A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 45

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels
Publication date: 1904
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1273

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the second in the county, and to the day of his death was a devoted Methodist. There were many other such fruits of the labors of Mr. Armstrong. He was a man of strong common sense, native shrewdness and wit, as well as piety. On one occasion General Joseph Orr had engaged a Mr. Munsell to break forty acres of prairie soil, and had paid him in advance. "Brother Munsell" was a member of one of Mr. Arm- strong's appointments. When the breaking sea- son came on, there was a great demand for breaking teams; so much so that a kind-hearted man could hardly refuse a neighbor, especially if he was liberal with his dimes ; and so the General's breaking was very much neglected, even to the extent of making him quite angry; and while in that mood he complained to his friend, Rev. Mr. Armstrong, declaring that it was "a disgrace to any church to harbor such a man." "True," re- plied the parson, "Brother Munsell has done wrong, but he might be a worse man out of the church than in it; and so I think we will bear with him a little longer." This was a very wise view to take of it, and it would be well if all ministers had the same idea of the use of the church in this respect. Rev. James Armstrong was appointed superintendent or presiding elder of the northern district of Indiana, then called a missionary district, in the fall of 1832, at the first session of the Indiana Conference; and when

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found an organization of Methodists, gathered by a local preacher, Jeremiah Sherwood, near where Westville now is.

It is probable that even before Mr. Armstrong or Mr. Sherwood labored in this county, the Rev. Isaac McCoy preached here, though not regularly. He was a native of Indiana, and a Baptist. In 1817 he commenced a mission work among the Miamis and Kickapoos, though with little suc- cess. In 1822 he commenced the Carey Mission, near the present city of Niles, Michigan. . He named the mission "Carey," after one of the noted Baptist missionaries who went from Eng- land to India. One of his first converts was Johnston Lykins, whom he baptized, and who was appointed a missionary. As we saw in a former chapter, a branch of the Carey mission was es- tablished at Du Chemin or Hudson Lake at a. very early time, which was probably the first white settlement in the county. Johnston Lykins had more or less to do with this school, and so did the Rev. Robert Simmerwell, another faithful missionary. These were the men who gave their lives for the good of their fellow beings in this new country, foregoing the comforts of civiliza- tion and seeking to emulate the example of the Master whom they followed. The Rev. Isaac McCoy and the Rev. Robert Simmerwell were strong, able, well informed men, capable of man- aging large affairs, as indeed they were called to do in connection with the deportation of the Indians.

Often in this new country a thoroughly edu- cated university man might be found. Such an instance was the Rev. Alexander Hastings, who was a graduate of Dublin University. He was born in Belfast, Ireland, emigrated from there to Scotland, where he married, and from thence to the United States and settled in New Jersey. He left New Jersey and came to Ohio and en- gaged in farming. He was a preacher of the Baptist faith, had often used his preaching gifts in the old country, and he continued to do so in his new home. In January, 1837, he moved to LaPorte county and settled on Rolling Prairie, in what is now Wills township. He became pastor of the Baptist church and still carried on farming. This was necessary in those days when a preacher with a family of any size could not be sustained by giving his time wholly to the ministry. Mr.

Hastings was a pioneer minister of the county, as he has well been called. He was a man of more than ordinary talent, of strong, rugged na- ture and logical mind. His preaching was characterized by logical argumentation; grant his premises and the conclusion must follow. He was a close Bible reader and made the book his life study. He drew his illustrations mostly from this inexhaustible fountain, and it was this which made him an attractive, and forcible speaker. This was the case with all the successful preach- ers of those days ; they could not dig and delve in libraries as now, for the libraries were not at hand. The Methodist circuit rider's library con- sisted of his Bible, his Hymn Book, and his Discipline, these were all; but great familiarity with these made those preachers men of power, and though they lacked the culture and polish of the present day ministry, they had a masculine intellectual grasp, a rugged strength of character, and an unfaltering faith that were bound to pro- duce a powerful impression. And, moreover, the spirit of scepticism was not so rife among the people as now, and hence those were times of great revivals. One of these great awakenings took place in 1838, in which the Rev. Alexander Hastings labored. He was one of the most active men in the field. For many years he was the pastor of the Rolling Prairie church, which at one time was one of the largest and most in- fluential churches in the county. Subsequently he moved to Cool Spring township, near Water- ford, and endeavored to establish an interest there. He also preached at the Door Village Baptist church. He reared a family of seven children, one of whom became a physician, and another gave his life to his country in the Civil war. Mr. Hastings passed away in 1865.

