USA > Indiana > Porter County > History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests > Part 27
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work was commenced upon the first church building, he shouldered his ax and went with the others out to Bartholomew's woods to assist in felling and hewing the timbers. It is said that he "made a hand" at this work, as in everything else he undertook. He frequently visited the settlements where there were a few Presbyterians and held meetings for their benefit. He organized the Salem church in the western part of Porter township and preached there several times. This congregation at first held meetings in private residences, but after a time a house of worship was erected near the center of section 22, township 31, range 7. Some years later the Presbyterian organization was discontinued and the Methodists have since held meetings in the house.
A Presbyterian church was organized in Portage township early in the '50s, and a house was erected by S. P. Robbins in 1852, at a cost of $800, more than three-fourths of which was the gift of Mr. Robbins himself. Some of the early members of this church were S. P. Robbins, Benjamin Stoddard, Russell Dorr and their wives, Daniel Richardson, Francis James, Emily James, a man named Leters and his sister. Rev. James C. Brown was the first preacher. Ile was followed by a Mr. IIumphrey and later a minister named Ogden served as pastor. Ser- vices were then held at irregular intervals for awhile by ministers from various churches, after which the congregation was disbanded, the mem- bers joining other churches, and the Methodists acquired possession of the house, which was located on the northwest quarter of seetion 17, township 36, range 6, about a half mile south of the present village of McCool.
In 1885 a Presbyterian church was organized at Tassinong, near the southern border of Morgan township, and a honse of worship costing some $800 was ereeted the same year. Joseph Bartholomew and George Big- gert each gave $150 toward the building of the church, and the citizens assisted in its construction with the understanding that other denomina- tions should have the free use of the house at times when the Presby- terians were not occupying it. Rev. James C. Brown was a liberal con- tributor to the cause, and for some time acted as pastor, holling services
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in the morning at Valparaiso and in the afternoon at Tassinong. Other ministers who preached in this church were S. C. Logan, Robert Williams, S. R. Baker, Henry Cullom and Frank Ferguson, and two men named Kinney and Moore. Death and removals decimated the congre- gation until the old church at Tassinong was finally abandoned.
On October 29, 1860, an Old School Presbyterian church was organ- ized at Hebron, with the following members: William Mackey, E. Mackey, Gideon and Jane Brecount, A. A. Burwell, Rebecca Burwell, Mary E. Hill, Mary Hill, Clark L. and Naney Tannehill, Margaret M. Gill, Carrie M. Wilson, Stella McCollom, Jane Aylesworth and T. C. Sweeney. Rev. J. L. Lower was the first pastor, and Amos A. Burwell and William Mackey the first elders. Clark L. Tannehill, T. C. Sweeney and Gideon Brecount were elected the first board of trustees. In June, 1873, the congregation bought the old school-house and fitted it up for church purposes. For a time the congregation was connected with the one at Crown Point and later with the one at Tassinong. About 1876 the membership was somewhere near forty, but five years later it had dwindled to twenty-five. The only Presbyterian church in Hebron in 1912 was the United Presbyterian organization, already mentioned.
In June, 1840, a few persons belonging to the Christian church, who had settled in Morgan township, got together and formed a society, the first of that denomination in Porter county. Among the early members were 'Henry S. Adams, Lewis Comer, George W. Turner and Joseph Me- Connell, and their wives, Thomas Adams, Elias Cain, Mrs. Baum and Mrs. Elizabeth Stoner. Lewis Comer was the first elder, and II. S. Adams the first deacon. After the congregation was firmly established, a brick church, costing about $2,000, was ereeted on the southeast quar- ter of section 18, township 34, range 6, about a mile and a half north of the present village of Malden. Rev. Lemuel Shortridge preached for this church, off and on, for about thirty years. Other ministers who filled the pulpit at times were Rev. Robert Johnson, Rev. M. Goody- koontz, and Rev. W. Lowe. Like most country churches, this one has never made much noise or shown a large membership roll, but the few
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who have belonged to it at different times have generally been faithful in the discharge of their Christian duties.
A Christian church was organized at Boone Grove at an early date, where it is still maintained, though it has never boasted a large member- ship, and several times in its history it has been without a regular pastor for months at a time.
