The Gresham area was settled by Catholics from Bavaria, who, in the early days had to travel to Keshena for Mass. Later, a priest came once every six weeks and celebrated Mass in their homes. In 1890, residents decided to build a church. Joseph Mader Sr. donated the land on which the current church stands. Fr. Blasius, a Franciscan stationed in Keshena, supervised the building' of the church. He chose the name in honor of St Francis Solanus, a 16th century Spanish Franciscan who worked among the Indians in Peru, South America. The parish was a mission of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawano, from 1888 to 1909 when it became a parish with St Mary, Leopolis, as a mission until 1949.
In 1895, the congregation built a school - the only parochial school ever built in Gresham. It was destroyed by fire in 1909 and never rebuilt. The first rectory, a large 2 1/2 -story frame house was built about 1898. It was replaced in 1959. Several years after the turn of the century, the Franciscan withdrew from the parish, which was then served by diocesan priests.
A new church was built in 1912 under the parish's first resident pastor, Fr. Theodore Pufahl. Its 90-foot steeple could be seen towering over the community.
Disaster struck on June 16, 1948, during an early afternoon thunderstorm. A bolt of lightning struck the steeple just above the bell tower. The pastor, Fr. Henry Schmitt, and passersby noticed the smoke immediately and quickly climbed the tower from the inside with fire extinguishers and had the fire in check by the time the fire department arrived to put out the last of the burning rafters. There was fire and water damage in the steeple and lower part of the church. The lightning also ripped off the large wooden cross on the top of the steeple. Several months after the fire, the interior of the church was redecorated and completed by Easter, 1949. A new 4-foot aluminum cross was
mounted on the top of the steeple to replace the old one. Other renovations were also done at this time. In 1951, a new electric organ was installed, replacing a large pipe organ that had served the congregation for several decades.
In 1958, a new rectory replaced the aging structure that was in desperate need of repair. The new brick, ranch-style home was ready for occupancy in 1959.
In 1960, the first major change in nearly 50 years to the church took place when a new 20-foot addition was added to the front of the structure, enclosing the steps and adding restrooms for the first time. In 1963, the interior was renovated. Mass was held in the church basement during the renovation, which was completed by Christmas that year.
The church underwent more renovations in 1977. In 1982, Mrs. Guinevere Stier bequest money to build a new church. In 1984 under the guidance of Fr. William Spalding a new church was constructed. Bishop Adam Maida presided at a Mass of Dedication on Aug. 25, 1985.
