LaPorte County, Indiana - Chapter 36: Religion, 1904 (part 1 of 23)

Chapter 36: Religion

We come now to put on tlie capstone - re¬ ligion. But what is religion? It is not morali¬ ty, for a man may be a good, civil and moral man and not be a religious man. Nor is religion spirituality or heavenly-mindedness, for a per¬ son may be very religious without being heaven¬ ly-minded. Nor is religion theology, for a man may have much doctrine but no religion. The very etymology of the word "religion'' gives us a hint as to what it is. Religion means to re¬ bind or to bind again. Religion is that which fixes certain bonds about us and does it again and again. Now does not one's church environ¬ ment do this? By attending church and partici¬ pating in its worship and becoming used to its forms, a habit is induced upon us, from which it is difficult to break away. This is the reason why those who have been reared in a certain church, and have become used to its forms, are not happy in any other church environment. Young people who have been brought up to at¬ tend public worship, and who have formed habits of church going, are quite miserable on first at¬ tempting to break away from them and enter lives of dissipation. Religion sustains about the same relation to the spiritual life that a bandage does to a wound. The bandage does not heal the wound but it holds the severed flesh together so that the inner life can heal it. And so re¬ ligion does not heal the soul but it serves to hold man in order so that the inner spiritual life from the Lord can heal it. Religion is not Christianity. The Jews have religion but they do not claim to be Christians. So do the Mo¬ hammedans and the Buddhists and the Brahmins. In his "History of Northwestern Indiana" Mr. T. H. Ball mentions that love which is " the greatest thing in the world" and then says, "That the Indians who came in contact with the mis¬ sionaries manifested the possession of much of this love, is doubtful. And that no church rites will place this love within the soul, we have the opportunity of seeing" (page 27). Quite true. But church rites may take such powerful hold on the conduct as to furnish the occasion. This is why, as Mr. Ball himself acknowledges (page 25), "the French Catholics far better than the English or Americans adapted themselves to the Indian nature, had larger control over them, and seem to have tried more faithfully to do them good." In speaking of the Pottawottomies of this region he says, "The influence of the French missionaries, some of them not only zeal¬ ous but self-denying, noble men, still remained among them. Their burials were not conducted altogether with pagan rites, they knew the sym¬ bol of the cross, and they erected crosses beside some of their graves" (page 24). Now this is a step in advance. As mentioned repeatedly in other connections in these pages, the French

Catholics were first on the ground in what is now La Porte county, the Indians came under the influence of their teachings and church forms, and there are several instances of the In¬ dians in the county becoming devout Catholics. One instance was Sogganee, mentioned in Chap¬ ter II of this work, who afterwards lived and died at Xotre Dame, South Bend.

Catholic influence has never ceased in the county. Soon after its organization Catholic priests used to come to LaPorte as missionaries, and after a time St. Peter's church was formed. For many years Rev. Father Kilroy was pastor. He was a man of great influence and force of character. He was mentioned in Chapter XXVI of this work. Even after he went away from LaPorte he came back and lectured here. He became a distinguished man and drew large audiences. In 1861 Colonel Walker's Irish regi¬ ment had an Irish band which gave a concert at Huntsman's hall, in November, to raise funds to pay for their instruments and Father Kilroy lectured on that occasion. His subject was "The Military Genius of Ireland." At that time Rev. Father Lawler was pastor of St. Peter's; later, Rev. Father T. O. Sullivan; later still, Rev. Father Crawley, whose health failed and who went west and died. At present Rev. Father G. M. Schram is pastor. The first church building was a frame structure which gave place to the present commodious brick church. Since Father Schram's advent a new and beautiful altar has been placed in the church. This edifice is situated on Monroe, facing Walker street.

St. Joseph's church is a German congregation and was organized in 1858 by Rev. Father M. Scherrer. The substantial brick edifice which they occupy was built in 1859-60, and a school house was added soon afterwards. This school is men¬ tioned in Chapter XXX. In 1865 Father Scherr¬ er went to another field of labor and was suc¬ ceeded as priest of St. Joseph's by Rev. Father S. Bartoz, of Polish descent. His health failed and in 1870 he resigned and was succeeded by Rev. Father John Oechtering,an exceedingly able man who was attained to eminence since that time. Later, Father Nussbaum was the incum¬ bent, who passed away while pastor of St. Joseph's and whose funeral obsequies were cele¬ brated by the Gregorian high mass. This was not many years ago; the church was crowded, and the bishop and many priests of the diocese were in attendance. The church with its tall spire and chime of two bells is situated at the corner of C and Second streets. The parish in¬ cludes more than a hundred German families, among whom are some of the most influential and useful business men of LaPorte.

St. Mary's Catholic church of Michigan City is situated on the southwest comer of Boston and Buffalo streets, on a site which was once a Catholic cemetery. In 1902 this church received new interior decoration. The entire cost of the improvements was $3,000, and all the money was contributed. This work was the crowning effort of Rev. Father John Bleckmann, who has been pastor of St. Mary's the last twenty-two years, and the esteem of the public and the peo¬ ple of his church made the improvements possi¬ ble. Father Bleckmann has been in recent years assisted by Rev. Father Jansen. The paintings on the walls and ceiling are the most attractive features of the decorations. They are the reve¬ lation of the Blessed Virgin through St. Dominic to preach the devotion of the rosary annuncia¬ tion of the Blessed Virgin; the visitation, the birth of our Lord, presentation of the Child in the temple, Child teaching in the temple, as¬ sumption of the Blessed Virgin to heaven, coro¬ nation of the Blessed Virgin in heaven. The altar pictures represent the resurrection and the ascension and the adoring angels. The side walls are decorated with a beautiful design, gold and blue figures predominating.

St. Stanislaus Polish Catholic church of Michigan City ' stands at the corner of Ripley and Washington streets. Rev. Father Wrobel is pastor, and Father Eugene Stachowiak is his as¬ sistant.

There is a Catholic, church in Otis which was built in 1872 by the Polish families who settled in the neighborhood. The edifice is a neat frame building and the parish has a school. There is also a Catholic church in Wanatah, and one in Dewev township, about two miles from La Crosse, which was built in 1862. Thus there are seven Catholic churches in LaPorte county, some of them dating from a very early day, with

