Louisa Anne Conner arrived with her husband, John in 1869. Louisa was the first non-Native American woman to settle in the Skagit Valley. Her husband John and his brother James were the first men to settle the banks of the Swinomish Channel.

A devout Catholic and mother of nine, Louisa took it upon herself to find a way to build a Catholic Church for the settlers in the area. By canoe, Louisa traveled to nearby farms and camps to share her dream and request donations.

With $2,800.00 collected from local settlers and the donation of the property on Douglas Street by the Conner family, the Catholic community of La Conner realized a dream; in 1899 the present Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church opened its doors.