The Christian church in Valparaiso had its beginning in 1847, when a small society was organized by Rev. Peter T. Russell. Some of the charter members were : Mrs. P. T. Russell, Elias Axe, Agnes Axe, James Purely and wife, William W. and Belinda Jones, Caroline Russell and Mary A. Baum, Peter T. Russell was the first pastor. For a time the meetings were held in private residences, rented hall, and on special occasions in the court-house. In 1852 Elias Axe purchased from Mrs. Hamell the old brick school-house on Jefferson street between Washing- ton and Franklin, and it was used as a church until 1869. Theu for a period of about five years meetings were held in private houses, the court-house, and the old German Lutheran church on the corner of Washington and Institute streets. In 1874 work was commenced on a briek church on the north side of Chicago street near Franklin. This building, which cost $3,200, was occupied by the congregation until the spring of 1888, when it was torn down and the present building erected upon the site. Some of the pastors during this period were P. T. Rus- sell, Lewis Comer, Charles Blackman, W. W. Jones, Lemuel Shortridge, R. C. Johnston, W. R. Lowe, I. H. Edwards and H. B. Davis. William Thomas, an architect of Chicago, drew the plans for the present church edifice, and the building committee was composed of H. B. Brown, D. F. Jones, E. D. Crumpacker, B. F. Perrine, L. M. Pierce and T. M. Shreve.
No delay was encountered in the ercetion of the building, which was formally dedicated on Sunday, December 16, 1888, the sermon on that oc- casion being preached by Rev. J. H. O. Smith, the pastor of the church. The building cost about $20,000, and has a seating capacity of 1,000. The pastors who served the church since the present house of wor- ship was erected have been J. II. O. Smith, J. C. Updike, John L. Brant, Vol. 1-20
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Bruce Brown and Claude & Hill. The last named is the pastor in 1912, having been called to the pulpit in 1910. A new parsonage is now (July, 1912,) der construction, which, when completed will have cost about $3,600. The number of members in 1912 was about 1,450.
About the time this church removed into its new house of worship in 1888 a Christian church was organized at Kouts. Some of the trap- pings and furniture of the old Christian church at Valparaiso were given to the Kouts church to help the new congregation in equipping its home. On July 20, 1912, the will of Rose Yoder, of Kouts, was filed in the pro- bate court of Porter county. Among other bequests was one of $500. which the will stipulated should be safely deposited in some bank and the interest used to aid in paying the salary of the Christian minister at Kouts. A like sum was to be deposited in bank and the interest allow.1 to accumulate for fifty years. when the entire sum should be given to the church, to be used as the congregation might eleet.
A Christian church was organized at Hebron in January, 1870, with twenty-six members, among whom were Joseph Dye and wife, Sarah Essex, Ellis Huff and wife, Viola Robinson, Sarah A. Jolmson, Isaac Margison, Mrs. Blood, and Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery. Joseph Dye was the first deacon, and Mrs. Mary E. White was the first person to be baptized after the church was organized. Lemuel Shortridge was the first ‹pastor, serving the congregation for about three years, when he was succeeded by William Whecler. Other ministers who served as pastor of this church were William R. Lowe, William L. Streeter, I. H. Edwards, John Ellis, II B. Davis and A. C. Carter. A house of worship was erected in 1878. at a cost of $1,100. This house was practically rebuilt in the spring of 1910, when some $7,000 were expended in enlarging and improving it, the first services in the new building being held on Sunday, May 22, 1910. The pastor in 1912 was Rev. S. W. Brown.
In 1850 a Reformed Mennonite church was organized in Valparaiso. After holding meetings in private residences for about twenty years, they purchased the old brick school-house on Willow street, where "'t church still has its home. Although the membership is small, and the
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congregation is frequently without a regular pastor, meetings are held regularly, all the forms and ceremonies of their peculiar faith being faithfully observed.
