Northwestern Indiana from 1800 to 1900A regional history written by Timothy H. Ball . . . .
Source Citation:
Ball, Timothy H. 1900.
Northwestern
Indiana from 1800 to 1900 or A View of Our Region Through the Nineteenth Century.
Chicago, Illinois: Donohue and Henneberry. 570 p.
NORTHWESTERN INDIANA FROM 1800 TO 1900
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CHAPTER XIV.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY.
7. The Baptists.
Among the religious denominations the Baptists made the first start in White
County, commencing evangelical work in 1834, the year in which the county was
organized. The pioneer preachers were, with perhaps, some others, "Elders Reese,
Corbin, and Miner." They organized the first church in the new county. For some
reason -- Baptists are sometimes rather slow -- the Baptists in White County,
for many years, erected no church building; but at length "bought the Old School
Presbyterian Church." The noble, devoted pioneer ministers passed away. But in
White County the results remained. Growth took place, a more progressive age, so
called, came on. About 1860 was formed the Monticello Baptist Association, as
elsewhere mentioned; and besides the church in Monticello, churches were
organized called Pine Grove, Mount Zion, Brookston, Monon, Liberty Township,
West Point, Wolcott, Burnettsville, and Chalmers. It is the main Baptist county
in Northwestern Indiana.
One of these churches named, the Monticello Church, has ceased to exist;
but there are now nine living Baptist churches in White County.
Samuel Benjamin was the first Baptist minister whose name is found in the
records of Newton County. The first Baptist meetings were held near the village
of Brook. The churches of Newton now are: Prairie
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Vine, Morocco, Mount Ayr, Goodland, and Beaver City.
In Jasper County are three churches, at Rensselaer with about ninety members,
one called Kankakee, the pastor residing in North Judson, and the Milroy
Township Church, organized quite recently by Rev. D. J. Huston with six members
and now having about sixty, and its pastor, energetic, devoted, almost untiring
in labors, passed several years ago that third "dead line" of three score an
ten. There are sensible churches yet left in the land.
The first Baptist ministers in Jasper were Elders Joseph Price and Samuel
Benjamin. Of the years of their ministry and the results of their labors no
records are found.
In Starke County the first Baptist Church was organized December 3, 1899, with
fifty-eight members through the labors of J. W. Keller, a licentiate. This is
called the Nickel Plate Baptist Church.
In Pulaski County there is no Baptist Church.
The "first anniversary" of the Monticello Baptist Association was held at
Rensselaer in 1860. Its organic life commenced with six churches. In 1867 Rev.
D. J. Huston came into the bounds of this Association. He was soon chosen as
Moderator and has held that office for twenty-five years. He is still an active
pastor, having recently built up a promising and flourishing church a few miles
south from McCoysburg and secured the erection of
a neat church building dedicated in 1899. He was born in 1822, was a student at
Franklin College and would probably have graduated in 1850 with the writer of
this work, but duty of another kind seemed pressing, and he commenced pastoral
work near Franklin in 1847,
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in the church where Dr. T. J. Morgan's father's family were members.
In 1869 Rev. A. H. Dooley became a resident pastor and was elected after a
little time Clerk of the Association. He remained in its bounds till 1889,
having been pastor of the Prairie Vine Church for ten years. In forty years the
Association has increased to sixteen churches. Present membership about thirteen
hundred.
July 25, 1899, was an important day for this Association, and especially for the
church at Morocco. The event, which on that day called many together, was the
laying of the corner-stone for a Baptist church building. The exercises, all,
were of large interest. Rev. A. H. Dooley read a paper giving the history of the
Baptist churches of Newton County, and "Rev. D. J. Huston, who has almost
reached the four score limit, gave a good address and laid the corner-stone."*
Addresses also were given by Rev. V. C. Fritts of Rensselaer, Rev. W. F.
