Zephyrin Engelhardt facts for kids
Zephyrin Engelhardt (born Charles Anthony Engelhardt) was a German-born priest. He was a member of the Franciscan Order. He became a famous historian. He wrote many books about the history of missions.
Early Life and Education
Charles Anthony Engelhardt was born on November 13, 1851. His hometown was Bilshausen, Germany. When he was very young, his family moved to Covington, Kentucky, in the United States. He went to college at St Francis Seraph College in Ohio.
In 1872, he joined the Franciscan Order. This is a group of Catholic priests and brothers. He became a priest in 1878. After becoming a priest, Father Engelhardt taught for one year. He then became a missionary. Missionaries travel to different places to share their faith. He worked with the Menominee people in Wisconsin.
Missionary Work and Writing
In 1887, Father Engelhardt moved to New York. There, he worked as an editor for a newspaper called Weekly Pilgrim of Palestine. For the next two years, he was a missionary in Mendocino County, California.
From 1894 to 1900, he was in charge of missions in northern Michigan. He also led an Indian Boarding School in Harbor Springs, Michigan. In 1895, he started and edited a newspaper called Anishinabe Enamiad.
In 1900, he took charge of another Indian boarding school. This school was in Banning, California. It was called the St. Boniface Indian Industrial School. It opened in 1890. The school taught job skills to Native American students. These students came from tribes like the Cahuilla, Serrano, Luiseño, and Kumeyaay.
Historian of Missions
Father Engelhardt is known as the "Father of Mission History." He spent many years writing detailed histories. He wrote about the twenty-one Spanish missions in Alta California. He also wrote about other Franciscan settlements. These were in Baja California and Arizona.
His work is still very important today. It is seen as the main source of information about California mission history. He also wrote many articles for the Catholic Encyclopedia.
Some of his important books include:
- The Franciscans in California (published in 1897)
- The Franciscans in Arizona (published in 1899)
- The Missions and Missionaries of California (published between 1908 and 1915)
Father Engelhardt also worked with the Pomo Native Americans. They live in Northern California. He helped to write down the words of their language.
