First United Methodist Church (LaPorte, LaPorte County, Ind.) records

Key to symbols used in inventory: + record was written in German, only titles and indexes have been translated, [example: 1889-1892, minutes +] All records are located within the container listed unless the following notations are made: Vol. No. followed by a number [example: vol. no. 2012], indicates that record is a ledger or book and has been shelved Oversize Cont. followed by a number [example: Oversize Cont. 655], indicates that the record is oversized

First Methodist Episcopal Church In 1832, shortly after the first session of the Methodist Indiana Conference was held, the LaPorte Mission was organized as a part of the Northern District. The district became the Northwestern District as a part of the South Bend Circuit in 1833 and several new classes were formed, one of these in LaPorte. In 1836-37 the first church was built in LaPorte, a Sunday School was formed, and the first minister was assigned. In 1847 LaPorte was made a station and three years later the church at 811 Monroe Street was constructed. It was remodeled in 1874 and in 1902. In 1855 the first parsonage was built. It was remodeled in 1865, 1874, and in 1902. In 1890 the Epworth League was organized. In 1904 the membership was 362, with 26 probationers. In 1919, 110 members of the German Methodist Church united with the First Methodist Episcopal Church congregation.

German Methodist Church "In 1847 Mrs. Maria Baumgartner, a member of the German Methodist Episcopal Church in Chicago moved with her husband to LaPorte, and finding many Germans here she persuaded the Rev. Whitehom to come as missionary (1851-52). The first resident pastor was Rev. Winkler--the membership was 51. The first Quarterly Conference was held December 3, 1853 ... At this time Trustees and Stewards were elected. Up to this time meetings had been held in homes and now the congregation purchased a frame building ... This building was moved to ... [500 Harrison St., corner of Clay and Harrison Streets]. In 1864 the trustees bought a building and moved it on the lot with the church, using it for infant class rooms for Sabbath School, later making it a parsonage. In 1884, while Rev. Morf was pastor, the brick church was built and used until the congregation united with the First Methodist Church [in 1919], after which it became the assembly room for the Fraternal Bible Class ... [and was known as the Harrison Street Church]. The Chicago German Conference was held here in 1877 ... The Epworth League was organized in 1889. During the years from 1851-1919, which is 68 years, there were 29 pastors."1

First United Methodist Church2 "With a steady growth through the years, the Sabbath School outgrew the church building, making it necessary to hold the sessions elsewhere--the Fraternal Bible Class meeting in the German Church--now called the Harrison Street Church; the Mizpah Class at the Y.M.C.A. and the Senior, Junior, Primary, Beginners, and Cradle Roll occupying the entire Monroe Street Church. Recognizing the great need for larger quarters in which to carry on the work of the Sabbath School, there came the dream of building a new church."3 Planning for the new church began in 1925, when the Rev. Alpha A. Kenna was sent to the charge. Ground breaking ceremonies were held in 1927 for the church which was to cost approximately #300,000. The building constructed at 1225 Michigan Avenue was completed in November 1928. The mortgage was burned in 1954 and many repairs were made to the church that same year. The present parsonage, 2006 Michigan Avenue, was erected in approximately 1957. No recent church histories have been published.