Carpenter of Goodland, and Rev. J. C. Boutell of St. Anne, Illinois. Also by the
pastor of the United Brethren Church at Morocco, Rev. W. F. Hunt, and of the
"Christian" Church, Rev. R. S. Cartwright. "Our venerable brother, Rev. A. I.
Putnam, led in prayer."** The address of Rev. J. O. Boutell was given in the
open air at the new church corner, where prayer was offered, by Rev. A. H.
Dooley.
"The Baptist organization of Morocco is in its infancy. The pastor is the brave,
enthusiastic Rev. P. H. Foulk, who has undertaken a great work for the
__________
*The Morocco Courier, July 29, 1899.
**The Standard, August 5, 1899.
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town and community. The plan of the church, which is the product of Pastor
Faulk's own mind, is of the institutional order. The building will contain,
beside the ordinary auditorium and Sunday-school department, a library and
reading room, a kitchen and parlor for social occasions, a well fitted system of
baths, and a large modern gymnasium." The building is of brick and stone. The
estimated cost five thousand dollars. This is the first building of its kind
among the Baptists of Northwestern Indiana. Its
success will be of no small interest among Indiana
Baptists in the coming century.
The pioneer Baptist ministers in La Porte County were: Phineas Colver in 1833
and 1834, who organized the first Baptist Church in Stillwell Prairie in 1834;
T. Spaulding in 1836; Alexander Hastings in 1837; Benjamin Sawin in 1838;
Charles Harding, Augustus Bolles, and Samuel W. Ford in 1839. The church
organized in 1834 took the name of Kingsbury, Elder Sawin became the pastor. It
is a living church now.
The Rolling Prairie Church was organized June 23, 1836, "at the house of James
Hunt," ministers present Elder T. Price of Michigan and Elder T. Spaulding of La
Porte. Constituent members, "James Hunt, John Salisbury, Matthias Dawson, Nancy
Hunt, Catherine Whitehead, Sarah Mason, Phoebe Hunt, Clarrissa Canada, Sabina
Salisbury, Alsie Dawson, and Martha Whitehead."* In 1839 a church house "was
built on the grounds of George Belohaw."
This was for some years a large and prosperous
__________
*General Packard's History.
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church, having in 1853 one hundred and forty-eight members. In 1861 it reported
sixty-five members. In 1864 only forty-four. In 1870 "No report." It ceased to
exist.
In the days of its prosperity it sent out several young men as ministers; among
them Thomas L. Hunt, who in a few years finished up his life work in the county
of Lake, where his dust reposes; as a man, a Christian, and a pastor, amiable,
exemplary, and devoted beyond many; and J. M. Whitehead, a man of power, a tower
of strength, among Indiana and Illinois pastors,
for many years; a chaplain of note in the Union Army in the time of the war for
the life of the Government; now in Topeka, Kansas, (1899), a man known and
honored by many thousands.
The following extract from a letter written
September 9, 1898, by John M. Hunt of Oakland, Oregon, to his cousin, Mrs. M. L.
Barber of Burlington, Kansas, referring to this once flourishing church, is so
applicable to other early churches, only changing names, that it is given a
place here. To some yet living it will have a special, personal interest.
"There is one plain picture now before me that often presents itself, and that
is, where we were often at church, your uncle Milton [Rev. J. M. Whitehead] and
brother Thomas [Rev. Thomas L. Hunt] in the pulpit of the old church, your uncle
Jasper and deacon Betteys just in front, and just behind on the next seat, uncle
John Hefner, brother William, and uncle David Stoner, and a few others. Then
your uncle Newton, and Alfred Salisbury, and several more male singers, and a
half dozen female singers, rise and join in singing old Coronation; and as they
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sing I see your Grandmother and Mrs. Betteys and your aunt Polly, and many
others, all drinking in the music, while the seats on each side are full, but
some of the faces are almost faded out, while many others are very distinct yet.
