History of Lake, Porter, and LaPorte, 1927County history published by the Historians' Association . . . .

Source Citation:
Cannon, Thomas H., H. H. Loring, and Charles J. Robb. 1927. History of the Lake and Calumet Region of Indiana, Embracing the Counties of Lake, Porter and LaPorte: An Historical Account of Its People and Its Progress from the Earliest Times to the Present. Volume I.  Indianapolis, Indiana: Historians' Association. 840 p.

HISTORY OF THE LAKE AND CALUMET REGION OF INDIANA 

CHAPTER XIX.

CHURCHES.

PIONEER CHURCH ORGANIZATION -- METHODIST EPISCOPAL -- PRESBYTERIAN -- BAPTIST -- ROMAN CATHOLIC -- LUTHERAN -- CONGREGATIONAL -- EPISCOPAL -- CHRISTIAN -- GREEK ORTHODOX -- JEWISH CONGREGATIONS -- CHURCHES NOT OTHERWISE LISTED.

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Among the notable achievements in the life of the pioneers were the establishment of churches by the different denominations, and it is remarkable the many sacrifices which they made and the fine spirit which they displayed despite their surroundings and lack of material worth in providing centers of religious influence and intellectual training and maintaining these standards of civilization far from the usual sustaining influences.

This phase of life in the pioneer period is a glorious record to recall by the descendants of these hardy men and women nor can words express the gratitude which later generations owe the traveling preacher for the sacrifices he made in carrying the spirit of religion to the lonely hamlets and settlements. His was a real mission without hope of material reward and only an abounding belief in his faith and a lofty and sublime courage to serve his Master with untiring zeal and devotion, could inspire his soul with such a sense of duty that the perils and hardships encountered in his missionary life would be met with fortitude and equanimity.

Tracing the history of the long established churches we will be obliged to review to some extent, already recorded church history in previous chapters relating to the early settlement period and especially to the Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian denominations who were among the first to establish churches in the settlements of the Lake and Calumet Region. The history of the churches of the various denominations follow, with a few exceptions where repeated requests of the church authorities for information failed to bring any response and for this reason also the history of some of the churches is not treated comprehensively.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL.

LAPORTE COUNTY.

Rev. James Armstrong in 1832 was appointed superintendent of Missionary District — which included the most northern section of Indiana and a part of Michigan and contained the counties of LaPorte, Porter and Lake. LaPorte Mission was organized in 1832 and its wants were sup

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plied by Revs. Armstrong, G. M. Boyd, R. S. Robinson and G. N. Bostwick. At the close of the first year the number of members was 140. Prior to the LaPorte Mission Rev. Jeremiah Sherwood had formed a small class at Mr. Aehart’s near the site of Westville and this was the first Methodist organization in the county.

In the fall of 1832, Mr. Armstrong formed a class at Door Village where a small church was erected in 1833 and was the first Methodist church in Northern Indiana. The name of the district was changed in 1833 to the Northwestern District with Mr. Armstrong as presiding elder and this year several new classes were formed. Near the close of the year, Mr. Armstrong became ill and died at his home near Door Village and his remains were interred in the local cemetery. He had worked hard as a missionary, traveled frequently over his district and exhausted his physical powers through his strenuous labors. He had become widely known in his district and his loss was keenly felt by all who knew him.

In 1834, the name of the district was again changed and was known as the LaPorte District with R. Hargrave, presiding elder, and S. R. Ball and T. P. McCool, preachers. In 1835, the work was called the LaPorte Circuit with R. C. Meek as preacher. In 1836, G. M. Boyd was appointed to the circuit with Stephen R. Jones as assistant and this year the Sabbath School was organized at LaPorte and a small brick church erected. Union Chapel was built in 1838 through the efforts of classes formed in the Robinson and Warnock neighborhoods.

By 1840, the circuit was confined to the limits of the county and the membership was steadily increasing. Chapels were erected in the smaller communities and the county had two circuits in 1844 with 305 Sunday School scholars. In the following twenty-five years the influence of the church was materially extended into other sections of the county and many new churches of commodious size were erected in the larger communities.

First Methodist Episcopal Church, LaPorte: The LaPorte Mission instituted by Rev. G. M. Boyd in 1832 and formally organized with twenty-five members in 1833 was the foundation of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of LaPorte. In 1836 a small brick church was erected which was attended by Methodists in the territory tributary to LaPorte. With the growth in population in the city, the membership steadily increased and larger accommodations had to be provided for the growing congregation. In 1850, the present structure was erected on the corner of Monroe Street and Maple Avenue under the pastorate of Rev. W. Graham. The church membership has increased in recent years to such an extent that it has outgrown the present church and plans are now being prepared by George W. Allen of LaPorte, assisted by architectural engineers of Chicago and Philadelphia, for a new and modern church building which will

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be one of the finest Methodist churches in Northern Indiana and it is hoped to complete the plans and begin the erection of the building in the spring of 1927.

The new site is in the residential section on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Alexander Street. The new building will be U-shaped of Gothic design and constructed of Bedford stone. It will consist of ground floor and first and second stories. The auditorium with tower and main entrance from Michigan Avenue, will extend east and west along Alexander Street. The chapel with Sunday School rooms will front Michigan Avenue on the west and extend the full length of the lot on the north side. Across the rear and connecting these two wings will be the church and Sunday School offices, parlors, kitchen, kitchenette, departmental school rooms and rest rooms. The present membership of the church is 1,175 and the Sunday School has a membership of 1,250. Rev. Alpha H. Kenna is the present pastor and has been active not only in promoting the spiritual welfare of the church but in the erection of the new modern edifice in which the congregation will soon worship.

German Methodist Episcopal Church, of Michigan City, was organized by Rev. Herman Richter in 1854, and he became the first resident pastor. In the following year through his efforts a church and parsonage were built, which filled the necessary wants of the congregation until the year 1889 when a new church and parsonage was erected under the supervision of Rev. Henry C. Appelbach, who was pastor at that period. The present church membership is 105 and of the Sunday Scliool, fifty. The Rev. W. F. Beyer is the present pastor.

Free Methodist Church, of Michigan City: About 1920 Rev. C. S. Huston put a band of workers in Michigan City and a small organization of Free Methodists was perfected in 1921 by Rev. Ella M. Lee, under whose supervision a church at a cost of $7,500 was erected at 616 East Main Street. The church is in charge of Rev. A. C. Wolford and has a church membership of fifteen and a Sunday School membership of forty-three. The organization is interested in the Free Methodist School at Spring Arbor, Michigan, and also in the Free Methodist College at Greenville, Illinois.

First Methodist Episcopal Church, Michigan City: One of the oldest churches in the Lake and Calumet Region is the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Michigan City, organized in 1836, two lots having been reserved and donated for the use of the church by Maj. I. C. Elston in the original plat of Michigan City. In 1838, under the leadership of Porterfield Harrison and others, a small frame church was erected on the site donated. This served the society for several years, but the encroachment of sand threatened to bury the church building and it was decided to build a new house of worship in a more favorable location, and a site was purchased

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and a new church erected which served the wants of the congregation until 1859.

Rev. W. Copp, or Captain Copp, “the fighting parson,” as he was called during the Rebellion, is said to have been the minister at the time the new church building was erected. In 1922, the present beautiful church edifice was erected during the ministry of Rev. W. B. Warriner and the church is now and has always been a prosperous organization. At present it has a church membership of 650 and the Sunday School membership of 525, and an able pastor in Rev. F. O. Fraley who assumed the pastorate on October 1, 1925.

PORTER COUNTY.

Cyrus Spurlock and Stephen Jones were early Methodist missionaries in Porter County, being contemporaries of Revs. French and Neil who were active as Baptist missionaries at about the same period. Rev. Stephen Jones, in 1835, organized the Deep River Mission which embraced the counties of Lake and Porter and subsequently the mission became known as the Kankakee Mission and later as the Valparaiso circuit. In 1844, Lake County was formed into a new circuit and the Valparaiso circuit only included Porter County. The mission held its first meetings at Valparaiso, Gossets’ Chapel, Twenty Mile Grove, Indian Town and at various homes.

Valparaiso was set off as a separate church and organized into a station in 1852 and at this time there were fourteen appointments in the district which included Valparaiso, Morgan Prairie, Kankakee, Oho, Hannah’s Mill, Jackson Center, City West, Horse Prairie, Hebron, formerly Indian Town, Griffith’s Chapel, Union Chapel, Salt Creek, Pennock’s and Twenty Mile Grove. When the Deep River Mission was organized, a few Methodists in the vicinity of the present town of Hebron met at the homes of Simeon Bryan and Absalam Morris but later the school house became a house of meeting. A regular society was organized by Rev. Jacob Colclasier in 1837 and a number of Methodist missionaries included the Hebron society in their field of labor but it was not until 1844 that a log church was built and Rev. Warren Griffith regularly engaged as pastor. In 1859, a neat frame church building was erected at a cost of more than $1,000 and in 1877, a parsonage was added and both church and parsonage were later enlarged and improved.

A Methodist society was early established in Morgan Township and a small church erected and two Methodist services were organized in Portage Township as early as 1837. The Portage Township Methodists erected a small church near Chrisman in 1855 but services were later discontinued and the church building sold. It is said that in 1856, a Methodist society was formed at Jackson Center, services being conducted in

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the old school house, but there appears to be no record of the above society since the war. Other Methodist societies were formed in Porter County but survived only a short time, one of these holding worship at Kinney’s Corners near the junction of Liberty and Jackson townships. The further history of Methodism in Valparaiso will be found in the history of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Valparaiso.

First Methodist Episcopal Church of Valparaiso had its foundation in a class organized by Rev. W. J. Forbes in 1840, and in 1847 a church organization was perfected. Work on a new church commenced under the pastorate of Rev. W. G. Stonach in 1848 and was completed in 1849 under the pastorate of Rev. W. J. D. Pettijohn. A parsonage was purchased the same year but in 1853 it was sold and a new parsonage erected near the church. The congregation had a rapid growth and improvements were made to the church and parsonage to fill the wants of the rapidly growing institution.

But it became necessary under the second pastorate of Rev. C. A. Brooks to erect a new church which is in the form of a cross 65x105 feet with basement. The main auditorium is 58x63 feet, the Sunday School room, 45x57 feet, the infant class room, 22x24 feet, and there are two additional class rooms, 15x16 feet. The church has beautiful art glass windows and is equipped with an excellent pipe organ. In all nearly $25,000 was expended in the construction of the church and equipment.

The present pastor is the Rev. F. R. Briggs and through his efforts and under his direction extensive repairs to the church have been conducted at a cost of $20,000. The auditorium and Sunday School rooms have been redecorated, a modern lighting system and a new heating plant installed and new furnishings placed in service throughout the church. The basement was further excavated providing rooms for Boy Scouts and other social gatherings. The church is now in a very flourishing condition with a present church membership of 900 and a Sunday School membership of 624.

Methodist Episcopal Church of Chesterton was organized in 1861 by the Rev. L. A. Grime, who was the first pastor, and later by purchase and alteration secured their first church. In 1918, a new parsonage was erected, modern in every way, at a cost of $6,500. Through the efforts of Rev. A. E. Bagby, the present able pastor, a new church is under construction with a seating capacity of 650, and when completed it will have twenty rooms and every modern convenience. The cost of the new church will be $75,000 and the money to pay for its construction has all been pledged by the church members. The present membership of the church is 280 and the Sunday School membership is 150.

Wanatah Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1893 with fourteen members. The first pastor was the Rev. G. M. Veitch. Con-

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sidering the population of Wanatah the Methodist Episcopal Church has made considerable progress. Its present efficient pastor is Rev. R. H. Johnston and the church membership is eighty-five with a Sunday School membership of seventy-five.

LAKE COUNTY.

Methodist Episcopal Church of Crown Point. In the history of the Crown Point Methodist Episcopal Church written by Susan G. Wood, a charter member of the church, and submitted by the present able pastor, Rev. George B. Jones, the growth of the mother church of Methodism in Lake County is interestingly recorded. In 1836, two years after white settlers landed in Lake County, a Methodist Episcopal minister, Rev. Stephen Jones, was called into the county by the presiding elder of the South Bend District. He preached in the cabin of Thomas Reed, two miles south of Crown Point. After six months’ labor the first Methodist Episcopal class was organized at Pleasant Grove at the residence of E. W. Bryant, further reference to which will be found in the early pioneer history in another chapter.

In 1837, Lake and Porter counties were called the Deep River Mission and in charge of Rev. H. B. Beers who was succeeded by Rev. Jacob Colclazier in 1838 and the first quarterly meeting in the county was conducted by Bishop Roberts at the dwelling house of William Payne. In 1838, Reverend Stagg took charge and organized the Methodist Episcopal Church in Crown Point, the presiding elder being Dr. Aaron Wood. In 1843, Major Allman became local preacher and held great revivals throughout the southern section of Lake County and was instrumental in organizing the First Methodist Sunday School. Like other organizations in Crown Point, the Methodists held their meetings in the old log courthouse but by liberal contributions of citizens in 1847, the first church was erected.

As the county grew in population and the church members moved to other fields of labor throughout the county, other church organizations were created until in 1884, Lake County had built eight church edifices, seven Sabbath Schools and a membership of 557 as a result of the little class gathered at Pleasant Grove in 1837. In addition it may be said, that a great part of the newer Methodist church organizations in later years in Lake County, owe their existence directly or indirectly to the class organized at Pleasant Grove. Many able men have ministered to the wants of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Crown Point and some of whom have made notable contributions to the growth of Methodism in other places. The present pastor, Rev. George B. Jones, is very active in looking after the spiritual welfare of his congregation which has a present church membership of 240 and a Sunday School membership of 243.

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Free Methodist Church of Crown Point was organized in 1879 by Rev. C. S. Spaulding who was the first pastor. A church was erected the same year and fifteen years later Rev. W. P. Ferries built a parsonage near the church which was later enlarged and improved by Rev. D. L. Lower. The basement was remodeled and a new furnace installed in the past year and the parsonage repaired and improved. The church is interested in the Free Methodist College located at Greenville, Illinois, and the Seminary located at Spring Arbor, Michigan. The present church membership is seventeen and the Sunday School thirty. The present pastor is Rev. Howard H. Nepler.

First Methodist Episcopal Church, East Chicago: One of the earliest churches in East Chicago, if not the first, was the First Methodist Episcopal Church which was organized with twenty-five members in 1888. Rev. S. P. Edmonson was the first pastor. In 1892 their original church building was completed but as East Chicago grew rapidly in population the church membership increased correspondingly and a new church became necessary in 1912. This new and modern church edifice cost $50,000 and afforded adequate accommodations to all the departments of the church. In 1923 a commodious parsonage was erected, costing $14,000, and located just south of the church building. The church is in a flourishing condition and has the usual active church organizations under the guiding hand of the present pastor, Rev. Baxter Nesbit, and has a church membership of 485 and a Sunday School membership of 420.

First Methodist Episcopal Church, Gary: Methodists early recognized Gary as a field for the need of Christianity and no sooner were the first constuction camps in existence in 1906 when Presiding Elder DeLos M. Wood of the Hammond district visited the site of Gary and arranged for Sunday afternoon services. C. O. Holmes, then an employee of the Gary Land Company and now a prominent banker of Gary, organized a Sunday School and the Ladies’ Aid Society was formed for the hard work of the pioneer period. On October 5, 1906, the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Gary was formally organized and in March, 1907, Rev. George E. Deuel was appointed pastor. Services were held in a small school building near the old Lake shore depot. A lot was purchased near Twenty-third Avenue on Washington Street as a site for the first church building but it was later presented to the ladies of the church as a site for Friendship House. During the summer of 1907, meetings were held in an old furniture factory at the corner of Twenty-second Avenue and Jefferson Street and in the fall of that year were held in the Hodges and Ridgley Building at 609 Broadway.

In 1909, five lots at the southwest corner of Seventh Avenue and Washington Street were obtained as a site for a church, and services were transferred to a store building on West Fifth Avenue near Washington Street.

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Construction of the new church erected by the congregation was started in 1910, the corner stone being laid in October, and in the following May, 1911, services were transferred to the basement of the new church which was temporarily roofed over and in October that year Rev. J. N. Avann became pastor. The new church was completed and dedicated on September 29, 1912. It was a beautiful commodious structure and a great addition to the church architecture of Gary at that period. At this time the total church membership was 315 with a gain of 175 members during the year. In 1914, Glen Park Church was organized, becoming the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church. Following the death of Rev. J. N. Avann in May, 1916, Rev. W. D. Schermerhorn was temporarily assigned to the church and in October, 1916, Rev. William Grant Seaman was appointed pastor.

Under his leadership began a wonderful era of progress and, while the church previously had developed programs to keep pace with the fast growing population and provide a ministry reaching all phases of life in a constantly enlarging city, yet Doctor Seaman saw clearly that a traditional church building could not carry out the comprehensive program needed in such a city as Gary and that to reach the thousands of people hurrying through the busy life of the community it would be necessary to provide a building conveniently situated near the center of life. The Centenary of Methodist Missions, after survey of the Calumet Region and study of the situation in 1917, promptly recognized the need for a greater home for Methodism in Gary and pledged their financial assistance toward the building of a church in the heart of the business section with an influence extending through every hour of the week day as well as on Sunday.

Thus came into existence a plan of service, a plan for a comprehensive ministry, for a church open seven days a week, a church presenting the beautiful in music and architecture, a church providing Christian educational features, healthful recreation, appealing and clean entertainment for youth and age and, above all, a church bringing the spirit of Christian friendliness into the heart of the city. During the several years which followed, in which the plans for the new church building and community house were being gradually brought to maturity, the church continued to grow in membership and influence. A board of religious education was organized in 1916, for the development of week day religious classes in cooperation with the Gary public schools and, in 1917, payment of the church debt and the erection of a Sunday School building was authorized and $20,000 was subscribed for this purpose. In the same year the Calumet Missionary Society was formed, with C. O. Holmes as president and H. R. DeBra. secretary, and in 1917, the Ambridge Community House was built.

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In June, 1920, the finance committee of the United States Steel Corporation took action favorable in cooperating with the church in the erection of a new church building and community house to cost $650,000, the corporation to give the site and Methodism to maintain the program and the two to share dollar for dollar the cost of construction. This action on the part of the United States Steel Corporation made possible the carrying out of the plans of Methodism to become a great active vital force in the community but it was more than four years later before contracts could be awarded for the construction of the new church, and on January 25, 1925, Rev. William Grant Seaman turned the first shovel of dirt on the site of the new structure. The intervening years between 1920 and



1925 showed great activities on the part of the church in many directions, a notable event being the organization of the Methodist Hospital Association and the erection of a hospital costing $400,000, at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Grant Street. In May, 1923, the church located on Washington Street was sold to Floyd E. Williams.

The new church building, community house and business building was completed in 1926 and, on October 3rd, the formal opening of the church took place which was the twentieth anniversary of the organization of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Gary and the tenth anniversary of the appointment of Rev. William Grant Seaman as pastor. On October 10th, the building was formally dedicated and Bishop Frederick D. Leete of Indianapolis and District Superintendent B. D. Beck of South

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Bend were among the speakers. The church is constructed of unmatched Indiana Bedford stone and of brick, steel and concrete, all blended together into a model of architectural beauty and an example of the latest of mediaeval architecture with its classic Gothic lines and its tall tower overlooking the business district.

The building consists of three distinct units. First the church auditorium, the worship unit, a great vaulted room fifty feet high, the arches supported by massive pillars, with three galleries, one at the rear and one at each side near the front. The chancel is arranged in the Gothic plan, with the choir seats at the rear on both sides, the reading desk at the left and the high pulpit on the right. Aisles and chancel floor are of tile set in flagstones, and the Skinner organ is concealed by carved oak screens with a carved oak screen also behind the communion table which stands at the extreme end of the chancel. Over the communion table there is a beautiful window which was designed by Connick of Boston — “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” The second unit, connecting directly with the first by a beautiful entrance hall, is the social-educational unit, and contains a wonderful fellowship room panelled in oak with two large stone fireplaces, rooms for offices, pastor's study, special rooms for young people, for men, for women, and for babies, and the Sunday School departmental and assembly and class rooms, as well as a gymnasium 40x70 feet with gallery, showers and lockers, a large dining room furnished in refectory style, and a splendidly equipped kitchen — four floors and a basement.

The third unit is the commercial unit, five stores on the first floor, offices on the second and third floors and in the basement, a commercial cafeteria designed with special banquet and committee rooms. The income from all these is to help to make possible the work which this city church must do if it is to justify itself. At the rear of the stores is a community hall, seating 1,000 people, approached by a beautiful foyer, the entrance to which is done in cream and black marble. The hall has an inclined floor and a gallery containing a moving picture outfit, as well as a thoroughly modern stage, with complete lighting and scenery equipment and connecting dressing rooms. This community hall is designed to furnish for the entire community a beautiful and adequate assembly room which can be used for a great variety of purposes.

Above the community hall is a roof garden with an open air stage — a roof garden which will be used for the summer Sunday evening program, for summer parties and socials and for tennis courts and other sports. The worship unit will be used on Sundays and on special occasions; the social-educational unit seven days a week, and the commercial unit six days a week except for its community features which are for every day use. It is a great plant, designed to give a constant and varied

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service that Christ may dwell a Living Presence at the city’s heart. The building committee were C. R. Kuss, Chairman, L. I. Combs, A. M. Fisher, Mrs. W. G. Seaman, Mrs. E. S. Roberts, W. H. Williams, C. O. Holmes, Mrs. William M. Jones and William J. Funkey. The architects were Granger & Bollenbacher of Chicago. H. G. Christman Co. of South Bend was the general contractor for the structure.

Rev. William Grant Seaman, Ph. D., has great reasons to feel proud of the accomplishments of the First Methodist Episcopal Church since he assumed the pastorate ten years ago and the fulfillment of his dream, eleven years ago, of a community church in the heart of the life and influence of the city with the opportunity of social service, education, fellowship, recreation and missionary work, bringing religion into the life of the city, seven days a week, is an accomplishment from which the most beneficent results may be expected to follow and places him among the ranks of the distinguished in Methodism.

Israel Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, Gary: This church was organized in 1917 with nine members. The first pastor was Reverend Harris who was succeeded by the Rev. W. T. Shitsitt. In 1920, their first church building was erected, services being held in the basement until the building was completed at a later period. The church has enjoyed a wonderful growth, having a present church membership of 450 and a Sunday School membership of 180. The church has outgrown the present structure and a fund has been created for the erection of a new church. The contract has been let and construction will begin this fall. The new church will be located at 2337 Washington Street and the plans call for a brick structure with stone front and costing $70,000. The present pastor is the Rev. J. G. McLin, A. B., D. D., and his active interest in the church has had much to do with its growth and prosperity.

Bethlehem A. M. E. Zion Church, Gary. This growing church institution was organized on April 6, 1919, with a membership of twenty, and with Rev. W. D. House as the first pastor. While services were regularly conducted, it was not until October, 1921, that the congregation were able to erect a church since which time there has been a substantial growth in membership and influence. The present pastor is the Rev. W. T. Paulk and the present membership of the church is 200, with a Sunday School membership of sixty.

Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church — John Stewart Memorial Settlement House, Gary. This church was organized among the colored people in the winter of 1918 with nine members, services being conducted in the early part of the church history in a deserted school building. Rev. W. H. Whitlock was the first pastor. The church has had a remarkable growth and there is now a church membership of 475 and a Sunday School membership of 250. Rev. Frank S. Delaney is the present pastor and is

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now serving his seventh year. In the year 1920, the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church began its program of social service in the community. It operated in a little one-room building where the congregation worshipped and in which it served meals to jobless men and where it gathered, repaired and dispensed to the needy, used clothing and shoes.

In the fall of 1921, a board of directors was organized to cooperate with the church in the conduct of the social service work, additional buildings were rented at 1572 Massachusetts Street and the work reorganized and enlarged under the name of The Stewart House. This institution furnished during the depression period of that time, 2,000 nights’ lodging for jobless men, gave more than 16,000 meals, caring especially for many ex-service men, and for homeless women and children. It has gathered, repaired and dispensed used clothing to the needy, has maintained a Free Medical Clinic and Dispensary, an Information and Employment Bureau, a Day Nursery, a Week-day Church School, a meeting place for Community Clubs and Committee, and has conducted community meetings. It has maintained play grounds, tennis court, and has supervised recreation for the young people and children. A visiting nurse has rendered unusual service. The clinic and the church school have cooperated with the public schools adjoining. The clinic is under direct supervision of the Infant Hygiene Department of the State Board of Health. The total individual ministries rendered by Stewart House during its activities now number more than 200,000.

The development of the Stewart House bears a very definite relation to the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, as through all the years of its history there was kept in mind the development of a social program and this idea of the church has resulted in the Stewart House which is the first unit of the Trinity M. E. Church and Stewart House. The Board of Directors are among the leading citizens of Gary, both white and colored, and the generosity and influence of Capt. H. S. Norton of the Gary Land Company, C. O. Holmes, Banker, Dr. William Grant Seaman, pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, the United States Steel Corporation and Board of Home Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, have been important factors in the great work accomplished by the management of the Stewart House and the promotion of both the building and service program which includes standards of health, education, recreation, employment, information, Christian ideals and racial good will.

The group of buildings of which Stewart House was the first to be erected are designed for community service, having basement accommodations, community laundry, showers for both boys and girls, storage rooms, fuel and boiler rooms, a large community room and kitchen. The first floor has five store rooms, superintendent’s and matron’s offices, and

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the second floor for the present accommodate the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church congregation but later is to be partitioned and made to house a small auditorium, branch library, community rooms, social hall and kitchenette. The third floor is designed for use as dormitories for working girls and has fourteen rooms, large reception room and baths. The progress of the negro race in the past fifty years is most remarkable, especially when one considers they were thrown upon their own resources at the close of the Civil war without material means, educational advantages or power of initiative, as in slavery days their thoughts had always been directed for them, and in all history but few races in a similar period of time have a greater record of progress.

The 15,000 colored people in Gary are diligently striving to higher cultural attainments and good citizenship and that their efforts are appreciated is shown in the sympathetic cooperation and material aid so generously given them by the leading citizens of Gary. The board of directors of the Stewart House are W. C. Hueston, C. O. Holmes, W. G. Seaman, William W. Cooke, D. W. A. Hardy, Capt. H. S. Norton, H. B. Snyder, A. B. Whitlock, Rev. Frank S. Delaney, W. A. Fuller, Judge Frank Sheehan, Miss Mary Newlin, Mrs. Charles W. Chase, Mrs. Tom Hamilton, Mrs. S. R. Blackbell, Mrs. Henrietta Thomas, Mrs. Minnie Page. Mrs. A. R. McArthur, Miss Orpha Maude Peters, Miss Blanche Liggitt, Mrs. Elizabeth Lytle, Miss Thyra Edwards, Mrs. Bessie Ross, Dr. R. M. Hedrick, Harry English, James Duncan, Thomas C. Williams, W. P. Gleason, Dr. V. M. Marshall, Attorney C. V. Ridgely and R. D. Guy.

First Methodist Episcopal Church, Hammond. Methodism in Hammond began with the organization of a small class in 1872 in a little red school house located on the corner or Hohman and Wilcox streets. A Sunday School was organized by M. M. Towle and services were conducted for several years. Rev. S. E. Vinal, in December, 1881, organized the first church society with a small membership, but the following year they were in possession of a small church building costing $4,000, the site being a gift of M. M. Towle, Sr. For a number of years the congregation grew slowly but with the rise in industry, and the rapid increase in the population of Hammond which followed, the church membership increased to such an extent that more commodious quarters were necessary for the congregation. In 1907, under the pastorate of Rev. L. S. Smith, a handsome well-appointed church building was erected and for many years the congregation has been one of the leading ones in Hammond. The present pastor is Rev. Ulysses G. Leazenby.

German Methodist Episcopal Church, Hammond. In 1888, Rev. Henry Kemp organized the German Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Hammond with fourteen members. Early efforts on the part of the congregation to own their own place of worship led to the erection of a

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church building in 1889. Later the name was changed to the German Methodist Episcopal Church and it has been for some time in a prosperous condition. The present membership of the church is seventy and of the Sunday School, sixty. Rev. A. C. Berg is the present pastor.

St. John A. M. E. Zion Church, Hammond. This church was organized on March 22, 1923, with eight members. Starting without funds, the organization, through the generous contributions from its small membership, had more than $500 in the bank in about six months after organization. A drive for membership and contributions for the erection of a church building was conducted successfully in the fall of 1923 and with additional membership and $1,500 on hand the organization purchased two lots on which was erected a modern brick church building costing $10,500 and at this time more than half of the indebtedness originally incurred has been paid. The organization and development of the congregation has been under the leadership of Rev. Edward H. Hinton, who is the present pastor and there is now a church membership of 125 and a Sunday School membership of sixty-five.

Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, Hammond. The Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1920 and the members promptly proceeded to arrange for a house of worship, erecting their first church building in the same year and Reverend Hensley was called to the pastorate. The church has made substantial progress and has a present church membership of 227 and a Sunday School membership of 400. The present pastor is Rev. C. N. McBrayer, under whose guiding hand the church is rapidly increasing its membership and influence.

The Trinity Swedish Methodist Episcopal Church of Hobart was organized in 1S86, by Rev. H. Hanson and C. A. Anderson after a spirited revival campaign was conducted. Prior to this time Reverend Anderson preached occasionally in Hobart to a small class composed of Lars E. Ericson, Mrs. Johanna Ericson, and Miss Ida Ericson, Elias Anderson, Mrs. Anna Anderson, Peter Swanson, Mrs. Lovisa Swanson and John P. Johnson. On May 30, 1886, Rev. H. Shogren officiated in the first communion service and the organization of the church followed. While the membership was small, meetings were held in an old school house and occasionally at the American Methodist Church. Aid in erecting a church was freely offered by the citizens of Hobart and the church organization accepted a gift from W. B. Owen of a tract of land located on Michigan Avenue.

A small church was built which served the wants of the congregation until 1902, when the church was enlarged and social quarters provided. Until 1917, the services were conducted entirely in the Swedish language, but since that time the services have been largely in English. The spiritual influence of the church on its members has been very great and four of

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its young men became ordained ministers in the Methodist Church — three of them in one year. In the past five years, Hobart has sent to the seminary more candidates for the ministry than all the other churches in the central Swedish Conference combined although it has had only forty members. The first pastor was Rev. P. M. Alfvin and the present pastor is Rev. C. N. Nyquist. At present the church has a membership of sixty-five and a Sunday School membership of sixty.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church, Indiana Harbor. Early in 1902 an informal meeting of Methodists living in Indiana Harbor was held and it was decided to form a church organization. The membership grew slowly until 1910 when the organization was in a position to erect a commodious church building, work on which commenced in 1911 and it was completed that year. The first pastor was the Rev. A. H. Lawrence. The present pastor is Rev. W. B. Warriner and the church is a very flourishing institution and has many active church societies.

Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, Indiana Harbor. This church was organized in 1918 with fourteen members by Rev. L. M. Stockridge. Shortly afterwards, Reverend Stockridge was called to another field of labor and the mission was under the care of a local preacher. In 1920. Rev. L. Franklin Byron, D. D., took charge of the organization and for four years he has labored faithfully to build up the membership and accumulate funds for the purpose of erecting a permanent parish home. Reverend Byron and his congregation have been active participants in civil, social and charitable movements for the benefit of the community and through the Sunday Evening Forum he has given instructions in citizenship to not only the members of his own church but other colored citizens of East Chicago. The church now has a membership of 130 with a Sunday School membership of thirty-six and definite plans have been formulated for the erection of a community church in the near future.

Methodist Episcopal Church, Lowell: The Methodists of Lowell recognize 1838 as the date of their church life when Stephen Jones, a missionary, organized a class of six members at Pleasant Grove located about two miles east of the present town of Lowell. For sixteen years they worshipped in the homes of the settlers or until about 1852 or 1853 when a house of worship was built. When Lowell became a town, meetings of the Methodists in the incorporated limits of Lowell were held in their homes, in the school house, and sometimes in the Baptist Church. Under the ministry of Rev. John J. Hines, a brick church was built and dedicated in September, 1870. The building cost 84,000, and with its erection the Pleasant Grove Church ceased to exist — the membership joining the Lowell congregation and the church henceforth became known as the Lowell Methodist Episcopal Church.

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August 2, 1919, the trustees of the church purchased a lot on Commercial Avenue where on April 1, 1924, workmen began the erection of the present commodious house of worship. The building and equipment cost $50,000 and a parsonage near the church was purchased in 1925. The new structure will give ample facilities for service with plans already perfected for another unit when needed. The auditorium, ladies parlor, kitchenette and study are on the first floor. A large dining room, kitchen, rest room and two class rooms, furnace and fuel rooms are in the basement. Use will be made of these rooms for Sunday School purposes. In a short time a clock will be installed in the tower and provision has also been made for a pipe organ. The beautiful art glass windows in the church were all given as memorials. One hundred friends gave $1.00 each for a window and dedicated it to Miss Fanny Vosburg whose long years of devotion to the church are thus beautifully remembered. In the front of the building, a large art glass window was installed by the congregation as a memorial to the Rev. C. A. Brown and his devoted and efficient wife.

Mr. Brown is closing his ninth year as pastor of the church and while the congregation felt that the new church stands as a monument to the spirit of sacrifice of the entire community, and during a period of financial stringency, it stands particularly as a manifestation of the vision, courage, faith and consecration of the pastor and his genius as an organizer and leader. The Methodists of Lowell and vicinity are now very comfortably housed in this splendid church and parsonage. The Lowell circuit which at one time comprised preaching points at Plum Grove, Orchard Grove, Pleasant Grove, West Creek, Creston, Belshaw and other points, is now centralized in the Lowell church. The church was dedicated January 19, 1925, by Bishop Frederick D. Leete, assisted by Rev. Frank K. Dougherty, District Superintendent, of the Lafayette District.

The financial condition of the church disclosed at the dedication was a total indebtedness of $25,000 with resources in cash and good subscriptions amounting to $5,000. Within twenty-four hours subscriptions amounting to $20,000 were received from members and cleared the church of all indebtedness. The church membership numbers 450. The Sunday School has a membership of 250 under the efficient superintendency of George L. Foster. Robert Brannock is president of the Epworth League of thirty members. The Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society of sixty members under the leadership of Mrs. E. L. Bailey is doing splendid work and the Ladies’ Aid Society with 180 members raises $3,000 a year for the church.

First Methodist Episcopal Church, Whiting. Organized Methodism began in Whiting in January, 1892, when fifteen persons agreed to form a permanent organization and established the First Methodist Episcopal

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Church of Whiting. Preaching services were held during the year previous and it is said Sunday School was conducted in one of the rooms of the high school. Rev. A. J. Calvert was the first pastor and early efforts were made by the small but growing organization to provide a church building which was completed and dedicated in 1895. A few years later it was remodeled and afterwards redecorated and put in first class condition. In 1914, a parsonage costing $3,500 was purchased and the church was in a prosperous condition, having a membership at that time of more than 200.

In 1917, began an era of growth and the church was inadequate for the needs of the congregation and it was decided to build a commodious church building of English Gothic architecture with every facility for the Sunday School and social activities of the church people and take care of the probable growth of the institution for some years to come. This beautiful edifice was completed in 1923 at a cost of $90,000. It is a modern plant in every way and a source of pride to the large congregation whose needs it serves. The membership of the church under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Homar P. Ivey, grew to 600 with a Sunday School membership of 400. The present pastor, Rev. John Emmit Porter, is active in the spiritual affairs of the congregation and in the work of the various church organizations.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Presbyterian Church, LaPorte. Presbyterians were among the earliest settlers in LaPorte County and in 1831, the first Presbyterian religious services in the county were conducted alternately at the homes of Myron Ives and Alexander Blackburg at Rolling Prairie. In November, 1832, Rev. James Crawford visited the community and preached the first sermon delivered by a Presbyterian minister in the county. It was decided to organize a Presbyterian church and Charles Mowlan, Myron Ives, Sara Ives, Rebecca Ives, Sara Aldrich, Alexander Blackburn and James S. Hening associated themselves as the Presbyterian Church of LaPorte. The following year, William P. Ross, Elizabeth Ross, David and Mary Dunwiddie, James, Elizabeth, Catherine and Isabella Blair of LaPorte were received into membership and the first elders were James Blair, Myron Ives and David Dunwiddie. On July 21, 1833, services were held with the Rev. James Crawford officiating as pastor. The first communion service was observed and the ordinance of baptism administered, Sara Ives being the first infant baptized. Rev. John Morrill became the first pastor in January, 1834, and in this year Mrs. Sophia Fletcher passed away, it being the first death among the church members. In 1836, a meeting was held to arrange for the erection of a church and its construction was authorized. Financial difficulties arose and while the building

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was in process of construction, it was sold to satisfy a builder’s lien. Amzi Clark purchased it and held it for the organization until it was finished. It was afterwards sold to the New School Presbyterians who in turn sold it to the Reformed Lutherans.

The Old School or First Presbyterian Church purchased a small brick church from the Methodists who had erected a new and imposing edifice. The New School Presbyterians who organized in 1844 had thirty members. The membership increased steadily to 236 in 1861 and to 350 in 1866. Their new church was completed in 1871 and both the Old and New Schools decided to unite under the name of “The Presbyterian Church of LaPorte.” It is one of the most prosperous churches of the city and has a flourishing Sabbath School. The church is favored at the present time with a very able pastor, Rev. S. Arthur Stewart, D. D., one of the leading Presbyterian clergymen in Indiana, and through church and civic activities he has become a great power for good in the community. The present membership of the church is 445 and of the Sunday School, 281. The church has had nearly a century of existence, being the first Presbyterian church in Indiana, north of Logansport.

First Presbyterian Church, Michigan City: The First Presbyterian Church of Michigan City was organized in 1871 largely through the efforts of a large number of the members of the Congregational Church who preferred the Presbyterian polity and system of church government. The original membership was thirty-nine and the first elders elected were J. S. Ford, John Orr, J. A. Thornton and Henry W. Johnson. The first pastor was the Rev. J. Q. Hall. The church grew rapidly and within a year had seventy-seven members. It was decided to build a new church which was erected and dedicated before the year 1877 closed. About this time some of the original members of the Presbyterian Church who formerly belonged to the Congregational Church returned to the Congregational order which materially weakened the membership of the Presbyterian Church but the loss in membership was made up in a very short period and the church has enjoyed a steady and substantial growth. The church building was burnt in February, 1896, and a year later a new church was completed. The present pastor is Rev. Ezra Egly and the present church membership is 429 and the Sunday School membership 300.

The Bethel Presbyterian Church of Union Mills: The Bethel Presbyterian Church of Union Mills was organized with ten members in 1850 by the Rev. F. P. Cummins. A few years previous — about 1845 — the New School Presbyterians had organized a church near Union Mills, but it went out of existence after a short life. The Bethel Presbyterian organization erected a church at Union Mills in 1851 and the first pastor was Rev. F. P. Cummins. The population in the neighborhood failed to increase and it was federated with the Methodist Episcopal Church a few years ago.

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At present the Federation is being dissolved in order that the Methodist Episcopal Church may merge with the Presbyterian, as a Presbyterian church. It is without a pastor in this transition period. The present membership of the Bethel Church is ninety-eight and of the Sunday School, 121.

Rolling Prairie Presbyterian Church: Rev. John Steele left LaPorte Presbyterian Church in 1852 and organized the Rolling Prairie Church with twenty-eight members, which increased to fifty members in 1855. In the next two years twenty-nine new members were added and the church was erected in 1857. A changing population caused a pronounced reduction in the membership of the church and it was disbanded in 1904.

Wanatah Presbyterian Church: In 1870 Rev. F. M. Elliott of Union Mills formed a Presbyterian church at Wanatah with a membership of eighteen and preached both to them and to his Union Mills church. Some of the leading members of the church removed from the community and as its membership was too small to maintain the church it was disbanded in 1877.

PORTER COUNTY.

United Presbyterian Church of Hebron: The first Presbyterian Missionary in Porter County was Rev. Hannan who was a member of the Associate Reform Presbyterians. He organized the Bethlehem Church in 1838 where the town of Hebron now stands. The first members of the congregation were Thomas Dinwiddie, Berkley Oliver and Samuel Turner, and their wives, John W. and David T. Dinwiddie, Susanna Dinwiddie, Sr., Susanna Dinwiddie, Jr., Mary McCarnehan, Margaret A. and Mary J. Dunn and Susan P. West. After organization was perfected Rev. Wilson Blain became the pastor and served the congregation until 1817. During this period, being without a church, meetings were held at the homes of the members in winter and out door services were conducted in warm weather. Just before Mr. Blain ceased being pastor, a log house was erected in which services were conducted until 1852. In 1851, Rev. J. N. Buchanan became pastor and continued for more than thirty years. A frame house was built a short distance south of Hebron in 1852, costing SI,200, and this house was removed to Hebron in 1864. For fifteen years it was used as a church, when the growth and needs of the congregation required a larger building which was erected in 1879 at a cost of $2,500. The name of the church was later changed to the United Presbyterian Church.

The Valparaiso Presbyterian Church was organized in 1840 by Rev. James C. Brown, assisted by Rev. W. K. Marshall. The first members of the congregation were James and Isabel Blair, Elizabeth Martin, M. B. Crosby, Abby Salisbury, Bathsheba E. Hamell and Elizabeth Marshall. The first elders were James Blair and M. B. Crosby. A Sunday School

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was organized the first year by Mrs. Brown, wife of the pastor, and U. A. Brown, the pastor’s brother. There were eighteen pupils, including childred from other churches. The first meetings of the church were held in the courthouse but in 1841 a house was rented on Jefferson Street where services were held until the erection of a church which was completed two years later at an actual outlay of only $750, as most of the labor was furnished without charge by the members of the congregation.

In 1857, it was decided to remove the church building to a new location on the south side of Jefferson Street and an addition was made to the building which was now 20x35 feet and other changes were subsequently added. At the breaking out of the Civil war, Mr. Brown closed his connection with the church and became chaplain of the Forty-eighth Indiana Infantry and died at Paducah, Kentucky, in July, 1862. He was succeeded as pastor of the church by Rev. S. E. Logan, who remained until 1865. Rev. Robert Beer succeeded Mr. Logan and remained as pastor until 1884. For two years before he removed from Valparaiso, Mr. Beer was active in promoting the erection of a new church on which work commenced in 1883 and it was dedicated on March 1, 1885. It has a seating capacity of about 1,000 with memorial windows to commemorate the services of Doctor Brown and Rev. Robert Beer under whose guidance the church made wonderful progress. Approximately $25,000 was spent in construction of the new church, all of which was contributed before the church was completed.

In recent years the church building has been improved, repaired and some new equipment added. Eleven pastors have served the church and the pastorates of Rev. James C. Brown of twenty years and of Rev. Robert Beer of nineteen years were notable periods in the progress of the church. Pastors other than above mentioned were Rev. Samul C. Wilson, D. D., from 1884 to 1892; Rev. J. Budman Fleming, from 1892 to 1898. under whose pastorate the manse was built; Rev. Martin Luther, Rev. James B. Becker, Rev. E. A. Oldenberg, Rev. J. M. Jelston, D. D., Rev. Robert H. Dunaway and the present active energetic pastor, Rev. Chester W. Whorton, who was called to the church in 1921. The membership of the church at this time is 405, and of the Sunday School, 291. Mr. Frank Marimon is superintendent of the Sunday School. The church has the usual societies, all of which are active. At present the Scout movement is enjoying great success. Over seventy boys are enrolled in the Junior and Regular Boy Scout Troops.

OTHER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES.

A Presbyterian Church was organized in 1852 in Portage Township through the efforts of S. P. Robins. Rev. James C. Brown was the first preacher and some of the members of the church were S. P. Robins, Ben-

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jamin Stoddard, Russell Dorr, Daniel Richardson and Francis James. The congregation was disbanded a few years later. The Tassinong Presbyterian Church was organized in 1885 through the efforts of Rev. James C. Brown of Valparaiso, who was active in promoting Presbyterian Church organization in Porter County as well as attending to the wants of the Valparaiso Presbyterian Church of which he was pastor. The church at Tassinong existed for a number of years but the congregation was so small it was disbanded. An Old School Presbyterian Church was organized in 1860 at Hebron and existed for about twenty years but the dwindling membership caused the organization to disband, many of the members joining the United Presbyterian Church at Hebron. The Lake Prairie Presbyterian, West Presbyterian, Whiting Presbyterian, Schneider Presbyterian and Range Line Presbyterian in Lake County and the Kouts Presbyterian Church in Porter County are active Presbyterian churches with small memberships. Preachers are supplied.

LAKE COUNTY.

Crown Point Presbyterian Church: The First Presbyterian Church in Lake County was established at Crown Point in 1844 by Rev. I. C. Brown, the original members, including Cyrus M. Mason and his wife, Elias Bryant and his wife, Mrs. Anna Farmer, and Miss Eleanor T. Farmer, Mrs. Ruth Eddy, Mrs. Maria Fancher, Mrs. Harriet Holton, Mrs. Harriet Russel, Mrs. Amanda Carpenter, Jacob Gilbert and wife, Mrs. Sydney Hoffman, Mrs. Mary Wright, Jacob Harter and Miss Julia Harter, and Mrs. Charlotte Holton. The first elders were Cyrus M. Mason and Elias Bryant. The first permanent pastor of the church was the Rev. William Townsley, who served for fifteen years. The present pastor is Rev. T. H. Adkins and the present church membership is 251 and the Sunday School membership, 281.

Eagle Creek: The United Presbyterians held religious services in Eagle Creek Township at the home of Michael Pearce, in 1845, and the first sermon was preached by Rev. Benjamin Baldrich. For many years services were held at private dwellings and at school houses throughout the township.