A correet and authentie account of the Catholic church in Porter county is somewhat difficult to obtain. There were a few Catholics liv- ing in the vicinity of Valparaiso in the deeade from 1840 to 1850, and there is a story to the effect that the first mass ever said in that portion of the county was on the northwest quarter of section 15, township 35, range 6, about two miles northwest of the court-house, but the time and name of the priest seem to have been forgotten. Priests from Notre Dame and other places sometimes visited the few Catholics residing about Valparaiso. Among these early missionaries mey be mentioned Father Kilroy, Father Curley, Father Cointet and Father Paul Gillen, familiarly known as Father Paul. It was through his efforts that St. Paul's Church was commenced, though he left before it was completed, and for a time no efforts were made to finish the building or to hold reg- ular services. When the state of Indiana was divided and Rt. Rev. J. H. Luers was made bishop of the northern diocese, one of the first official acts was to endeavor to establish a resident priest in Valparaiso. First came Father Clarke, but for some reason he did not remain long. He was succeeded by Rev. George Hamilton, an able man, but he, too, left in a short time. About that time the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad was under construction, and many of the Catholies about Val- paraiso belonged to that class that follows work of such character, roving from place to place as publie works or railroads were to be built. Such persons, while true to their religious belief in a way, are not deeply in- terested in the establishment of churches.
A small number of Catholics, however, settled down in the county and purchased lands. In time they became able to support a resident pastor and Rev. John Force came to establish a parish. He was a man of fine ability, possessed good social qualities, and would have succeeded in his mission, but his death occurred soon after coming to Valparaiso. Next came Father Botti, a splendid scholar, but lacking in all those
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traits that made his predecessor popular. In a short time he became in- volved in controversies and law-suits, until he was finally recalled by the bishop.
After Father Botti canie Rev. Michael O'Reilly, who succeeded where others had failed, and for nearly twenty-five years remained as the popu- lar and efficient pastor of St. Paul's. Father O'Reilly was born in County Westmeath, Ireland, January 29, 1834, a son of John and Ann (Bennett) O'Reilly. His father died in 1841 and his mother married again. In 1846, although a mere boy, Michael became a member of one of the clubs whose members were denounced as rebels by the Britich government, and in 1848 he fled to America. He had an uncle living at Utica, New York, and there he found a home. At the age of seven teen he began teaching. Later he attended Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, until his junior year, when he entered the Catholic college of Notre Dame, at South Bend, Indiana. After preparing himself in this justit tion he attended St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, where he finished his course and was ordained to the priesthood. Being assigned to the northern Indiana diocese, he was sent by the bishop to Valparaiso, where he served until his death on August 4, 1887, due to a stroke of paralysis.
When Father O'Reilly arrived at Valparaiso, about the beginning of the year 1863, he found the parish some $4,000 in debt, the church closed by an injunction of the court, and sentiment divided among the members of the parish. Notwithstanding all these difficulties, he went to work, and by his energy and personality soon won the confidence of the people Unable to secure possession of the church building, he rented a hall, ir provised an altar, and there held services every Sunday until in April 1863, when he was permitted to take possession of the church, his first mass there being said on Easter Sunday. His next step was to repair the building, which had been allowed to run to partial decay under Father Botti's pastorate, and when it was in condition opened a small school. Father O'Reilly's greatest concern was for the education of the children of his parish. He therefore creeted a school-house before mak-
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ing any effort to provide a better house of worship. The school building cost about $8,000. Not until 1880 did he start the movement for a new church building. The corner-stone of the present St. Paul's Church was laid on Sunday, October 7, 1883, by Bishop Dwenger, of Fort Wayne, assisted by priests from Fort Wayne, Notre Dame, Warsaw, Plymouth and other places, some 8,000 or 10,000 people witnessing the ceremonies. On October 17, 1886, the church was dedicated by Bishop Dwenger. The building is 153 feet long, with a transept of 95 feet, a 65 feet nave and a spire nearly 200 feet in height. It is one of the largest Catholic churches in Northern Indiana and cost $40,000. Father O'Reilly lived less than a year after the church was finished, but the building stands as a monu- ment to his labors and fine executive ability. The present priest is Rev. W. S. Hogan.