Shall we meet again? Yes, in the great 'Beyond' we shall meet again. Those who
have loved the Lord and tried to do His will, as they understood the word, will
surely join in singing that 'New Song' that the 'Revelator' speaks of, whether
they were members of our church or not, or may be not members of any church."
Surely a blissful hope! And quite surely with no Baptist church building in
Northern Indiana are more rich and pleasant
associations connected than with that old frame building and its large, box-like
pulpit of Rolling Prairie. Such men as have preached from
that pulpit are not readily found now. The revival there in mid-summer of
1839, Elder A. Hastings, in the prime of his manhood, pastor, was one to be
through life remembered. And the ordination there, February 27, 1846, of T. L.
Hunt, Stephen G. Hunt, and J. Milton Whitehead, was one of the memorable
occasions. "For nearly five years these three young brethren supplied the pulpit
of the Rolling Prairie Church, preached in the neighborhoods around, and kept
up, for a time, six Sabbath schools."
"During the five years of labor on Rolling Prairie about sixty were baptized by
the three home missionaries."
But abundant as is the material we must leave this once consecrated place, where
such men as Elder Hastings and Elder Sawin have been, and in the neighborhood of
which they died, both living to an advanced age; and such visitors
from Central Indiana
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as Elder W. Rees and Elder U. B. Miller, and
where Elder S. W. Miller, the veteran of all, so often preached. Of the last
named, this record must be made. Born in July, 1812, married in Ohio in May,
1834, ordained at Belmont, for fifty-five years he was actively engaged in the
work of the ministry, and is still living with his wife (1899) sixty-five years
from the time of
his marriage, in their comfortable and pleasant home in the city of La Porte,
not able to engage in active duties as formerly, having been twice injured by
accidents, yet enjoying a good degree of health. He can recall the names of some
thirty ministers with whom he has been associated who have gone before him to
the other shore. He is now more than eighty-seven years of age. Near him reside
his son-in-law, Rev. W. S. Hastings, and at Door Village, one of his associate
laborers, Rev. G. F. Brayton, both born March 24, 1822, both now retired
from active ministerial
labors, although ten years younger than Elder Miller. Honor should ever be given
to whom honor is due. The pastors now are young. With some churches the "dead
line" is fifty, and with some it is down to forty. Shame!
The La Porte Church was organized in 1838. This is now the large Baptist Church
of the county. Its earlier pastors were Charles Harding till 1840; Silas Tucker,
afterwards Dr. Tucker of Logansport, till 1845; E. W. Hamlin for one year, 1846;
Morgan Edwards, "the sailor preacher," for a few months in 1849; R. H. Cook for
a year and a half, to July, 1851; for a short time in 1852 again Morgan Edwards;
S. C. Chandler, and in 1853 Gibbon Williams. In later years quite a number have
been pastors, among them H. Smith, J. P. Ash, and Addison Parker. Present
pastor, Rev. G. C. Moor.
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The other living churches of the county are, Swedish Baptist at La Porte,
organized in 1884, and the church at Michigan City, in 1889. Michigan City is
another of those places where it has been difficult for a Baptist church to
live. One was organized in that then young town in 1836 or early in 1837. Its
life as a church was short. Again in 1853 a "newly constituted" church at
Michigan City was "received" into the Northern Indiana
Association. Pastor "Rev. A. Hastings." But soon its visibility was lost.
A third church was organized in 1889 and it is not yet regarded as a
self-supporting church. Seventy-nine Baptist are a small band among fifteen
thousand people.
The early Baptist history of Porter County is obscure. Some claim that Rev.
Alpheus French, known as Elder French, an aged Baptist minister, preached the
first sermon in Valparaiso in 1836. Others think that a Baptist church was
organized in Center Township in 1835 or 1836 by Rev. Asahel Neal and that he
preached the first sermon in Valparaiso in the house of William Eaton. If such a
church was organized it did not live. In 1836 there were in the county four
ministers, Elder French, Baptist; W. K. Talbott, Presbyterian; Cyrus Spurlock
and Stephen Jones, Methodists.