As we are now making reference to the ritual¬ istic churches it may be well to mention the Pro¬ testant Episcopal church. This is another church which claims unbroken succession with the apos¬ tles. A third is the Greek church or church of Russia, not represented in this county. The first building exclusively for church services erected in Michigan City was put up by the Episcopalians. It was built in 1835 or '36 and stood on Pine street between Fourth and Market streets. The state of Indiana was then one dio¬ cese, under the Rt. Rev. Jackson Kemper, D. D., missionary bishop. Rt. Rev. George Upfold, D. D., LL. D., was consecrated bishop on Decem¬ ber 16, 1849. He was succeeded by Rt. Rev. Joseph Cruikshank Talbot, D. D. LL. D., who was consecrated February 15, i860. Then came Rt. Rev. David Buel Knickerbacker, D. D., who was consecrated October 14, 1883, who was suc¬ ceeded by the Rt. Rev. John Hazen White, D. D., who was consecrated bishop of Indiana, then all one diocese, on May 1, 1895. The site of the church property consists of a quarter block at the corner of Franklin and Sixth streets. It was once occupied as a lumber yard. The corner stone of the former church building was laid in 1858. It was a neat wooden structure on a brick and stone foundation in "Rustic Gothic" style, with rectory on the same lot. But in later years this gave place to the present stone structure. The first rector of this church was Rev. D. V. M. Johnson. Some of those who have suc¬ ceeded him are Revs. G. B. Engle, Henry Safford, C. A. Bruce, William H. Stoy, E. E. Wright, R. L. Ganter, T.L. Bellam, J. F. Winkley, Dr. Reeves, R. Brass, S. S. French, Walter S. Howard, and A. A. Ewing. Barker Hall, a large brick structure for parish purposes, stands on the same lot, at the rear and to the side of the church. In 1899 the oversight of the Indiana diocese became so arduous that Bishop White divided it into two dioceses, the northern one comprising that part of the state lying north of and including the counties of Benton, White, Carroll, Howard, Grant, Blackford, and Jay. It was Bishop White's privilege to elect which should be his field of labor, and he chose the northern diocese. Then came the question, where should be the bishop's residence and the cathedral city. For a time the choice lay between Fort Wayne and Michigan City. But Fort Wayne was already the cathedral city of the Catholic diocese, and one bishop of Fort Wayne was enough. Bishop White therefore chose Michigan City, and there he made his residence. In this he was ably assisted financially by Mrs. John H. Bar¬ ker and others. The result is a fine stone struc¬ ture as the bishop's palace, just south and a little to the rear of Trinity church, and Michigan City has the distinction of being a cathedral city.

St. Paul's church of LaPorte was organized July 25, 1839. At the meeting for organization Rev. D. V. M. Johnson, rector of Trinity church at Michigan City, presided and Franklin Thwing acted as secretary. John Hobson and Franklin Thwing were elected wardens, James Whittem, J. R. Traver, Samuel' Stewart, Thomas H. Phil¬ lips, Hiram Wheeler, T. B. Bell, Jacob Early and T. H. Holbrook were elected vestrymen. For some months after the organization the rector of Trinity church in Michigan City preached for the new church at each alternate Sunday. Early in 1840 Rev. Solon W. Manney was settled as rector. Some of his successors have been the following: Revs. H. W. Roberts, F. R. Half, W. E. Franklin, A. Gregory, A. E. Bishop, J. H. Lee, F. M. Gregg, G. J. Magill, Charles T. Coer. Walter Scott, A. A. Abbott, Thomas B. Barlow, E. L. Roland, and A. A. Ewing. Rev. W. E. Franklin died while rector at LaPorte. He was greatly beloved and mourned by his parishoners. For several years this church had no house of worship, but in 1845 an edifice was erected at the corner of Michigan avenue and Harrison street. It was afterwards much enlarged and improved. But along in the nineties it became sadly out of repair and the question of building a new house of worship was agitated, first by Rev. Mr. Abbott and th§n by Rev. Mr. Barlow, his successor. Under the latter's supervision the present artistic stone structure was built, and dedicated in 1897 or '98. South of it is the rec¬ tory and south of that the parish home, both facing Michigan avenue.

The pioneers of LaPorte county did not leave their religion behind when they settled here but brought it with them. In the first settlements which were formed there were not a sufficient number of any one sect to form a church by themselves, and so they worshipped together. The points of doctrine or practice which divided them were held in abeyance, persons of each sect yielded a little for the good of the whole, and in a spirit of unity and Christian toleration they came together and each one tried to derive all the good he could from the meetings, exer¬ cises and discourses. For a time there were no church buildings, but school houses were soon erected, rude log structures, and there in the winter, or in the open air in the summer, the peo¬ ple assembled for worship. The first school house in Michigan City, built in 1834, was used for worship. As yet there were no churches organized and no settled pastors, but ministers passing through were asked to preach and did so. The ritualist could not have his prayerbook sendee, the Presbyterian or old school Baptist could not have his sermons on divine sovereignty and the decrees, the Methodist could not make a hobby of free will, and so on. If they persisted in these things there would be few to hear them. An appointment was made at some dwelling house or school house, and at the time appointed a true pioneer community gathered. Some came on foot, some on horseback, and some in ox teams. If in the summer time, not only the children but some of the men came barefooted, bringing their dogs with them; and all, even some of the dogs, gave earnest attention to the services. There were no organ and no choir, but some one would lead in the singing, and as hymn-books were scarce the reader would give out two lines of a stanza and the people would sing them, then another two, and so on. This was called "lining off" the hymn, and a variety of voices would join in the singing. There were not as much harmony and beautiful melody as now, but there may have been as much devotion. Some among the pioneers were accomplished singers and when these met there was rich music. As a rule the pioneer preachers who came to this county were well instructed men who had not been brought up in the backwoods. Some of them have been mentioned in Chapter XXVI.

But even then there was in many places a spirit of fraternity and union. This was especially the case in Michigan City. Everyone attended his own church but no sectarianism entered into the the social relations, which were enjoyed regard¬ less of creeds. A new-comer in the harbor city asked a friend, "What church do such and such families . attend?" The answer was, "The Episcopal" "And what place of worship do so and so attend?" "TheCongregationalist?" "Yes," replied the recent arrival, "but they seem so very intimate, so much of the time at each other's homes, that I fancied they must be of the same church." "Oh," said the friend, "that does not follow here! We are too small a band to have any barrier of that kind come between us." And so the new-comer found it.

Here the very interesting and important ques¬ tion arises - too large and not proper for dis¬ cussion here - whether after all, the church was ever designed to be a social institution. Does the fact that people of different tastes and cir¬ cumstances in life worship in the same church necessitate that they mingle together in the same social circles? Because a person finds his re¬ ligious home in a certain church, does that in any way prevent him from finding his social affinities out of it ? As a matter of fact all grades and classes of society kneel together in the ser¬ vice of the Catholic church, but their social segregations outside of their religion are very different. May not society be one thing and re¬ ligion quite another? We merely raise the ques¬ tion.

It is difficult to determine when and where the first religious services were held in LaPorte county. There are many claims of priority. But from what has been written in the foregoing chapters it would appear that the Baptists con¬ ducted the first worship in the county. Of course this is leaving the Catholics out of con¬ sideration. The Carey mission was established at Niles, Michigan, in 1822 bv the Rev. Isaac McCoy, a Baptist minister, and an uncle of Mrs. John B. Niles. There was a branch of that mission at Hudson Lake. There were operations going on at that branch in 1829, which warrant the belief that they must have begun before that time. Then came the widow Benedict with her family, le*d by Henly Clyburn, to New Durham

