Cuba City Denied a Church

In the years following Cuba City's 1875 founding, there was a push to build a Catholic Church within the growing village, rather than at the parish's original location, one mile north at St. Rose. Things looked particularly promising in 1889, when St. Rose parishioners raised over $5,000 for the church building project. But, it was not meant to be.

In the passionate words of one irritated Cuba City correspondent to the Galena Gazette, the church project was halted due to objections from the nearby Benton and New Diggings parishes:

"The Catholics of Cuba City and vicinity are feeling rather blue to-day. They were promised that if they could raise $5,000 they could build a Catholic church here, and a committee called on the people and succeeded in getting subscriptions to the amount of $5,750. Yesterday they were told that because Benton and New Diggings were 'kicking' about it, they would have to put off building the church. Did Benton consult the St. Rose congregation when they built their own church? We fail to see what right Benton people have to interfere with the building of a church in Cuba City. Their excuse that they are afraid Cuba City will take the priest away from them does not justify them."  -- Galena Gazette (October 1, 1889).

Cuba City did eventually get its church in 1895, but the parish was not assigned its own priest until 1908. Until that time, the Rev. J. C. Bergen, of St. Patrick's Parish in Benton, served the Cuba City congregation.

This decorative tray features the Rev. J. C. Bergen and the exterior of Cuba City's St. Rose Catholic Church. The church was located on North Madison Street, just south of where St. Rose School stands today.