When the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railway was being built through Porter county, a large number of Catholies were employed upon the construction work. Some of them settled in the neighborhood of Chesterton, and a Catholic church was organized there in 1857 by Father Kilroy. For several years the parish was without a church building or a resident priest. Father Kilroy was succeeded by Father Flynn, and the latter by Rev. Paul Gillen. Next Father Lawler, the resident Catho- lie priest at Laporte, came once a month to the Chesterton parish. Thus matters went on until in 1867, when the people asked Bishop Luers to send them a resident priest. The request was granted and the congre- gation purchased a house and lot, where the church was afterward erected, and Rev. John Flynn was duly installed as pastor. Two years later his death occurred and Father O'Rourke took charge of the parish. The value of the church property at that time was about $500. A new church was built in 1876, at a cost of about $13,000, and in 1882 a resi- denee was built for the priest at a cost of $3,000. The church was named in honor of Ireland's patron saint, and the parish of St. Patrick, at Chesterton, is one of the prosperous Catholic communities of northern Indiana. Rev. Lawrence Eberle is the present pastor.
In 1857 the Swedish Lutherans living about Bailly Town, in West-
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chester township, organized a church under the ministry of Rev. A. Audrain, with about thir'y members. Following Mr. Audrain came Revs. Sjoblom, Nyquist and Sodergrim, who served until 1880, when Rev. Andrew Challman became pastor. A church building was erected in 1863, at a cost of $2,000, and not long afterward a parsonage and school- honse were built. Some of the members who had attended at Bailly Town organized the Swedish Lutheran church at Chesterton in 1879, and immediately built a nice brick church, at a cost of $5,000. For some time one pastor served both congregations, but in recent years the two congregations are entirely independent of each other. Fraternal feeling exists, however, and both churches are in a prosperous condition. Rev. J. B. Bennett is pastor of one and Rev. JJ. E. Nystrom of the other.
Several German families settled at Valparaiso about 1850. Most of them were Lutherans, though no effort was made to organize a church of that denomination until 1569. By that time there were probably forty or fifty German families in the immediate vicinity of the town, and when a Lutheran minister named Jahn came from Holstein in that year they asked him to organize a church and become its pastor, which was donc. Not long afterward a division occurred, some of the members going to the Reformed church, but the Lutheran congregation went on, and Rev. J. P. Beyer was engaged as pastor. Under his ministry the church was fully organized, and services were held in rented quarters until 1865. A frame building to be used as both church and school-house, was erected in that year on the corner. of Pink and Academy streets, and Rev. C. Meyer was engaged to succeed Mr. Beyer. Under his ministra- tions the church increased in membership, and the congregation began to look about for more commodious accomodations. At this juncture it was learned that the property belonging to the Unitarian church was to be sold by the sheriff, and in 1880 the Lutherans made an offer for it, which was accepted, and the church passed into their hands. Here their meetings were held until the present building of the Immanuel Evan- gelical Lutheran church was created on the corner of Washington and Institute streets in 1891. The present pastor is Rev. C. W. Baer.
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Some years ago St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church was organ- ized and a small church erected at the corner of Lincoln avenue and Franklin street. For some reason the congregation did not prosper. In 1912 the church was without a resident pastor, and it was rumored that the property was to be sold.
In 1880 the German Lutherans of Kouts built a small frame church, at a cost of $600, with Rev. Philip Smith as pastor. He was succeeded by Rev. Julius Dunsing. At the time this church was erected it was the only church building in Pleasant township. The congregation had been holding meetings in the school house since about 1873. The pastor of the church in 1912 was Rev. ITicks ITieken.
About the time that the Lutheran church of Konts had its inception, a German Lutheran congregation, known as St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, was organized at Chesterton. A church building was commenced in the fall of 1880, under the ministry of a preacher named Hammon, who was the first pastor, and it was finished in April, 1881. The church numbered but twelve members when it was organized, but by 1880 the membership had reached forty-five. Among the active members were Fred Lindermann, Charles Warnhoff, Henry Dorman, William Slout, Charles Bancke, Fred Lawrentz and a Miss Albright. It was due to the efforts of these members that the little band raised $2,000 to pay for the church. The pastor in 1912 was Rev. George Schoettle.
The Unitarian society of Valparaiso was organized in 1872, and purchased the building of the Reformed church. Revs. Powell, Carson and Parker served as ministers for a few years, but the congregation got into financial difficulties and was forced to sell the church property to the Lutherans as already stated. After a few years the society gave np the ghost.