The Baptists held services in Springfield township as early as 1832, under the leader¬ ship of a Mr. Marks, but it does not appear that there was any Baptist church organized until 1834, when a society was gathered on Stillwell prairie under the labors of Rev. Phineas Colver, of Washington county, New York. Mr. Colver came to the county in 1833 to visit relatives and began preaching in the neighborhood, and the result was the organization of a church. He went home intending to return, but died before he reached his eastern home. This religious society was known for some years as the La- Porte Baptist church, and was so recorded in the minutes of the association. A Baptist church was organized at Rolling Prairie in 1836, one at Michigan City in 1837, which soon ceased to exist, and one in LaPorte probably in 1838; the records are lost. In that year Rev. G. Sarwin came to LaPorte and opened his home for prayer meetings. It was the "sickly season" and many were induced to seek the consolations of religion. The result was that a Baptist church was organ¬ ized in the brick church then owned by the Meth¬ odists, which stood on the lot since occupied by the house of Dr. Teegarden, now the residence of Dr. Mack. This church was admitted into the association at the meeting in Rolling Prairie, in June, 1839. After this the church on Stillwell Prairie took the name of the Kingsbury Baptist church. Mr. Sarwin became pastor of the Kings¬ bury church, and Rev. Charles Harding was selected as the pastor of the LaPorte church. In two years he resigned, to become home mis¬ sionary. He died in 1843, highly esteemed. Rev. Silas Tucker was the next pastor, in 1840. Soon after his arrival a small building which stood on the northwest corner of Jackson and State streets, belonging to the Disciple society, was purchased and enlarged and used for many years as the house of worship. E. W. Hamlin was the next pastor, 1846. In 1849 Rev. Mor¬ gan Edwards, "the sailor preacher," was pas¬ tor for five months, then Rev. R. H. Cook was pastor, and in February Rev. Morgan Edwards again, but only for a short time. Rev. S. C. Edwards became pastor in 1852, who insinuated the doctrines of the Adventists into the church and caused an unhappy division not only in the church but to some extent in the association. But in all the troubles through which this church passed, "Good Father Sarwin" and Rev. Alex¬ ander Hastings of Rolling Prairie were their mainstay. In 1854 Rev. Gibbon Williams became pastor. In 1855 W. D. Wright, in 1857 J. L. McCloud. In 1858 the church built an edifice on the west side of Jackson street, between Jef¬ ferson and Maple avenues. In 1861 Rev. Henry Smith became pastor, who resigned in August, 1863, to become chaplain of the Ninth Regiment Subsequent pastors have been Revs. J. P. Ash, C. T. Chaffee, D. D., Addison Parker, C. H. Wheeler, George C. Moor, and at present C. R. Parker. The present house of worship is a mod¬ ern and commodious brick structure on the south¬ west comer of Indiana and Jefferson avenues. The church has passed through many troubles. The Baptist church at Kingsbury has had many pastors, and still holds on its way. It has a gem of a church building. The Baptist church at Rolling Prairie had for its first pastor the Rev. Alexander Hastings, who was followed by sev¬ eral others. The church at Door Village united with the association in 1840 and was once flour¬ ishing but has ceased to exist. The Baptist church in Westville was gathered and organized chiefly by the labors of Rev. J. M. Whitehead, who resigned its pastorate to become chaplain of the Fifteenth Indiana Volunteers. There were great religious revivals in the county in 1857. Mr. Whitehead, who is still living and engaged in active work in Topeka, Kansas, has recently written a letter in which he says : -

"I have always remembered Door Village and Kingsbury because of the work I helped to do there in church matters. That great revival in Kingsbury was a marvelous work; equally so were the great revivals in Door Village, West¬ ville, Black Oak, Beatty's Comers, Valparaiso and Rolling Prairie and many other places in northern Indiana. I meet many of those con¬ verts of that period out here in this western country, among whom are Eliza Craft, John A. Rolins and Jerome Lathrop. In some places I have found almost whole churches formed out of members from northern Indiana associations. At Delaware and Perry, Iowa, Nebraska City, Nebraska, and other places they have helped organize churches, build meeting houses, and are active in other church work and Sunday-school progress. They are a loss to you in your asso¬ ciation, but a wonderful gain in the broader field in the unbounded west. The Lord has led them out into this fair land, doubtless into more needy fields."

And of Mr. Whitehead Colonel I. C. B. Suman says: "I was severely wounded at the bat¬ tle of Stone river. When Chaplain Whitehead gave me his assistance he was all besmeared with the blood of the wounded he had cared for. He seemed to be an angel among the wounded, Yankees and Johnnies alike. He thought nothing of the danger he was in, caring for the wounded, looking after the dead, directing and assisting their burial. I came in contact with many chap¬ lains during my long service in the army and can truthfully say that the Rev. John M. Whitehead was the most worthy one that ever came under my notice. In camp, on the march and on the field of battle, especially that of Stone River, his services were performed admirably and with¬ out the hope of reward or promotion."

It appear also that a Baptist church of some kind was organized in Wills township on June 13, 1836, by Revs. T. Price, of Edwardsburg, Michigan, and T. Spaulding, of LaPorte, at the house of James Hunt. The members were James Hunt, John Salisbury, Matthias Dawson, Nancy Hunt, Martha Hunt, Catharine Whitehead, Sarah Mason, Phoebe Hunt, Clarissa Canada, Sabrina Salisbury, Alsie Dawson, and Martha Whitehead. In 1837 a Baptist log chapel, succeeded by a frame church, was built on the grounds of George Belshaw, on the southeast quarter of section thirteen in Wills township.

In 1836 an Antinomian, often called "hard shell" Baptist church was organized in the log school house in the Webster District, in Noble township. It was known as the "Spring Creek Old School Baptist church." Elder A. Neal of Porter county perfected the organization. The members were Asaph Webster, E. S.. Harding, John Harding, A. A. Cole, Ariel Wakefield, Ameluna Webster, Mary Harding and Polly Harding. A. A. Cole and E. S. Harding were the first resident elders. It has long ceased to exist.

There was an African Baptist church in La¬ Porte, which joined the. association is 1871 with about twenty members. There was also a col¬ ored Methodist society, and the two sects quar¬ reled about a certain church building which had been erected by the citizens for the use of the colored people. One sect wanted to keep the other out of the chapel. About 1870 Mrs. C. T. McClure and others gave a supper in Hunts¬ man's Hall for the purpose of raising funds to build this chapel, and succeeded so well that they repeated it. Others contributed and a neat chapel was erected in the west end of the city. For a time all went well; but in 1877 the quarrel occurred, and Mrs. McClure made a public protest against any colored people being excluded from the building which had been provided for all.

There are many interesting incidents, sad and joyful, connected with the history of the Baptist churches of this county, but want of space neces¬ sitates the giving of almost nothing but the dry facts. Considerably over twenty Baptist churches have been organized in LaPorte county but only three, or at most four, are living now.