The present church in Valparaiso was organized June 10, 1837, with twelve
members. First deacons, John Robinson and John Bartholomew. First clerk, Jacob
C. White.
The name, First Baptist Church of Valparaiso, was adopted February 8, 1840. The
first pastor was Elder French, who continued for five years. The second was H.
S. Orton. The third was W. T. Bly, 1844
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to 1847. The fourth was Elder A. Nickerson, for five
years. The fifth was Harry Smith, 1854, continuing as pastor for six years. The
sixth was G. T. Brayton for one year. The seventh was Jirah D. Cole, one year,
May, 1861, to May, 1862. The eighth, J. M. Maxwell, nearly two years. The ninth,
M. T. Lamb, one year. The tenth, Otis Saxton, one year,
from October, 1867, to
October, 1868. The eleventh, Elder Harper, for six months. June, 1869, "No
pastor" is the report to the Association.
The next pastors were: W. A. Caplinger, two and a half years, W. A. Clark,
nearly two years, E. S. Riley from October, 1875,
to 1885 or 1886, then brethren Banker, C. J. Pope, Dr. Heagel, W. E. Randall,
and W. E. Story, the last closing his pastoral work in 1899. In 1885 Rev. E. S.
Riley was Moderator of the Association and Rev. C. J. Pope was Clerk in 1887 and
in 1888.
The Northern Indiana Association with which the
churches of La Porte, Porter, and Lake are connected, held its first annual
meeting in 1837, extending into counties further east than at present. A
division, for convenience sake, took place at South Bend in 1845, when 1,126
members were reported. Meeting in 1846 at Valparaiso, 654 only were reported. Of
the pastor here at this time, a true pioneer minister, the following sketch is
inserted:
Rev. William T. Bly was born in Norway, New York, January 20, 1812, studied at
Hamilton, was married in 1839 to Miss Elizabeth Miller, sister of Elder Miller
of La Porte, became pastor at Valparaiso in 1844. He also went into Lake County
once in each month, and in 1845 was pastor there of the Cedar Lake Baptist
Church, baptizing in that year, in the
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Lake of the Red Cedars, T. H.
Ball, Elisabeth H.
Ball, Mrs. Sarah Farwell.
Eli Church, and in January, 1846, Fanny C. Warriner. His salary was not large,
and, like Rev. J. C. Brown, the Presbyterian pastor, he added something to it by
teaching in Valparaiso a "day school."
He was a very earnest, devoted, faithful preacher and pastor. He was a pastor in
Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Minnesota. He
went into the last State in 1853, where he organized and assisted to organize
several churches, and there died at Etna, June 16, 1897, eighty-five years of
age. A few yet remain who knew him well in the days of his early ministry in
Indiana.
In Lake County the pioneer Baptist families settled in 1836 and 1837 not far
from the Red Cedar Lake. They were the large
Church and Cutler families, the two Warriner families, and the
Ball family.
Their church, taking its name from the lake, was
organized June 17, 1838, Elder French, of Porter County, the minister present.
Its pastors were: N. Warriner, ordained as its first pastor; W. T. Bly, A.
Hastings, Uriah McKay, and Thomas L. Hunt. As missionaries and visiting pastors
it enjoyed the occasional services of Elders French, Sawin, Whitehead, Brayton,
Kennedy, Hitchcock, and N. V. Steadman, of Evansville, who in April, 1855,
baptized the last member received into this church, Henrietta
Ball, then thirteen years of age. In its life
period as a church it had nearly one hundred members. It was quite a model
church. Population changing, the record says, "some being about to remove," this
church was disbanded January 17, 1856, having existed seventeen years. Its
history is given in "The Lake of the Red Cedars."
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Since the organization of that church in 1838, eleven other Baptist churches
have been organized in Lake County, making twelve in all, and of these, two
only, one at Hammond organized in 1887, and another at Hammond organized in
January, 1899, are now maintaining church life.
