Wibaux in Wibaux County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

St. Peter's Catholic Church

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 10, 2020

1. St. Peter's Catholic Church Marker

Inscription. Dismayed that his son’s adoptive home had no Catholic Church, Frenchman Achille Wibaux instructed Pierre to build one here. The rancher contributed $2,000 for the construction of this wood-frame, vernacular Gothic Revival structure. It was built in 1895 by R. R. Cummings and Eugene Blias of Glendive. The Wibaux congregation being at that time as a mission of Miles City, and Father Van der Broeck of Miles City superintended the church’s construction. In 1938, the church was enlarged and its exterior walls covered with scoria, a lava rock common to the badlands of the area. Father Leahy, pastor of the church beginning in 1931, conceived the idea of a scoria facing, and volunteers from the congregation went rock-picking in wagons and pickup trucks. Father Leahy recorded that “patient men did a beautiful job of laying the rock up to and on the steeple.” The building served as Wibaux’s Catholic Church until 1965, when a new church was built and this building was converted to a catechism school.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture

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• Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Montana National Register Sign Program series list.

Location. 46° 59.258′ N, 104° 11.501′ W. Marker is in Wibaux, Montana, in Wibaux County. It is at the intersection of Orgain Avenue and C Street West, on the left when traveling west on Orgain Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 318 Orgain Avenue, Wibaux MT 59353, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically outheast Montana in Custer Country. It is also in the American Mountain West,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

on the Great Plains,

and specifically on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Clark Hardware Company (approx. 0.2 miles away); Smith Saloon (approx. 0.2 miles away); Wibaux Commercial Historic District

St. Peter's Catholic Church and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 10, 2020

2. St. Peter's Catholic Church and Marker

(approx. 0.2 miles away); Wibaux House (approx. ¼ mile away); Pierre Wibaux (approx. ¼ mile away); Join the Voyage of Discovery (approx. 0.6 miles away); Welcome to Dinosaur Country (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Pierre Wibaux (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wibaux.

St. Peter's Catholic Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 10, 2020

3. St. Peter's Catholic Church

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 10, 2020

4. St. Peter's Catholic Church Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 27, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 379 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 27, 2020, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.