But the Methodists were the real pioneers. In 1832 there came into the county, with the soldiers of the Black Hawk war, Jeremiah Sher¬ wood, a local preacher of the Methodists, who was eagerly welcomed and who formed a class at the home of Mr. Eahart, in the New Dur¬ ham settlement. This was perhaps the first Pro¬ testant organization in the county. In the autumn of that year the Methodist Episcopal conference sent Rev. James Armstrong as pre¬ siding elder of the district, who soon organized a class in Door Village. Here during the next year the infant church built a small chapel on the site where the present church stands, in which they worshipped for several years. This is said to have been the first church building erected north of the Wabash river. This year, 1833, several new societies or classes were organized, of which probably LaPorte was one. The mem¬ bers returned at conference that year were five hundred and twenty. But the circuit was a large one, extending from South Bend to Michi¬ gan City and from Niles to Door Prairie, and not all of that number were from this county. At the close of the year Mr. Armstrong died, and his remains were buried in the Door Village cemetery. His loss was universally felt. In the fall of 1834 the district was called the LaPorte district, with R. Hargrave as presiding elder, and S. R. Ball and T. P. McCool preachers. In 1835 it was called the LaPorte circuit with C. Meek as preacher and Elijah Burns as supply. This year for the second time a campmeeting was held near Springville, which was largely attended and of great interest. In 1836 G. M. Boyd was appointed to the circuit, with Stephen R. Jones as assistant, and a class was formed in the Galena woods at the house of Whitman Goit. The preaching places were LaPorte, Door Village, Robinson's, Wamock's, Henly Clyburn's, Van Meter's, on the road from LaPorte to Michigan City ; Michigan City, Springville, Goit's, Wright's, near Rolling Prairie station ; Griffin's schoolhouse, Silas Hale's, Kingsbury, Admiral Burch's and five other places out of the county - nineteen places, widely scattered, which those two men had to cover in all seasons and weathers. In this year a Sunday-school was organized in LaPorte. This was the one in which A. and J. B. Fravel were so deeply interested. This year also the Methodists erected a small, neat brick church on the lot where Dr. Mack now lives, in which they worshipped for several years. Every year witnessed a change of preach¬ ers. In 1838 Union chapel was built, southeast of Westville, deriving its name from the fact that the Robinson and Wamock classes united there. This chapel used to be full of people when services were held, but it has been gone for years. The first Methodist church in Michigan City was built probably in this year. In 1840 the circuit for the first time was confined to the limits of the county. In 1841 Wade Posey and G. W. Ames, brother of Bishop Ames, were the preachers. In this year the people of Goit's neighborhood were induced to build a chapel. A day was assigned for all to turn out, far and near, and at the appointed time they came from a radius of ten miles and worked steadily for a week, when a comfortable and commodious log chapel had been completed, which was named Posey chapel in honor of the preacher. In a few years this was superceded by a better house called by the same name. Mount Pleasant chapel was built at about this time, also Lamb's chapel.

The great LaPorte circuit now began to be divided. In 1843 Union circuit was formed, including LaPorte, Byron, and McCasky's, and the west half of the county; the east half was attached to other circuits. It seems that in 1844. Michigan City was made a station, for J. W. Parrett was appointed thereto; but in 1846 it was attached to Union circuit. In 1846 confer¬ ence was held in LaPorte, presided over by Bishop Morris. In 1847 LaPorte was made a station, Union circuit still including Michigan City, and the New Durham church was built. In 1848 Rev. H. C. Benson was returned the sec¬ ond year to LaPorte, the first instance of the kind in the county. F. Taylor was also re¬ turned to Union circuit. In 1849 a new church was built at Door Village. In 1850 the present Methodist Episcopal church on Monroe street, remodeled in 1902, was built, and Union circuit and Michigan City were again separated. In 1851 J. Daniel was pastor at LaPorte, and J. G. Osborn served Union and Kingsbury. In 1852 Salem chapel was built. In 1853 conference was again held in LaPorte, presided over by the eloquent Bishop Simpson, and it was a memora¬ ble occasion. From this time the county was divided into stations and several circuits. La¬ Porte station has been served by some able preachers and has enjoyed several remarkable religious awakenings.

The Rolling Prairie circuit was organized in 1856, comprising the north and east parts of the county outside of LaPorte. In 1858 it was divided so that the second LaPorte circuit could be formed. At one time it was called the Port¬ land circuit. In 1864 the church at Rolling Prairie was built, which a few years ago was succeeded by a fine modem church building. This circuit still exists, though contracted from its original dimensions.

The second LaPorte circuit, embracing Salem, Bald Hill, Summit and Coolspring, was formed in 1859. It still exists, though there has been some change in the appointments. Bald Hill has been abandoned and the church is going to decay. A fine new church was built and dedicated at Waterford, in Coolspring, in 1898. The circuit owns a parsonage in LaPorte, where the preacher resides. The church in Salem was built during the pastorate of M. Stolz, 1866-68.

Union circuit was probably divided again in 1856, and the east end of it was called Dormain circuit, including Stillwell, Roselle, Marshall, Grove, Dormain, and "South America,, classes. It was soon called Door Village circuit. It still exists, though contracted. In 1869-70 the church was refitted and beautified, and again more re¬ cently.

Methodist services were held in Michigan City from the commencement of the town. Major I. C. Elston, the founder of the city, reserved and donated two lots for the use of the church. In 1838 the Methodists there, under the lead of Mr. Porterfield Harrison, erected a small frame church on the site donated. But the sand threatened to bnry it and rendered it unfit for a place of worship and the members aided by their friends purchased the lot where the present house of worship stands and built a church there. In the list of preachers who have served this church are the names of many able men.

Union Mills circuit was formed in 1873, em~ bracing Union Mills, Hanna Station, and Clin¬ ton chapel but at the end of the year Union Mills was reconnected with Door Village cir¬ cuit and Clinton chapel with Westville circuit. In 1875 the brethren at Union Mills erected a neat chapel and a new circuit was formed.

In 1843 first house of worship was built in Westville by the Methodists. It was served for several years by the preachers from Union circuit, but in 1857 it was organized as a district circuit. In i860, by the will of Mr. Daniel West, the church received a bequest of five thou¬ sand dollars and a church was erected.

The German Methodists have a society in LaPorte, composed of some of the best German people of the community. They occupy a lot on the southwest comer of Harrison avenue and Clay street. In the seventies they worshiped in a neat frame building, but it has since given place to the present well proportioned brick church. This people also have a church in Michigan City, on the comer of Eighth and Buffalo streets. It has a pastor and regular services. There is also a German Methodist church not far from Wan- . atah.

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 comer 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: -

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 shinesr even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."

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 Aidrich and Charles Ives became settlers in the neighborhood. In October, 1903, the LaPorte 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 m 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 Dinwiddie were chosen elders, and Alexander Bladebum 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 w*as 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 comer 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 atroublesome 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 the Old School church out tit a' home, and,wliena few years later the -Methodists vacated -their old building on* the northwest corner of Jeffer¬ son avenue and Monroe -"streets, the Old School- Presbyterian church botigtit 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 comer 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

May 9, 1871, by a nucleus of Presbyterians who 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.

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 congregationalist 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 lias; 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

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 Congregationalist 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 presbyter}*; 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 i860, 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. Viniqg 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. Ridgwav, 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.

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. Crboker, 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 comer 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.

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 Chamberlain brought Mr. Weller to LaPorte, and that gentleman delivered a course of lectures in the old "Christian" church which stood where the German Lutheran chdrch 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. Femald, 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 preaching in Coolspring township was by a Universalist, William C. Talcott, a school teacher; but the writer has no information of a Universalist 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. Noves of the Second Presbyterian church. Then Weller replied, and the matter for

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 comb to see that to combat a man's views puts him on the defensive at once and prevents his rereceiving 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." the most ideally efficient of grain-separating ma¬ chines. The business was carried on from 1853 to 1 882 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.

Of course the machines of fifty years ago were crude, unfinished and slow of opera¬ tion compared with the beautiful, powerful and rapid productions of to-day. The oldfashioned horsepower furnished the motive energy ; this was also manufactured by the Rumely brothers. But one has only to see the immense plant and glance over their large annual devoted to the description of their various machines to understand how from these small beginnings great things grew. Among the ma¬ chines made by the company are several types of the modern traction engine, of utmost power consistent with smoothness of operation, ease of movement and general efficiency ; boilers, water tanks and other accessories to a modern threshing outfit; and the new Rumely separator, with its band-cutter and self-feeder and wind-stacker, is one of the finest machines ever put on the market and one of the most popular among the farmers of the middle west. Many improvements and in¬ ventions, suggested by the experience and mechanical skill of the company, have made all parts of the different machines as nearly perfect in operation and clean and rapid handling of grain as twentieth century inventiveness can de¬ mand.