In the life time of seven of the ten churches not now manifesting church life,
were baptized one hundred and seventy-five, and of all these ten or twelve are
now left in the county.
The Hammond church of 1887 reported in 1898 three hundred and two members. The
"Baptist Messenger," a church paper, under date of January 21, 1899, says: "A
few weeks ago the First Baptist church dismissed from
its fellowship seventy-six members, who expressed their determination to
organize a second Baptist church in Hammond. We understand that such church has
about perfected its organization, assuming the name Immanuel Baptist church. We
suppose that members of any society, who are dissatisfied with their
relationship and associations, have a right to withdraw and make a society of
their own."
The recognition of such a right is surely liberal and noble. Many have in the
past denied it.
Of the first church at Hammond S. W. Phelps has been pastor since 1893.
In La Porte County the Baptists number about five hundred and fifty members; in
Porter three hundred members; in Lake, at Hammond, three hundred; in Starke
sixty, and in Pulaski, no church; in White about nine hundred; in Jasper one
hundred and sixty, and in Newton four hundred. Total membership about twenty-six
hundred. Of the eight county
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seats, Knox, Winamac, Kentland, Monticello, Crown Point,
have no Baptist preaching.
In the Northern Indiana Association, the churches
north of the Kankakee, with 1,150 members, contributed in 1898, for their twelve
different objects, $6,886, or less than six dollars for each member. In the
Monticello Association, number of members 1,400, there was contributed in 1899,
$10,456, or seven dollars for each member.
The Baptists do not seem to have held their ground well north of the Kankakee
River. Nineteen churches have been organized in La Porte County; at Kingsbury,
at Rolling Prairie, three in La Porte, three in Michigan City, at Door Village,
Westville, Mill Creek, Wanatah, Pleasant Hill, Clinton Township, Macedonia,
Salem, Galena Township, Byron, and Hudson. Of these four only are now living.
In Porter County have been organized the Neal Baptist Church in 1835 or 1836,
the "First Baptist Church" in Valparaiso, the Twenty Mile Prairie Church, the
"Second Baptist Church of Porter County," 1850, the Union Center and Willow
Creek churches. And of these six there is one now living.
In Lake County churches have been organized at the Red Cedar Lake, West Creek,
Lowell, Eagle Creek, Plum Grove, Hobart, Griffith, Ross, two at Crown Point, and
two at Hammond. And of these the two at Hammond are the living churches now.
It thus appears that of thirty-seven Baptist churches organized in these three
counties since 1834 but seven maintain an existence as this Nineteenth Century
is about to close. It is easy to say that some of the thirty should never have
been organized; and easy to say that some of them should not have been
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disbanded; but who knows? Only the Omniscient One. In
the seventy years of white occupancy many things have changed. Social centers
and church centers grew up and changed; Baptist pioneers gave place to other
settlers; pioneer centers ceased altogether to be central; and the German and
Swede and Bohemian and many other immigrants now are on the localities where
once the Baptist pioneers and the Methodist pioneers, and the Wesleyans and
United Brethren met for worship. History teaches lessons. The Baptist history of
Indiana never has
been written. Its earlier history, in much detail, never will be written. But
if, in many localities, in our good State of
Indiana, Baptists have not flourished as have
some other denominations, it has been in part their own fault.
Of seventy-five towns in the State, having each a population
from five hundred to twenty-five hundred, and
containing no Baptist Church, sixteen are in North-Western
Indiana. Of nine counties with no Baptist Church
Pulaski and Starke were two. And of twenty-eight county seats without a Baptist
Church we have of these only five.
There may be such a thing as denominational pride, there may sometimes be even
church rivalry; but the historic facts above recorded seem to teach that there
is no need in every town, or in every county, for churches of each large
denomination to exist. It is not so essential by what denomination the Gospel is
preached. If in any community, and m every community, there is one Evangelical
Church, then there the Gospel can go forth on its mission to the hearts of the
people; and there may be found those who are among the choice number called "the
light of the world" and "the salt of the earth."