First Presbyterian Church, Gary: There were no church buildings in Gary in the early part of 1907 and church services and meetings at this time and during the previous year were held in homes, school houses and ground set aside for park purposes and, until the latter part of the year, church services and meetings were infrequent and only held by some small groups of members of the leading denominations. Occasional services were held in a little school house on Twenty-fifth Avenue and some of the present leading church organizations in Gary had their inception in church meetings in this school house. In October, 1907, a representa-

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tive of the Board of Sunday School Missions came to Gary to see what could be done about establishing a Presbyterian organization. He made a canvass to find those interested and soon had a petition of sufficient size to feel certain that a church could be supported. Securing a meeting place, he arranged with the Board of Sunday School Missions to Send student missionaries to conduct services, which were frequently held on Sundays at 2:30 p. m. in the dining room of the Delaware Hotel.

Although many signed the petition to inaugurate the church, yet only a small group as a rule were in attendance during the Sunday afternoon service. Some Sundays the small congregation had no preacher and other Sundays the preacher was there but no congregation. Very frequently a second collection would have to be taken from those attending the meetings because the first collection was not large enough to pay the minister’s expenses. There was no real organization, no officials and no real members. An attempt to perfect an organization in the fall of 1907 failed but in the spring of 1908 sufficient interest had been aroused and the attendance at the spring meetings had increased to such an extent, that the dining room of the hotel was outgrown for services and the Gem Theatre — no longer in existence — was secured for morning service which had to be concluded before 12 o’clock in order that the afternoon show would not be delayed.

Throughout the spring and summer of 1908 meetings were held with regularity and on only a few occasions did a preacher fail to appear. During the summer of 1908, Dr. Fred E. Walton, who was then pastor of a church in Hornell, New York, stopped in Gary, curious to see the new town which seemed full of promise for a great future. He met some of the people who were attending the Presbyterian Church services and became very much interested in Gary and the members of the church with whom he came in contact were very favorably impressed with him and that he was the man needed to properly organize the church and stimulate its growth and prosperity. He made arrangements with the congregation to return to Gary later and assume charge of the congregation. Returning to Hornell, he resigned his pastorate in that city, was married, and returned to Gary, holding his first services on the first Sunday of October, 1908. An organization was perfected immediately, elders and trustees were elected and new members were received. There were thirty-two members in the organization which Reverend Walton perfected and most of them were officers of some kind in the new church. Financial arrangements were at once perfected to build a church on the present site and Christmas services were held in the basement under the present chapel. For a time the basement room was used while the chapel was being completed but in 1909, Christmas services were held in the chapel.

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After the organization was perfected, the membership grew rapidly and in 1914 the main body of the church was built as it now stands. In a short time, however, the necessity for Sunday School room brought the second story addition and later a six-room dwelling house located near the church was bought for use as a parish house. On January 1, 1925, Doctor Walton died and for some months the church was without a pastor. Services were conducted by Mr. Ernest Yorger who had been Doctor Walton’s assistant and he continued in charge until a call was extended to Dr. F. W. Backemeyer of Indianapolis, who assumed charge in November, 1925. The membership of the church has continued its steady growth until at the present time there are 1,434 members. Of Doctor Walton’s original thirty-two members in the organization which he perfected in 1908, only four are left; some died, some moved to other cities and a few gave up their membership in the church. Like many other leading church institutions of Gary which have notable records of growth and service behind them, the members of the First Presbyterian Church feel proud of its record and look forward to a continuous growth and service.

Assyrian Presbyterian Church, Gary: In June, 1926, the Rev. I. N. Yohannan organized the Assyrian Presbyterian Church which now has a membership of fifty-three and a Sunday School membership of forty-six. Notwithstanding the membership was small, it was promptly decided upon after organization to build a church and the auditorium with a large basement is now under construction and it is anticipated it will be ready for use in the spring of 1927.

Forty-Third Avenue Presbyterian Church, Gary: Forty-Third Avenue Presbyterian Church was organized October 5, 1924, with fifty-two members. For a year after organization Sunday School and morning worship were held in the Lew Wallace Public School. In October, 1925, with the help of the Synod of Indiana, the church purchased a portable church building which was placed on a lot they owned and which church building is still in use. It is expected within the next two years the organization will be in a position to erect the first unit of a $100,000 church and the first unit to cost approximately $45,000.

While only two years old, the church has grown rapidly and includes in its activities the Sunday services, Young People’s Society, Men’s Clubs, Women’s organization and Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs. The church became self-supporting in April, 1926, and at that time called the Rev. Harold R. Martin, who had organized the church and who was responsible for its steady growth, to become permanent pastor. Its location in one of the growing sections of Gary gives promise of a large membership in the next few years. The present membership of the church is 185 and a Sunday School membership of 275.

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The Brunswick United Presbyterian Church, West Gary: In the latter part of 1924, the new subdivision of Brunswick in West Gary was canvassed as to the possibility of starting a United Presbyterian Church. The conditions were so favorable that the Home Mission Board sent Miss Mildred Farmer to the field as the home missionary. She organized a Sabbath School which met in the school house and Rev. C. F. Campbell of Gary alternated with Rev. W. T. McIntyre of East Chicago in conducting preaching services. In July, 1925, four lots were purchased and a portable building erected. A call for a permanent pastor was sent in February, 1926, to the Xenia Theological Seminary, St. Louis, and Robert H. Belton was asked to consider the field. He accepted the mission appointment and has been in active service since May this year. The work of organization is progressing and plans for the actual organizing are being laid to take place before the close of the year.

Grace Presbyterian Church, Gary: One of the newer church organizations in Gary which is keeping pace with the advance of the Calumet district is the Grace Presbyterian Church which was organized by Dr. J. W. Lee at the Neighborhood House in August, 1920, with eight members. A year later a new church building and manse combined was purchased from the Lutheran Reform Presbyterians and Rev. William Burton was called to the pastorate. He died shortly after he began service as pastor and was succeeded by the Rev. F. S. Thompson who was pastor for two years. The present pastor, Rev. L. S. Coleman, was called August 15, 1926, and he is active in increasing the growth of the church which now has a membership of eighty-two and a Sunday School membership of forty-nine.

First Presbyterian Church of Hammond: The First Presbyterian Church of Hammond had its origin in October, 1890, when Rev. F. M. Elliott, on visiting the city, found the outlook for the establishment of a church organization most encouraging. Near the close of the year, Rev. L. W. A. Lucky of Crown Point conducted services and in January, 1891, a petition with thirty-eight names attached was presented to the Presbyterians for the establishment of a church organization and Rev. F. M. Elliott, Rev. E. S. Scott, D. D., and Rev. Henry Johnson were appointed to organize a church which was formed in the Royal League Hall February 23, 1891, with twenty-three members. Through Reverend Elliott’s efforts a lot was secured on South Hohman Street, and in 1894 a church building was erected and dedicated. In 1915 the church had a membership of 215 but in the past eleven years it has had a most remarkable addition to its church membership which now numbers 785 with a Sunday School membership of 506. The new church building was erected and dedicated in 1918 and the institution is one of the most flourishing church organizations in Hammond. The present pastor is Rev. John C. Parrett.

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Pine Street Presbyterian Church, Hammond: The Pine Street Presbyterian Church of Hammond was organized September 30, 1907, by the Rev. F. M. Elliott. They have had their own church building since organization and have enjoyed a substantial growth, having a present membership of 225 and a Sunday School membership of 250. Rev. Thomas Hueston is the present pastor.

The First Presbyterian Church of Indiana Harbor: This church was organized by twenty-five members of the Presbyterian faith on February 28, 1911, and the same year the congregation erected a church building. For a number of years the church was a mission station as the membership grew slowly, but it became self-supporting on April 1, 1924. The religious zeal of the growing congregation is shown in the various church activities during the past eight years and the splendid efforts made to improve their church property. A bible school was established with four separate departments: beginners, primary, intermediate, and senior, with twenty teachers and ten officers. Other active organizations are: two Ladies’ Aid Societies, one Women’s Missionary Society, one Young People’s Christian Union and a Troop of Boy Scouts. During the summer months a daily vacation Bible school lasting five weeks is financed and conducted by the church with five teachers and one hundred and fifty children.

The church cooperates in conducting the week day school of religion, having a class meeting in the church building for several years until the school buildings became available. The church recently completed a forward movement which included the installation of a new heating plant, redecorating the entire church building, placing new carpets in service, purchasing two pianos, installing two large rolling partitions, new pews and the purchase of a new parsonage at a total expense of approximately S10,000. The first pastor was Rev. A. J. Crooks and the present pastor is Rev. W. T. McIntyre. The present church membership is 175 and the Sunday School membership is 300. Under Reverend McIntyre’s pastorate the church has made wonderful spiritual and material progress and has become a prosperous church institution.

BAPTIST CHURCHES.

LAPORTE COUNTY.

The first Protestant religious services in LaPorte County were held at the Huron Lake Branch of the Carey Baptist Mission of Niles, Michigan, in 1829. Later, in 1832, services were held in Springfield Township but the first permanent Baptist church in LaPorte County was organized in 1833 by Rev. Phineas Colver and located at Stilwell Prairie and was

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generally known as the LaPorte Baptist Church. The first pastor was Rev. T. Spaulding. The LaPorte Baptist Church was followed, by a church organized at Rolling Prairie in 1836 and at Michigan City in 1837 and in LaPorte City in 1838. After the latter church was built, the Stilwell Prairie Church became known as the Kingsbury Baptist Church. By 1840, the Rolling Prairie Church had a membership of fifty-five; the Kingsbury Church, seventy; LaPorte Church, ninety-one; and the new Door Village Church, which at that time was organized, had a membership of 110. A Baptist church was also organized at Westville which in 1861 had a membership of 166 but had only nine members in 1874. In 1871, the African Baptist Church was organized in LaPorte with a membership of twenty. Throughout the county preaching was generally conducted for years and small organizations formed which however lacked permanency.

First Baptist Church, LaPorte: This church was organized by Rev. Phineas Colver in 1833 with thirty members. The little congregation began to grow and, in 1840, purchased the church building of the Disciple Society which, for many years with improvements and alterations, served the wants of the congregation. For some years prior to the erection of the present church building, a new and commodious structure was necessary and in 1877, the present church building was erected. It is a substantial edifice of red brick — Gothic design — with a complete basement, which is utilized as Sunday School quarters and has separate class rooms and modern up-to-date equipment. A parsonage was also built which, in 1920, was completely renovated and remodeled and is now thoroughly modern and nicely appointed. During the present year a beautiful new Baptistry has been built, unique and original in design, of white Vermont marble inside and out, having Gothic arches and a river scene oil painting for a background. Three rooms were added, which served the double purpose of robing rooms for the candidates for baptism and also Sunday School rooms for juniors. The present membership of the church is 525 and of the Sunday School, 300, and under the guiding hand of the present active energetic pastor, Rev. John W. Moffatt, the church is in a most flourishing condition.

First Baptist Church Michigan City: The first Baptist organization, which was started in Michigan City in 1837, ceased to exist very early after its organization and there was no further attempt to organize a Baptist church until 1853, when a gathering was held at the home of Mrs. Walter Leeds to perfect a permanent organization, but this also failed. A third attempt in 1889 was more successful and the First Baptist Church was organized in 1890 and the construction of a church began in 1891. The membership grew slowly but steadily until 1897 when the present church was occupied. It has now a church membership of 240 and a

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Sunday school membership of 250 and a very able pastor in Rev. H. E. Wilson.

Calvary Baptist Church — Michigan City: This church was organized with fifty members in July, 1923, and Rev. R. N. Childress was called to the pastorate. Early in 1926, the congregation purchased the church building of the Christian Church and since February 14th in that year it has been serving the needs of the congregation. The present membership of the church is 120 and the Sunday school membership is 120 and under the present pastor, Rev. Ralph J. Karney the church is making great progress.

PORTER COUNTY.

First Baptist Church — Valparaiso: Among the early missionaries of the pioneer settlement period were Alpheus French and Asahel Neil, Baptists, who were active in church organization work in Porter County as early as 1835 or 1836. It is claimed that Rev. Neil organized a congregation in Morgan Township at this period although no official records exists of the organization. It is certain that Rev. Alpheus French preached at Blachly’s Corners in Union Township in the spring of 1836 and on June 10, 1837, in the home of Morris Withams on Morgan Prairie, he organized the first Baptist church with twelve members, the name of which church after 1840 was changed to the First Baptist Church of Valparaiso. Among the original members were Morris Withams, Jacob C. White, John and Drusilla Bartholomew, Edmund and Charity Billings, James and Rebecca Witham, Warner and Adelia Pierce and John Robinson. The first deacons were John Robinson and John Barth and Jacob C. "White was the first clerk. Meetings were held at the houses of some of the members or in groves, as was the custom of that period, as the church was without a permanent place of worship. In 1842, Elder French was succeeded by Harlow S. Orton, who was succeeded in 1844 by Rev. W. T. Bly.

In 1847, Rev. Alexander Nickerson became pastor and through his efforts a church building was erected costing S2,200. It was dedicated on March 19, 1854, but the growth of the congregation made necessary a new church edifice which was dedicated on November 13, 1881. The new church building which is of brick was erected at a cost of more than $6,000 and it has a seating capacity of about 600. From time to time minor improvements were made but in 1924 it was decided to remodel the church building. A new basement was added, the auditorium enlarged and improved, and other important construction changes made and new equipment and furnishings installed. The building committee consisted of Ross Winship, H. C. Swartout, Arthur Sierks, Lois Pinney, Stella Wade, H. W. Hock and Edith Finney. As now improved, the new edifice

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is one of the finest owned by a Baptist congregation in Northern Indiana and it was officially dedicated on February 15, 1925.

The present pastor, the Rev. W. W. Ayer, under whose administration the church improvements have been made, is especially active in promoting the spiritual welfare of his congregation. The following pastors have served the church: Revs. Alpheus French, Harlow S. Orton, W. T. Ely, Alexander Nickerson, Henry Smith, G. T. Brayton, J. D. Cole, J. M. Maxwell, M. T. Lamb, R. H. Tozer, M. T. Lamb, Otis Saxton, W. A. Kaplinger, W. A. Clark, E. S. Riley, C. J. Pope, J. B. Banker, D. Heagle, W. E. Randall, W. E. Story, John L. Beyl, H. B. Benninghoff, S. I. Long, J. A. Knowlton, John Newsom, C. G. Roadarmel, C. A. Mitchell and Rev. W. W. Ayer. The present church officers are, clerk, Adah Hock; treasurer, Emma Pinney; financial secretary, Ida Bloom; Sunday school superintendent, J. W. LaRue; Brotherhood president, Mark Petts; Woman's U. president, Stella Wade, chairman trustees, J. Q. Prentiss, chairman deacon, George Wade; chairman deaconesses, Edith Pinney.

LAKE COUNTY.

First Baptist Church — Hammond: In 1887, the State Board of Missions sent a missionary to Hammond to organize a Baptist church and in November of that year a permanent organization was perfected. The original members were F. J. Cross, T. S. Dake, Mary E. Irish, Ju’ia J. Pine, Mary Lewis and Lester V. Jones. Services were held in a small room in what later became known as the Carleton Hotel and as the congregation grew, meetings were held in the Hohman Opera House. Early in 1888, Rev. P. B. Hewitt was called to the pastorate and largely through his active efforts a church building was erected in that year. Rev. Hewitt remained as pastor until 1893 and during this period the church became self supporting and its property free from debt. When Rev. Hewitt resigned as pastor the church membership was approximately 150 and it has had a steady and continuous growth in membership as the population in Hammond increased and it is now one of the leading Baptist churches in Northwestern Indiana. By 1913, the growth of the congregation made necessary the erection of a new church edifice which was completed that year and the church property now has a valuation of approximately $125,000. The present church membership is 1,050 and the Sunday school membership is 800. The various organizations are all active and under the supervision of the present pastor, Rev. J. C. Orange, the church is continuing to make great progress.

First Baptist Church — East Chicago: This church was organized by thirty members of the Baptist faith in November, 1902, and Rev. H. Farr Wagner was called to minister to the wants of the little congregation. The growth of the church was slow and lack of financial means made it impos-

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sible to erect a church building for a number of years but efforts in this direction, started in 1907, led to the completion of their first church building on December 19, 1908. The church is at present in a flourishing condition having a membership of 250 and a Sunday school membership of 300. The church has the usual organizations affiliated with a Baptist church and Mrs. John S. Bevin is a prominent leader in the various church organization activities. The present pastor, Rev. E. M. Rhoades, is active in promoting the spiritual welfare of his congregation and a leader in its social activities.

First Baptist Church — Gary: On June 29, 1907, seven members of the Baptist denomination met in the kitchen of the United States Steel Company’s office and decided to organize a Baptist church. It was the first Baptist church organization in Gary and it has grown to be one of the largest Baptist churches in membership and influence in Northern Indiana. For a few years it was in the mission stage of existence but it gradually grew in membership until 1912, it was decided to erect a church building which was dedicated in November, 1913. It was a modern building for that period and the size of the structure made reasonable provision for the growth of the church for a number of years. Since 1920, it was inadequate to care for the needs of the congregation and it was decided to erect a new church edifice with ample accommodations to care for the wonderful growth which the church had been experiencing since 1915. The new structure was completed in 1925 at a cost of $125,000 and is a beautiful edifice and with sufficient accommodations for the present needs of the congregation which is one of the largest in Gary. The present membership of the church is approximately 2,000 and the Sunday school has 750. The first pastor was Rev. Alton H. Blake and the present pastor is Rev. Charles E. Hawkins, who is a great leader in the spiritual and social activities of the congregation.

Central Baptist Church — Gary: This church was organized with nineteen members on January 20, 1909, and the same year the first church building was erected and Rev. Charles W. Griffin was called to the pastorate. The church has shared in the wonderful growth of the population in the City of Gary as its present church membership of 400 shows and it has a Sunday school membership of 450. Rev. O. B. Sarber was the last pastor and he served the church until recently but at present the church is without a pastor.

Polish Baptist Mission — Indiana Harbor: This mission was organized by Rev. Michael S. Anuta on April 12, 1922, and he has continued to be the pastor. Through his active efforts in securing financial aid, the little congregation secured a house of worship and on October 4, 1925, their church building was dedicated. The present church

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membership is forty-five and there are eighteen members of the Sunday school.

Colored Baptist Churches: The Baptist church is well represented among the colored citizens of the Lake and Calumet region. While most of them are of recent origin a number have already large memberships and commodious well appointed churches, notably the First Baptist and Antioch Baptist of East Chicago, the Jerusalem Baptist and Macedonia Baptist, Mt. Moriah Baptist and Mt. Zion Baptist churches of Gary, all of whom have memberships from 300 to more than 400 and a number of active church organizations. Other, colored Baptist churches are the Galilee Baptist, New Bethel Baptist, Tabernacle Baptist, Mt. Olivet Baptist, Pilgrim Rest Baptist, Lily Baptist and Silent Grove Baptist of Gary and also the Mt. Zion Church of Hammond and the New Zion of Michigan City, Indiana.

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

The history of the organization of the Catholic faith among the Indians has been covered fully in a previous chapter and when the Pottawattomies were removed to the Western Reservation a young deacon, Benjamin M. Petite, accompanied them at their solicitation. He had previously established several missions, one of them being at South Bend in 1836. Beginning with the period of white settlement Rev. Frederick Reze visited the tribes in 1830 and baptized Pokagon, the Pottawattomie chief, who requested a priest be settled among them, and Rev. Stephen T. Badin was sent. This led to the discontinuance of the Baptist mission at Niles. Bishop Brule of Vincennes also made several visits to the Indians just before they went to Kansas and in 1836 directed Fr. Desseile to establish a mission at Michigan City. For several years previously Fr. Desseile had labored among the Indians and at his death in 1837 the mission in Michigan City was carried on successfully by Revs. Francis Cointet, Francis Gonesse and Theophilus Mainault, which mission afterwards developed into St. Mary’s Church. For some years after the removal of the Indians to the Western Reservation Catholic missionaries made occasional visits to the larger communities in the Lake region and Rev. Fr. Kilroy had much to do with inspiring the growth of the original Catholic congregation in the City of LaPorte. Fr. Kilroy was noted for his knowledge of history and his fame was far beyond the area of his religious activities as a missionary in Northern Indiana counties. He was for many years pastor of St. Peter’s Church in LaPorte and had commanding influence as a citizen in that community. He later resumed his missionary activities, occasionally returning to LaPorte where he lectured on many subjects. It is said the first missionary priests who conducted services in the pioneer communities of Porter County were Fr.

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Kilroy and Fr. Curley and there were occasional visits from missionary priests from the Michigan City mission.

The first Catholic church erected during the pioneer period in Lake County of which we can find any record was in 1843 by John Hack, a German immigrant Catholic, at St. John’s, and during the following twenty years several other Catholic churches were erected throughout the settled farming communities in the southern part of the county, and the descendants of these early Catholic families have been among the leading citizens of Lake County and contributed much to its development and progress. Beginning with LaPorte County the history of the Catholic churches in the different communities in the Lake region follow:

The Immaculate Conception Church (St. Mary’s Church), Michigan City: The Catholic mission established in Michigan City by Rev. Francis Cointet, Francis Gonessee, and Theophilus Mainault, with the growth of Michigan City, developed into St. Mary’s Church. The industrial growth of Michigan City brought many Catholics of varied nationalities who found employment in the growing community, and St. Mary’s Church had a very cosmopolitan membership. Because of the large percentage in the church of Polish nationality it was deemed advisable in 1907 to establish a new church for Polish Catholics and St. Stanilaus Church was erected in that year. St. Mary’s Church was remodeled recently at an expense of $75,000, new pews, confessionals, and chandeliers were installed. The altars were redecorated and the seating capacity of the church increased to 950. A beautiful marble and tile floor was laid in the sanctuary and fourteen new windows from the Zettler Studios in Munich were installed, the windows being donated by parishioners. The present pastor is Rev. George Moorman and his assistants are Revs. Wm. J. Ehrman and Lawrence Weber.

Sacred Heart (Syrian Church), Michigan City: This church was organized by the present pastor, the Very Rev. Monsignor Michael H. Abraham, in 1917, and the congregation promptly proceeded to the erection of a church building which was completed and dedicated the same year. The church has a membership of 300 souls and a Sunday school membership of 100.

St. Stanilaus (Polish Church), Michigan City: St. Stanilaus Church was formed in 1907 by Polish Catholics who had been attending St. Mary’s Church. In the beginning of its existence the parish built an accommodation building which was used as church and school for many years but the growth of the parish made necessary a larger and more commodious church. In September, 1916, the cornerstone of the present magnificent church was laid and in a short time the basement was ready for occupancy and to serve as a temporary church. Untiring zeal and effort on the part of the present pastor, Rev. Joseph Bolka, who assumed

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charge of the parish in 1909 resulted in a resumption of work and the completion of the upper church in 1923.

The edifice is a stone and pressed face brick structure and one of the most beautiful Catholic churches in Northern Indiana. It was not until 1926, however, that sufficient funds were on hand to complete the interior which has a seating capacity of 1,000 and is finished in “Italian Romanesoue” style. The semi-circular arch is fully represented in the structure with gigantic columns conspicuous for their grace, symmetry and beauty. The sanctuary is large and well lighted, the sacristies' roomy, and the choir stands out prominently. The generous contribution on the part of the parishioners in the past few years enabled the pastor to complete the church with little or no debt remaining. The church was solemnly dedicated on October 24, 1926, by the Rt. Rev. Bishop of Fort Wayne diocese, John F. Noll and is a magnificent addition to the list of fine churches for which Michigan City is noted. The St. Stanilaus parochial school has nearly 700 pupils in charge of fifteen school Sisters of Notre Dame.

