A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 66

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

USA > Indiana > LaPorte County > A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana > Part 66

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In 1873 the Free Methodists built a church at Indian Point. This people have a neat church and parsonage with preacher in the village of 26

Springfield, and another church at a point called Bunker Hill. They also have several preaching appointments in the county, and often hold a camp-meeting near Springville. The Free Meth- odist church is a split off from the Methodist Episcopal church, on the issues of amusements, secret societies, tobacco, etc.

It appears also that in the early sixties there was a Wesleyan Methodist church in LaPorte whose members worshiped in a schoolhouse on the southwest corner of Detroit and Harrison streets. Joseph Burke was pastor. The Wesleyan Methodist church in the United States was largely a split off from the Methodist Episcopal church, on the issue of slavery, etc. The Pro- testant Methodists also have appointments in the county, of which one of the most important is at Tracy.

This completes the general review of Method- ism in the county, and we are struck with the fact of its connectional nature. Methodism has been a unified thing from beginning to end, it is impossible to consider it in one part of the county alone, and indeed it has been difficult in this sketch of Methodism to isolate this from other counties. The early Methodist preachers were the true pioneers, they went side by side with the first settlers and shared their joys, sor- rows and hardships. The religion which they afforded was the occasion of great comfort and encouragement. Many spots in the county have been made historic by Methodist camp-meetings, which were great religious feasts to which the people looked forward with longing anticipation, and it really does seem that one purpose of the divine providence in raising up Methodism was to supply the pioneer colonies of America with a religion adapted to their needs.

LaPorte county has not been without its re- ligious cranks. For instance, in 1848 there was a queer character in LaPorte by the name of Benjamin Satterwait. He wore a broad-brimmed hat and a coat of Benedict cut, and conversed in plain language. He claimed to be favored with divine revelations from the deity, which usually came to him when asleep. For months he went about with his strange message. He even published it in the local papers. The fol- lowing is a specimen :-

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LaPorte County, Indiana,

3d Month, 23d, 1848.

To the citizens of LaPorte and all others where this may come; that I feel myself called upon as an instrument under the control of the deity to say that A NEW ERA IS AT HAND, and that I am under the in- fluence and government of it a this time, and all that is visible can't prevent its taking place; for the SON OF MAN IS COME as it is recorded in the Holy Scriptures, "as the lightning comes from the east and shines even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."

Benjamin Satterwait.

Presbyterian history in LaPorte dates back to the year 1831. In the late autumn of that year Myron Ives came to the county from Paris, Illinois, and settled on Rolling Prairie in a log cabin just east of the Little Kankakee river about a mile and a half west of the present rail- road station of Rolling Prairie. So far as known he was the first Presbyterian in the county. In May following several others of the family came and settled in the neighborhood. In this year also, 1832, Alexander Blackburn, Solomon Ald- rich and Charles Ives became settlers in the neighborhood. In October, 1903, the L'aPorte Herald contained the following: "Alexander Blackburn Lowman of Macomb, Illinois, is in-the city. He is an old LaPorte county boy, having been raised by Alexander Blackburn, after whom he was named. Mr. Blackburn was the first man who ever crossed the Kankakee swamp. The first church service ever held in the county took place in his cabin. Mr. Blackburn died in 1892 ged ninety-two years. Mr. Bowman inquired for a number of persons, but all were dead or had moved away."

And now comes a beautiful incident. In the autumn of 1832 Alexander Blackburn and My- ron Ives went to Niles, Michigan, each with a load of wheat. In the night, under the shadow of the forest, these two Christian men held the first Presbyterian prayer meeting ever held in La- Porte county. We can imagine the fellowship of those two hearts in the solitude, with wild animals around them. They returned home and instituted a prayer meeting which was held alter- nately in their two cabins. In November Rev. James Crawford, a missionary, visited them and preached the first sermon ever delivered by a