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Connected with most of the Baptist churches are Young People's Societies or
Unions, the letters representing which are, B. Y. P. U.
North of the Kankakee River these are (1899) the figures including active and
associate members: At Kingsbury 35, at Michigan City 37, at Valparaiso 40, at
Hammond 62, at La Porte 75; total 249. South of the Kankakee, some reports for
1899, some for 1898, Seniors and Juniors, at Burnettsville 90, at Beaver City
35, at Goodland 124, at Milroy 71, at Monon 108, at Rensselaer 40, at Mount Ayr
28, at Sitka 67, at Wolcott 61; total 563. Grand total 812.
8. The Lutherans.
In La Porte County of this large and wealthy body of Protestant Christians there
are two varieties, the churches being connected with two different synods.
At Michigan City are two churches belonging to the Ohio Synod. The buildings are
nearly opposite each other, both large, massive looking brick structures, and
each having a church school attached.
1. St. Paul's Church, families 500.
2. St. John's Church, families 475.
The other Lutheran churches in La Porte County are the following, the figures
attached denoting the entire membership of all the families connected with each
church, called the number of souls, the families averaging about six members
each:
La Porte, George Link, pastor, 2,070; Wanatah, F. Heickhoff, pastor, 500; Tracy,
197; Hanna, 153; A. Neuendorf, pastor of both; Otis, M. C. Brade, 361. Also in
La Porte a Swedish Lutheran.
In Porter County. Valparaiso, A. Rehwaldt,
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640; Kouts, A. Baumann, 325; Chesterton, 135. A Swedish
Lutheran at Baillytown.
In Starke County: North Judson, W. Roesener, 405; San Pierre, probably 200;
Winona, 185.
In Pulaski County: Winamac, 65; Denham, 290; Medaryville, A. Baumann, 60.
In White County: Reynolds, J. Lindhorst, 393.
In Jasper County: Fair Oaks. G. Bauer, pastor, 125; Kniman, same pastor, 83;
Wheatfield, perhaps 60.
In Newton County: Goodland, G. Bauer, 155; at Morocco, a congregation, 36.
There are also preaching places, with small congregations, number of members not
ascertained, at McCool in Porter County; at Westville in La Porte, and at Hamlet
in Starke County.
In Lake County are the following, with date of building attached:
1. Trinity Church at Crown Point, first building, frame. 1869; second, large
brick building, 1886. Pastor from 1871 to 1890,
Rev. G. Heintz. Since 1890, Rev. August Schuclke. Members, 594.
2. St. Paul's at Deer Creek, 1886. Pastor, Rev. G. Heintz, 80.
3. Trinity Church at Hobart, 1874, German Lutheran. Pastor, Rev. E. R. Schuelke.
Members, 649.
4. Swedish Lutheran at Hobart, 1873.
5. St. John's Church at Tolleston, 1869. Pastor, Rev. A. Rump, 484.
6. Swedish Lutheran at Miller's Station, 189.
7. Church at Hammond, South Side, 1883; second building, brick, 1889. Rev. W.
Dau, 1,257.
8. Church at Hammond, North Side, 1889. Rev. W. Brauer, 496.
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9. Church at Whiting, Rev. P. Wille, 235. Orchard Grove congregation, 56.
9. "Reformed."
The churches of this variety of German Protestants are sometimes called
"Evangelical," but are more commonly, by their American neighbors, considered as
Lutherans. Holding to a great extent the doctrines taught by Luther, on some
points of doctrine they follow the teachings of Calvin and Zwinglius. There are
four churches of this variety in Lake County. Three are German and one is
Hollander.
1. Zion's Church, in Hanover Township, north of Brunswick, established by Rev.
Peter Lehman in 1857, with twenty-six members. A church building was soon
erected and a church school commenced. Present membership ------.