St. Peter’s Church, LaPorte: One of the results of Father Kilroy’s missionary labors among the early Catholics in LaPorte County was the organization of St. .Peter’s Church with about seventy-five members of which for many years Rev. M. P. Rooney was the pastor. The first church building owned by St. Peter’s congregation was a frame structure, erected in 1853, but which later gave way to a commodious brick church, the interior of which under Father Schramm was handsomely decorated and a new and beautiful altar installed. It has an excellent school with modern equipment, and 145 pupils taught by six Sisters of the Holy Cross. The present pastor, Rev. J. C. Wakefer, is one of the most popular citizens of LaPorte and in June, 1926, he celebrated his silver jubilee and it was a day of great rejoicing for the congregation, and for his many friends generally in LaPorte. During his pastorate St. Peter’s Church has made great spiritual and material progress and has now a membership of about 200 families and a Sunday school membership of 140.

St. Joseph’s Church, LaPorte: St. Joseph’s Church was organized by German Catholics in 1857 and Rev. Fr. Scherer was the first pastor. A beautiful brick church edifice was erected in 1859 and shortly afterwards a school structure was built. The parochial school now has an attendance of 156 pupils taught by five Sisters of St. Joseph. The present membership of the church is 375 souls with a Sunday school membership of 155. Rev. Ignatius Zircher, the present pastor is held in high regard by his parishioners and the citizens generally and under his leadership the church is in a fine spiritual and financial condition.

Sacred Heart Church, LaPorte: Sacred Heart Church is the third Catholic congregation in LaPorte. It has a large parochial school with

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252 pupils taught by six Franciscan Sisters of St. Kunegunda. The present pastor is the Rev. Ignatius J. Gapezynski.

St. Mary’s Church, Otis: Rev. J. Wroblewski is the present pastor of St. Mary’s Church, which cares for the wants of the Catholics in Otis and vicinity. The church building was erected in 1872 by Polish Catholics who are still the representative element in the membership. The church has a parochial school with eighty pupils taught by three Felician Sisters of St. Francis.

St. John’s Cantius Church, Rolling Prairie: This church has a small congregation of Catholics who reside in Rolling Prairie and tributary farming territory. It has a parochial school with one lay teacher and forty-five pupils. The present pastor is Aloysius J. Jarka.

PORTER COUNTY.

St. Patrick’s Church, Chesterton: St. Patrick’s Parish is one of the prosperous Catholic communities of Porter County. The church organization was perfected by Father Kilroy in 1857 although for some years it was without a resident priest. Succeeding Father Kilroy came Father Flynn and later Father Gillen and for a time after Father Gillen the wants of the congregation were cared for by priests from other parishes who made occasional visits to Chesterton. A site for a church was purchased in 1867 and Rev. John Flynn was made resident pastor. He was succeeded by Father O’Rourke and through his efforts a new church was built in 1876 and six years later a parish house was added at a total cost of about $16,000. The church has a parochial school in charge of four Franciscan Sisters of St. Kunegunda and has an attendance of 170 pupils. The present pastor is Rev. J. J. Siemetz under whose administration the church is in a very prosperous condition.

St. Mary’s Church, Kouts: St. Mary’s congregation is composed largely of Catholic farmers in this prosperous agricultural section of Porter County. The present pastor is Rev. Joseph A. Suelzer, who also has a mission at Wheatfield.

St. Paul’s Church, Valparaiso: The missionary efforts of Father Kilroy and Father Curley in and around Valparaiso led to the formation of St. Paul’s Church and through the efforts of Father Paul Gillen the erection of a church building was commenced in Valparaiso, but as he was called to another mission the church remained in a partially constructed condition for some time. Father Gillen was succeeded by Father Clark who in turn was succeeded by Rev. George Hamilton, but due to the lack of permanent Catholic residents in Valparaiso and vicinity the growth of the church organization was slow. As the number of Catholics increased Rev. John Force was appointed resident pastor. He did not live long after coming to Valparaiso but under his pastorate the church made excellent progress.

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Father Force was succeeded by Father Botti who was later recalled by the bishop on account of legal troubles and controversies in which Father Botti became involved.

The next resident priest was Rev. Michael O’Reilly of excellent scholarly attainments and a genial disposition which made warm friends for him among all classes of citizens. He began his pastorate in the year 1863 with his church closed by an injunction of the court, his parish divided on account of troubles originating during his predecessor’s pastorate, and a debt said to be more than $4,000. Unable to obtain possession of the church building he conducted services in a hall for several months when through his efforts the court injunction was dissolved and the church was turned over to his jurisdiction. He soon enjoyed the confidence of a reunited congregation, made many improvements in the church and erected a school building costing about $8,000. The growth of his congregation made necessary the erection of a new church, the cornerstone of which was laid on Sunday, October 7, 1883, by Bishop Dwenger of Fort Wayne, and a large gathering witnessed the ceremonies. The new church which is 153 feet long, with a transept of 95 feet, a 65-foot nave and a spire nearly 200 feet high, was dedicated on October 17, 1886. It is a beautiful church building and a source of great pride to St. Paul’s congregation whose liberal contributions and many sacrifices made possible its completion. Father O’Reilly died shortly after the church was completed and he was so popular a priest and citizen that his memory still remains green among the people of Valparaiso.

Succeeding Father O’Reilly as pastor were Revs. John Dempsey, and William Hogan, the latter priest being succeeded by Rev. Edward Mongovin, the present pastor. At this time there are 750 souls in the parish which maintains an excellent parochial school taught by the Sisters of Holy Cross whose mother home is at Notre Dame. Sister Cyprian is the superior in charge of the school which is widely known as St. Paul’s Academy and many of its students have attained high rank in business and professional life. The school has eight grades and four years of high school and tuition is free to children of the parish, there being an endowment fund created to maintain the school and care for its future development and also for the perpetual care of the cemetery. The parochial school at present has 140 pupils and six sisters comprise the teaching force. The church property consists of school, church and the residences of the pastor and sisters, also a cemetery of ten acres. Under the administration of the present pastor, Father Mongovin, the church is in a flourishing condition.

LAKE COUNTY.

St. Mary’s Church, Crown Point: One of the oldest Catholic churches in Lake County is St. Mary’s Catholic Church. It has an excellent paroch-

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ial school with 145 pupils and taught by five Sisters of St. Agnes. The present pastor is Rev. Phillip Guethoff and the assistant pastor is Rev. Ladislaus Krause. The priests of St. Mary’s also have charge of the mission at Hebron.

St. Joseph’s Church, Dyer: St. Joseph’s Church is located in a prosperous agricultural community. It has a parochial school with 106 pupils in charge of five Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart. The present pastor is the Rev. George Lauer.

St. Stanislaus Parish, East Chicago: Bound together by bonds of national religion and persecution in their own country it was but natural that the Polish emigrants after arriving in this country gathered together and formed settlements of their own in the various industrial centers and with the industrial growth of East Chicago there came into being the Polish settlement on the South Side. During the growing period the majority of the settlers attended St. Casimir’s Church in Hammond but soon their number was sufficient to warrant a visiting priest and Father Casimir Kobolinski visited East Chicago every other Sunday. He realized it was only a question of a short time before a permanent pastor and a church would be necessary and secured six lots on the corner of Baring and 150th Streets, where the first church, a frame structure, was erected in 1896.

From the history of St. Stanislaus Parish published in Our Sunday Visitor we are privileged to quote the following information on its spiritual and financial growth: “A few streets, a house here and there, no sidewalks, no pavements, the middle of the streets covered with pools of dirty water, such is the scene that met the eye in the so-called South Side in the early ‘90s, but there was soon to be a change. The big iron and steel mills moving in brought with them a great influx of people from Europe seeking to better their fortune in a strange land, and the South Side became the center of a rapidly growing Polish settlement. As Father Kobolinski was called from Hammond the new parish was under the charge of Father Kahelaek until the advent of Rev. John Kubacki in 1898. Under his able guidance the parish grew rapidly and a house near the church was purchased in which a school was established. Soon the growing needs of the congregation made necessary a larger church and school accommodations and he bought some lots at the corner of Forsyth and 150th Streets at a cost of $20,000 and the frame church was moved to the new site. It was enlarged and otherwise improved and the name of the church changed from St. Michael Archangel to the patronage of St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr. This change was the cause of much internal strife and argument with the result that a portion of the members left the parish and formed an independent parish under the patronage of its former patron, St. Michael Archangel.

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Father Kubacki was succeeded in 1904 by the Rev. Joseph Bolka and while he was in charge of the parish it became one of the largest in the diocese. Father Bolka built an addition to the church and also purchased six lots adjoining the parish property at an expenditure of $7,000. Father Bolka was succeeded by Rev. Peter Budnik who in 1910 built a combination church and school and in 1913 he erected the rectory and a house for the sisters. By 1922 the debt of the parish has been paid and a substantial sum of money was on hand. It was then decided to erect the present “Memorial Building,” a three-story structure containing school rooms, meeting rooms for the different societies, an auditorium, a large bowling alley and gymnasium. Father Budnik resigned the pastorate in 1923 to join the Franciscan Order and was succeeded by Rev. Julian Skrzypinski who assumed charge of the parish in February, 1923. The new building was finished under his supervision and a few changes were made which added to the grandeur of the interior. In May, 1923, it was dedicated by Bishop Alerding. The debt incurred in erecting the Memorial Building and other improvements amounted to $205,000 and in a short period in which Father Skrzypinski has been patsor he has repainted and redecorated the interior of the church and reduced the debt to approximately $125,000.

The school is in charge of the Sisters of St. Joseph whose mother-house is at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and the growth of the parish now requires the services of twenty-seven sisters who have the intellectual welfare of between 1,400 and 1,500 children in their charge. The further growth of the school for some time to come will be cared for through converting some rooms in the Memorial Building into class rooms. The full grades are taught in the school and the curriculum is in entire harmony with diocesan and state regulations. At the present time Father Skrzypinski is assisted by the Rev. A. Nadolny, Rev. L. Michaelski and Rev. E. Wroblewski. Nineteen flourishing church organizations are connected with the parish which at the present time consists of about 800 families.

Hungarian Holy Trinity Church, East Chicago: Nineteen hundred and six is the memorable year which marks the foundation of Holy Trinity Church at East Chicago by a few members of the Sacred Heart Society under the leadership of a temporary pastor. About Christmas of that year Rev. Oscar Szilagyi, O. S. B., who had just returned from his African mission was appointed to serve the spiritual needs of the rapidly growing community. In a short time not only was a church provided for his congregation but a parochial school was erected with the Sisters of Providence in charge. Recalled by his superior to Hungary, Father Szilagyi was succeeded in June, 1909, by Rev. Paul Bognar. In January, 1910, fire completely destroyed the newly finished

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church and school but the faith and zeal of the parish soon provided sufficient funds for the erection of a new church which was completed under the supervision of Rev. Francis Fekete who succeeded Father Bognar, in May, 1912. The parish flourished rapidly and soon its membership included not only the Hungarian Catholics in East Chicago, but also of Hammond, Whiting and Indiana Harbor. Under the pastorate of Rev. Stephen Varga, who succeeded Rev. Francis Fekete, a new rectory was completed.

Father Varga was succeeded by Rev. Clement Mlinanovich of Indiana Harbor as temporary pastor until January 27, 1917, when Rev. Alexander Schaffer was appointed and for the past ten years under Father Schaffer’s guidance there has been marked progress made in the spiritual and material welfare of the church. His first efforts after he assumed the pastorate were to pay off the debts and purchase the adjoining property in the rear of the church. In May, .1920, the foundation of the present church was laid and in 1922, a parish school was established with five Daughters of Divine Charity in charge. A new beautiful rectory was built and the old one remodeled for the use of the sisters in charge of the school, which in 1924 required some additional room, and a new building was purchased which was remodeled into two class rooms and two additional sisters were added to the teaching force. The membership of the parish is 480 and the parochial school has an attendance of 350. The church has a number of active organizations including the Holy Rosary, the Altar, Holy Name Society, Knights of the Holy Trinity and Children of Mary.

St. Nicholaus Roumanian Greek Catholic Church, East Chicago: This church was organized February 23, 1913, with fifty members, and the Rev. Aurel Bungardean was called to the pastorate. Early attention was given to the erection of a church building which was completed on May 2, 1914. The present church membership is more than 200 and there is a Sunday school membership of about 100. The present pastor is Rev. Dr. Victor Crisan, who also has a mission at Indiana Harbor for Roumanian Roman Catholics.

Holy Trinity Church (Croation), East Chicago: This church organization is a growing Catholic institution with Rev. Francis Podgorsck as resident pastor. It has a parochial school with 228 pupils in charge of five Sisters, Adorers of the Precious Blood, and owns a handsome church edifice.

Sacred Heart Church, East Chicago: This organization is another of the growing Catholic churches in East Chicago with Rev. O. Zavatta, C. PP. S., pastor, and Rev. Michael Martinians, C. PP. S., assistant. The pastor has also in charge missions at Hammond and Indiana Harbor.

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St. Mary’s Church, East Chicago: One of the well established prosperous churches in East Chicago is St. Mary’s Church with Rev. E. G. Werling as pastor. It has a large and increasing membership, and a handsome church building and parochial school with 294 pupils taught by eight Poor Hand Maids of Jesus Christ, assisted by two lay teachers.

St. Joseph Church, East Chicago: This Catholic Church organization is in a flourishing condition with a commodious church edifice and parochial school, having 134 pupils in charge of three Franciscan Sisters of St. Kunegunda. The present pastor is Rev. John Biernacki.

St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church, Gary: One of the well established Catholic church institutions of the City of Gary is St. Mark’s Church, which was organized in 1921 with a membership of ninety families. The same year a new church was erected, with Rev. J. B. DeVille as temporary pastor and under his active supervision the church experienced from the start a steady and continuous increase in membership and spiritual influence, which under the present pastor, Rev. Joseph S. Ryder, has been well maintained and it is keeping pace in growth and influence with the progress of the city. It now has a church membership of 200 families and a Sunday school membership of 350. School sisters, Poor Hand Maids of Jesus Christ, are in charge of the school.

St. Hedwig’s Church (Polish), Gary: St. Hedwig’s Church was organized in 1908 by the Rev. A. Stachowiak and a church building was erected the same year. The original membership consisted of about 175 families of Polish nationality or descent and has maintained a steady growth. At present the church membership consists of about 500 families and about 565 children attend the Sunday school. Benevolent and charitable work is conducted by several church organizations and the present pastor, Rev. P. A. Kahellek, is prominent in civic and church activities among the Polish residents of Gary.

St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Church, Gary: In the spring of 1917 the Rt. Rev. Herman J. Alerding, bishop of the diocese of Fort Wayne, thought it best to organize a new parish for the Catholic people of the East Side of Gary, where about 100 Catholic families were residing at that time. Twenty lots on Rhode Island and Vermont streets, along East Seventh Avenue, were purchased for the new parish in 1917 and the Rev. Francis J. Gibbs, who was assistant at Holy Angels Church, Gary, was appointed pastor of the new congregation which was formally designated as St. Luke’s Church. Contracts were let for the erection of a one-story and basement brick building on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Rhode Island Street which cost $25,000 and this combination of church and school was dedicated on September 30, 1917, by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Alerding. After the dedication, a school with ninety pupils was inaugurated with the Sisters of Notre Dame in

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charge. In December, 1917, a parochial residence costing $20,000 was erected on Vermont Street and in 1921 the increase in the number of pupils required additional school room and two frame structures were erected immediately north of the church on Rhode Island Street, one of the buildings being used for school purposes and the second as a residence for the sisters.

In April, 1925, a large and commodious brick convent costing S34,000 was built on Rhode Island Street for the sisters and the building they had formerly occupied was altered into a school annex giving two additional rooms. On July 26, 1925, the first pastor, Rev. F. J. Gibbs, died and on August 11th, the Rev. Raphael F. Donnelly was appointed as the new pastor, and on April 22, 1926, the Rev. Theodore V. Fettig was appointed as his assistant. St. Luke’s parish ministers to the wants of the English speaking Catholics living north of Twenty-fifth Avenue and east of Broadway to the Porter County line. The congregation now numbers 400 families — or about 1,600 souls. The parochial school has eight teachers in charge of 320 pupils. In view of the present and prospective growth of the East Side of Gary, plans are under construction to add another story to the present school building and to erect a permanent church on the site reserved for that purpose on the corner of Vermont and East Seventh Avenue. Father Donnelly, who is one of the most popular of Gary’s clergymen, and his assistant, Father Fettig, are indefatigable in promoting the spiritual and physical growth of the church.

Holy Angels Church, Gary: In 1906, Rev. Thomas F. Jansen, who was pastor of the Roman Catholic Church of Hobart, was called to Gary on a number of occasions to minister to the wants of the Catholics who became residents of Gary during its first year of existence. As there were no streets at that time and communication difficult, Father Jansen made his sick calls on horseback from Hobart and soon saw the necessity for the building of a church and the establishment of a resident pastor. Acting promptly, Father Jansen soon had an active organization perfected and in a short time an entire block of ground on West Seventh, corner of Taylor Street, was secured and he erected a church and school combined in one building at a cost of $35,000. A home for the sisters was erected and also a residence for the pastor, both on the same lot. The congregation is a large one and the school has 620 pupils in charge of eighteen school Sisters of Notre Dame. Father Jansen has been resident pastor since the church was built and at present Revs. John Nadolny and Francis Guerre are his assistants.

Holy Family Church, Gary: This new Polish parish had its origin in a meeting which took place on December 6, 1925, in the home of Mr. Ignatius S. Zchobowski. In January, that year, Father Ignatius Gapozynski of La Porte, was delegated by Rt. Rev. Bishop Noll to report

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upon the advisability of establishing a new Polish parish in the Ridge Grove district. When he reported favorably, the Rev. Michael Gadacz, pastor of Assumption Church of New Chicago, was assigned to care for the spiritual wants of the new parish. He called a meeting on March 21st and a week later organized the new parish upon a sound financial basis. At a later meeting it was decided to place the church under the patronage of Holy Family Church and the following trustees were elected: Ignatius Schobowski, Felix Czarnacki, John Nadolski, Stanislaus Scijecki, Samuel Horan, Walter Depta, Francis Sojnacki and Joseph Monik. The purchase of an entire block of lots for a church site was made during the months of April and May and on June 5th, the foundation of Holy Family Church was laid. On June 22d, Father Gadacz was appointed the first pastor of the new congregation. A temporary church building was erected and dedicated on August 1st by Rt. Rev. Bishop Noll. Holy Family Church is destined to have a large growth and it is fortunate in having an active energetic priest like Father Gadacz as pastor.

Holy Trinity (Croation) Church, Gary: One of the growing Catholic organizations among the foreign nationalities of Gary is the Holy Trinity Church. It has a commodious church edifice and a parochial school with 211 pupils in charge of six Sisters of Mercy. The present pastor is Rev. Joseph Judnic.

Sacred Heart Church (Tolleston), Gary: This prosperous Catholic Church is in charge of Rev. Julian Doktor as resident pastor. It has a large church membership and its modern parochial school has 250 pupils in charge of five Franciscan Sisters of St. Kunegunda.

Other important Catholic churches in Gary are St. Anthony’s (for the Latins), with Rev. John B. DeVille as pastor and Rev. F. A. Sheridan as assistant; St. Casimer’s (Lithuanian), with Rev. Joseph S. Martis as pastor; and St. Emericus (Hungarian), with Rev. J. P. Toth as pastor. The latter church has a fine parochial school with 260 pupils taught by four sisters, Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. Other Catholic organizations in Gary are the Catholic Instruction League which teaches 2,250 Catholic children frequenting the public schools; the Marquette Settlement, which conducts social service work, juvenile work and Americanization work at three centers: West Side, Tolleston, and Ridge Road. Mrs. John Gay nor is president. Miss Ella Flannery is secretary and Rev. John B. DeVille, treasurer, with Rev. F. A. Sheridan as assistant director.

Judge Gary-Bishop Alerding Settlement House: The necessity for a distinctive institution under Catholic auspices as a center of recreational and sporting activities for boys and the development of other important departments of social welfare led to the establishment in Gary of the Judge Gary-Bishop Alerding Settlement House in 1924.

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Through the cooperation of Judge Gary, $10,000 was donated by the United States Steel Company toward the erection of the settlement house and $18,000 was subscribed by the citizens of Gary. As Judge Gary and Bishop Alerding of the Fort Wayne Diocese of the Catholic Church were instrumental in creating the institution it was named in their honor. Here in a dignified atmosphere, the pent-up energy of growing boys is released through clean healthful pastimes like basketball, bowling, billiards and pool and gymnasium advantages under John Pickett as physical director. The scope of service which now includes a clinic has greatly widened since the institution was founded, five centers being maintained and the educational work being in charge of four sisters of the Order of the Hand Maids of Jesus Christ. The building houses a large auditorium for meetings, class rooms for instruction and also has a chapel. It ministers to all persons of the Latin race in Gary and in addition imparts religious instruction to children. Service is now extended to 5,000 children and this service will gradually broaden with the increase in population. Rev. Jean B. DeVille is director of the activities of the settlement house and is assisted by Rev. Job Jarcia, who is thus enabled to render the broadest kind of welfare work among the Mexican residents in Gary to which race Father Jarcia belongs. In the biographical volume will be found extended mention of Father DeVille.

St. John The Baptist Church, Hammond: On April 17, 1897, Rev. Father Benedict R. Rajcany, at the request of Bishop Rademacher, emigrated into this country from Austria Hungary to establish a congregation of Slovaks living in Whiting and vicinity. He purchased five lots in Robertsdale and built a small church costing about $5,000 which was dedicated on June 4, 1897. The congregation at this time numbered 150 souls but it grew rapidly and additional lots were purchased in 1899 and 1902 and the church enlarged to accommodate the growing parish. In 1904 the spire of the church was struck by lightning and considerably damaged but a new spire was quickly built and the church interior redecorated. The growth of the Slovak population in Whiting continued rapidly and the church became entirely too small for the growing congregation and it was decided to remove the old church and erect the present brick structure with a seating capacity of 650 at an expense of $15,000. In 1899, a parochial school taught by lay teachers, was opened in a two story brick building but since 1901, the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary’s of the Woods have been in charge. In 1903, a public school building was bought and moved to the school lot on 119th Street. It was joined to the old school house, remodeled and brick veneered at a cost of $14,000. This arrangement gave the parish a school building with eight rooms and a spacious auditorium.