From the one small building in 1853 the M. Rumely Company plant was built up till several city blocks in the vicinity of the Lake Shore Railroad are now covered with foundry, machine shop, wood-working shops, boiler shops, ware¬ houses, offices, etc., all commodious brick struc¬ tures and equipped with everything need¬ ful for maintaining the reputation of the firm for first-class work. About two hun¬ dred and seventy-five men are employed, and many of these have been with the company since the days of their apprenticeship. It is especially pleasing to note, as throwing light on one of Mr. Rumely's chief characteristics, that no strikes or other troubles have ever marred the harmonious relations between the company and its employes. Mr. Rumely's kindness to and appreciation of his workmen were indicated by their fidelity to him, through all the years that he used their services, and by their many tributes of affection at his death. Furthermore, these men are all home-owners and an important addition to LaPorte's citizenship, and in increasing their prosperity and promoting their welfare Meinrad Rumely contributed both wealth and substantial¬ ity to his adopted city.

The Rumely plant annually manufactures about three hundred threshing engines and out¬ fits, besides other varieties of industrial and agri¬ cultural machinery, and for the disposal of this output branch offices are located at Chicago; Fond du Lac, Wisconsin ; Logansport, Indianap¬ olis, Indiana; Toledo, Ohio; St. Louis, Kansas City, Missouri ; Cairo, Illinois ; Des Moines, Iowa ; Lincoln, Nebraska; Wichita, Kansas; and Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Meinrad Rumely, the late president and head of this monumental enterprise, was bom in Adelsberg, near Zell, Baden, Germany, February 9, 1823, being a son of Joseph Rumely, a native of Baden and a farmer and weaver. Meinrad learned the millwright's trade in France* this trade included carpentering, cabinet-making, ma¬ chine. work, and in fact everything in connection with the construction of a mill. In 1848, when a young man of twenty-five and without capital, he came to America, and for a short time lived in Canton, Ohio, and was then employed in a machine shop in Massillon, Ohio. While here his brother John, who had come to this country in 1849 and was also a machinist joined him, and in 1853, after Meinrad had been in a machine shop in Piqua, Ohio, for about a year, the brothers came to LaPorte and made the beginning of the M. Rumely Com¬ pany. Meinrad Rumely thus lived to see the fiftieth anniversary of his successful enterprise and to enjoy the fruition of the hopes and plans of his youth.

Mr. Rumely was married April 19, 1855, at Canton, Ohio, to Miss Theresa Fierstoss, who was bom in Markolsheim, France, January 9, 1835, and came to America with her parents, Frank J. and Mary E. Fierstoss, in 1844. This was a union blessed with all that was noble and good, and had the husband lived another year and twenty days they would have celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their happy marriage. Mrs. Rumely was faithful and devoted to her husband to the very last, ministering his last com¬ forts in the hours before death, and crowning her heart's great love in helpfulness. Of the nine children born of their marriage, eight, all of whom are an honor to their parents, survive. The four sons. William N., Joseph J., Aloysius J. and Meinrad C.( are all residents of LaPorte,. and were, respectively, vice president and superin¬ tendent, secretary and treasurer, assistant super¬ intendent, and connected with the engine depart¬ ment, of the plant of which their father was president and general manager. The daughters of the familv were : Clara, deceased ; Anna, now Mrs. Mayle' of San Francisco; Mrs. Christena Kreidler, of LaPorte ; Mrs. Otto Aichner, of Erie. Pennsylvania; and Mary, wife of John Wolf, of LaPorte. There are twenty-two grand¬ children.

Meinrad Rumely was a man of simple tastes, which are the marks of a great character. His daily work, his home and his religion marked the sphere of his activities. In the words of the Rev. Father Cavanaugh, "he was a model husband and father. He was not a club man, but a father who loved his home. A beautiful exemplification of his home life was the large and honorable family which gathered at the bedside to minister to him in his advanced age. Such devotion has its reward here." _ .

Mr. Rumely was a deeply religious man. His devotion to his church was marked, while his charitable work was unostentatious. He was one of the few remaining charter members of St. Joseph's Catholic church, which was established in 1859. He was always liberal in his gifts to the parish, on one occasion presenting the church with a new bell. He was exceedingly regular in his attendance at divine services, seldom miss¬ ing mass no matter how stormy the day. He took an active part in the establishment of the Holy Family Hospital, an institution that has proved of great "benefit to the injured and sick of LaPorte.

No enumeration of the countless ways in which Mr. Rumely assisted in the upbuilding of his city and community can be here attempted. He was always unselfish, and carried out the fixed ambition of his life to the lasting welfare of LaPorte. All public enterprises received en¬ couragement from him, and more than one factory has received contributions from him- that it might locate at LaPorte. The worth of such of such a man as Mr. Rumely to LaPorte was of in¬ estimable advantage in the example he set of the domestic virtues, in his religious and business life, and in the great monument he erected for himself and the city through years of toil and of gratify¬ ing triumph.

prosperity and well-being of every community depend upon the wise interpretation of the laws, as well as upon their judicious framing, and there¬ fore the records of «the various persons who have at different times mads up the bar of LaPorte county cannot fail to prove of interest to the readers of this volume. In the American state the great and good lawyer must always be promi¬ nent, for he is one of the forces that move and control society. Public confidence has generally been reposed in the legal fraternity. It has ever been the defender of popular rights, the champion of freedom regulated by law, the firm support of good government. No political preferment, no mere place, can add to the power or increase the honor which belongs to the pure and educated lawyer. Judge Noyes is one who has been honored by and is an honor to the legal fraternity of northern Indiana. He stands to-day prominent among the leading members of the bar of this part of the state, a position he has attained through ability.

Judge Noyes is a native of Vermont, his birth having occurred at Poultney, that state, in 1830. His father, Moses Noyes, was a prominent lawyer who practiced in New York city prior to his removal to Vermont, where he died in 1832. He had married Clarissa Gay, a native of Connecticut, and her death occurred at the home of Judge Noyes, in LaPorte, only a few years ago. After the death of the husband and father the family removed to Seneca Falls, New York, where Judge Noyes acquired his early education. Later he attended Union College, at Schenectady, New York, where he was graduated with the class of 1848. On the completion of his literary course he took up the study of law in Auburn, New York, in the office of Clark & Underwood, well known legists there, and was admitted to the bar before the supreme court of New York, at Rochester, in 1851.

Believing that the west would offer a better field of labor, he sought a favorable location and after visiting several states decided upon La¬ Porte, Indiana, where he has lived continuously since, actively connected with the legal profession. In the fifties he was elected judge of the court of common pleas at LaPorte and in 1876 was elected judge of the thirty-second circuit, em¬ bracing LaPorte and St. Joseph counties. Twice he was re-elected, serving altogether for eighteen consecutive years. At the bar and on the bench he has won high encomiums and marked dis¬ tinction. A man of unimpeachable character, of strong intellectual endowments, with a thorough understanding of the law, patience, urbanity and industry, Judge Noyes took to the bench the very highest qualifications for this responsible office, and his record as a judge was in harmony with his record as a man and a lawyer, distinguished by unswerving integrity and a masterful grasp of every problem which presented itself for solu¬ tion. At the end of his third term he retired from the bench, and has since engaged in the practice of law, having a distinctively representative clien¬ tage.