· Presbyterian minister in the county. On the 28th day of November, 1832, seven persons of the · neighborhood were organized as the Presbyterian church of LaPorte. Soon, others were received into membership. On the 20th of July, 1833. James Blair, Myron Ives and David Dinwid- die were chosen elders, and Alexander Black- burn clerk of the session, which office he ex- ercised many years. He was afterwards ordained elder. On Sunday, July 21, the first communion service was observed, and baptism was admin- istered by Mr. Crawford. The church was re- ceived into the Crawfordsville presbytery. Will- iam P. Ross was the first delegate to attend the presbytery and synod, and secured the services of Rev. John Morrill, who on January 1, 1834. began a year's labor as first supply of the church. Subsequently other ministers visited the church, each remaining a short time. On May 26, 1836, a vote was taken to build a meeting house, and Messrs. John B. Niles, Howell, Skinner, Strong and Blackburn were appointed a committee to collect funds, etc. In 1837 Rev. William K. Mar- shall became pastor. He pushed the building project, which led to the erection of the church on the corner of Maple avenue and Monroe street, now occupied by the Disciples. The "divine expediency" view of the atonement and other doctrines of the New School Presbyterians had been received by many of the members, while others still adhered to the ultra-Calvanism of the Old School, and things pointed toward a division. The church edifice had been built by a stock company, the subscribers receiving the amount of their stock in pews, it was the time of wild cat money and funds could not be collected, there was a debt on the building, it was sold to satisfy the builder's lien, purchased by Amzi Clark, who held it in his own name till finished, when it was deeded to Alexander Blackburn for the Old School Presbyterian church, with the proviso that if sold the New School Presbyterians might have preference as purchasers. There was a troublesome debt of $2,000 on the church, and the trustees decided to sell it. The Second or New School Presbyterian church was organized November 3, 1844, in a school house belonging. to Rev. F. P. Cummins ; it had thirty members. twenty-six of whom came from the first church. They bought the church building. This threw

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the Old School church out of a home, and .wlien. May 9, 1871, by a nucleus of Presbyterians who a few years later the' Methodists vacated their had worshipped with the Congregationalists. A house of worship was erected which was dedi- cated December 19, 1872, but this has recently been followed by an elegant new structure. La- Porte, Union Mills and Michigan City seem to be the only places where Presbyterianism has flourished. old building on' the northwest corner of Jeffer -- son avenue and Monroe streets, the Old School- Presbyterian church bought it and occupied it for some years. Later we find them worship- ping in the Baptist church. But in 1862 they erected a building on the northeast corner of Har- rison street and Indiana avenue, which was par- tially burned in 1869 but immediately repaired. During the Civil war Rev. J. M. Goodman was pastor, whose wife did so much good as presi- dent of the soldiers' relief society. The church had a succession of solid, excellent pastors, Rev. L. M. Stevens being the last.

The Second or New School Presbyterian church held on its way and was very prosperous. In 1868 their old church building was sold, and steps were taken to build a new one, resulting in the present large brick church at the corner of Michigan avenue and Noble street, which was dedicated July 23, 1871, and recently has received new and exceedingly beautiful interior decora- tions etc. As time went by and the theological opinions of men became modified by advancing in- telligence, the two churches found that they were nearer together in their beliefs, and their union was effected on October 31, 1871. It was the prop- erty of the first church which the Library Asso- ciation came so near buying through General Orr, as related in a former chapter. After the division the preachers of the second church were Steel, Cunningham, Noyes, Scofield, Kendall, the last taking charge just before the union was consummated, Newcomb, and Hartley.

In 1845 a Presbyterian church had been organized near Union Mills, which ceased to exist. On June 22, 1850, another was organized by Rev. F. P. Cummins, in a schoolhouse about two miles east of Union Mills, where Mr. Cum- mins preached until 1856. In 1851 a church building was erected at Union Mills, which more recently has given place to a modern structure. Here Rev. S. E. Smith, beloved by all, passed a long pastorate.