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In 1921 another addition of four rooms to the school became necessary which was made at an expense of $7,000. St. John’s School at present has 700 children taught by fifteen Sisters of Providence. The first sisters’ convent, built in 1900, was a frame house accommodating five sisters. In 1916 the present stately structure costing $20,000 replaced it. The rectory, built in 1899, was completely destroyed by fire in 1905. A new and spacious rectory was promptly erected costing at that time more than $10,000. The parish had been constantly expanding and a new and larger church edifice was deemed necessary. In 1920 five lots for this purpose were purchased and four additional lots secured in 1925, the nine lots costing $13,700. In 1902, at a cost of $3,000, fifteen acres of land were purchased in South Hammond to serve as a cemetery. St. John’s parish at the present time is entirely free from debbt. The incumbent pastor is the founder of the parish, Rev. Father Benedict N. Rajcany. For many years he was assisted by the Precious Blood Fathers from Rensselaer, Indiana, but in 1921 Rt. Rev. Herman J. Alerding appointed a newly ordained priest, Rev. Michael Kosko, to assist him. Two years later Father Kosko was sent to organize a new Slovak parish in Whiting and in 1925 Rev. Stanley Kraus was made assistant. In September Father Kraus was succeeded by Rev. John Kostick, C. PP. S. During the existence of the church sixteen young women of the parish have consecrated their lives to God as Sisters of Providence and two sons of the parish are at present studying for the priesthood. The number of souls now belonging to the parish is 3,250.

All Saints Catholic Church, Hammond, Indiana: In 1896, Rev. John Cook organized All Saints Catholic Church with fifty-eight members. In 1897 Rev. Edward F. Barrett was placed in charge of the congregation and the wonderful spiritual and material growth of All Saints Church is a record of accomplishment on the part of Father Barrett in which he and his assistant pastors during this period can take great pride. In the first year of his pastorate, the church and school house on Sibley Street were built and the construction of a new rectory began which was completed in 1897. In 1899 a two-story frame convent was built costing $2,500. The growth in church membership made necessary providing more school accommodations and 200 feet additional frontage adjoining the church property was purchased, with a depth of approximately 150 feet, the total cost being $20,800. The church membership continued to increase and preparations were made for the erection of a new church and school building which was completed in 1908 at a cost of $40,000. The building is 90x101 feet and contains eight class rooms on the first floor with basement and auditorium which seats 800 people.

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The great increase in the number of pupils in the school made necessary the addition of a large number of teaching sisters and, as the frame convent was too small for their use, Father Barrett, in 1910, turned over the rectory to the sisters to give them ample accommodations. Until 1914, Father Barrett used the original convent building as a rectory but in that year a new rectory costing $19,000 was completed. It is a beautiful up-to-date home of pressed brick and terre cotta has two stories and a basement. In 1921, the convent was enlarged at a cost of $30,000 and it is now a beautiful and substantial building of pressed brick with two stories and basement, thoroughly modern, and is considered one of the best designed and equipped parochial convents in Northern Indiana.

The congregation of All Saints Church is free of debt and has a very substantial sum of money on hand to commence the building of a new church necessary on account of the continued growth in church membership which is now 455 families and the Sunday school has a membership of 840. The school has sixteen Sisters of Providence as teachers who have about 600 pupils under their charge. The high school, connected with the parochial school, has about 525 pupils. Rev. James J. Fitzgerald is at present assistant to Father Barrett. The usual Catholic societies associated with a large congregation are active in the church and have large memberships. Among them are the Holy Name, Rosary Sodality, Young Ladies’ Sodality, St. Aloysius Society, Children of Mary, Catholic Order of Foresters, and the Ladies’ C. B. L. Association.

St. Joseph Church, Hammond: The earliest Catholic church in Hammond was founded in 1877 and has had a steady substantial growth in membership from its origin. Early attention was given to the intellectual training of the children and in 1885 St. Joseph’s parochial school was dedicated. Notwithstanding that from time to time with the growth of the Catholic population other Catholic churches were established, St. Joseph’s in today the largest Catholic church in Hammond and has 775 pupils in its parochial school, taught by seventeen Sisters of Providence. The present able pastor is Rev. John B. Berg and his assistants are Rev. J. N. Nichols, and Rev. Leo Hildebrandt.

St. Casmir’s Church, Hammond: One of the prosperous well established Catholic churches in Hammond founded in 1890 is St. Casimer’s with Rev. F. T. Serocznski, present pastor and Rev. Louis Bozyk as assistant, and its handsome commodious church edifice house one of the largest church organizations in Hammond. In 1890 the congregation erected its first parochial school and its present modern school building cares for 707 pupils in charge of thirteen Poor Sisters of St. Francis Seraph of Perpetual Adoration.

St. Mary’s Church, Hammond: A rapidly growing Catholic Church in Hammond founded in 1910 is St. Mary’s Church with Rev. J. N.

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Chylewski as pastor and Rev. L. Szczukowski as assistant. It has a beautiful church building and parochial school with a constantly increasing attendance, the present number of pupils being 312 in charge of five Franciscan Sisters of St. Kunegunda.

St. Martin's Roman Catholic Church, Hanover Center: One of the churches established by early German settlers was St. Martin’s Roman Catholic Church of Hanover Center, which maintains a parochial school with 81 pupils in charge of four Poor Sisters of St. Francis Seraph of Perpetual Adoration. The present pastor is Rev. G. Hottenroth.

St. Rev. P. J. Roederer is pastor of the small Catholic congregation which worships in St. Bridget’s Church, Hobart. Although the membership is not large, the church is long established and for many years has been in a thriving condition.

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Indiana Harbor: In 1914, under the guiding hand of Rev. C. M. Mlinarovich, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was organized, with an original membership of about ninety Slovak families. The rapid growth in membership made possible the erection of a commodious church building in 1917 and in 1919 the parish bought a lot 60x125 feet on the corner of Fir and 140th streets on which a rectory was erected the same year. For several years preparations have been under way for the erection of a convent and school with gymnasium and two halls, work on which began in 1926, and the buildings are expected to be completed early in 1927. Arrangements have been made with the Saint Francis Sisters from St. Joseph Convent at Milwaukee to have charge of the school.

The parish property is well located in Park Addition, a leading residential section, and the four buildings owned by the parish are located on ten lots on 140th Street, the lots including the corners of both Elm and Fir streets, and only a short distance from the spacious Washington Park and two blocks from the Washington High School. Attached to the Assumption parish, is a mission in East Chicago of about seventy-five Slovak families. The present membership of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is 250 families and the Sunday school membership is 150. The pastor, Rev. C. M. Mlinovarich, has made a great contribution in time and effort in his various church activities and he has good reasons to feel proud of the spiritual and physical results of his labor among the Slovak Catholic population of East Chicago and Indiana Harbor.

St. Francis Lithuanian Catholic Church, Indiana Harbor: The growth in number in Indiana Harbor and vicinity of Lithuanians who were members of the Roman Catholic faith brought about the organization of St. Francis Lithuanian Roman Catholic Church in 1912. Its growth has been in keeping with the growth of the Lithuanian Catho-

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lic population in that section and it is a flourishing institution. The church has a present membership of 985 and a Sunday school membership of 105. The present pastor is Rev. Casimir Bickauskas.

St. John’s Cantius (Polish) Church, Indiana Harbor: The largest Catholic Church in Indiana Harbor is St. John’s Cantius Polish Church with Rev. T. Chemma, pastor, and Rev. Michael Petzold as assistant. The congregation have a commodious church edifice and a parochial school with 460 pupils in charge of thirteen Franciscan Sisters of St. Kunegunda.

St. Patrick’s Church, Indiana Harbor: This growing Catholic Church institution has a handsome church building and an excellent parochial school with 251 pupils taught by six sisters of the Holy Cross. The present pastor is the Rev. James F. Connolly.

St. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, Lottaville: This church takes care of the wants of the Catholics in a very considerable territory about the village. The church has a parochial school with seventy-one pupils in charge of four Sisters of Notre Dame. The present pastor is Rev. Fred Koenig.

St. Edward’s Catholic Church, Lowell: Rev. S. Joachim Ryder is the pastor of St. Edward’s Church which has a parochial school with forty-five pupils in charge of three Poor Sisters of St. Francis Seraph of Perpetual Adoration.

Assumption Church, New Chicago: This church is a growing institution in the enterprising village of New Chicago and has a parochial school with 120 pupils in charge of three Franciscan Sisters of St Kunegunda. The present pastor is Rev. Michael Petzold.

St. Michael Roman Catholic Church, Schererville: This church is one of the earliest Catholic church institutions in Lake County and is mentioned in the township history. It has a parochial school with 143 pupils in charge of five Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Rev. William Berg is the pastor.

St. John’s Roman Catholic Church, St. John: This church organization is the oldest in Lake County and is mentioned in the St. John’s Township history. The parochial school with 125 pupils is in charge of five Poor Sisters of St. Francis Seraph of Perpetual Adoration. The present pastor is Rev. A. Badina.

Sacred Heart Church, Whiting: In the early part of 1890, about fifteen Catholic families in the settlement located near the Standard Oil works at Whiting made a request for a priest to form a church organization and the erection of a church in the settlement. Rev. Joseph Kroll was sent to Whiting for this purpose in the fall of 1890 and secured five lots from Jacob Forsyth, one of which was donated by Mr. Forsyth. Father Kroll was followed by Rev. M. J. Byrne in February, 1891, who

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celebrated Mass in a room over a saloon on 119th Street in the then roughest section of Whiting. Erection of a small frame church building was promptly commenced by Father Byrne and it was completed and dedicated by the Vicar General in May, 1891. Bishop Rademacher of Nashville administered confirmation for the first time in Whiting, in October that year, and the spiritual and material growth of the church was constant during Father Byrne’s pastorate. A parochial school, a new and larger pastoral residence and a dwelling for teachers were erected.

Father Byrne was succeeded in August, 1899, by Rev. Charles Thiele, who purchased some lots on LaPorte Avenue as a site for a new church and under the pastorate of Rev. John B. Berg, who succeeded Father Thiele in July, 1905, all previous indebtedness on the church had been paid and in 1910, a combination church and school edifice and residence for the sisters and pastor were completed at a cost of $45,000. On Sunday, July 11, 1926, the cornerstone of a new church was laid by Rt. Rev. John F. Noll, bishop of the diocese, and assisting in the ceremony was Rev. Joseph Kroll, who had ministered to the wants of the Catholics in Whiting and was the first pastor of the church. The new church which is being erected under the supervision of the pastor, Rev. Norbart Felden, was designed by Herman J. Gaul, the celebrated architect of Chicago, and is of Lombaric Romanesque architecture, and will cost when fully equipped about $175,000.

The structure when completed shortly, will be 160 feet in length with an average width of 60 feet. The belfry will tower 130 feet high and the edifice will have a seating capacity of 650. It is being constructed of mottled stone and red brick, trimmed with Bedford stone. It is of fire proof construction throughout with green asbestos shingled roof. The interior is to be finished in sand plaster with terrazo aisles and wood floors under the pews. Two hundred and ninety-four pupils in the parochial school are in charge of ten Sisters of Providence. The assistant pastor is Rev. Charles Seeberger.

Sts. Peter and Paul’s Church, Whiting: In 1910 a small group of Croatin Catholics residing at Whiting organized Sts. Peter & Paul’s Church and Rev. Francis Podgorsek was assigned as the first pastor. The church membership increased steadily with the increased Croatian population in Whiting and there is now a membership of 750 souls and a Sunday school with eighty children. Rev. Vincent Uvodic is the present pastor and he has been energetic in promoting the spiritual and material welfare of the church.

LUTHERAN CHURCH.

The members of the Lutheran faith are strongly represented in the population of the principal cities of the Lake and Calumet region. They

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were among the earliest immigrants to settle in Northwestern Indiana, and for many years St. John’s Lutheran Church at Tolleston was the heart of Christianity in Northern Lake County. German Lutherans were early settlers in LaPorte and Porter counties and were among the very earliest immigrants in Southern Lake County, arriving there in numbers within a few years after the Crown Point settlement was established. Their industry and thrift brought them prosperity during the pioneer period and their descendants have always taken a prominent part in the industrial, professional and civic life of Northwestern Indiana. The history of the Lutheran churches in the Lake region follows:

The Bethany Lutheran Church of LaPorte: The Bethany Lutheran Church of LaPorte was organized in September, 1857, by Dr. Erland Carlson and they erected their first church building in 1858. It is one of the prosperous Lutheran churches in LaPorte County and has a church membership of 593 and a Sunday school membership of 203. The present pastor is Martin W. Gustafson, B. D.

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, LaPorte: The church was organized in 1861 and it is said to have purchased the Second Presbyterian Church building on the corner of Maple Avenue and Monroe Street in 1867 and a few years later made an exchange with the “Christian” Church thereby coming into possession of the site on which their newer edifice was erected. The church is a flourishing institution with 450 individual contributors and a membership of 650 souls. The enrollment of the Sunday school is 252. The present pastor is Rev. Victor P. Frohne.

St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, LaPorte: The organization of St. John’s Church as “a Christian Congregation of the Lutheran Confession,” took place July 19, 1857, Frederick Reinnold Tramm, a candidate of theology being the chairman. One week after the organization candidate Tramm was elected pastor of the new congregation and six weeks later he opened a Christian Day School. The first deacons were G. Held, F. Steigley, Carl Backhaus and Conrad Popp. Originally services were held in a schoolhouse but the organization was soon able to build a small frame church on C Street which soon became too small for the growing congregation and early in 1859 it was increased in size. In September, 1860, the members resolved to affiliate with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States, and ever since have remained faithful members of the “Missouri Synod.” The congregation grew rapidly and February 26, 1863, it was decided to erect a brick church and the old church building was moved to A Street and equipped for parochial school purposes. The new church building at the corner of A and Church streets was solemnly dedicated on February 22, 1864. In 1867, Rev. Tramm on account of impaired health resigned the

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pastorate and he was succeeded by the Rev. G. Kuechle. On July 10, 1867, when Rev. Kuechle was installed as pastor, Julius Siegert, a young candidate from the Teachers’ College at Addison, Illinois, was inducted as teacher of the local parochial school and for fifty-five years uninterruptedly served in this capacity. Under Rev. Kuechle’s leadership the necessary land for a large graveyard was purchased and a new school building erected and dedicated. On the lot on C Street where the first church building had been located, the first parsonage was built at a cost of approximately $1,700, which has since been greatly enlarged and modernized. In 1872 Rev. Kuechle was called to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where for five decades he spent the remainder of his pious life as Lutheran pastor.

Rev. Joseph Niethammer was called to the pastorate on February 7, 1873, and under his leadership the congregation made great forward strides. Pew rents were abolished, the lot alongside of the church building was acquired and the membership increased to such an extent that a commodious addition was added to the church building. On January 1, 1890, the congregation numbered 1,750 souls including 1,130 communicants and 260 voting members and the Christian Day School had an enrollment of 327 served by four men teachers. Pastor Neithammer died suddenly on May 7, 1890, and was succeeded by Rev. George Link who was called to the pastorate on August 10 the same year. The inflow of immigrants to LaPorte largely from Northern Germany which became noticeable after 1875 caused such a rapid increase in the membership of the church that it became necessary to provide additional school accommodations and on April 9, 1893, it was decided to erect a new school building on the site of the old one, the contract price of which was approximately $1,100. Rev. Link resigned his pastorate in 1903 on account of sickness and was succeeded on December 13th in the same year by Rev. Paul Eickstead who has given twenty-three years of service to the church, being still pastor. Rev. Eickstead was installed into office by the Rev. W. H. T. Dau of Hammond, Indiana, and now president of Valparaiso University. The growth in English speaking members of the congregation caused the elimination of the official preaching of the pastor in the German language in March, 1904, and only occasional services are now held in the German language. Many improvements have been made under Rev. Eickstead’s leadership. Two lots on Alexander Street were bought and on them were erected two residences for teachers at an expenditure of about $4,000.

The eighth grade was added to the day school in September, 1905, enabling the pupils to enter the high school without further examinations and two additional teachers were added to the force of instructors. The church contributed eighty-six of her young men to the United States

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Army during the World war, four of whom sacrificed their life for their country. In 1921, the congregation spent $76,000 for the erection of a parish hall at the corner of B and Third streets. In this vast auditorium, the Sunday school, comprising thirty-two classes for children, adolescents and adults and numbering some 450 pupils, have found a home. The parish hall is a meeting place for the different church organizations and is a center of general social activity. On New Year’s Day, 1926, the congregation numbered 1,900 souls including 1,321 communicants and 288 voting members. Her free Christian Day School had 265 pupils under six teachers. Eighty-three of the church’s young people attend the public high school or some college or university and ten others are preparing themselves for the ministry or Christian Day School teachers. One of her young men, Elmer Thode, is now a missionary in China. During 1925 the congregation contributed for outside purposes, missions, and charities $9,122 and for home purposes including the maintenance of the day school $24,181. The total value of the church property is estimated at $110,000. The present church officers other than the pastor are: Charles Demzien, John Mueller, Carl Burkert, Carl Thode, Jr., Fred Koch, Carl Voight, Jr., Herman Schulz, and Adolph Brust, deacons. The trustees are Charles Middledorf, Fred Brockmann and Fred Petering. The school is maintained at a high standard, the teachers are carefully selected and the church is in a prosperous condition and under the leadership of Rev. Eickstead the church is making great progress both spiritually and materially.

St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Congregation (English), Michigan City. On May 23, 1912, at a gathering of Lutherans who decided to form the above church, a temporary organization was affected and two months later on July 23 a permanent organization was formed. It was not until 1915, however, that the present handsome church building was erected, the corner stone being laid on September 19 of that year. The first pastor was Rev. E. A. Dobberstein and the church has enjoyed a steady increase in membership and is a flourishing church institution, having at present over 550 baptized members and a Sunday school membership of 163. Early in 1924, work on the erection of a beautiful parsonage was commenced and it was completed in December that year. The present pastor, Rev. A. T. Buckler, has been very active in church work and much credit is due him for the present flourishing condition of the church.

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Michigan City: Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in September, 1903, by Rev. T. Thieme of South Bend, Indiana, upon resolution of the Lutheran Northern Indiana Pastor’s Conference, there having been a request by several Missouri Synod families to be served by a man of their synod. He conducted the first service on September 8, 1903, and the con-

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gregation formally organized on March 20, 1904, with four charter members, Ludwig Schlundt, Claus Holm, Emil Wagner and Wm. Blankschein. Shortly after organization the congregation acquired its first church property which was an unused church building and the lot on which it stood on Cloud Street through the efforts of the Rev. E. H. Polzin who was pastor of the church at this time. The old church was renovated and rededicated, and divine services were conducted in it every two weeks. January 21, 1906, the congregation was incorporated under the laws of Indiana. Pastor Polzin who had served the congregation so faithfully and well for seven years was succeeded in 1912 by the Rev. O. A. Sauer, who was then a candidate for the ministry. During his pastorate a new church site was purchased on East Tenth Street near East Michigan and in 1916, the congregation erected its present brick church building on this site. The church is 30x50 feet and has a fine auditorium, vestibule, and basement. Pastor Sauer was succeeded in 1921 by the Rev. F. O. Fischer who remained two years when he resigned on account of ill health. Rev. G. M. Krach was installed as pastor on February 3, 1924, and through his efforts the congregation have erected a fine modern spacious parsonage for its ministers. The dimensions are 29x26 feet and the house is two stories and a half basement, and cost approximately $6,000. The present membership of the church is 250 souls and seventy-five attend the Sunday school.

St. John’s Evangelical Church of Michigan City: St. John’s Evangelical Church of Michigan City is a member of the Evangelical Synod of North America and was organized with twenty-one charter members May 14, 1856, by Rev. Charles F. W. Haas who became its first resident pastor. In the same year the first church was built on the southeast corner of Ninth and Spring streets at a cost of $2,500, and served the wants of the congregation until the year 1867, when through the efforts of Rev. Ott Schettler, the pastor, the present church edifice was erected on the southwest corner of Ninth and Franklin streets at a cost of $28,000. For many years the old church was used as a parochial school but was sold in 1882 to the Baptist congregation who later erected a modern church building on its site. A three room school building was built by St. John’s congregation in 1882 in the rear of the church on Ninth and Franklin streets to house the parochial school which at that time was in a flourishing condition and the school was active until 1919 when it was discontinued/ The school building was then remodeled into a parish house, providing a large hall for the social activities of the church and the meetings of the various societies and for part of the Sunday school. In 1909 a new pipe organ was installed, costing $5,300 and a modern lighting system installed. In 1917 further improvements were made including the redecoration of the church and the church debt was fully

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paid. In the seventy years of its existence the church had only nine pastors: Revs. C. W. F. Haass, W. Schaefer, F. Mosebach, O. W. Schettler, Phil Klein, C. Hadrad, John Lueder, J. G. Hoch and the present pastor, Rev. Paul Irion. Of its former pastors only Rev. John Lueder is still living.

The church celebrated its golden jubilee in 1906 and of the original charter members there were then still living John Pitsch, John Peters, Jacob Weiler, John C. Dabbert, Fred Schaenffele, Fred Warnke, Charles Wolter, Charles Koch, John Voss, Fred Koch, Charles Frehse and Louis Bromberg all of whom have since passed away. For sixty-three years the German language only was used in the church services but since 1919 services are conducted in both the German and English language. St. John's Church has a communicant membership of 900, souls 1,994, and a Sunday School enrollment of 419. There are a number of church organizations, among them being the Ladies’ Aid Society with 240 members, the Women’s Union of 180 members and the Evangelical League of 120 members. Prof. Edw. Berg, prominent in musical circles in Michigan City, has been the organist and choir leader for the past twenty-five years. The present church council consists of Harry J. Krueger, President; Carl Lindenmeyer, Secretary; 'Walter H. Sassadeck, Treasurer; Albert Voss, Edw. Miller, Edw. C. Hapke, Harvey J. Meyer, Trustees; Walter Eggert, Gebhart Bleck, Martin Schmidt and Irwin Maack, elders. The church has a very able pastor in Rev. Paul Irion.

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Michigan City: There is a marked distinction between the Reformed Church and the original Lutheran Church. In 1817, King Frederick William the Third of Prussia issued a royal decree, ordering all the protestant churches in his realm to use the same liturgical ritual in their divine services and from that time the united church became the state church of Prussia. This decree was not rigidly enforced when made and less pressure was exercised in carrying it out as time went on, although its issuance added greatly to the numerical strength of the state church. About 1840, many immigrants from Prussia came to this country and their church services were conducted as they had been in Prussia. From many other sections of Germany and also from Prussia proper, came immigrants who carried with them the original Lutheran faith and practice and while in some sections members of both the Reformed and original Lutheran Church were found in the same congregation, yet as immigration became greater from Germany, the inclination and tendency on the part of the immigrants was to institute churches where services were conducted according to the liturgical ritual and practice to which they had been accustomed in their former homes.