In 1870, in Chicago, Illinois, was celebrated the marriage of Judge Noyes and Miss Julia A. Howell, and theirs is one of the hospitable homes of LaPorte. The Judge is a very prominent Mason, ranking with the leading representatives of the fraternity in the country. He was raised to the degree of a Master Mason in May, 1887, in Excelsior Lodge, at LaPorte. He took the chapter degrees in August of the same year and the council degrees in September, while in November, 1887, he became a Knight Templar in LaPorte Commandery No. 12. He received some of the Scottish Rite degrees in the same year, and later attained the thirty-second degree, and on the 18th of September, 1893, he received the degree of the Royal Order of Scotland in the congress of Masons which was held at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He is also a member of the Mystic Shrine. His official career in Masonry began in 1888, when he was installed as worshipful master of Excelsior Lodge, in La¬ Porte. In 1889 he was re-elected and again in 1890. He later held various offices in the higher degrees represented in LaPorte, and on the 23d of May, 1893, was elected grand master of the grand lodge for the state of Indiana, serving for one term. He is a noted orator and authority on Masonic history, and for several years past his services have been largely in demand at Masonic gatherings, where he has addressed his brethren on many subjects of vital interest to the craft. He is a fluent, earnest and entertaining speaker, is a man of fine character, strong individuality and resolute purpose, and is greatly esteemed in La¬ Porte and throughout the state, where he has so long been a distinguished member of the legal fraternity.

SETH CRAFT is one of the most enter¬ prising and progressive agriculturists of Scipio township. Here he has spent his entire life, his birth occurring in LaPorte county on the 3d of April, 1865. His father, Henry Craft, was born in Pennsylvania, April 1, 1826, and through¬ out his active business life followed farming with marked success, but is now living a retired life in the city of LaPorte, enjoying the fruits of former toil. In early manhood he married Miss Elizabeth Garwood, who was bom in Ohio in 1826, and they became the parents of five chil¬ dren, as follows: John, who died in infancy; another, who died in infancy unnamed; Jennie, who was bom in 1857; Seth; and Thomas, who was born in 1863.

Seth Craft was reared to agricultural pur¬ suits upon the home farm and acquired his literary education in the district schools of the neighborhood. Since attaining to man's estate he has continued to follow the occupation of farming, and has resided at his present place since 1885. The old home farm consisted of two hundred and forty acres, which the father divided equally between his two sons for farming, Seth receiving one hundred and twenty acres, upon which he has made many improvements and which he keeps under a high state of culti¬ vation.

In 1886 Mr. Craft married Miss Fannie Andrews, who was also born in this county, July 1, 1864, and was educated in common schools and LaPorte high school. Her parents were Hiram H. and Lucy (Griffin) Andrews, who were married in LaPorte in 1850. Her father was bom September 28, 1828, and is a railroad conductor on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad. Her mother's birth occurred at Elkhart, Indiana, August 29, 1828. They had five children, namely: George, bom October 27, 1851; May, who was born December 27, 1854, and was married in 1874 to D. F. Wagner, a rail¬ road engineer living in Elkhart; Mattie, who was bom February 2, 1861, and died in January, 1869; Fannie, Mrs. Craft; and Hiram, Jr., bom March 31, 1870.

By his ballot Mr. Craft supports the men and measures of the Democratic party. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church of Kingsbury, Indiana, take an active and prominent part in church work, and do all within their power to advance the interests of the community in which they live.

WILLIAM C. HUNSLEY. One of the representative farmers and highly esteemed citi¬ zens of Hanna township is William C. Hunsley, who was born within its borders on the 5th of August, 1864, and has made his home here uninterruptedly. His father, Thomas Hunsley, was a native of England, born in Lincolnshire,

September 18, 1818, and there grew to man¬ hood. It was in 1846 that he emigrated to Amer¬ ica, and after spending three years in Buffalo, New York, he came to LaPorte county, Indiana, and bought a farm in Hanna township, which he at once began to improve and cultivate. He mar¬ ried Miss Thirzah Lawrence, who was born in Somersetshire, England, and they became the parents of seven children, as follows: Mary B., bom July 3, 1855, is now the wife of Anson Canfield, of Wellsboro, this county; George W., bom September 25, 1856, is a resident of Hanna, Indiana; Betsy A., born December 2, 1858, makes her home in Union Mills, Indiana ; Rosa V., bom February 5, 1861, the wife of Henry Rosebaum, a fanner of Hanna township ; William C. is the next in order of birth ; John J., born May 4, 1867, is a a resident of Hanna township; and Joseph L., bom March 7, 1870, died in 1872.

William C. Hunsley is indebted to the public schools of this county for the educational ad¬ vantages he enjoyed during his youth, completing his education in the Hanna high school. Since laying aside his text books he has devoted his entire time and attention to agricultural pursuits, and in 1896 bought his present farm in Hanna township. Good and substantial buildings are surrounded by well tilled fields, and everything about the place denotes the thrift and enterprise of the owner.

On the 1 2th of November, 1892, Mr. Hunsley was married in LaPorte to Miss Eveline Pike, who was bom in Hanna township, July 18, 1872. Two children bless this union, their names and dates of birth being as follows : Ada A., October 25, 1893; an(l William John, September 29, 1895. William J. Pike, the father of Mrs. Hunsley, was born in Michigan, December 30, 1841, and now makes his home in Donaldson, Marshall county, this state. By occupation he is a farmer. His wife bore the maiden name of Caroline Ben¬ nett, and was born at Union Mills, this county, on the 24th of December, 1852.

TIMOTHY WEED is a retired farmer now ' living in Westville, and his rest from labor is the fitting reward of his long life of activity in con¬ nection with agricultural pursuits. Through long years he has resided in LaPorte county and has witnessed much of its growth and develop¬ ment. He was born in Schoharie county, New York, September 13, 1828, and traces his ances¬ try back to England and Wales. He was the third in a family of six children, five sons and a daughter, bom to Henry and Catherine (Borst)

Weed. Three of these are now living, the brothers of Mr. Weed being Benjamin, a resi¬ dent of Alexandria, Indiana; and Chancellor, of Lafayette, Indiana, who was for three years a soldier of the Civil war and is now a mechanic.

Henry Weed was a native of Connecticut, born about 1798, and his death occurred in 1870. He was a shoemaker by trade and followed that pursuit in his early manhood, but afterward turned turned his attention to farming. He be¬ came a man of independent means, and for a number of years resided in New York, after which he resolved to seek a home in what was then the far west. Making the journey with wagon and team to Buffalo, he there sailed for Toledo, Ohio, and thence came to LaPorte county, arriving in 1838, when the work of improvement and progress had scarcely been begun here. He purchased eighty acres of partially improved land and erected thereon his first home in Indi¬ ana. Westville had not then been founded. The township of New Durham was named by Mrs. Benedict, a native of New York, thfe Benedicts being the first settlers within its borders. With marked energy Henry Weed began to improve his land, and in course of time developed a valu¬ able property. In early life he was a Jackson Democrat, but afterward became an ardent Re¬ publican. Both he and his wife held member¬ ship in the Methodist church. The latter was bom in New York in 1807 and died March 27, 1880. She was of German descent.

