Our Arklahoma Heritage: St. Mary's of the Quapaws- A quiet chapter in Ottawa County’s Native American history

In Quapaw (Ottawa County) a small site with ruins and markers tells the story of St. Mary's of the Quapaws Catholic Mission. Founded in 1894, this boarding school and church served the Quapaw Tribe during a time of big changes, including land loss, mining booms, and government pressure to assimilate Native Americans.

For visitors to Ottawa County, it’s a stop that reveals the tribe’slate 19th century prescence and the complex role of Catholic missionaries in their history.

The Quapaw, originally from the Mississippi River valley, met Catholic missionaries as early as 1673 when Jesuit Father Jacques Marquette visited their villages. Over the years, priests like Father Paul Du Poisson (1727) and Rev. John M. Odin (1830s) built ties with the tribe, with Chief Sarrasin, a Catholic convert, buried in Arkansas.

Epidemics and wars disrupted these efforts, and by 1834, the Quapaw were forced to relocate to northeastern Oklahoma under U.S. policies. By the late 1800s, about two-thirds of the tribe was Catholic, setting the stage for St. Mary's.

St. Mary's opened in 1894 on 40 acres donated by Quapaw Chief John Fish, as the 1893 Dawes Act broke up tribal lands. Run by the Diocese of Oklahoma and the Society of the Precious Blood, with leaders like Rev. Victor J. Reed, the mission included a church and a boarding school for Quapaw kids.

It taught reading, writing, farming, and sewing, all skills meant to help them in a changing world, but also pushed assimilation in a manner of many Indian boarding schools.

By 1906, about 20 students attended, guided by priests like Rev. Jack Fish and Sisters of Divine Providence. The mission also served nearby tribes including Ottawa, Peoria, Seneca, Wyandotte, and Modoc as well as and local settlers.

Its sacramental records, now at Sacred Heart Church in Miami, list baptisms (1847–1927), marriages, and confirmations, helping today’s Quapaw trace their roots.

But the 1920s brought trouble: anti-Catholic sentiment, including Ku Klux Klan activity near the county’s mining sites, added pressure. Ottawa County’s lead and zinc mining boom shaped the era, with towns like Picher and Commerce thriving. St. Mary's sat near these mines, where many Quapaw families worked.

The nearby Tar Creek area, now a Superfund site, shows the environmental toll. The mission offered stability, but by 1927, it closed due to low enrollment, as kids were sent to larger federal schools, and financial issues. The Bureau of Indian Affairs removed most buildings, and in 1975, Bishop John R. Ganter returned the land to the Quapaw Tribe

The site, near U.S. 60 in Quapaw has only ruins and one old building, plus markers explaining its history. You can visit through Quapaw Nation tours (check quapawtribe.com) or see artifacts at the Ottawa County Historical Society Museum in Miami.

The records at Sacred Heart Church or the Diocese of Tulsa are useful for family research.

The Quapaw, now about 6,000 strong, blend Catholic and tribal traditions at events like their Labor Day Powwow. Officials warn visitors to watch out for nearby mining hazards when visiting.

St. Mary's of the Quapaws shows the Quapaw’s strength in tough times, from forced moves to cultural pressures. It’s a reminder of the mixed legacy of boarding schools which sometimes provided education, but with a cost.

Pair a visit with Ottawa County’s Route 66 sites, like the Narcissa D-X Gas Station, for a fuller picture of the area’s past.

or 2025 tour info, contact the Quapaw Nation or visit quapawtribe.com. Check out Miami’s museum for more on mining and Route 66 details.