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As a result of the distinction between the Reformed Church and the Lutheran Church, many divisions among congregations already established took place and new churches were instituted where the original liturgical ritual of their faith in Germany was followed by the members in their divine services. In 1873, Rev. E. Hardrat, D. D., a zealous adherent of the original Lutheran faith, became pastor of the Union Evangelical Lutheran Church which had been formed in Michigan City with members in the congregation of both the Reformed and the original Lutheran faith. Doctor Hardrat was from Mecklenburg, where the practice of the original Lutheran faith had been consistent from its origin and the Union Church did not appeal to him and he convinced a large number of the congregation that they had departed from the Lutheran faith and practice and he urged the formation of a separate church. John Baumgarten, one of the leaders in the separatist movement was chairman and Carl Bluhm was secretary of a meeting held in Union Hall on March 13, 1875, the object of which was to determine if a new church should be formed and it was unanimously decided by the members present, that an organization to be known as the German Evangelical Lutheran St. Paul’s Church of Michigan City be perfected and Reverend Hardrat was named to draft the new constitution which at a later meeting was accepted by the members. Carl Baumgarten, Frederick Brinckmann, Henry Leuck, William Mecklenburg and Christopher Dunker were elected elders of the new church.

At a later meeting, held March 24th, Henry Oppermann, Christ Peo, Frederick Fausch, John Leverenz and Henry Baumgarten were chosen trustees and it was decided at this meeting that the organization proceed as rapidly as possible with the erection of a church. A lot was purchased on the corner of Ninth and Franklin streets for $2,500 and John Renkawitz was instructed to prepare plans and specifications for the new church building while Frederick Brinckmann was placed in charge of the brick work. Liberal subscriptions were received not only from members of the organization but from citizens of other denominations toward defraying the cost of the church building and a substantial sum was realized, which amount with a mortgage loan, enabled the congregation to carry out the church building plans. The dedication of the beautiful new church took place on December 3, 1876, the first Sunday in Advent, and many representatives of congregations in neighboring cities were present, the principal speaker at the dedication being Rev. W. H. Niethanner of LaPorte. St. Paul’s house of worship at this time outranked in size every other church in the city. It was of Gothic architecture, with large bell and town clock, large organ and beautiful altar, and an edifice in which the congregation took great pride.

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It was not long after the congregation seemed firmly established that trouble arose and a schism resulted — thirty members seceding from the church, among them being many prominent leaders of the congregation. Reverend Hardrat was the storm center of the troubles in the congregation and resigned the pastorate and Prof. H. Ernst, D. D., became the new pastor. Under his administration the differences in the congregation were adjusted and many of those who had seceded from the church returned, and when Reverend Ernst closed his pastorate in 1884, tranquility reigned among the members of the congregation and its progress was assured. Reverend Ernst was succeeded by Rev. John Vollmar and through his efforts a new school house was built at a cost of $7,600 and various other improvements made to the church and school property. Reverend Vollmar, in 1894, was succeeded by Rev. H. C. Wickemeyer, whose long pastorate extended from 1894 to 1920. Under Reverend Wickemeyer the church prospered and the church and school property was constantly improved. Missionary work was carried on extensively among the English speaking Lutherans not only in Michigan City but in tributary territory, which resulted in the formation of St. Luke’s Church in Michigan City and the Grace Lutheran Church in Stitesville. From early in 1915 to November, 1916, Reverend Wickemeyer was assisted in his work by Rev. Niels Rasmussen. Reverend Wickemeyer was made pastor emeritus in 1920 and Rev. Armin Paul Meyer of Fort Wayne, was installed as pastor.

Reverend Meyer was a man of great learning and ability and carefully guided the congregation through the troublesome war time and through his efforts in 1922 the last'debt of the congregation was paid, land for a play ground purchased and the old pastoral residence modernized. The unceasing labors of Reverend Meyers caused a breakdown in his health and he was given an extended leave of absence to recuperate. Rev. W. Nordsieck had temporary charge of the congregation but in 1925 he was succeeded by Rev. Martin C. Hecht who in turn was succeeded by Rev. Emil Kemena in July, 1926. Reverend Kemena is the president of the Wisconsin District of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and other states and is now serving his second term. Two hundred and ten names are on the original charter list and the church now has a membership in voting members of 350, communicant members, 1,415 and 2,059 souls. The Sunday School membership is 296 with thirty-two Sunday School teachers and officers. The acting superintendent is Marcus F. Rolf and his assistant is Oscar F. Reitz. There are 147 pupils in the eight grades of the parochial school which is maintained at a high order of efficiency. The teachers are E. B. Pollnow, Principal, assisted by C. F. Stadelman, Oscar P. Reitz and Marcus F. Rolf.

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St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church of Wanatah was organized on February 20, 1846, by Rev. Henry Katt. The church has a present membership of forty-five voters and 140 communicants. The parish is without a pastor at present.

PORTER COUNTY.

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Valparaiso: This church was organized in 1862, its membership being composed of the families of German immigrants who had been arriving for some years previous and there were about fifty families in Valparaiso and vicinity when the church organization was formed. For three years services were held in a local hall but in 1865 a frame building for church and school was erected on the corner of Pink and Academy streets. At this time Rev. C. Meyer succeeded Reverend Beyer and the congregation increased in membership so rapidly in the next few years that it became necessary to provide more commodious quarters to care for the needs of the congregation. The Unitarian church property was purchased in 1880 but in 1890 the continued growth in membership necessitated the erection of a more commodious modern church building at the corner of Washington and Institute streets, which was completed and dedicated in 1891. The present pastor is Rev. George F. Schutes.

St. John’s Evangelical Church, Chesterton: This church was organized in the year 1881 by a pastor of the Missouri Lutheran Church. For a number of years he served this church as a filial, his permanent pastorate being at Otis, Indiana. As the congregation grew a resident pastor took charge of the field. The members of the church at that time consisted mainly of people employed at the Porter Brick Yards. Through a misunderstanding which arose the congregation became divided, one part remaining and forming the present church which became a member of the Evangelical Synod of North America and has since been served by that body. The first church building was erected a few years after organization but for a long period the history of the church was a story of discouragements and at times the faithful few who maintained the church were forced to consider closing the church door and disbanding. From 1916 until 1921 the congregation was without a pastor and with only an occasional service from an outside pastor. That the church was able to continue was largely through the efforts of the young people in the church and for the past five years it has made great progress both spiritually and physically and today is in a most flourishing condition. A modern church basement has recently been constructed which rivals any other in that section of Porter County. The church property is located in a very desirable section of the city and the buildings are surrounded by beautiful grounds. The present membership of the church is 106 and there

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are approximately 100 members enrolled in the Sunday School. The present pastor is A. P. Hardt, whose activities are in a large measure responsible for the present flourishing condition of the church.

Swedish Lutheran Church, Baillytown: In 1857 the Swedish Lutherans living about Baillytown organized a church under the ministry of Rev. Andrew Challman with thirty members. A small church building was erected in 1863 at a cost of $2,000 and later a parsonage and school house added. The present pastor is Rev. F. Nordquist.

Evangelical Lutheran Bethlehem Church, Chesterton: Some of the members of the Swedish Lutheran Church at Baillytown thought it advisable in 1879 to form a church organization in Chesterton, and an organization was perfected and a brick church erected at a cost of $5,000. This church is a very prosperous institution with a present church membership of 262 and a Sunday School membership of 1.44. The present pastor is Rev. A. J. Johnson who has been active in promoting the growth of the church and ministering to its wants.

LAKE COUNTY.

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hammond, which may be rightly called the mother church of Lutheranism in that city, had its inception at the residence of Jacob Rimbach on Hohman and Dolton streets in 1871 when Rev. Herman Wunderlich conducted the first Lutheran services. These services were attended by three Lutheran families named Kleiman, Rimbach and Hartman. These services were later discontinued and the three families attended church at Hessville where a branch of the Tolleston Church was located and in charge of Reverend Wunderlich. In a few years the number of Lutherans had increased in Hammond sufficiently so that Reverend Wunderlich held regular by-weekly services in the public school and later in Miller’s Hall. It was decided to build a small frame church and M. M. Towle donated a lot on Clinton Street on which August Sustadt built the church and which was dedicated on July 24, 1883. The year previous, St. Paul’s congregation had organized and obtained a charter, the original members being Paul Wieseke, Henry Kleeman, Jacob Rimbach, John Jarnecke, August Seestadt, Theodore Lange, Hellmuth Hopp, Henry Huehn, C. Hocker, William Hartman, G. Muenich, John Dillnar, William Winter and Henry Seestadt. The church began to grow rapidly and when Reverend Luebker became pastor in 1885 it was decided to build a parochial school which was completed in July, 1886. The teaching force in addition to the pastor were some theological students but later a regular teaching organization was established.

Many members of St. Paul’s Church lived on the north side of the Calumet River and in 1889 they decided to form a separate organization which was called St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. The rapid

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growth of Hammond added largely to the church membership and Reverend Hersberger who became pastor in 1889 soon found the existing church building inadequate and a larger church building with a two class school was built by Gustave Mulnich at a cost of $4,500 and dedicated early in 1890. A year later another separation took place — the members of the church who lived west of the state line organizing a separate organization under the name of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of West Hammond, Illinois. The growing school attendance at this period necessitated the erection of a large school building costing $14,000 and located on the corner of Sibley Street and Oakley Avenue. Reverend Hersberger was succeeded in 1889 by the Rev. W. H. T. Dau who had been professor of theology in Conover, North Carolina, and who is now president of Valparaiso University. Doctor Dau found the church too small for the growing congregation notwithstanding the new church organized which had been formed from its members, and it was decided to build a third church which was completed and dedicated on April 26, 1903, the cost being more than $28,000.

Rev. Theodore Claus succeeded Doctor Dau in June, 1905, when the latter went to St. Louis as professor of theology in the Corcordia Seminary. The necessity for a larger school was urgent after 1915 and it was later decided to build a new school and parish house which was completed in September, 1921, at a cost including equipment of approximately $150,000. The school has a present enrollment of 230 pupils. There are four male teachers who are graduates of normal schools. The new school building is also used as a gathering place for social activities and is a headquarters for the Men’s Club, Walther League, Ladies’ Aid and other church societies. The church is located down town near Hohman Street and as many of the members are now living in the new growing South Side section of the city arrangements are being made to found a branch church in that section. The present membership of the church is 1,500 souls and the Sunday School membership is 115. The present pastor is Rev. Walter Lichtsinn and the church under his pastorate is a flourishing institution. Through his efforts the church was newly decorated and equipped with the most modern lighting system last year.

St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Hammond: This church was organized in May, 1889, by a few Lutherans living north of the Calumet River who had been attending St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and who desired to have a church of their own at a more convenient distance to their homes. Rev. F. W. Herzberger, then pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hammond, organized the congregation and sixteen men who were the heads of families signed the constitution. Early after organization the congregation received as a gift from Mr. M. M. Towle, three lots located on Towle Street, between the Wabash Railroad tracks and Gostlin Street

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and, in July 1889, the congregation passed a resolution to build a church. By November, the building, 34x50 feet with an 80-foot steeple, was completed and dedicated to the Triune God on the first Sunday of that month. Immediately the organization resolved to call a pastor for the little flock among whose duties would be to give Christian instructions during week days to the children. Rev. W. A. Brauer was called and accepted the pastorate and assumed his duties on the first Sunday in December, 1889. In January, 1890, a resolution was passed to build a school near the church. This was erected and ready for occupancy in April, the pastor beginning instructions with eight children. The congregation grew slowly but steadily and in five years the number of pupils had increased to about sixty and as the work of the pastor, through missionary labor in nearby territory as well as in other directions had greatly increased, the congregation called a special teacher for the school. Later it became necessary to build an addition to the school building, as the number of pupils had increased to more than 100.

The section of the city in which the church is located was originally settled almost wholly by immigrants from Germany but with the growth of Hammond as an industrial center, a large accession to its population was of Polish nationality, many of whom settled in the Lutheran German section and soon became the predominating element in population of that district. New residential sections, especially on the south side, proved attractive to most of the newer element in St. John’s Church, causing a loss in membership of the church which, however, is in a flourishing condition. Originally the German language was used in both church services and school instruction but this has gradually changed until now services are conducted at stated intervals in German for the benefit of the elderly members. The present church property consists of the church building with a fine basement and heating system, a large two story parsonage and a new two room school building with all modern improvements located on six lots with 150 feet frontage. Rev. W. A. Brauer has been the only pastor since the church was organized and has faithfully labored for thirty-seven years for the spiritual and physical growth of the church.

Immanuel Evangelical Church, Hammond: Under the direction of Rev. Peter Weil, the Immanuel Evangelical Church (Evangelical Synod) was organized in Hammond on October 15, 1890. Through the efforts of Reverend Weil immediate attention was given by the congregation to the early erection of a house of worship which was completed on October 16, 1892, and a year later the first parsonage was completed. Reverend Weil remained as pastor until 1899 and was succeeded by Rev. Theodore Brown who served as pastor until 1904. In that year Rev. John Lebart became pastor and was succeeded about a year later by Rev. Valentine Zeimer who remained about the same period when Rev. C. A. Heldverg took charge of

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the parish. He in turn was succeeded in 1910 by Reverend Hoefer and his pastorate was one of notable progress in the spiritual and physical welfare of the church. In 1914 Rev. Ernest Hugo became pastor and since that time the church has been making substantial growth.

The present beautiful church edifice was completed in 1909 and in 1921 a handsome new parsonage was built. Rev. Carl Schaeffer, who is now pastor, has been active in looking after the needs of his large congregation which has grown to a church membership of 595 and there are 300 members in the Sunday School, all of whom are under eighteen years of age. The church has no parochial school but has religious instruction three times each week after school and on Saturday morning, to a class of boys and girls from twelve to fifteen years old and this class has an average attendance of from fifty to seventy. For some time the congregation have felt the need of a community building and through the efforts of the present pastor it was decided to erect a new structure for Sunday School and Social festivities and to be a headquarters for church organizations. The corner stone was laid on September 26, 1926, and it is expected it will be ready for occupancy about the middle of 1927. Plans call for a handsome structure which will cost about $80,000 when completed.

Trinity English Lutheran Church, Hammond: This church was organized in November, 1918, and Rev. H. Mackensen became the first pastor. In 1921, a church building was erected and in August, 1926, a new parsonage was bought. The church is having a remarkable growth and though only organized a few years has now a church membership of 330 and a Sunday School membership of 221. The present pastor is the Rev. H. A. Nuoffer who is very active in the spiritual welfare of his congregation.

First Evangelical Church of Hammond (Robertsdale) was organized in 1899 by H. I. Bittner, who was the first pastor, and a frame church was built in 1900. In 1909 the frame church was torn down and a new brick basement and church erected with the anticipation of completing the building in a few years. This arrangement, however, was not carried out as a change of location was thought best by the local and conference boards, so new lots were purchased at the corner of One Hundred and Seventeenth Street and Stanton Avenue, in the Sheffield Addition. These lots are valued at about $5,000 and are now nearly paid for.

The church organization is planning for the payment of this debt and the erection of a new church building in 1927. The old church property is for sale and the proceeds will be applied toward the construction of the new church. The parsonage is practically new. It is a fine modern eight room house with stucco finish and was completed in 1919. The cost was largely met from the proceeds of the sale of another Evangelical church in Whiting where worship had been conducted in the German language.

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The present parsonage is also to be sold and the proceeds apply to the erection of a new parsonage on the new. lots. The new church building plans which are now under consideration call for a strictly modern structure. The church body is very much alive spiritually and have a number of active church organizations including the Womans’ Missionary Society and the Ladies’ Aid. The amount of money raised for all purposes annually is about $4,000. The church is yet a mission, belonging to the Illinois Conference of the Evangelical Church, but will soon become a self-supporting institution. The present pastor, Rev. H. Creighton Powell, has been active in promoting the spiritual and physical well-being of the church and its present progress is largely due to his splendid efforts. The present membership of the church is 113 and the Sunday School membership is 215, including Home Department, forty, and Cradle Roll, twenty-five.

St. John’s Lutheran Church (Tolleston), Gary: The oldest church north of the Calumet in Lake County is a member of the Missouri Synod and had its origin in the settlement of some German families at Tolleston, most of whom emigrated directly from the Fatherland. For a short period their religious wants were cared for by occasional visits from some of their church ministers in Dalton, Illinois, and from Chicago, among them being Reverends Rauschert and Doctor Wunder. A church organization was perfected in 1868 and in 1871 Rev. Herman Wunderlich was called to the Tolleston pastorate and long before Gary or Hammond were dreamed of the little church at Tolleston became known as the center of Christianity in that sparsely settled territory. Reverend Wunderlich died in 1886 and was succeeded by Rev. A. Rump, who now looks back on a period of forty years as pastor, a lifetime of service in one pastorate and only occasional among church ministers. He has seen the little settlement of Tolleston become lost in the heart of Greater Gary and the wonderful rise of the industrial city from the sandy marsh land of obscurity. Faithfully has he attended to the wants of his parish and he can now with justifiable pride review a long list of worthy accomplishments during his career as pastor. In 1887, shortly after he assumed the pastorate, the old church was built but becoming inadequate for the wants of the congregation it was replaced in 1923 by a new edifice, 54x84 feet, with two towers and both front and side entrances. The church building contains beautiful cathedral glass windows and the interior is handsomely decorated. Special designed pews, an altar and a new organ are part of the church equipment. The entire cost of church and equipment was approximately $85,000. In 1914, when building costs were still low, through the efforts of Reverend Rump the congregation built St. John’s school on the corner of Tenth Place and Taft Street. It has four class rooms, a banquet hall and a room for the meeting of the Young People’s Society. The school

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has an enrollment of 175 pupils, the principal teacher for about a quarter of a century being Theodore M. Kosche. The church has an active Ladies1 Aid Society, also a Walther League for the young people and in all numbers about 600 souls. The healthy spiritual and material condition of the church is a great tribute to the pastor who in his long career of service has demonstrated his ability as an administrator combined with spiritual leadership. More extended reference to the life and service of Reverend Rump will be found in Volume II.

Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Gary: This church was organized by Rev. J. H. Meyer on September 16, 1917, with twenty-five members. While services have been held regularly, the organization has not been of sufficient size to erect a church but they at present have plans formulated to erect a church building very shortly for which purpose they have been accumulating funds for some years. The present membership of the church is about fifty and a Sunday School membership of twenty-three. Rev. W. B. Swenson is the present pastor.

Slovak Lutheran Church, Gary: In 1913, representatives of about twelve Slovak families of the Lutheran faith decided to form a church organization. Early attention was given to providing a church building which was secured in 1914 and dedicated on October 25th the same year. The church now has a membership of thirty and there is a Sunday School membership of twenty-four. Rev. John Pribula is the present pastor.

Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Gary (Miller) : In 1874, the Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized with sixty-five members. For many years it was served by pastors from the Lutheran congregations, worship being held in private halls. In 1891, it was decided to erect a church building which was completed and dedicated in 1892. Recently a basement, light and roomy, was added to the original church building and the interior of the church handsomely decorated. The present membership of the church is 150 and of the Sunday School ninety-three, and the church is served by Rev. John J. Dahlberg, A. M., D. D., who is also pastor of the Swedish Lutheran Augustana Church at Hobart.

Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Gary: This new church was organized in July, 1925, with nineteen members, by Rev. C. N. Busse. Even before organization was perfected temporary arrangements had been made for the erection of a house of worship and a combination building was erected with church auditorium seating 130 on first floor and a basement arranged for Sunday School purposes. The second floor has a modern six room parsonage. The building and lot is valued at $13,000. The church membership is almost entirely the result of mission work, none of the members of the congregation having been members of other Lutheran churches in Gary. The aim of the pastor is to win back to the church those Lutherans who have been non-attendants and to put forth

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every effort to win the non-church-going masses. The present pastor, Rev. C. N. Busse, who organized the church, is a graduate of the Theological department of the Capital University of Columbus, Ohio, and began his work here on July 1, 1924, and the present church is the result of his first efforts. The present church membership is twenty-nine and there is a Sunday School membership of seventy-five.

The Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Gary: This church was organized on March 3, 1912, with thirty-two members, of whom twelve were men. The Rev. D. P. Bair was the first pastor and in October, 1913, the organization was financially in a position to purchase the St. Paul’s German M. E. Church at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Connecticut Street. In August, 1921, the Rev. John Erler, A. M., Ph. D., was called to this pastorate. He assumed his duties on November 1, 1921, with an approximate membership of only thirty to forty. On March 16, 1923, the old church edifice located on the east side of the city was sold to the Pentecostal Congregation who took possession on Easter day. Doctor Erler found temporary quarters for his congregation in a store room on the west side of the city at 605 West Fifth Avenue, and in April, 1923, the beautiful site on Fifth Avenue and Lincoln Street, bordering on the city park and with a 125-foot frontage on Fifth Avenue was secured from the Gary Land Company, and an additional 21 foot frontage from Plew & Company. On March 8, 1924, ground was broken for the new parsonage, the cost of which was $12,000, and plans were prepared by Ivar Viehe Naess & Company of Chicago for a Community Building and Cathedral Church.

Construction of the first unit of the Community Building costing $40,000 was begun on September 15, 1924, and it was formally dedicated on January 25, 1925. It is three stories high and one of the finest of its kind in Indiana. The first floor contains a kitchen, shower baths and dressing rooms and a large gymnasium completely equipped. The second floor is devoted to the sanctuary and pastor’s office, and this floor will later connect with the sanctuary of the cathedral. The third floor is the community hall which is also used for Sunday School purposes and contains large ladies parlors beautifully furnished. The total valuation of the church property at this time is $100,000. The present membership of the church is 250 and there is a Sunday School membership of 100. Doctor Erler and his congregation have ample reason to feel proud of the splendid condition and growth of the church in the five years since he has been pastor and he has lived up to his reputation as a builder of fine church edifices which he earned in the east during the early period of his ministry.

Swedish Lutheran Augustana Church at Hobart was organized by Rev. A. Audreen in 1862 and in 1870 the congregation was in a position

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to erect a small church. For many years a large part of the membership have not been of Swedish descent and service is now conducted in the Swedish language only once each month. The present membership of the church is 191 and of the Sunday School, sixty-nine. A few years ago the church was remodeled at a cost of about $4,000. The present pastor is Rev. John G. Dahlberg, A. M., D. D., who is also pastor of the Bethel Lutheran Church at Miller (Gary), Indiana.

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hobart was organized by Reverend Fritze in June, 1873, and the following year a church was erected. The growth of the church has been steady and continuous and it now has a membership of 650 and with a Sunday School membership of 150. The present pastor is the Rev. G. H. Hentschel, under whose ministry the church is in a very prosperous condition.

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES.

First Congregational Church, Gary: Fifteen members of the Congregational faith organized the First Congregational Church of Gary in 1907. Like most of the church organizations formed in the early period only occasional services were held and the growth of the church was slow. The increase in population in the city of Gary had its effect upon the growth of the membership of the church and soon the organization was in a position to erect their first church building. The first pastor was Rev. Arthur J. Sullens, D. D., and as years went by the increase in membership made necessary the erection of a commodious well-appointed modern church building which was completed in 1926 and dedicated on June 6th. The new edifice is a beautiful structure, the first floor having an auditorium and balcony with a seating capacity of 500, pastor’s study, choir room, Sunday School class rooms and pipe organ. The basement contains Sunday School rooms, school room-with fireplace, kitchen with steam table, dining room seating 200, and club rooms. The interior of the church is handsomely decorated and the heating and lighting equipment and the general furnishings throughout are of the most modern type.