The Rolling Prairie Presbyterian church was organized in February, 1852, and the church edifice was built in 1857. A Presbyterian church was organized in Wanatah in 1870. The Pres- byterian church of Michigan City was organized

The Disciples church of LaPorte is not to be confounded with the "Christian" church out of which it grew, and which was established in 1837 by the efforts of William P. Andrew and Dr. Jacob P. Andrew. In the early part of the last century there sprang up in different parts of the country a reactionary movement against Calvin- ism, ritualism, formalism, etc., which crystallized into churches which, strange to say, after they found each other out, discovered that they were of one faith and practice. In New York state they were called "New Lights," in New Eng- land they were called "Christ-ians," pronounced something like Christ irons. Perhaps the term Evangelical Baptist Unitarians will convey an idea of their belief, and they were strictly congre- gationalist in church polity. Their newspaper organ was, and probably is, "The Herald of Gos- pel Liberty." They had some very able men and flourished for a time, but for the past half cen- tury have been going down. That was the church which was established by the Andrews in LaPorte; and its first preachers-Andrew, Thompson, Lane,-were of that faith. That church had no more connection with the Disciple church founded by Alexander Campbell, than the Baptist church has; but was a distinct and dif- ferent sect. At some time that church was merged into the Disciples church and became a member of that denomination ; but when or how or by whom, the writer has no information. He will now write of it without regard to this change.

For many years this church occupied a build- ing which stood almost on the very ground where St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran church now does, on west Main street. In 1867 these Luth- erans purchased the Second Presbyterian church building on the corner of Maple avenue and Mon- roe street, but, the "Christian" church desiring a larger house of worship, the Lutherans changed with them. Disciple preachers were among the earliest in Pleasant township. In 1833 Samuel

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Holmes and Dr. St. Claire, two Disciple minis- ters, preached at Door Village. In 1835 there was a church of this faith at Ross's mill, in Springfield township, which afterwards was sold to the Dunkards. In 1848 a Disciples church was organized in Westville by John Martindale. In 1850 a society of this faith was established in Galena township. In 1854 one was established in Rolling Prairie, which has had some prom- inent names on its roll. There has been a con- gregation of Disciples at Wanatah, and when Rev. E. B. Widger was pastor in LaPorte he was instrumental in building a neat church at "Sauktown." The Disciples have made much of out-door meetings, and have accomplished much good. They have been very controversial but now are not so much so. Perhaps the most forcible preacher the LaPorte society has had was the Rev. M. N. Lord, who was pastor in the early sixties.

There is a distinction between Lutheran churches. They are not all of the same faith, prac- tice or synod. But we will mention them indis- criminately. St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church was founded in 1857 under the preaching of Rev. H. Wunder, who used to come from Chicago to LaPorte and preach. The first pas- tor was Rev. Frederick Tramm, who passed away in LaPorte in 1901. For a time this church worshipped in a schoolhouse, then built a small frame church on C street, and in 1863 they built the fine brick structure which they now occupy. They have a fine large brick schoolhouse on the opposite corner. There are many families of the same faith in Michigan City, and steps have re- cently been taken to organize them into a church. St. Paul's Evangelical Reformed Lutheran church on West Main street, LaPorte, has already been mentioned. In Michigan City there are St. John's and St. Paul's Lutheran churches, on Franklin and Ninth streets, two large massive brick structures with tall spires, opposite and nearly facing each other, each having a parochial school attached. In 1875 some disagreement be- tween pastor and people led to a separation, and another church was the result. There is also a Lutheran church at Wanatah, one at Tracy, one at Hanna, and one at Otis. In Michigan City there is the Svenska Evangelical Lutheran Zion's church, at the corner of Franklin and

Green streets, and in LaPorte there is the Swed- ish Lutheran church with a fine brick edifice and parsonage, near the Park school, and there is also a church of the same faith in the Swedish settle- ment, northwest of LaPorte, under the oversight of Rev. O. J. Siljestrom, pastor at LaPorte. Each of these Lutheran churches is of long standing and has a large membership. The Lutherans are a large and wealthy body of Protestant Chris- tians.