Another gospel minister of early days was the Rev. James M. Whitehead, who came to LaPorte county in 1836 with his parents and their family when he was a boy of twelve, and, as he says, when he "was as green as the grass which has not been touched by the autumn frosts." As a boy he remembers the first political campaign after he came to the county, when such a thing as a daily paper was unknown, and free postal delivery was not even dreamed of. He re- members the squatty court house and that strange building called the county jail which stood a few

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streets west from the court house, a building front, and just behind, on the next seat, uncle John Hefner, brother William, and uncle David Stoner, and a few others. Then your uncle New- ton and Alfred Salisbury and several more male singers, and a half dozen female singers rise and join in singing old Coronation; and as they sing I see your grandmother and Mrs. Betteys and your aunt Polly and many others all drinking in the music, while the seats on each side are full; but some of the faces are almost faded out, while many others are very distinct yet. Shall we meet again? Yes, in the great beyond we shall meet again. Those who have loved the Lord and tried to do His will, as they understood the Word, will surely join in singing that new song that the revelator speaks of, whether they were members of our church or not ; or, may be, not members of ·any church. Surely, a blissful hope! and quite surely with no Baptist church building in North- ern Indiana are more rich and pleasant associa- tions connected, than with that old frame building and its large, box-like pulpit of Rolling Prairie. Such men as have preached from that pulpit are not readily found now. The revival there in mid- summer of 1839, Elder A. Hastings, in the prime of his manhood, pastor, was one to be through life remembered. And the ordination there, Febru- ary 27, 1846, of T. L. Hunt, Stephen G. Hunt and J. Milton Whitehead, was one of the memorable occasions. 'For nearly five years these three Prairie church, preached in the neighborhoods around, and kept up for a time six Sabbath Schools.'" which, with its outside walls, iron lattice win- dows and gloomy cells, never had much attrac- tion for him. He remembers also the first murder in the county, the excitement caused by the trial, and the execution. With these and many other lessons in his mind, young Whitehead grew up and finally became a Baptist minister. In that capacity he labored successfully in different places until he stood high in his denomination. He en- listed as chaplain of the Fifteenth Indiana Regi -. ment, and served faithfully in the war. His pre- decessor in the regiment had taken a gun and gone into battle, but somehow for all that he had not won the confidence of the soldiers. When Mr. Whitehead came the officers asked him before a battle if he wanted a gun. "Oh, no," said he, "I didn't come to fight." The soldiers therefore set him down for a coward. But when in the battle they saw him going everywhere in the midst of danger, caring for the poor fellows who had been wounded. staunching their blood, ministering to their wants, and even shouldering them and carrying them to a place of safety, the soldiers changed their minds and gave him their confidence and esteem; and to this day the survivors love him, and nothing pleases them more than to hear from their old chaplain, who still lives in Kansas and labors on in his chosen field of the ministry. He writes to-day of the wonderful revivals through which he passed in young brethren supplied the pulpit of the Rolling LaPorte county in an early day, and says that he finds people where he is who professed Christian- ity in those revivals, and that they are most useful members of the church. Mr. Whitehead was a tower of strength among the Indiana and Illinois pastors for many years, and is a man known and honored by many thousands.

The following extract from a letter written .September 9, 1898, by John M. Hunt, of Oakland, ·Oregon, to his cousin, Mrs. M. L. Barber, of Burlington, Kansas, refers to the Rolling Prairie Baptist church of which Mr. Whitehead was once one of the pastors :-

"There is one plain picture now before me that often presents itself, and that is where we were often at church, your uncle Milton [Rev. J. M. Whitehead] and brother Thomas [Rev. 'Thomas L. Hunt] in the pulpit of the old church, your uncle Jasper and Deacon Betteys just in

As we write we see clearly a perfect "picture" of Rev. J. M. Whitehead, printed in the Central Baptist, the organ of the Baptist de- nomination in the great west. In commenting on this veteran pastor, known to so many old LaPorte county people, that paper says :