L. Harry Warriner, of Gary, was the architect and the church property has a valuation of nearly $100,000. The building committee in charge of the construction of the new church were William Olander, chairman; W. F. Hodges, W. J. Hamilton, C. A. DeLong, M. D.; H. H. Dexter, John A White, Mrs. Donald McLannan, Mrs. C. D. Davidson and Mrs. J. O. Bowers^. The finance committee were Willian Olander, chairman; William F. Hodges, Dr. C. A. DeLong, H. H. Dexter, J. O. Bowers, S. H Reck, J. Sunderman, A. B. Dickson, L. Glover, F. Edwards, O. L. Wildermuth and Mrs. F. Volk. The First Congregational Church is one of the most progressive church institutions in Gary and it is attended by many of

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the leading citizens of the city. The present membership of the church is 240 and of the Sunday School 100. The present pastor, Rev. Willard Crosby Lyon, is one of the leading clergymen in Gary and under his leadership the church has been making most substantial progress.

The First Congregational Church of Michigan City was organized in 1S35 under the leadership of Rev. John Morrell of Massachusetts, with an original membership of thirty-four. Jacob Bigelow was one of those active in the pioneer history of the church and through his efforts the first house of worship was secured. In 1840 a majority of the members of the church adopted the Presbyterian form of church government but a minority remained loyal to the Congregational order and later a large number of the members who helped form the Presbyterian Church returned to the original Congregational organization. In 1846 a convention of the Congregational Church of the West was held at the First Congregational Church at Michigan City and set in operation the influence which freed Congregational polity from the disastrous plan of union under which hundreds of churches planted by means of Congregational zeal and money became readily absorbed by rival denominations and also prepared the way efficiently for the establishment of the Chicago Theological Seminary; in fact it was the forerunner of the National Council.

Under the pastorates of Revs. John Sailor and Evarts Kent, the church made substantial progress. It was under the leadership of Rev. Evarts Kent that arrangements were perfected for the erection of a new church building which, under the Rev. E. H. Smith, was enlarged to include the parsonage and carried forward to successful completion. In 1887 an extensive addition was made to the building at the rear of the pulpit to accommodate a pipe organ, the gift of Miss Ann E. Sanborn. In 1890 the East Side Mission was established and a Sunday School organized among the German people. Later a church of thirty members was organized under the name of Immanuel Congregational Church. The present church membership is 200 and the Sunday School has a membership of seventy-five. Rev. Robert Hall is the present pastor.

Plymouth Congregational Church, Whiting, Indiana: The advent of the Standard Oil Company in Whiting in May, 1890, put an end to the exclusiveness of the small peaceful German settlement which then existed there and the city soon presented the appearance of a frontier town. Rev. D. H. Holman, anxious that the moral and spiritual life of the community keep pace with its industrial and financial growth, built a hotel in which was reserved a room where he could preach and hold divine services. Reverend Holman soon gathered together a small but zealous group of Congregationalists and on June 26, 1890, they decided to incorporate and erect a church building. A call was extended to Reverend Holman

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to become the first pastor of the church, which he accepted and the church was almost immediately donated a lot at the north end and on the west side of Center Street by Jacob Forsythe. Solicitation for funds for the erection of a church building was promptly inaugurated by Reverend Holman and one of the Congregational societies gave some financial aid. In the latter part of November, 1890, a one room building thirty feet square was completed at a cost of about $500 and in January, 1891, the little church was dedicated. The location of the church on Center Street was in the heart of the saloon district and was surrounded by boarding houses maintained for foreign workmen.

At that time the greater part of the English speaking people lived west of the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks. In the fall of 1892, the dangerous location of the church was brought forcibly to the attention of the congregation through an accident which occurred at the One Hundred and Nineteenth Street railroad crossing and it was decided to abandon the Center Street location and erect a building on a new site in another section of Whiting. For a time services were held at Soltwedel Hall, which at that time was the extreme western limits of Whiting, but a year later the meeting place was changed to the old high school building then located at the corner of Oliver and One Hundred and Nineteenth streets. Plans for a new church building were fast developing and considerable interest was manifested by the Standard Oil Company, who later gave the organization the lot on which the present church stands. The church building was completed and dedicated on February 24, 1895, the dedicatory prayer and sermon being delivered by Rev. F. W. Gunsaulus, one of Chicago's greater ministers.

The entire cost of the church was obtained through popular subscription with the exception of $1,000 given by the Congregational Church Extension Society and $1,000 loaned to the church by the same organization. There has been a consistent growth in membership and from time to time the church building has been improved. In 1917 during the pastorate of Rev. Charles E. Trueblood, a beautiful pipe organ was installed, half the cost of which was donated by Andrew Carnegie and the balance contributed as a mother’s memorial which contribution entitled a mother’s name to be inscribed on the memorial tablet. The church continued to grow in membership and usefulness year by year until at the present time there is a church membership of 215 and a Sunday School membership of 150. For several years the present church edifice has been inadequate for the needs of the congregation and under the leadership of the present pastor, Rev. Harry P. Leach, plans are now under way to dispose of the present church building and in the near future build a larger and more commodious plant. It is hoped that by 1928 these plans will fully materialize.

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First Congregational Church, East Chicago: Rev. Frank E. Bigelow in 1889 gathered together a few members of the Congregational faith and organized the First Congregational Church of East Chicago. It was early decided to erect a small church building which was completed and dedicated in 1S90. For a number of years the progress of the church was slow, but with the increase in the population of East Chicago the membership and activities of the church increased to such an extent that about 1910 the thoughts of the congregation became centered on a new and modern church building. In 1913 the present modern commodious church building was erected, and it has been a community center for many civic activities and a meeting place for the Chamber of Commerce. The Young People’s organization has prospered greatly in the past few years and have a study club with eighty-two members under the leadership of the present pastor, Robert Murray Pratt. The church has made splendid progress in membership and influence since the present pastor assumed charge and through his efforts the debt of the church has been reduced from $18,000 to $11,000 and there has been a large gain in the membership of both church and Sunday School, the present church membership being 397 and the Sunday School membership 351.

Community Congregational Church, Miller: Eight members of the Congregational Faith formed the First Congregational Church of Miller in 1901, but as the territory was sparsely settled the little organization increased in membership but slowly. The phenomenal growth of Gary brought many new residents to Miller and it is now the Tenth Ward of the Wonder City and with the increase in population the church enjoyed a substantial increase in membership and influence. Evolving from a rural community into an important residential district created new problems which are being solved by the church with a program arranged to fit the present needs and the organization now call themselves the Community Congregational Church though legally incorporated as the First Congregational Church of Miller. The present membership of the church is eighty-three — thirty-one males and fifty-two females — and there is a Sunday school membership of 150. The first pastor was the Rev. Horace Smith and the present pastor is William Henry Hayes, under whose guidance the church has become a flourishing institution with a large measure of influence in Gary’s most important residential suburb.

EPISCOPAL CHURCHES.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of LaPorte was organized on St. James’ Day, July 25, 1839, by Rev. D. V. M. Johnson, rector of Trinity Church of Michigan City. The first wardens were John Hobson and Franklin Thwing and the first vestrymen were James Whitten, J. R. Traver, Samuel

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Stewart, Thomas H. Phillips, Hiram Wheeler, T. B. Bell, Jacob Early and T. H. Holbrook. Rev. D. V. M. Johnson looked after the religious wants of the new congregation for a few months until the Rev. Solon W. Manney was settled as rector. Until 1845 the church had no regular house of worship, but in that year a church was erected at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Harrison Street, which was later enlarged and very much improved and answered the requirements of the congregation for about fifty years. In 1895 the construction of a modern church was considered essential by the congregation and during the pastorate of Reverend Barlow the present beautiful stone church was erected and dedicated in 1898.

The present rector, the Rev. F. J. Barwell-Walker, D. D., officiated first in the parish on Sunday, February 10, 1918, and he is the twenty-fifth rector of the parish. He is now serving a longer period as rector than any other priest in seventy-five years and during his rectorate the interior of the church has been completely redecorated, the organ rebuilt and a memorial rail and modern office lights installed for the Lady Altar. The heating system of church and rectory has been completely overhauled and repairs, improvements and decoration done to the fabric of both buildings. Financial receipts have about trebled and the Woman's Guild has continually added to the fund started for the building of a new parish house. Father Walker resigned the parish about the middle of October, 1926, with a record of accomplishment during his rectorate of which he has good reason to feel proud. The church has 138 communicants with a total membership of 235 and the Sunday School membership is forty-nine.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Valparaiso: While a few faithful members of the Episcopal Church had a small preliminary organization just prior to 1903, it was not until Rev. L. W. Applegate took charge in that year did any pronounced progress take place in the organization. Reverend Applegate found a membership of nineteen worshipping in a room over a meat market, and with that energy and progressiveness for which he afterwards became noted in Gary as well as Valparaiso, he took immediate steps towards the erection of a church building. He found a corner for sale opposite the high school on which a large building stood which had been erected many years before. This he moved to the rear of the lot and transformed into a home for the minister. Within six months he was able to erect a church building with a seating capacity of 250, as well as remodel the rectory, the total investment in the church property being more than $10,000.

Reverend Williamson, who succeeded Reverend Applegate, when the latter removed to Gary in 1906, later materially improved the outside appearance of the church building by giving it a stucco finish and he also remodeled the rectory, making many modern improvements and adding many conveniences, the additional investment in the church property

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amounting to approximately $5,000. In 1920 Rev. Fr. G. Taylor Griffith assumed charge of the parish and made decided improvements in the church interior and grounds and also in the rectory, costing about $3,500. On account of ill health, Father Griffith removed to Portland, Oregon, where he is chaplain of the Good Samaritan Hospital, and he was succeeded by Rev. J. Worger Slade, the present pastor, under whom further improvements were made to the church property, amounting to several thousand dollars additional, and it is now a handsome modern church edifice, a tribute to the many sacrifices of the members of the congregation. The present church membership is fifty-seven and what the congregation have accomplished is an example of their wonderful zeal and devotion to their church. A mission at Hobart, Indiana, established by members of St. Andrew’s Church, is in charge of the pastor of St. Andrews.

Christ Church, Gary: When the city of Gary was founded in 1906 Rev. L. W. Applegate of Valparaiso took steps to establish an Episcopal Church in the new city. In 1907 he secured the consent of the United States Steel Corporation to erect a temporary chapel at a cost of $1,418, and it was the first church building erected in Gary. In 1907 Mr. Applegate removed from Valparaiso to Gary and gave his entire time to the work of the church in that city. He began the construction of a large stone church on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Adams Street at a cost of $20,000 for the first unit. Since that time the original plans have been completed and the beautiful modern structure now represents an investment of $80,000.

The early work in Gary was of unusual interest for it was largely community service. Many members of other churches worshipped in the Episcopal Church as no church buildings of their own or even church organizations had been established. Christ Church during the early life of Gary was a very pronounced center for service on lines of charity and for nearly two years workers in this direction made Christ Church their center of activity. It has the unique distinction of not having gone through the mission stage, developing sufficient strength in the start to become a parish from its organization.

Its conception at the birth of Gary, its present large membership, its valuable property and its great influence on the spiritual life of the city from the date of its organization is a wonderful tribute to Rev. L. W. Applegate, its pastor, whose activities since 1906 have made him conspicuous among the leading clergymen of Gary. The present church membership is 280 and Sunday School membership is 124. Rev. James E. Foster is the present pastor.

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church of East Chicago was organized about 1900 with twenty-five members but as the membership grew slowly it was not until 1910 that the congregation erected a church building. The first

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pastor was Rev. Vincent C. Lacey and the present pastor is Rev. Cassius Henry Hunt. There is a present church membership of 188 and a Sunday School membership of sixty-nine and several active church societies.

Trinity Episcopal Church, Michigan City: The Protestant Episcopal service was conducted for the first time in Michigan City by the Right Reverend Bishop Chase in a little school house in the fall of 1834. Occasionally services were conducted during the following two years by missionary bishops and by the Rev. James Selkrig, a missionary with headquarters at Niles, Michigan. A formal organization was perfected on February 20, 1837, with the Rev. James Selkrig presiding and Zebina Gould and H. B. Holbrook were chosen as wardens and Schuyler Pulford, David Finley, David Tryon, Gilbert Hathaway, R. F. Blynderburgh, Horatio N. Crandel, Augustus Barbor and Lee H. T. Maxon were chosen as vestrymen. At this meeting it was voted that the name of the church be Trinity Church. Rev. D. V. M. Johnson was elected as rector on February 1, 1839, and served the church for some time. He was very active in promoting the interests *of the organization and was a prominent factor in organizing St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of LaPorte.

The first church building was erected on Pine Street between Fourth and Fifth streets in 1836 and served the wants-of the congregation until 1858, when a larger frame structure on a stone foundation in rustic Gothic style was erected at the corner of Franklin and Sixth streets. The present beautiful stone structure was erected in 1889 and ten years later it was made the Cathedral Church for the Right Rev. John Hazen White, who was the first bishop of the Diocese of Northern Indiana. A church school was erected on the property owned by the congregation in 1886. It was known as Barker Hall and was conducted as a school until the summer of 1893. Since this time it has been used as a parish house. In 1901 a beautiful stone structure was erected for a rectory and the church building and rectory are among the most beautiful in Northern Indiana. The parish is endowed by legacies left to it by three of its members. The present rector is the Rev. J. K. Brennan. The senior warden is A. J. Henry, Sr., and the junior warden-is Otto Aicher. The present vestrymen are Joseph S. Bisbee, George E. Baker, P. B. James, J. A. Johnson, William J. Staiger and William W. Vail.

CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

First Christian Church of LaPorte: One of the earliest churches to be established in LaPorte was the First Christian Church, which was organized in 1839 and in 1867 came into possession of the Second Presbyterian Church Building and site which was purchased by the St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church organization from the Presbyterians and by them transferred to the First Christian Church organization. Mis-

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sionaries of this church were among the earliest in LaPorte County and active efforts were made to form church organizations as early as 1833, when Samuel Holmes and Doctor Saint Clair preached at Door Village, Ross’s Mill and in a number of townships throughout the county. It is stated that organizations were perfected at Westville in 1848 and in Galena Township in 1850, also at a later period at Rolling Prairie and at Wanatah. It is impossible to obtain much information on the early history of the LaPorte Church, but for many years it has been one of the important church institutions of LaPorte. Its present membership is 525 and has a Sunday School membership of over 400. Rev. M. G. Long is the present pastor.

The Christian Church: The first organization of the Christian Church in Porter County was formed in 1840 in Morgan Township and among the first members were Lewis Comer and wife, H. S. Adams and wife, Thomas Adams, Mrs. Baum, George W. Turner and wife, Joseph McConnell and wife, Elias Cain and Mrs. Elizabeth Stoner. Lewis Comer was the first elder and H. S. Adams the first deacon. Through the generous contributions of H. S. Adams, Lewis Comer, Aaron Stoner, Enoch Baum, G. W. Patton, Elias Cain and others, a small brick church, costing about $2,000, was erected shortly after organization. The first minister was Rev. Lemuel Shortage and most of the time since organization the church has had regular resident ministers. Attempts at forming other organizations of the Christian Church took place at various times throughout the county, but it is difficult to obtain anything reliable in regard to the history of these organizations. A Christian Church which was organized at Boone Grove has been maintained for many years, although occasionally without a regular pastor. A Christian Church was organized at Kouts in 1888, which has been maintained, and also one at Hebron in 1870 and in 1878 a frame church was erected which was greatly enlarged and improved in 1910, at an expenditure of nearly $10,000. The Christian Church at Valparaiso was organized by Rev. Peter T. Russell in 1847. Some of the charter members were Caroline Russell, Mary A. Baum, William W. Jones, Malinda Jones, James Purely and wife, Elias Axe and Agnes Axe. In the early history of the organization, meetings were held in private residences, but in 1852 the organization rented the old brick school house on Jefferson Street, and it was used as a church until 1869. The growth of the congregation was slow and after 1869 meetings were again generally held in private homes and occasionally in the old German Lutheran Church.

Agitation for the erection of a church building of their own was begun in 1873, resulting in the erection by the congregation, in 1874, of a small brick church on Chicago Street near Franklin, costing $3,200. This church building served the wants of the congregation until 1888, when the great increase in membership which occurred in the preceding five years made

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necessary the erection of a large and more commodious edifice and the church building was taken down and a new modern, handsome edifice erected upon the site. Among those active in the erection of the church building were H. B. Brown, D. F. Jones, E. D. Crumpacker, B. P. Perrine, L. M. Pierce and T. M. Shreve, under whose direction the edifice was completed on plans by a Chicago church architect. The church was officially dedicated by Rev. J. H. O. Smith, the pastor, on December 16, 1888. The building cost about $20,000 and has a seating capacity of approximately 1,000. A new parsonage was erected in 1912, costing approximately $4,000.

The First Christian Church of Hammond: A revival meeting held in the old Hohman Opera House by Rev. Ellis G. Cross in 1888 was the foundation of the First Christian Church of Hammond. The small organization created from the revival meeting secured the old church building of the First Christian Church of Chicago, which was dismantled, removed to Hammond and utilized for some years by the Hammond church organization. For a number of years the church flourished but in 1901 the membership had become materially reduced and a considerable debt had incurred. In October of that year, Rev. C. J. Sharp became pastor and he soon put new life into the congregation. The membership rapidly increased, debts were paid and it became necessary to erect a large church to take care of the growing congregation. A site for a new church was secured at the corner of Calumet and Summer Street and in two years was paid for and a sufficient sum on hand to erect the new church edifice, which was begun in 1909 and dedicated August 14, 1910.

It was only a short time after the dedication of the church that the organization was entirely out of debt and one of the most flourishing church organizations in Hammond. While making a wonderful record as pastor in the spiritual and physical growth of his church in Hammond, Reverend Sharp found time to aid in forming Christian churches in Indiana Harbor, Whiting, Michigan City, Glen Park, Tolleston, Shelby, Pence and in establishing the little Christian Church organization in Gary now the flourishing Central Christian Church of that city. The present pastor is the Rev. C. M. Smithson, who has proven a worthy successor to Reverend Sharp. Through his efforts a new Mohler pipe organ was installed last year at an expense of $5,500 and extensive improvements made to the church interior. A six room parsonage was bought six years ago and the value of the church property at the present time is approximately $150,000.

The church library is combined with the Public Library branch and has an average circulation of about 100 books per day. The church maintains an office secretary in a well equipped office and publishes a small weekly paper to promote church attendance and sends out a missionary

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each year for missionary meetings to help build up new congregations and strengthen weak churches and in addition supports Lawrence Granger, a missionary in Porto Rico. Following in the footsteps of Reverend Sharp, Reverend Smithson finds time to aid in establishing other Christian Church organizations and since he came to Hammond he has organized churches at East Gary and at South Side, Hammond. Churches at Maywood, Illinois, Pueblo, Colorado, and Tokio, Arkansas, have been substantially helped and a Sunday afternoon mission at the Woodrow Wilson School house is largely attended and shows great future possibilities. The present membership of the church is 1,200 and of the Sunday School 750 and it is one of the most flourishing and progressive church institutions in Northwestern Indiana.

Hessville Church of Christ, Hammond, was organized in October, 1920, by J. K. Woemer, who was the first and has been the only pastor. Erection of the church building was begun in March, 1921, but plans are now nearly completed for a new community building and Bible school, the first unit of which will cost about $40,000, and the construction starts as soon as the present church site and buildings are disposed of. The present church is located on the main business street and it is more desirable for business purposes so the church organization has secured a new location. Reverend Woemer has always given great attention to the growth of the Bible School, which at present has a very large membership, and when the new community building is erected it is expected the Bible School will make a further pronounced increase in growth. Reverend Woemer has been unable to give all his time to the service of the church, as he is engaged in business and it is anticipated that early in January a new pastor will be secured. The present membership of the church is 240 and of the Sunday School 380.

South Side Christian Church, Hammond: This church was organized in 1921 with a membership of thirty and in 1922 their first church building was erected. Rev. C. W. Starr was the first pastor and was shortly after succeeded by Rev. D. C. Truxel. The church is making substantial progress and has a present membership of 125 and a Sunday School membership of 175.

First Church of Christ, Whiting: In August, 1906, through the efforts of Rev. C. J. Sharp, of Hammond, the First Church of Christ was organized in Whiting with sixty-three members. But little material wealth was represented in the new organization but their zeal was early manifested in their efforts to provide a building of their own in which to worship. Two lots were purchased and in 1911 the basement of the present structure was erected and devoted to the needs of the congregation, the value of the property being about $10,000. As the years went by, constant and unceasing efforts were made to provide funds to complete the building

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and in 1918 the present handsome structure costing $40,000 was completed and dedicated. A loan of $10,000 from the Church Extension with contribution pledges from the members and some additional aid received from other sources, enabled the organization to finance the new church building. Rev. Herbert Carpenter was the first resident minister and Rev. Leland L. Marion has been pastor since May, 1923. Since Reverend Marion has assumed the pastorate, 425 have joined the church, which has a present membership of 600 and a Sunday School membership of 500. Under Rev. Marion’s leadership, also, the congregation in 1924 bought the lot next to the church for $3,000, on which they built a brick nine room parsonage costing $15,000 additional and the church property is now valued at $130,000. The church is making wonderful progress under the present pastor, who is a tireless worker in increasing the usefulness and welfare of the church.

Central Christian Church, Gary: From a tent in 1908 to one of the most attractive church edifices in Gary is the story of the progress of the Central Christian Church. Among the 10,000 people in Gary in 1908 were some members of the Christian Church who came to Gary to become permanently identified with its interests and who quickly realized the necessity of a church organization not only for their own immediate need but for the future of their children. As a result of a meeting of these members held early that year, the services of State Evangelist, T. J. Legg, a noted Bible scholar, was secured for a three weeks’ Evangelistic meeting which was held in East Side Park in a tent furnished by Rev. Cecil J. Sharp, pastor of the Hammond Christian Church. It was in the days when Gary was finding itself and when its population was growing faster than for a time they could be properly cared for, and the East Side Park was unimproved — a territory of sand dunes and scrub oaks with numerous tents and shacks of early settlers. The approaches to the park were like the park itself without improvements. No streets or sidewalks were built and the mosquitoes and sand fleas were insistent in their efforts to make friendly acquaintance with all visitors.

Notwithstanding these difficulties and annoyances the attendance during the meetings was gratifying and through the joint efforts of Reverends Legg and Sharp the Central Christian Church was formally organized on July 19, 1908. The charter list consisted of William P. Alexander, Lulu M. Alexander, A. D. Milteer, E. T. Milteer, D. A. Polk, Clara Polk, A. B. Keller, Rose H. Keller, Mrs. W. H. Hood, Miss Nettie Cannon, M. E. Leighton, Claude V. Ridgely, Grace D. Gaut, Margaret Pryale, Ethel Pryale, Star Felker, L. L. Felkner, Clarence Garner, Amanda E. Parks, Millard Shoemaker, Mrs. D. L. Parkhouse, D. L. Parkhouse, Mrs. M. Butler, Mrs. J. D. Martin, Mrs. M. D. Tipton, Mrs. Rose Miller, Mrs. Eva Speckine, Adella M. Hess, PI. M. Plosmer, F. W. Burnett, Mrs. G. F. Laue, Mrs. L. M.

