Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
Unincorporated community
Nickname(s):  Saint Mary's, the Woods
Location of St. Mary of the Woods in Vigo County, Indiana.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Vigo
Township	Sugar Creek
Area
• Total	1.26 sq mi (3.26 km2)
• Land	1.24 sq mi (3.21 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation	558 ft (170 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	767
• Density	619.05/sq mi (238.96/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	47876
Area code(s)	812, 930
GNIS feature ID	442687

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, also known as St. Mary's, is a small community in Indiana, USA. It is located in Vigo County, near the city of Terre Haute.

A big part of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods is home to the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. This is where the main center for the Sisters of Providence is, along with Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Even though it's a small community, it has its own post office with the ZIP code 47876.

History of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods

The first records of land ownership in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods go back to 1825. A couple named George and Polly Smith received land here. This land was likely given to George Smith because he served in the American Revolution. He was an aide to George Washington.

Later, in 1835, a family named Thralls bought a large piece of land from the Smiths.

The Catholic Mission Begins

In 1838, Bishop Simon Bruté bought land from the Thralls family for a small amount of money. Bishop Bruté was part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Vincennes. He wanted to start a Catholic mission in the Terre Haute area. He built a small wooden church, which was the first church of its kind in Vigo County.

Arrival of the Sisters of Providence

In 1840, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin came to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods with other sisters. They found a thick forest with only a few buildings. Here, she started the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. This is a group of Catholic women who dedicate their lives to helping others. The Thralls family provided a place for the sisters to live at first.

Growth of the Community

As more Sisters of Providence joined, the town of St. Mary's also grew. In April 1850, about twenty men from the village left to search for gold in California.

However, by 1851, one of the sisters, Sister Saint Francis Xavier, wrote about how much the town had grown. She said, "Now we have quite a little country town." The village had a post office, two small inns, and several stores. There were also workshops for people who made wheels, barrels, shoes, and furniture.

A post office was first opened in 1846 under the name St. Mary's. Its name was changed to Saint Mary Of The Woods in 1912, and it is still open today.

Population Information

The population of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods was 797 people in 2010. By 2020, the population was 767 people.

See also

In Spanish: St. Mary of the Woods (Indiana) para niños