"Very appropriately may be given a few items from the record of the veteran J. M. Whitehead, of Topeka. He has been in the ministry over sixty- three years, forty years as pastor, twenty-one as evangelist, and two as chaplain of the Fifteenth Indiana Volunteers, and by congress was voted a medal for gallantry in the battle of Stone River. He held many meetings of great power, ten of them of special note. In each of the ten over one hundred united with the Baptist church, in

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two over two hundred so united. In one of these two he baptized one hundred and sixty-three. Of these, eighty-eight were husbands with their wives, forty-seven were young men and forty-six were young women. In that number were nine entire households, each numbering from two to seven persons. He has assisted in dedicating one hundred and forty-six meeting houses. While pastor in Kankakee, Illinois, a house costing $30,000 was built and he raised $16,600 on the day of dedication. He assisted in dedicating the house at Battle Creek, Michigan, and raised on that day $19,500. Altogether his is a most remarkable record and is worthy of more notice than can be given in these columns."

Another minister of those early days, still living in his ninety-sixth year, was William P. Andrew. He was pastor of the Christian church -not the Disciples church but the Christian, the Christian Connection, or, as they were called in New York state and elsewhere, the New-Lights, a sect whose churches sprang up simultaneously, in the early part of the last century, in different parts of the country as a revolt against the alleged tyranny of the prevailing ecclesiasticism, and, strange to say, though they had no concerted action with nor knowledge of each other, they discovered, on finding each other out, that they had adopted the same identical beliefs and church usages. This sect had a society in LaPorte in an early day, and its pastor was the Rev. William P. Andrew. He too was a man of power, and much of the old fire and eloquence are seen even now when, as he is sometimes called to do, he pronounces the eulogy over some old-time friend who was passed away. He preached extempo- raneously. and with great eloquence and power.

The Rev. William Lane succeeded Mr. An- drew as pastor of the Christian church in La- Porte. He was a man of power. He was re- commended to the pastorate by his predecessor. Mr. Andrew went away for a time, and on his return attended his old church. Mr. Lane was preaching, and, on sight of Mr. Andrew, got on his high horse and began to score the backsliders. Said he, "I knew an able man. I heard him preach in New Jersey, even he who is here now. I have heard him preach with power, but where is he now? Gone! (with mournful tones) gone- gone-where ?- who knows where next ?"

The Rev. George C. Noyes, a Presbyterian pastor of LaPorte, was of a little later day. He was settled in LaPorte during the Civil war, and was in many respects a strong man and highly esteemed. He could take off his coat and dance with William P. Andrew in the class in calis- thenics in the school taught by his sister, though it was quite another thing when it came to dancing with one of the other sex. Calis- thenics was a new thing in LaPorte then. Taking off his coat for the exercise was not exactly relished by some, but it showed some independ- ence of character.

The Rev. J. P. Ash, of the Baptist church im LaPorte, may be mentioned as a strong man, the strongest with one exception, and perhaps the very strongest, among its pastors. The Rev. C. T. Chaffee, D. D., was another, and the Rev. Addison Parker was another. Rev. M. N. Lord, of the Disciples church in LaPorte was in many respects a strong man. Among these men may be mentioned also Rev. Edward Anderson, pastor of the Congregationalist church in Michigan City, who became colonel of the Twelfth Indiana Cavalry; Rev. Richard Copp, of the Methodist church in LaPorte, a most radi- cal Republican during the war, not scrupling, to enforce his speeches with cocked revolvers; and Rev. Henry Weller, of the Swedenborgian church, who became chaplain of the Eighty- seventh Indiana Regiment in the war, of uni- verally beloved memory to this day, notwith- standing he was involved in theological contro- versy, in the early sixties, both with the Presby- terian and with the Disciples pastor of LaPorte. Judge Chamberlain, of Goshen, well known as judge of the circuit court in LaPorte in an early day, brought Mr. Weller to LaPorte from a distance in his buggy. When they arrived they were covered with dust, and Weller was bent over from long riding, and looked far from pre- possessing. Some fastidious ones were ashamed of him. But when they saw him in the pulpit their shame was changed to pride of him, for he was a talented and eloquent Englishman.

