1901 Mr. A.N. Palmer visits Ottumwa and teaches the sisters his system of penmanship, known across the country as the Palmer Method.

1904 Sacred Heart Church acquires a bell for its bell tower.

1904 Council #888 of the Knights of Columbus is chartered, and meets weekly on the third floor of a building at Second and Green.

1907 The Sisters of the Humility of Mary purchase 126 acres in northeast Ottumwa for $17,500, and name it Villa Marie after the order’s original home in France, intending to build a new motherhouse and academy. Work immediately begins on planning the building and landscaping.

1912 (Late) The new building to house St. Joseph Academy and Convent is sufficiently complete to allow sisters and students to move from their Fourth Street quarters. The academy offers primary through 12^th grade education. The brick building is a five-floor, U-shaped structure; L.T. Chrisman is the contractor.

1913 July 17^th. The Sisters of the Humility of Mary dedicate the new St. Joseph Convent and Academy.

1913 The original St. Nicholas church on Fourth Street is torn down.

1914 Feb. 23^rd. St. Joseph Hospital opens in the former Academy building and convent on Fourth Street under the administration of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.

1914 St. Joseph School of Nursing is organized by the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.

1921 Costs for attending St. Joseph Academy are $225 per scholastic year for tuition, board and laundry of plain clothes. Extra charges apply to lessons in music, elocution and painting, Laboratory fees, library fees and textbook rentals are $1 each per scholastic year, while students pay a fee of $1 per semester for moving pictures. As well as uniforms and a selected wardrobe, students are to provide their own "goblet, silver knife, fork, dessert spoon, teaspoon, napkin ring and six napkins."

1924 Fr. F.W. Hoppmann of St. Mary’s dies after more than 22 years service at St. Mary’s, leaving $10,000 to help build a new church. $1,000 is to be devoted to the construction of an alter to St. Joseph and the purchase of a statue.

1924 March 24^th. Father J.M. Walsh is named pastor of St. Mary’s.

1924 Knights of Columbus Council #888 buys the former Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) hall at 123 W. Third St. Built as a Baptist church in 1882, the building had served as the YWCA since 1903.