Congregationalism is not strong in the county, though the one English Congregation- alist church, which is in Michigan City, is large and composed of influential people. This church was organized in 1835 by Rev. John Morrill of Massachusetts. There were Presbyterians in the body, and in 1840 it became Presbyterian and was attached to the Logansport presbytery; but the Congregationalist sentiment was too strong, the following year the action was re- versed, the church dropped from the roll of the presbytery, and there was a change of pastors from Presbyterian to Congregationalist. The church has been served by able men. From the above date it will be seen that it is one of the oldest churches in the county. There is also a German Congregationalist church in Michigan City.

For many years, and until 1860, there was "the Quaker neighborhood," north of LaPorte. There is a Friends' cemetery there still. Here several people of that faith, who settled in the locality from different states, held their services, which were discontinued only because of deaths and removals. About 1869 J. H. Vining came to LaPorte, a brick church was erected, and Friends of both the Orthodox and Hicksite branches of the society were gathered together, and united to sustain a meeting which has been continued until the present time. Recently, through the generosity of Mr. John W. Ridgway, the Uni- tarian church has been purchased and the Friends have an excellent location on Michigan avenue. Rev. Frank Moorman is pastor. For many years also there has been a Friends' church at Still- well. From a very early day there have been Friends scattered through that part of the county, a devout and worshipful people, to whom their church has meant a great deal.

On June 22, 1875, Rev. Robert Collyer, D. D.,

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then of Chicago, upon invitation of some of the citizens, and with a view to the formation of a Unitarian church, preached in LaPorte and steps were taken for a proper organization which was accomplished. Services were held in the court house, but finally the church on the east side of Michigan avenue, between Maple and Harrison, was purchased and meetings held there. Among the pastors were Rev. Mr. Crooker, now of Ann Arbor, who has attained to distinction, and Rev. Mr. Jennings, now of Toledo. The He- brew citizens of LaPorte had a synagogue on the corner of Indiana avenue and First street. Rabbis used to come from Chicago, and services were also conducted by Mr. Jacob Wile until his health failed. Then the congregation decreased and the cause of Zion's church languished. The synagogue property was sold to Mr. E. F. Michael, the building taken down, and the land added to his own grounds. The Unitarian society being without a pastor also came into a languish- ing condition, and finally Zion's church people and the Unitarians united in an organization called the Liberal Religious Association. For a time Sunday evening meetings were held in the Unitarian church, addressed by speakers from other places ; but less and less interest was mani- fested in the movement, and finally the church was closed, and after some years sold to the Friends as related above.

In November, 1902, there were filed in the office of the county recorder the articles of incor- poration of the Ohab Sholom society of Michigan City, which is a voluntary association for the sup- port and maintenance of a church and religious society for promotion of the Jewish faith. The organization has a membership of ten, according to the papers filed. The church shall be governed by three trustees, annually elected, and shall have as its officers a president, vice president, secre- tary and treasurer. The first officers of the or- ganization are Jacob Meyer, president; Fred Spiro, vice president ; Moses Moritz, secretary, Julius Spiro, treasurer, and I. I. Spiro, Bernard Moritz and C. E. Meyer, trustees. There is also a Norwegian church in Michigan City, on the west side of Spring, between Second and Michi- gan streets.

In the forties Hon. E. M. Chamberlain, of Goshen, was presiding judge of the circuit court,

and William P. Andrew was one of the associate judges. Mr. Andrew and his brothers had mar- ried sisters from near Cincinnati, and they were Swedenborgians. Through Judge Andrew Judge Chamberlain became acquainted with those la- dies, especially with Mrs. James Andrew, and learned of the Swedenborgian faith, and after investigation received it as his own. He deter- mined to bring some one to LaPorte to present that faith. By some means he became acquainted with the Rev. Henry Weller, then living in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Mr. Weller went to Go- shen to lecture. One dusty day Judge Chamber- lain brought Mr. Weller to LaPorte, and that gentleman delivered a course of lectures in the old "Christian" church which stood where the German Lutheran church on Main street now does. Those lectures commenced on Tuesday evening, January 22, 1850, at half past six o'clock, and continued several evenings. Mr. Weller was a man of far more than ordinary ability, his doctrines were new, and they created a profound and widespread impression. Mr. Weller came again and again, and finally came to live in LaPorte. Some of the best minds in the community adopted the views he presented. Among them were Hon. John B. Niles, Dr. A. Teegarden, Judge W. C. Hannah, Sutton Van Pelt, and others. Meetings were held in the old "Christian" church until 1859, when steps were taken to build a house of worship, and the build- ing now standing at the corner of Maple and In- diana avenues was erected. The society was or- ganized June 14, 1859, the house of worship was dedicated in due time, and has been used for that purpose ever since. This society existed practically before it was organized, existed vir- tually from 1850; and during the fifty years of its existence it has had only six pastors, and three of those were removed by death or ill health. Those pastors are Henry Weller, Woodbury M. Fernald, Cyrus Scammon, H. H. Grant, Thomas F. Houts, and E. D. Daniels. Some of LaPorte's most excellent people have been and are members of this society.