Timothy Weed was only ten years of age when he came with his parents to LaPorte county, where he has since resided with the ex¬ ception of a period of five years spent in Illinois and California. He was educated in the schools of New York and Indiana, and was a student in one of the typical schools of the frontier where instruction was largely in the "three R's" - reading Sitin' and 'rithmetic. The schoolhouse was built of logs and furnished with slab seats and a fireplace. In his minority he largely as¬ sisted in the development and operation of the old home farm, and when he started out for himself at the age of twenty-one years he had not a dollar of his own, so he had to begin emptyhanded. All that he now possesses has been ac¬ cumulated through his earnest labor and unre¬ mitting diligence. He spent twenty-two years of his life in the undertaking business in Westville and was very successful.

For nearly ten years Mr. Weed operated a rented farm and then purchased a tract of land. At a later date he sold this and bought another farm, and each time he has bought and sold he has profited by the transaction. He is now the owner of two hundred and twenty-eight acres, of which one hundred and seventy-nine acres lies in Porter county and forty-nine acres adjoins the corporation limits of Westville.

To Mr. and Mrs. Weed were born two sons and a daughter, but only one is now living: Daniel West, who is one of the enterprising merchants of Westville, Indiana. Amenzo, the eldest, died at the age of thirteen years, and Bettie 'died at the age of four and one-half years. Daniel was bom September i, 1866, completed the course of study in the Westville high school and then attended the Indiana Normal School at Valparaiso, Indiana, where he took up a scientific course and also the study of law. He is also a telegrapher and was at Blue Island, Illinois, for about ten years as station agent and telegraph operator. He was married January 26, 1901, to Miss Martha Walton, who was educated in the College of Music in Chicago and is a most ac¬ complished lady. She has been a teacher of both vocal and instrumental music. Daniel W. Weed is a leading young Republican of the county and is very prominent in Masonic circles, having at¬ tained the Knights Templar degree. He is a member of Calumet Lodge No. 716, A. F. & A. M., Calumet Chapter No. 203, R. A. M., Im¬ perial Council No. 85, R. & S. M., and St. Bernard Commandery No. 35, Knights Templar, of the city of Chicago. He and his wife are members of the Order of the Eastern Star at Westville, Indiana.

Mrs. Timothy Weed, was bom in Union county, Indiana, November 25, 1832, a daughter of Owen and Hannah (Woodford) Crumpacker, in whose family there were nine children, six sons and three daughters. Only three, however, are now living: John, a resident of Oklahoma, is a large landowner and is now eighty-three years of age. Theophilus is a retired farmer liv¬ ing in Valparaiso, Indiana, and has represented his district in the state legislature. Mrs. Weed was only two years old when brought by her parents to LaPorte county, her family being one of the oldest and most prominent in this part of the state. They located near the city of LaPorte, but afterward sold that property and went to Porter county, but subsequently returned to this county. Her ancestry can be traced back to Germany, although her immediate ancestors were residents of Virginia. Her father, who was born in 1783, died in 1848. He was a member of the Baptist church, while his wife held mem¬ bership with the Methodist church.

In 1861 Mr. and Mrs. Weed removed to Kankakee, Illinois, where they spent four years, and in 1865 went to California, but after a short period passed in the latter state they returned to Illinois, on account of Mrs. Weed's health. They have long been residents of this county, and are held in the warmest regard by all who know them. Mr. Weed is now an ardent Republican, but cast his first presidential vote for Franklin Pierce. He has never sought or desired office, but has always been faithful to the principles in which he believes. Fraternally he is a member of West¬ ville Lodge No. 136, I. O. O. F., and his wife is connected with the Rebekah Lodge No. 183. She also belongs to the Baptist church. They are now living retired in a comfortable home in Westville, respected and honored by many friends.

ABRAHAM TEEGARDEN, M. D., during whose long period of residence and identification with LaPorte county, Indiana, he did so much for the community's progress and to make his own name to be remembered for many generations to come, was bom in Columbiana county, Ohio, Sep¬ tember 29, 1813, the son of William and Susanna (Rofelty) Teegarden, both of German descent and natives respectively of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and listed among the pioneers of the state of Ohio, having settled there in 1804.

Their son Abraham passed his early years on the farm, and he had to wrork hard for the educational advantages which he ulti¬ mately enjoyed. He was one of five broth¬ ers who became physicians, and he got his first professional knowledge of- medi¬ cine in the office of his brother, Dr. Eli, at Mans¬ field, Ohio. He afterward attended medical lec¬ tures at Washington College, Ohio, and graduated at the Cincinnati Medical College in 1837. He decided to move west for a field of labor, and in the year of his graduation took up his residence in LaPorte county, Indiana, and began active practice, so that he was identified with the growth of the county from almost its incipiencv till it became one of the most flourishing of the coun¬ ties of this great state.

Dr. Teegarden's fine ability and worth of char¬ acter soon brought him into a position of promi¬ nence with the people, and during the remainder of his life he exerted a powerful influence in many ways. He was especially interested in the de¬ velopment of the city of LaPorte, and one of the enduring monuments which he left is the Teegarden Hotel, for forty years one of the noted hostelries of northern Indiana.

As a member of the Whig party during its later days, he was elected in 1849 to represent the counties of Lake and Porter in the state senate. This was the occasion of an exciting contest between him and his Democratic opponent, Major McCoy. He served as senator with great ability through the sessions of 1850-52, the latter being an extra session. In i860, having in the meantime joined the ranks of the new Republican party, he was nominated for the same office to represent LaPorte and Starke counties, and was elected. His service was during the stormy days of '61 -'62, and he participated in the stirring de¬ bates as a strong Union man, his voice ever being raised and his means and influence used to sup¬ port the government and crush the rebellion. He did not enter the service during the war, nor did he ask for a commission, but many times patriotic¬ ally volunteered his professional help as a sur¬ geon. What he did for the sick and wounded at the battles of Fort Donelson, Pittsburg Land¬ ing and Vicksburg, will always be remembered by the survivors. He was also one of the first two surgeons that met the retreating army of McClellan from Richmond, and his aid was freely given in this six days' fight. But in the homes, as well as on the field, he was the friend in need to many of the lonely sick and helpless who had sent their children to the front, and to such his sympathy and means were generously offered.

His religious faith was that of the New Jerusa¬ lem or Swedenborgian church, and he was one of the founders of this denomination in LaPorte, and one of its most devoted supporters. His life exemplified the poetry and beauty of his religion. His death occurred on October 2, 1883. It was the result of a fall while he was attending to a little item of repairs at the Teegarden Hotel, and occasioned general mourning and cast a gloom over the whole community.

Dr. Teegarden was married in 1840 to Miss Lura, daughter of Samuel Treat, of New York, of which state she was a native. Their two children were Mary T., the widow of Albert B. Clark, and Myra B., the wife of John H. Bradley, Esq.

city, married Albert Barnes Clark. The four chil¬ dren of this union are Mrs. Elsie Clark Parker, of Indianapolis; Mrs. Marjorie Clark Barker, of Michigan City; Miss Kate Clark and Donald Clark, both of LaPorte. After Mr. Clark's death in California in 1883, Mrs. Clark returned to her old home in LaPorte, and her beautiful residence is now the center of interest and hospi¬ tality for her many friends. She is very promi¬ nent in social affairs and in the religious interests of the New Church.