2. Reformed Church near the southeast corner of Center Township, building
erected in 1883. Members ------.
3. Reformed or Evangelical in Hammond.
4. Hollander Church in North Township near Lansing on the Highland road.
Hollander settlement commenced on the Calumet bottom lands and along the
Highland sand ridge in 1855. Church building erected about 1876. Entire
membership about 300. There is also a Hollander Reformed Church at De Motte, in
Jasper.
10. "Christians."
Some years ago Dr. T. J. Conant, one of the Bible Union revisers, mentioned a
"large and wealthy community calling themselves 'Disciples of Christ,' the
followers of Alexander Campbell."
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The Journal and Messenger, of Cincinnati, October 5, 1899, mentions the
Independents of England, the Congregationalists and the Baptists of America, and
adds to these three varieties of Christians "Disciples," numbering, says the
editor, hardly less than a million in all.
Why did that editor put quotation marks around Disciples?
In a table of seventeen denominations, including Jews and Mormons, published in
January, 1900, by the "Independent," Christians are placed at 112,414, and
Disciples at 1,118,396. Those called Disciples must be the body calling
themselves Christians in Indiana, and in order to
discriminate between Christians and Disciples as given by the "Independent," and
between Christians as denoting those believing in Christ and Christians as
denoting one variety of believers in Christ, quotation marks are, in this book,
placed around "Christians."
In giving the history of Pleasant Township, which General Packard says was one
of the most attractive parts of La Porte County, adding: "Its rich and flower
clad prairies, its groves of noble forest trees, its numerous small lakes and
flowing streams, combined to form a spot of unsurpassed beauty;" he makes this
statement: "The earliest preachers in the township were Elder St. Claire,
Campbellite; Elder Spalding, Baptist; and Rev. Geo. M. Boyd, Methodist." This
sentence shows the titles in early times applied to ministers and the names
given to three varieties of Christians. All readers will thus understand that by
"Christians" Disciples, so called, are meant. This is a large and growing body
of Christians.
So far as ascertained, they have three churches in
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Lake County, at Lowell, in West Creek Township, and at
Hammond. The Lowell church was organized south of Lowell in 1841, constituent
members Simeon Beadle and his wife Sarah Beadle, William Wells and his wife
Sarah Wells, Thomas Childers and his wife Sarah Childers, and J. L. Worley. In
1869 the members built a brick church in Lowell costing about four thousand
dollars, of which sum one of the members, Henry Dickinson, gave twelve hundred
dollars.
The church at Hammond was organized in December, 1888, by Rev. E. B. Cross. A
comfortable building was soon secured, and a pastor resides in the city. The
West Creek Church, a country church, was organized some years ago, and a good
building erected, through the efforts of the Worley and Pinkerton families and
some others who were members at Lowell. The location is a pleasant one.
In Porter County there are of these congregations four. In Valparaiso a church
was organized with eight members, in 1847, by Rev. Peter T. Russell. In 1874 a
large brick church edifice was erected and the congregation numbers more than a
thousand members.
In Hebron a church was organized in January, 1870, with twenty-six members. A
house was built in 1878 costing eleven hundred dollars. The first pastor was
Lemuel Shortridge. Present membership has not been ascertained.
It is somewhat remarkable that the mother of Elder Shortridge, Mrs. Esther C.
Shortridge, born in October, 1804, is still living, having quite good use of her
senses and faculties, now almost ninety-six years of age. She has been a
resident for a number of years with her daughter in the city of Hammond, and is
219
a noble illustration of what an aged Christian woman may
be. Few are permitted to reach her age.
A third and a nourishing church is at Boone Grove, and the fourth is at Kouts.
In La Porte County there are churches at La Porte, organized in 1837 "by means
of the efforts of Judge William Andrew and Dr. Jacob P. Andrew. Their labors
were earnest, unremitting, and successful." This church has had both deacons and
deaconesses. The latter at one time were Mrs. W. H. Calkins, Mrs. Angeline C.