"Union Mission Church," an organization of a somewhat peculiar character, was formed at Hebron in 1877. A church costing about $2,000 was erected the next year, with Hiram Marsh, William Netherby and B. Blanchard as trustees, and William Fry, James King and L. Temple as
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deacons. Dissensions arose an ! in April, 1882, some forty members of the old wugregation took possession of the property and organized a Congregational church. W. M. Watt and William Fry were elected deacons; James King, J. G. Gibson, James Alyea, A. Blanchard and B. F. Gossett, trustees, and Rev. L. A. Smith was called to the pulpit. The records do not show what became of this organization, but it is no longer in existence.
Early in the Nineteenth century the close connection between church and state in Great Britain brought about a spirit of discontent in both, England and Ireland. Meetings to give expression to this discontent were held in Dublin, Plymouth and Bristol, at which ministers urged "a spiritual communion based on the teachings of the New Testament." The meeting at Plymouth was the most important, and a new sect vas formed, the members of which took the name of Believers, Christians or Brethren, but the fact that the denomination originated at Plymouth led to their generally being ealled Plymouth Brethren. In 1878 a few of these people organized a community in Valparaiso, and for some time held meetings on the third floor of S. S. Skinner's block on Main street. Conditions here were different from those in England and Ireland, where the seet was first established, and after a short and uncertain career the Valparaiso community was disbanded.
The Episcopal church in America is a direct descendant of the Church of England. In the establishment of English colonies in America it was usually stipulated that the laws passed by such colonies should conform to the "true Christian faith and religion as now professed in the Estab- lished Church." In 1784 a number of elergymen assembled at Brun wiek, New Jersey, and adopted a resolution to the effeet "that the Ameri- can church should be independent of all foreign authority, ecclesiasticol as well as civil." The adoption of this resolution marked the beginning of the Protestant Episcopal church in the United States. In form of government, the Episcopal church is modeled after that of the Roman Catholic. Indiana was made a diocese at a comparatively carly date, and! was for years under the episcopate of Bishop John J. Knickerbacker, of
HISTORY OF PORTER COUNTY 313
Indianapolis. In his travel over the state he visited Valparaiso, where he found a few members of the faith and urged the organization of a permanent church. They were few in numbers and not financially strong, and consequently hesitated to take the step advised by the bishop. However, services were held occasionally in halls and private residences, Rev. George Moore, of Momence, Ilinois, and other priests visiting the city for that purpose. Upon the death of Bishop Knickerbarker, the state was divided and Rt. Rev. John HI. White was made bishop of the northern diocese. He established his see city at Michigan City and began an active campaign in the interests of the church. Upon the occasion of a visit to Valparaiso he enlisted the cooperation of Charles HI. Parker, J. S. Wilcox, A. W. Barnhart, M. A. Snider, J. C. Rock and a few others for the establishment of a church. St. Andrew's mission was organized, a hall hired, and Rev. L. W. Applegate was assigned to the parish as resident priest. In the spring of 1902 the lot at the southeast corner of Franklin and Erie streets was purchased and work was com- menced upon a frame building 32 by 64 feet, with a tower twelve fect square. The building was completed in due time, and was formally dedi- eated on July 6, 1902. The present pastor is Rev. Walter B. Williamson.
In addition to the church organizations above mentioned, an atlas of Porter county published in 1906 shows several country churches in different parts of the county. On section 15, township 36, range 7, in Portage township, near the Lake county line, is a small Swedish church. Near Clear Lake, in Jackson township, on section 24, township 36, range 5, is marked a church. There are two churches shown in Union town- "ship-one on the northwest quarter of section 21, township 35, range 7, and the other on the southwest quarter of section 29, township 35, range 6. In Washington township there is a churen marked on the northwest quarter of section 15, township 30, range 5, about two miles northwest of the old village of Prattville on the Laporte road. This is known as the Pleasant View Church. The records of these churches have not been carefully kept, and to obtain a history of them would be practically impossible. While most of them nominally belong to some particular
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denomination, ministers of all faiths and beliefs are usually welcome to occupy their pulpits, as there has never been any serious strife among the several denominations represented in the county. In Valparaiso there is a society of Christian Scientists, numbering about twenty or twenty-five members, which meets every Sunday on the corner of Wash- ington and Monroe streets.
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