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Teste. Following the election of officers, a Bible school was organized and W. P. Alexander was elected superintendent. Church meetings were regularly held in Ridgely’s Hall at 609 Broadway until November, when a portable building was secured, donated by the Gary school trustees. The first pastor was Rev. H. H. Clark, whose services began August 20, 1908, and continued until July 18, 1909. It was a hard year for the little organization which was financially as well as numerically weak and but little gain in membership was made under Reverend Clark’s guidance.

Church services were temporarily suspended after Reverend Clark’s resignation until a definite program for financing and growth could be determined upon and, through the aid of Rev. Claude E. Hill of the Valparaiso Christian Church and his congregation and also the American Christian Missionary society, services were resumed on October 1, 1910, with Rev. Nelson Trimble as pastor, in the basement under Rooda’s Jewelry Store at 521 Broadway. Through the efforts of Reverend Hill, cash and pledges amounting to $1,700 were secured from the members to pay for two lots the church purchased at the southwest corner of Seventh and Jefferson. By the close of the year 1910, the church had 116 members and from that time its progress has been constant year after year. In 1911 it was decided to erect a church building and on July 2nd the corner stone was laid by Rev. Cecil J. Sharp, and on its completion a few months later at a cost of $10,000, it was dedicated by Rev. Claude E. Hill. The building had an audience room with a seating capacity of 250 and the basement was utilized for social and Sunday purposes while the upper story was devoted to Bible school work.

Rev. S. W. Nay was called to the pastorate in April, 1912, and at the close of the year the church membership had increased to 150 and the Bible school had an average attendance of eighty. The Wirt plan of permitting school children to attend their church one-half day each week for religious instructions, was adopted by the church and until this became a community plan three years later, the Central Christian Church was alone in demonstrating the success of the plan. Reverend Nay, under whose pastorate the church made wonderful progress, resigned in July, 1916, and was succeeded by Dr. C. L. Pyatt. Under his pastorate began the movement for a new church and A. F. Wicks, R. D. Hammons, A. B. Keller, Frank Maas and C. V. Ridgely were appointed to investigate a building program and recommended that the present lots be retained as the site for a new church. Reverend Pyatt resigned as pastor in August, 1917, to engage in Y. M. C. A. war work and the church was without a pastor until July, 1918, when Rev. O. E. Tomes of Fort Wayne was secured and he has made an enviable record as pastor since he came to Gary. A parsonage costing $5,200 was purchased in July, 1918, the adjoining property to the church was bought in 1920 and the following year the

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organization was ready to carry out their new church program. About $75,000 in cash or pledges was secured toward defraying the cost of the church and the balance was obtained through loans.

The corner stone of the present beautiful church edifice was laid on September 30, 1923, with an address by Rev. Frederick W. Burnham, president of the United Christian Missionary Society. The new building designed by Architect A. F. Wickes, a member of the congregation, is of brick with Bedford stone trimming, the face brick, a light grayish tan, laid in the interesting Flemish bond in uncolored mortar. The building is roofed with copper shingles and all metal work throughout is copper. The boiler and coal room are enclosed in fire-proof construction. The church auditorium is entered from Jefferson street and the Bible school wing is entered from a spacious lawn planted with shrubs, trees and flowers. There are accommodations for 700 in the Bible school but this can be increased to a maximum of 1,000. The school is fully departmentized from the cradle roll to the adult department. On the ground floor is the adult assembly room with a kitchen and serving pantry mechanically ventilated. On the second floor is the church auditorium 100 feet long with ceiling 36 feet high. The heating plant and coal room are submerged in a sub-basement and the heating and lighting equipment is of the latest and most modern type. The edifice is an excellent example of Architect Wickes’ great ability and the building and its surroundings are a distinct contribution to the architecture of the city. The present membership of the church is 450 and of the Sunday School, 400.

First Christian Church, East Gary: This church had its origin in the East Gary Union Church organized by Rev. E. S. Milburn in 1917. In July and August, 1920, Revs. C. M. Smithson and Paul Arnold conducted a tent meeting in East Gary and at the close of the meeting it was decided to organize the First Christian Church and thirty-eight persons signed the original membership roll. As there was little likelihood of a substantial gain in membership owing to the small population of East Gary it was decided to unite with the East Gary Union Church and thereby became a self supporting institution under the name of the First Christian Church. The present pastor is Rev. Charles Clark, and there is a church membership of eighty-five and a Sunday School membership of 100.

Tolleston Christian Church, Gary: In 1919, sixty-five members of the Christian Church who had been attending other Christian churches in Gary decided to establish a new church institution in the Tolleston section and secured an old church building in which services were first held. Rev. G. C. Snyder was the first pastor and he was active in promoting the erection of the first church building in 1921. Plans have been formulated to sell the present church property and erect a new and commodious edifice at a new location in 1927. The present pastor is Elder J. P. Wright and

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the church has a present membership of 125 and a Sunday School membership of 130.

The Church of Christ — Lowell: One of the earliest church organizations of Lake County is the Church of Christ of Lowell which was organized in the early ‘40s. For years meetings were held at private homes as the material resources of the organization and its small number made it difficult to erect a place of worship. Efforts to provide a church building of their own began in 1867 and as a result of the generous contributions of some of the members, particularly Henry Dickinson, as well as contributions from members of other denominations in Lowell, a brick church was erected in 1869. As the congregation grew, improvements were made in the church building to care for the needs of the growing organization and about twelve years ago, the church building was completely modernized, the size was materially increased, and a new and modern basement built under the main church and the new addition, which, with new equipment installed put the church in splendid condition to serve the needs of the congregation. Later the parsonage was remodeled and it is now a splendid modern home for the pastor. A full graded Sunday school with a membership of 190 is maintained and the church has a present membership of 225. Rev. Napoleon Rose is said to have been the first pastor and the present pastor is Rev. F. B. Nickerson. He enjoys exceptional popularity with the congregation and under his leadership the church is making splendid progress.

GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCHES.

Holy Ghost Russian Orthodox Church, East Chicago: At a meeting of some members of the Russian Orthodox faith held in December, 1914, it was decided to form a church organization which was perfected by Rev. Geo. S. Barany and in January; 1915, the church had 100 members. Two years later a new church building was erected and the organization now has a church membership of more than 300 and a Sunday school membership of 100.

St. George Orthodox Church, East Chicago: Seven Syrian residents of Michigan City who were members of the Greek Orthodox faith made a successful attempt early in 1911 to bring about the formation of a church organization which was perfected on August 11th of that year. The original church membership of seven has grown to 110, but at present no Sunday school is held. Rev. A. Bohlin was called to the pastorate after the organization of the church and still retains the position.

Roumanian Orthodox Parish, Gary: On October 11, 1908, twenty-five members of the Roumanian Orthodox Church organized the Roumanian Orthodox Parish of “The Descension of the Holy Ghost.” At

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the end of the first year the membership had increased to eighty-five and Rev. Theodosie Nica was called to the pastorate. Early in 1909 a frame church and parsonage were built in the Tolleston section of Gary which in 1916 were moved to 1133 Madison Street. Through the efforts of the Rev. John Trutza who has been active in promoting the welfare of the church and parsonage were rebuilt and brick-veneered in 1925 and 1926. The present membership of the church is 215 and the Sunday School has a membership of forty-two. Religious instruction is also given to the children one hour each day, after the public school hours, for four days each week.

Roumania Greek Orthodox Church, New St. George, Indiana Harbor: This church had its inception at a meeting of a large number of Roumanians who were members of the Greek Orthodox Church, held in the spring of 1908 and it was decided to form a temporary church organization. Rev. John Tatu was called to the pastorate and shortly after he was succeeded by Rev. S. Mihaltian under whose administration the church has enjoyed a very successful growth. The size of the congregation in 1914 necessitated the building of a new church and under Rev. Mihaltian’s supervision the present edifice was erected. The church membership at present is 1,000 and there is a Sunday school membership of 100.

St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Gary: St. Sava Church was organized in 1915 to care for the wants of the Serbian population who were of the Orthodox faith. The first church building was erected in 1915 and Rev. Paul Veljkov was appointed first rector of the parish. The growth of the congregation made necessary the erection of the present church building at Twentieth Avenue and Connecticut Street in 1918, and later a school was added where religious instruction is given to children after school hours and on Saturdays under the direction of the rector. In 1925 the parish purchased an additional church building known also as St. Sava Church at 3933 Washington Street to serve the residents of the southern portion of the city. It is under complete and direct control of the parent church organization with the same program and rector in charge. The organization now has in contemplation the erection of a larger and more impressive church structure and home which will embody larger church accommodations, national home, library, school and parsonage home and quarters for church social activities. The cost of the new church will be approximately $100,000, not including the site. The present rector of the church is Rev. Peter O. Stiyachich who has had charge of the parish and church for the past nine years. The present active and paid up membership is more than 250 and the total membership of the parish is about 3,000 including 450 families. The Sunday school class has a membership of about 150. The flourishing condition of the church and its remarkable growth in a few years is due in

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a great measure to the activities of the present pastor who is held in high regard by his congregation.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Gary: This large and growing church organization was formed under the supervision of Rev. Gerassimos A. Elias in October, 1922. Early attention was given to the erection of a church building to care for the needs of the congregation which had a large membership from the start. Plans for a beautiful modern two story church building were prepared in 1925 and construction contract given late that year. The corner stone of the new church building, a gift from the Mid-City Institutions, was laid in February, 1926, in the presence of Hellenic Crown Prince Paul, who came to Gary at the invitation of the Greek residents of that city and who was the guest of Mayor Floyd E. Williams and the city and county officials and civic leaders. Dr. Melton G. T. Tegop, World war veteran, on behalf of the Greek community, gave the address at the laying of the corner stone. The site for the church at the corner of Eleventh Avenue and Jackson Street is a very valuable one and it is intended to be the center of community activities for the Greek citizens of Gary. The first unit of the new community church building is costing approximately $50,000 and in view of the present large church membership — 1,549, a second unit is likely to be erected in another year. The church maintains a school from 4:00 P. M. to 6:30 P. M. daily except Sundays where religious instruction is given and the Greek language taught by the pastor.

JEWISH CONGREGATIONS.

Knesseth Israel Congregation, Hammond: This congregation was organized and chartered in 1899 with a membership of about twenty. Prior to this time services had been conducted at private dwellings as early as 1894 when the Rev. Hirsch Berkman settled in Hammond and looked after the religious wants of the growing number of his race in the community. There was no house of worship until 1899 when a frame house located at 167 Indiana Avenue, Hammond, was purchased and remodeled to house the synagogue. Some years later the Baptist Church of Indiana Avenue was bought and enlarged for the needs of the congregation. There was no officiating rabbi for many years, services being conduced by the Rev. Hirsch Berkman. In 1920 the present beautiful synagogue at 305 Sibley Street was erected and the membership increased to about fifty.

The Sunday school was organized in 1922 with an attendance of about fifty children and the growth has been constant until at this time the membership is over 100 with a daily Hebrew school having sixty scholars.

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The congregation has affiliated with it a Young People’s organization called the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Association with a membership of 150 and also several children’s clubs. The Zionist organization and the Hadassah organization of women Zionists, are also sponsored by the congregation. Plans are now under way for the erection of a beautiful community center with modern facilities such as club rooms, school rooms, meeting halls, social halls, gymnasium and swimming pool and for all the social activities of the Jewish community of Hammond. The first officiating rabbi who came to Knesseth Israel was Rabbi Julius Rappaport of Chicago, who was succeeded by Rabbi Heimlich. In November, 1924, Rabbi Simon G. Kramer succeeded Rabbi Heimlich and he is making special efforts to bring about the early consummation of the plans for the Jewish community center.

Congregation Bnei Israel, Indiana Harbor: This Congregation was organized in 1910 with twenty-five members and in 1911 the synagogue was housed in its own building. Rabbi Israel Braun first served the congregation and the present rabbi is Mordecai Schultz. The congregation has a present membership of 125 and there is a Sunday school membership of eighty-five.

CHURCHES NOT OTHERWISE LISTED.

Pentecostal Assembly, Sohl Street, Hammond. This church was organized by Fred B. Hawk on November 22, 1923, and shortly after organization secured a church building which had been built for a house of worship in 1913. There is a church membership of fifty and a Sunday school membership of eighty. Improvements have just been completed on the church building. The basement has been made larger and a prayer room added and new seats and other equipment installed, the cost exceeding $1,500. The church has an important young people’s organization and band and although the church membership is small they are assisting in supporting a missionary in China. The present pastor is Joseph Terlizzi.

The Church of the Nazarene, Hammond. The Church of the Nazarene was organized on March 10, 1907, by District Superintendent Rev. A. T. Agnew of Waverly, Illinois, and was the outgrowth of a gospel mission which had been holding service in a large hall at 210 Indiana Avenue, with Rev. A. T. Harris in charge. The organization steadily grew in numbers and in 1911, a frame church building was erected on the corner of Calumet and Michigan Boulevard, which sustained the wants of the congregation for a few years. Progressive mission work on the part of the pastor, Rev. A. M. Wells, added largely to the membership of the church and in 1920, it became necessary to make plans for the erection of a more commodious church building with a seating capacity of 400,

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which was completed and dedicated in 1921. The erection of the present church building made necessary the creation of a large debt but the zeal of the members is shown through generous contributions since the church was erected and the entire church debt will be paid early in 1927. Following the organization of the church, the Sunday school was organized on March 17, 1907, and it has a present enrollment of more than 300 with twelve classes in the different departments of the school.

The interest among the children in their Sunday school work is very great and it was recently decided to provide the most modern accommodations for the Sunday school. A contract has been let for the improvement of the church basement which when completed will have ten large Sunday school rooms. James Scott, a charter member of the church, is the present superintendent. There are 154 babies on the cradle roll and 200 are registered in the home department. There is also a thriving aggressive Young People’s Society of sixty members, Mr. Charles Bond being president. The Church of the Nazarene has become the center for missionary activities in the growing nearby communities. Under the supervision of the local church board, a mission Sunday school is held in the Lincoln Public School building in Indiana Harbor, conducted each Sunday afternoon by Rev. H. P. Grove, and another mission Sunday school is held in East Hammond each Sunday and also a regular prayer meeting conducted weekly in Whiting, and the interest taken in this work gives hope that regular church organizations will be established in these sections. Mr. Lewis Walker and Fred Hawk have been conducting regular gospel services at Hobart each week for the past year and an organization is being perfected and a new church building is being erected in that city.

The general church has under its control seven church schools and each school has a certain number of states as its zone. The school for the Lake and Calumet region is Olivet College, located at Olivet, Illinois, and it is a growing institution with buildings and equipment valued at more than $250,000. Four young men and women from the Church of the Nazarene are now attending the Olivet school. The Church of the Nazarene is in an excellent condition financially, numerically and spiritually and the number of members reported at the last annual meeting was 135 with a constituency of more than 400. The present pastor, Rev. E. E. Turner, and the associate pastor, Mrs. Ora J. Turner, are not only earnest workers in the various activities of the church and in advancing its spiritual welfare but are prominent in promoting its missionary activities in the neighboring communities.

Church of Christ, Scientist, Valparaiso. The newest church organization in Valparaiso is the Church of Christ Scientist organized April 25, 1926. The first reader was Mrs. Marian E. Bartholomew and in the few

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months since the organization has been in existence it has grown to forty members and has a Sunday school membership of thirty-seven. The present first reader is Miss Dorothy Letherman and the organization is looking forward to the erection of a handsome church edifice at an early date.

First Church of Christ, Scientist, Gary. This church was organized in the spring of 1912 the services being conducted by two elected readers. The organization owns a handsome church edifice with stucco finish at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fillmore Street. The main auditorium has a seating capacity of 450 which can be enlarged to about 500 when necessary. The church is in a prosperous condition and many leading citizens of Gary are represented in the membership.

St. Anthony’s Holy Catholic Church, Gary. This church was organized in 1917. From an original membership of fifteen, at the time of organization the church has grown steadily and now has a membership of 150 and eighty-five children attend the Sunday school. Rev. Nicolo Accomando, D. D., has been the pastor of the church since its origin and through his efforts a new church for his congregation was recently completed.

First Hungarian Reformed Church of East Chicago was organized in 1907 with sixty members. Early attention was paid to building a place of worship and the same year, their first church building was erected under the supervision of Rev. Alexander Harsanyi who was the first pastor. The present membership of the church is 180 and of the Sunday school 150. Rev. Alexander Mircse is the present pastor and he also officiates as pastor of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Whiting, Indiana.

Church of the Good Shepherd, East Chicago. This church was organized in 1900 with sixteen members but as the growth of the institution was very slow it was not until 1912 that the congregation was able to erect their first church building. The church has a present membership of 135 and a Sunday school membership of thirty-five. Rev. Thomas Hines was the first pastor and the present pastor is Rev. Murray Clayton.

The Seventh Day Adventists Church of LaPorte has a church membership of eight and a Sabbath school membership of fourteen. The church was organized in 1923 by Mr. Sargeant and the present pastor is Rev. Dewitt S. Osgood.

Mexican Mission. The Mexican Mission was organized with five members at the Gary Neighborhood House in 1924 and under the guiding hand of Rev. R. Acosto became a rapidly growing institution. It now has a church membership of ninety-six and a Sunday school membership of forty and the new pastor, Rev. Peter Samano, is active in increasing the numerical strength of the mission.

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Apostolic Faith Church of Christ, Gary. This church institution was one of the earliest organizations in Gary being founded in 1908 with a membership of about 150 and shortly after organization purchased a church building. Rev. I. H. Hammons has been pastor of the church since its organization which at present has a membership of 165 with a Sunday school membership of forty-five.

The First Hungarian Reformed Church of Whiting. The Hungarian Reformed Church of Whiting, Indiana, was organized in 1918 with a membership of seventy-five. The same year, a building was purchased and remodeled into a house of worship under the direction of Rev. Stephen Virag. The present membership of the church is fifty and the Sunday school membership is thirty. Rev. Alexander Mircse is the present pastor and he is also pastor of the First Hungarian Reformed Church of East Chicago.

St. Michael’s Polish National Church of East Chicago. This church was organized on May 10, 1903, with thirty members and before the year had closed the congregation were worshiping in their own church which was completed in November. The first pastor was the Rev. Joseph Plaga and for twenty-three years he has administered to the wants of the congregation. There is a present church membership of 150 and a Sunday school membership of ninety-five.

Church of God, LaPorte. One of the newer church organizations in LaPorte is the Church of God which was organized in 1922 with three members and later in the year a Sunday school was started by Rev. L. L. Rawlings and Miss Gladys Horton who were called to supervise the initial work of the church and who also purchased a building for worship. In February, 1923, Mamie S. Surfus became pastor and under her supervision the house of worship was remodeled. The congregation has grown to over fifty members and the Sunday school enrollment is now 120. The church has planned for departmental Sunday school under good teachers and have now a splendid junior school. Since the present pastor was installed the church has made splendid progress and younger members are especially active. The erection of a new church is now under consideration as the present one has become inadequate for the needs of the organization.

Church of the Brethren. The Church of the Brethren in LaPorte County had its foundation in some meetings held at the home of Brother Jacob Heckman in Galena Township by Elders Jacob and James Miller of Portage Prairie eight miles northwest of South Bend. The first love feast held in LaPorte County was at the home of Brother Jacob Reprogle, three miles northwest of LaPorte in 1858. LaPorte church was set off from the Portage congregation in St. Joseph County and organized in 1869 by Elders Jacob Miller, James Miller and David Miller of Portage

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congregation. Later Isaac Miller was the first resident elder and Brothers Lewis Redding and Jacob Reprogle were the first deacons. A church building was erected in the city of LaPorte in 1923 costing approximately $10,000. The LaPorte church has an interest in Manchester College located at North Manchester, Indiana. For the past three summers the Vacation Bible School has been held in LaPorte. The present membership of the church is 100 and the Sunday school membership is 150. Elder Eli Roose is the present pastor.

The New Church (Swedenborgian) of LaPorte, had its origin in meetings held by Rev. George Field, a New-Church missionary, who gave two lectures — one on the Trinity and one on the Atonement — before large audiences in 1842. The first services were held on March 14 of that year and during the next eight or ten years LaPorte was visited occasionally by New Church ministers, one of whom was Rev. Abiel Silver, who drove in a buggy from his home in Edwardsburg, Michigan, including in his ministerial visits the towns of Goshen, Elkhart, South Bend, LaPorte and settlements in Southern Michigan which places had no railroad faciliities at that time. As early as 1850 Rev. Henry Weller gave lectures in LaPorte upon the doctrines of the New Jerusalem and in 1859 it was decided to organize a church and Rev. Henry Weller became the first pastor and from its inception to the present time the church has had some of the leading citizens of LaPorte in its congregation.

In 1895 a large parsonage was erected on the site of the old one at the corner of Maple and Linwood avenues and about ten years ago a small parsonage was erected also to accommodate the pastor at that time who had a small family. About sixteen years ago the church building was raised and a ground floor basement installed containing a Sunday school room and also a kitchen. Nine years ago the church building was stuccoed and a beautiful stained glass window was erected in the chancel of the church by the children of Mrs. Mary Relief Niles Scott in memory of their mother. It represents the “pure river of water of life” with “the tree of life” on either side of it. Rev. 22:1, 2. It was made by Lamo of New York. The present membership of the church is forty-five and of the Sunday school seventy-nine. Rev. Charles S. Mack is the officiating pastor.

NAVIGATION OF
HISTORY OF THE LAKE AND CALUMET REGION OF INDIANA

FOREWARD
AN APPRECIATION
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I - Geology and Topography
CHAPTER II - The Mound Builders
CHAPTER III - Days of Indian Occupancy
CHAPTER IV - Early Explorations 
CHAPTER V - Border Warfare
CHAPTER VI - Lake and Calumet Region Becomes Part of United States
CHAPTER VII - After Wayne and Greenville - Tecumseh and the Prophet
CHAPTER VIII - Indian Peace
CHAPTER IX - Early Settlements and Pioneers - County Organization
CHAPTER X - Townships - Towns - Villages
CHAPTER XI - Pioneer Life
CHAPTER XII - The Lake Michigan Marshes
CHAPTER XIII - Agriculture and Livestock
CHAPTER XIV - Military Annals
CHAPTER XV - The Lake and Calumet Region in the World War
CHAPTER XVI - The Newspapers
CHAPTER XVII - The Medical Profession
CHAPTER XVIII - The Bench and Bar in the Lake and Calumet Region
CHAPTER XIX - Churches
CHAPTER XX - Schools
CHAPTER XXI - Libraries
CHAPTER XXII - Social Life
CHAPTER XXIII - The Dunes of Northwestern Indiana
CHAPTER XXIV - Banks and Banking
CHAPTER XXV - Transportation and Waterways
CHAPTER XXVI - Cities
CHAPTER XXVII - Industrial Development
CHAPTER XXVIII - Chambers of Commerce

Transcribed by Steven R. Shook, December 2022

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