigrated to Covington, Kentucky. Charles was educated at St Francis Seraph College in Cincinnati, Ohio. He entered the Franciscan order in 1872 and was ordained in 1878. After ordination, Father Engelhardt taught for a year at St. Joseph's College, Cleveland, Ohio before becoming a missionary to the
Menominee
The Menominee (; mez, omǣqnomenēwak meaning ''"Menominee People"'', also spelled Menomini, derived from the Ojibwe language word for "Wild Rice People"; known as ''Mamaceqtaw'', "the people", in the Menominee language) are a federally recog ...
people in Wisconsin.
In 1887, Engelhardt went to New York, where he served as editor of the ''Weekly Pilgrim of Palestine''. The next two years, he was a missionary in
Mendocino County, California
Mendocino County (; ''Mendocino'', Spanish language, Spanish for "of Antonio de Mendoza, Mendoza) is a County (United States), county located on the North Coast (California), North Coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United Sta ...
. From 1894 to 1900, he was superior of the missions in northern Michigan and of the Indian Boarding School at
Harbor Springs, Michigan
Harbor Springs is a city and resort community in Emmet County, Michigan. The population was 1,194 in the 2010 census.
Harbor Springs is in a sheltered bay on the north shore of the Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. The Little Traverse Ligh ...
. In 1895, he founded and was editor of ''Anishinabe Enamiad''. In 1900, he took charge of the Indian boarding school at
Banning, California
Banning is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 29,505 as of the 2020 census, down from 29,603 at the 2010 census. It is situated in the San Gorgonio Pass, also known as ''Banning Pass''. It is named for Phi ...
. The St. Boniface Indian Industrial School opened in 1890, providing vocational education to
Cahuilla
The Cahuilla , also known as ʔívil̃uqaletem or Ivilyuqaletem, are a Native American people of the various tribes of the Cahuilla Nation, living in the inland areas of southern California.Serrano,
Luiseño
The Luiseño or Payómkawichum are an indigenous people of California who, at the time of the first contacts with the Spanish in the 16th century, inhabited the coastal area of southern California, ranging from the present-day southern part of L ...
,
Kumeyaay
The Kumeyaay, also known as Tipai-Ipai or by their historical Spanish name Diegueño, is a tribe of Indigenous peoples of the Americas who live at the northern border of Baja California in Mexico and the southern border of California in the Unit ...
, and other American Indians.
Engelhardt, known as the "Father of Mission History," compiled extensive histories of the twenty-one Spanish missions in Alta California as well as other Franciscan settlements in
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
and
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
during the first decades of the 20th century. Engelhardt's work is today considered to be the standard authority regarding California mission history. He also wrote a number of articles for the ''Catholic Encyclopedia.''
His many works include:
* ''The Franciscans in California'' (1897)
* ''The Franciscans in Arizona'' (1899)
* ''The Missions and Missionaries of California'' (1908–1915)available to read free online at Internet Archive /ref>
Engelhardt also worked with the
Pomo
The Pomo are an Indigenous people of California. Historical Pomo territory in Northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point. One small grou ...
Native Americans of
Northern California
Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...