She has a cultured mind and is a very fine writer, though she is so unobtrusive with her talents that this latter fact is known and appreci¬ ated by comparatively few in the community where she resides. She is thoroughly patriotic and worked earnestly through our two last wars to sustain a patriotic spirit at home and to send necessary articles to soldiers in the field.

The Treat family, to which Mrs. Clark's mother belonged, is of English origin, with its original seat in Somerset, England. It was transplanted to America in 1637, to Wethersfield, Connecticut. Since then among its many mem¬ bers have appeared distinguished judges, minis¬ ters and physicians. Robert Treat was colonial governor of Connecticut, and there is a massive memorial tower erected to his memory at Milford, Massachusetts. Theodore Treat, the great-grand¬ father of Mrs. Clark, was born at East Hartford, Connecticut, August 15, 1754, and died in Herki¬ mer county, New York, March 28, 1828. He was a member of Captain George Pitkin's company in the Fourth Connecticut Regiment in the Revolu¬ tionary war and served throughout that conflict. Samuel, the son of Theodore, was born at East Hartford, July 7, 1787. He came to LaPorte, Indi¬ ana, in 1834, and became a prominent citizen of the city, where he died February 3, 1849. His wife Elcy Tracy, was remarkable for intellectual attainments, and lived to be ninety-four years of age, her death occurring at LaPorte, December 22, 1880. Lura (Treat) Teegarden, the mother of Mrs. Clark, died at LaPorte, January 12, 1868.

Albert Barnes Clark, the son of Amzi Clark, a noted old-time merchant of LaPorte county, was bom at LaPorte, August 24, 1842. He at¬ tended Wabash College, and later entered the junior class at Yale, where he was graduated with honors in 1864. He was a member of the Skull and Bones, and received prizes for scholarship and oratory. He was tendered the position of paymaster in the United States navy, and was assigned to duty under Admiral Farragut in the Gulf squadron, after which for a number of years his life was a varied and eventful one, - engaged in the general insurance business, conducting an extensive business as a stenographer in Chicago, New York and Washington; private secretary to Hon. Matt Carpenter, then president of the United States senate; and later in charge of the private bank of J. Y. Scammon, the Chicago millionaire. In 1870-71 he was stenographer to Clarence King, then in charge of the geological exploration of the fortieth parallel. In 1875 he drifted to the Pacific coast, and located in Los Angeles county, naming his home there Yale Orange Grove after his alma mater. What was originally a mustard patch became through his intelligent management the garden spot for miles around, his specialty being the raising of oranges. Mr. Clark organized the Santa Anna Valley Irri¬ gation Company, acting as its president. At that time he was one of the few college-bred men in that part of the country, and became very influen¬ tial in public and business affairs, so that his early death, at the age of forty-one, caused by typhoid fever, was regarded as a calamity in the com¬ munity, and was greatly lamented by his many friends.

JOHN MILLER TRUMP is a practical and enterprising agriculturist, who is now operating three hundred and seventy acres of land, con¬ stituting one of the valuable and highly improved farms of LaPorte county, pleasantly located near Union Mills. He was born in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, on the 21st of January, 1862, and is a son of Joseph and Rebecca (Miller) Trump, also natives of the Keystone state. His father was born January 30, 1835, and in early manhood worked at the miller's trade and later followed farming, but is now living a retired life, enjoying a well earned rest and the fruits of former toil. His wife's birth occurred in Northumberland county, Pennsyl¬ vania, November 14, 1833. They were married on the 5th of February, 1861, and became the parents of two children, of whom John M. is the elder. Daniel Lowry, who was born Decem¬ ber 27, 1863, died March 22, 1872.

The family continued to make their home in Pennsylvania until 1867, when they removed to Miller county, Misouri, but after spending a year and a half in that locality they came to Indiana and were residents of Jasper county, this state, for six years. At the end of that time the father sold his farm there and removed to LaPorte county, where he bought a tract of ninety-seven acres and engaged in its cultivation for five years.

He then disposed of that tract and purchased two hundred and thirty-one acres in Noble town¬ ship, which he successfully operated until his retirement from activity in 1895, when he re¬ moved to Union Mills. In the meantime he had added to his property, and is to-day the owner of three hundred and seventy acres of land, upon which are good and substantial buildings. The fields are well tilled and everything about the place is in a flourishing condition.

Mr. Trump continued to live with his parents until their removal to Union Mills, when he re¬ mained on the farm, which he has since carried on with marked success, being a thorough and painstaking agriculturist of good business ability and sound judgment.

John M. Trump has been twice married, his first wife being Miss Malinda Snavely, by whom he had four children, namely: Bessie, born July 26, 1884; Amanda, bom April 25, 1888; Mirl, bom August 5, 1889; and Kenneth, bom July 1, 1894. Mr. Trump was again married Novem¬ ber 3, 1898, his second union being with Miss Margaret Kemp, who was bom July 20, 1864, and is a daughter of Solomon and Maria (Thomas) Kemp, residents of Cass county, Indiana.

During his boyhood Mr. Trump received a good district school education, and by reading and observation has become a well informed man. Fraternally he was an honored member of the Odd Fellows lodge and encampment, and politically is a stanch supporter of the Republi¬ can party and its principles. He is a citizen of worth and ability and stands high in the esteem of his fellow men.

ROBERT BROWN, one of the highly re¬ spected citizens of Clinton township, came to LaPorte county in 1855 and has since borne an active part in its development and improvement, especially along agricultural lines. He has made farming his life occupation and has met with well merited success in his undertakings.

Mr. Brown's early home was on the other side of the Atlantic, for he was bom in Ayrshire, Scotland, his natal day being November 6, 1827. His father, Andrew Brown, was bom in Craigie, Ayrshire, in 1795, and in early manhood married Miss Annie Bain, who was also a native of Ayrshire, bom in 1806. The father never left his native land, but died there in 1876. In his family were the following children : Robert ; John, who was born in 1830; David, who was bom in 1832 and died in 1851 ; Mary, who was bom in

Robert Brown was reared and educated in Scotland, his early life being rather uneventful. Before leaving his native land he was married, in 1847, to Miss Jane Ingraham, whose birth oc¬ curred in Ayrshire, January 8, 1824, and to them were born seven children, as follows: Andrew, James, Annie, Agnes, John, David and William. Scotland was the birthplace of the two oldest, the third was born in New Brunswick, Canada, and the others in LaPorte county, Indiana. The daughter Agnes was a successful teacher for fourteen years in LaPorte county, and eight of the fourteen years in her home township. She was educated in the common schools and was also a student in the normal training department at Valparaiso, Indiana. Annie, her sister, was a teacher in LaPorte county for four years, and was educated in the Wanatah high school.

It was in 1852 that Mr. Brown and his little family, then consisting of wife and two children, crossed the broad Atlantic and took up their resi¬ dence in St. John's, New Brunswick, where he followed farming for three years. At the end of that time he came to LaPorte county, Indiana, and farmed rented land until 1875, when he pur¬ chased his present farm on section 20, Clinton township, and to its further development and cultivation he has since devoted his energies with good success, becoming one of the well-to-do men, as well as one of the most highly esteemed and respected citizens of his community. He is a supporter of the Republican party and its principles, and holds membership in the Christian church. Upright and honorable in all things, he well deserves the prosperity that has come to him, and merits the confidence so freely accorded him by his fellow citizens.