There is an Adventist church in Union Mills, with a good church building, and there was a congregation of Mormons in the county for a few years immediately preceding the removal of the Mormons to Nauvoo. It is said that the first

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preaching in Coolspring township was by a Uni- versalist, William C. Talcott, a school teacher ; but the writer has no information of a Univer- salist society ever being organized in the county.

The German Baptist Brethren, usually mis- named or nicknamed "Dunkards," are somewhat numerous in the county. They have a neat frame church building at Waterford, are a good honest thrifty people, faithful to their religion, and they inculcate principles which make them good citizens.

We should not forget that the above churches organized Sunday schools soon after their own birth, in which the members took a deep interest. In 1836 the Methodists organized a Sunday school in LaPorte in which A. and J. B. Fravel took such an interest that, there being no barber in town, J. B. Fravel cut the peoples' hair, charg- ing each person a dime and devoting the money to purchase a Sunday-school library.

LaPorte county has not been without its re- ligious controversy. In 1840 a discussion was carried on in the Michigan City Gazette between Rev. Solon W. Manney, then rector of St. Paul's church at LaPorte, and a writer who signed himself "Diakanos." The old ground of the inspiration of the Scriptures and whether bishop and presbyter were one and the same etc., was gone over and the discussion waxed warm, but it was gentlemanly.

As another instance, in the winter of 1863 Rev. Henry Weller delivered a course of lectures in the house of worship of the New Church so- ciety on dancing and kindred amusements. They ran through several Sunday evenings. Rev. M. N. Lord of the Disciples church took the matter up and replied to Weller, and so did the Rev. George C. Noyes of the Second Presbyterian church. Then Weller replied, and the matter for

a time created a great deal of excitement in the community.

Dr. J. P. Andrew also was a born controver- sialist and tried his lance in many a religious dis- cussion. But those days are past, men have come to see that to combat a man's views puts him on the defensive at once and prevents his re- receiving anything. A fraternal interchange of thought is another matter. For years the hap- piest and most fraternal relations have existed among the pastors of the county. They meet in their pastors' club as brothers, and though there is a difference of opinion among them their meet- ings are sweet-spirited and refreshing. But alas! we meet to form fraternal bonds and have them severed. Only two pastors have remained in LaPorte from the summer of 1893 until the pres- ent time; the pastor of the Swedish Lutheran church and the pastor of the New Church So- ciety. All the other churches have changed pas- tors, and some of them have changed often, so that the aggregate of changes is very large.

And now, what are all these churches or religions ? Simply bandages to a wound, splints to hold broken bones in place until the inner life can heal them, an environment to serve as an occasion for the inner cause to operate, a scaffold- ing to the temple of spiritual character. All neg- lect of them, much more repudiation of them, is to be deprecated. They are as necessary as the shell to the chick, as the seed to the sprouting germ, as the chrysalis to the butterfly ; but neces- sary as they are, they sink into insignificance in comparison with the angel in man that should rise out of them ; for, in the words of an apostle, "Love never faileth but whether there be prophe- cies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."

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the most ideally efficient of grain-separating ma- chines. The business was carried on from 1853 to 1882 under the firm name of M. and J. Rumely, and in the latter year M. Rumely purchased the interest of his brother. In 1887 the concern was incorporated under the name of the M. Rumely Company.

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A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 66

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