This by no means exhausts the list of strong, faithful and devoted ministers in the county. Just as strong men can be named from Michigan City, and from smaller centers; and from the Catholic as from the Protestant churches. Some

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of the ministers from these places attained to eminence after leaving the county. The personnel of the ministry in LaPorte county will be found to be as high as in most counties, and in later years also the county has been blessed by able, cultured and devoted men.

One of the intended biographies of this work was that of the Rev. George Link, Jr., until re- cently pastor of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church in LaPorte, the son of a preacher of the same faith. He was educated in a parochial school in Wisconsin, and in St. Louis, Missouri, in Concordia Academy in the same city, in Con- cordia College, Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he graduated in 1881, and in Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. His first pastorate was in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, from which, after four years and a half, he was called to LaPorte in 1890. He labored unremittingly for the upbuilding of his society. Some facts connected with the pas- torate of Rev. George Link, Jr., may be sum- marized as follows: Baptisms, 778; confirmed, 631 ; married, 237 couples ; partook of commun- ion, 42,030; buried, 369; new members received, 180; died, moved away and left membership, 160. Mr. Link became master of the English language so as to speak fluently with no trace of his native German ; he is a fine speaker, but in 1903 his voice began to fail from a difficulty of the throat, and in spite of every effort to recover, he was compelled to leave his pulpit, which he did in 1904 and entered secular and political life.

In January, 1904, there died in Stratford, Ontario, the Rev. Edmond Kilroy, D. D., a former priest of St. Peter's church in LaPorte. The career of this zealous priest, though replete with hardship and toil, is interesting and evi- dences the kindness of heart, bravery of spirit and tireless perseverance that were the distin- guishing qualities of his character. Born No- vember 24, 1830, in Clonmacnois, King's county, Ireland, he came to this country six years later with his parents, who settled a short distance from Windsor, Essex county, Canada. In 1839 the family crossed the New York line and went as far as Lockport, where the young Edmond be- gan his studies, received his first communion and was confirmed by the late Archbishop Hughes, then the only Catholic bishop in the State of New York. He was a bright and industrious student,

and in 1845, when fifteen years of age, entered Notre Dame (only three years after its found- ing) in order to pursue his theological studies.

His earliest ambition was to be a priest, and on November 26, 1854, he saw the culmination of his hopes when he was ordained, after having first been graduated with high honors and re- ceived the degree of A. M. For the next two years the young priest labored zealously and with wonderful results among the pioneer Catholics of northern Indiana and southern Michigan, un- til this appointment in 1856 to the presidency of the college of St. Mary's of the Lake in Chicago. But though his influence for good in this ca- pacity was large, Father Kilroy's heart turned toward missionary work, and the next few years were spent preaching the word of God to the scattered Catholics around LaPorte, Indiana.

His pastorate covered an area now contain- ing twenty priests, but distance or hardship of travel never prevented him from soothing a dy- ing soul.

When the Civil war broke out Father Kilroy was appointed by Governor Morton to attend to the spiritual wants of the Catholic soldiers of the army of the Potomac, and through his earn- est endeavors hundreds of dying heroes were comforted who otherwise would have died with- out the rites of their religion. During the last forty-five years of his life the venerable priest devoted his best energies to the spiritual welfare of the people of the London diocese in Ontario.

The first physician in Michigan City was Dr. Lee H. T. Maxon, who had his office one door east from the corner of Michigan and Franklin streets in 1835. Others came early-Doctors DeWitt, Strong, Charles Palmer, and S. Pul- ford. Dr. N. W. Chamberlain also had an office in the Mansion House, corner of Franklin and Michigan streets in 1835, where he advertised himself as "thoroughly educated in all branches of his profession" and therefore tendered his services to the public.

Among the later doctors are the following : David T. Brown, M. D., the son of Henry and Susan Ticnor Brown, of New Hampshire, and of English descent. The doctor located in Mich- igan City in 1869, was classically educated, a graduate of Berkshire Medical College in 1862,

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assistant surgeon in the U. S. army in the Civil war, surgeon for the Michigan Railroad Com- pany, county coroner for four years, and in- cumbent of other offices of importance and trust in the city and county. His death was sad.

Charles H. Hamerick, M. D., born in Putnam county in 1845, beginning the study of medicine in 1863, graduated in 1874, and appointed physi- cian for the northern prison in 1878. He has passed away.