Wagner, and Mrs. T. J. Foster. The elders at that time were S. K. Pottinger and
Isaac N. Whitehead. To have in a church elders and deacons and deaconesses seems
like a return to Apostolic times.
In 1848 a church was organized at Westville by John Martindale.
About 1850 one was formed in Galena Township, "re-organized in 1872 by Elder
Joseph Wickard."
In 1854 a church was established at Rolling Prairie which has been very
flourishing, numbering in 1894 one hundred and sixty members.
About 1874 a church was organized at Wanatah, making five for La Porte County.
Membership in the county in 1876, about five hundred. Other churches have been
added to these, making seven for La Porte County, the church at Michigan City
and one at Union Mills.
In Starke County, at Knox, a church was organized some years ago and a good
building erected.
In Pulaski County are churches at Winamac, at Star City, and at Francesville.
In White County there are churches at Monticello, Reynolds, Wolcott, and Headlee.
220
In Jasper County are churches at Rensselaer, Wheatfield, Fair Oaks, and at
Goodhope.
In Newton County, churches are at Kentland, Remington, Morocco, and Brook.
Note. For some reason or, perhaps, for no reason, it has been quite
impracticable to obtain information, beyond my personal knowledge, in regard to
the churches of this denomination. The pastor at Hammond, Rev. H. E. Luck, gave
some valuable aid.
NAVIGATION OF
NORTHWESTERN INDIANA FROM 1800 TO 1900
FRONT MATTER AND DEDICATION
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1
- GENERAL OUTLINES
CHAPTER 2
- THE INDIANS
CHAPTER 3
- THE EARLY SETTLERS
CHAPTER 4
- WHAT THE EARLY SETTLERS FOUND
CHAPTER 5
- PIONEER LIFE
CHAPTER 6
- COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS
CHAPTER 7
- OUR LAKES AND STREAMS
CHAPTER 8
- LAKE MICHIGAN WATER SHED
CHAPTER 9
- TOWNSHIP AND STATISTICS
CHAPTER
10 - RAILROAD LIFE
CHAPTER
11 - POLITICAL HISTORY
CHAPTER
12 - THE WAR RECORD
CHAPTER
13 - RELIGIOUS HISTORY
CHAPTER
14 - RELIGIOUS HISTORY
CHAPTER
15 - RELIGIOUS HISTORY
CHAPTER
16 - SUNDAY SCHOOLS
CHAPTER
17 - TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF NEWTON AND JASPER
CHAPTER
18 - TOWNS AND VILLAGES OF WHITE, PULASKI AND STARKE
CHAPTER
19 - VILLAGES, TOWNS AND CITIES OF LAKE
CHAPTER
20 - VILLAGES AND TOWNS OF PORTER
CHAPTER
21 - VILLAGES, TOWNS AND CITIES OF LA PORTE
CHAPTER
22 - EARLY TRAVELS
CHAPTER
23 - PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CHAPTER
24 - PRIVATE AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS
CHAPTER
25 - LIBRARIES
CHAPTER
26 - OTHER INDUSTRIES
CHAPTER
27 - SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS
CHAPTER
28 - THE KANKAKEE REGION
CHAPTER
29 - DRAINING MARSHES
CHAPTER
30 - ANIMALS AND PLANTS
CHAPTER
31 - MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS
CHAPTER
32 - COURT HOUSES
CHAPTER
33 - ARCHAEOLOGICAL SPECIMENS
CHAPTER
34 - BIRTH PLACES OF PIONEERS
CHAPTER
35 - McCARTY
CHAPTER
36 - ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE
CHAPTER
37 - ALTITUDES
CHAPTER
38 - MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS
CHAPTER
39 - SOME STATISTICS
CHAPTER
40 - WEATHER RECORD
CONCLUSION
Transcribed by Steven R. Shook, April 2012