Chronicles of Notre Dame du Lac
Edward Sorin, CSC -- Translated by John M. Toohey, CSC, 1895

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1855

pg 223            Finally about this same time an ecclesiastic gave F. Sorin 
             the absolute title to a little piece of ground which he had near 
             Detroit, and which was valued at $6000.
                  Thus Providence repaired the losses sustained by Notre Dame 
             the previous year.
                  Moreover, several new foundations were made since the 
School at    beginning of this year:  one at Louisville amongst Germans, where 
Louisville & two Brothers taught 150 children, receiving $200 a piece per 
one at       annum; another at Toledo on nearly the same conditions for 
Toledo       English-speaking children; a third at Michigan City, and a fourth 
             at Laporte within the limits of our mission, with about 50 
             children in each place.  Finally a Sisters' school one mile and a 
             half from Notre Dame in the new town called New Lowell, the school 
             bearing the name of the Immaculate Conception, and having already 
             an attendance of 60 or 70 children, Irish, Canadian, and American.
                  The new Institution of St. Mary's of the Immaculate 
             Conception appeared to excite the interest of the best citizens of 
             South Bend.  Judge Stanfield himself very graciously answered the 
             different questions addressed to him on this subject by the 
             secretary in the name of the Sisters' council.  He even offered 
             his services to draw up the plan of Incorporation of the new 
             Academy.  Consequently all the papers necessary for this object 
             were soon prepared by him in a council of six Sisters, with F. 
             Sorin.
                  Those six Sisters having declared in writing and under oath, 
             in presence of Judge Stanfield, their intention of forming a 
             corporation according to the laws of the State of Indiana, for the 
             erection and the conduct of an Academy which they wished to name 
             St. Mary's, and having then elected their president and secretary, 
             as well as the six Administrators of the Institution, F. Sorin 
             executed a deed for fifty acres of land in favor of the Academy 
             thus formed, on which ground the Institution was to grow up and 
             expand, whilst at the same time he bestowed on it $5000 to be 
             immediately employed in putting up buildings.
                  All these documents were at once taken by the judge to the 
             St. Joseph County Court to be registered and to obtain the force