Dr. S. B. Innes, proprietor of the Michigan City Medical and Bathing Institute, born in Mon- treal. Canada, in 1833, spending many years in the south, educated in Montreal, a graduate of Magill Medical College in that city, for twenty years a physician and surgeon in New Orleans, in Mexico during the Maximilian war, returning to the states and going to the Hot Springs to study their medical properties, and in 1879 locat- ing an institute in Michigan City for the purpose of imitating the effects of the Hot Springs and giving the patients the benefit of it, treating the patients without the use of water, and having many cases. But it is all in the past.

Alexander J. Mullen, Jr., physician and sur- geon, of Irish and German descent, beginning the study of medicine in 1873, graduated in 1875 from the Missouri Medical College, practicing two years in St. Louis, and then locating in Mich- igan City, where he was a physician for the state prison, a man of ability until his death.

Henry Schultz, M. D., born in Germany in 1818, beginning the study of medicine in 1841, graduated in 1844, coming to America in 1849, one of the pioneer physicians of Michigan City with a large and lucrative practice, but he has passed on.

Another of Michigan City's physicians who have passed away was Mason G. Sherman, M. D., an old and honored citizen, with a remark- able and interesting life. He was born in Barre, Washington county, Vermont, January 15, 1805. In 1826 he moved to Lawrence county, New York; in 1829 he went to South America, and during the year 1830 he resided on the Faulkland Islands; in 1831 he visited the islands of St. Catharines, Brazil, where he tarried several months. and then he went to Rio Janeiro, and thence to Pernambuco; in 1831 he returned to

Massachusetts, and after some months he visited Vermont; in 1832 he returned to New York, studied medicine, was graduated in 1836, prac- ticed in New York until 1844, then removed to Johnstown district, Canada West ; the next year he returned to St. Lawrence county, New York, again practiced his profession till 1850, then went to California in 1852; he returned to New York, and in 1853 came to Indiana and contracted to supply the New Albany and Salem Railroad Company with cars, and established his works at Michigan City. In 1854 he sold out and recommenced the practice of medicine. In 1858 he was elected to the legislature by the Repub- licans, over Judge Bradley, by a majorty of 446 votes. In 1860 he was re-elected by a majority of 978 votes. In 1861 he entered the army as assistant surgeon, and in three months was ap- pointed surgeon of the Ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, serving four years. The four years be- ing up, when the doctor was sixty years old, in 1865, he was mustered in as veteran surgeon during the war. At the close of the war he re- turned to Michigan City and continued the prac- tice of medicine, having an extensive clientage until his life's work was done. In 1843 he mar- ried Charlotte R. Hartwell, daughter of Colonel Hartwell of the Provincial forces of Upper Can- ada-now Ontario-who was born in that country in July, 1825. Their daughter, Nannie C., became the wife of Edward A. Jernegan, now the veteran editor of the Mishawaka Enter- prise. Another daughter, Hattie L., became the wife of John E. Simpson, general manager of the Vandalia Railroad. Mrs. Sherman met a peculiar death, being killed by a skyrocket in July, 1858. Dr. Sherman also has gone to his reward.

Lewis H. Soverign, M. D., was born in Can- ada, March 24, 1813, the son of Frederick and Patience (Brown) Soverign, the former of whom came to America over a hundred and forty years ago, settling in New Jersey. Lewis moved to Illinois in 1836 and to LaPorte county in 1842, having commenced the study of medicine in 1834 and been graduated in 1836. He located in Mich- igan City, where he practiced his profession with eminent success. In 1844 he married Flora Cath- cart, born in 1820, and of the union were born four children, of whom Frederick became a prac-

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ticing physician, and Allen J. a civil engineer. Dr. Soverign was justice of the peace thirteen years, well known and respected until his death.

A. G. Tillotson, M. D., was born in Lake county, Indiana, April 15, 1847, and is the son of James and Melissa Tillotson, natives of the state of New York. He received a fair educa- tion, and when nineteen years of age began the study of medicine, and was graduated at the Bennett Medical College in Chicago when but twenty-two years of age, and at once began the practice of his profession. In 1872 he located in Michigan City, where he has since been en- gaged in the practice of medicine and surgery. He was married in his native county to Miss Frances A. Combs, daughter of David and Eliza Combs. The doctor and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church.

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A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 45

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1273

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels
Publication date: 1904
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1273