Brief History of LaPorte County

Before 1830, all of LaPorte and Starke Counties were a part of the Pottawatomie Nation. All of the land from the Wabash River to Lake Michigan belonged to the Pottawatomie Indians. They were a peaceful people and had trails or traces that ran through the forests, marshes and around the lakes and along the rivers and creeks. In 1838, the Indians were removed by the United States Government to the Osage County of Kansas. Many of these Indians were old and could not stand the long trip and died on the way, so it has been called the March of Death.

The State of Indiana enacted that after April 1, 1830, all of Northwestern Indiana from the county of Elkhart to the state line on the west be designated as St. Joseph County and that five districts or townships be formed. Two districts to the west were called Highland and Michigan; two districts to the east were in what is now St. Joseph County; and the center district, later a part of the present La Porte County was named “Descheim,” meaning in French, “by the lakes.”

Then followed a move led by Aaron Stanton to make LaPorte a separate county. As a result, LaPorte, consisting then of 462 square miles, was incorporated and became an official county on May 28, 1832. The county was divided into three districts or townships designated as Kankakee, Scipio and New Durham.

This map of northwestern Indiana was published in 1897 by the Century Atlas Company, New York. A larger area, including part of the Illinois portion of the watershed, is shown in the larger image. Click HERE

In 1832, when LaPorte County was formed, it only extended as far south as the southern line of present Clinton Township. The land to the south became a part of Starke County when it was organized but the people living in that area had difficulty getting across the Kankakee River to go to Knox (the county seat of Starke County) to pay their taxes, having to go east as far as Lemon's Bridge. They asked to be annexed to LaPorte County and this was done January 28, 1842. The area was first called Van Buren Township, named after President Martin Van Buren. Then, on January 10, 1850, twenty sections of land were taken from St. Joseph County on the east and added to LaPorte County to give LaPorte County its present boundaries.

Today, LaPorte County has 21 townships. Kankakee Township first contained all of what now is Galena, Hudson, Wills, Pleasant, Union, Washington, Lincoln and Johnson Townships. Since the source of the Little Kankakee River was in Kankakee Township, this township was called Kankakee. The land along the river was full of springs which fed it. The first man to settle in what is now Kankakee Township was Philip Fail. In 1834, the Michigan Road was built across the northern part by the State of Indiana. Scipio Township first contained all of what is now Centre, Springfield and Noble Townships. The first settlers were Adam Keith and his wife Elizabeth and Lewis Shirley and his wife and mother. So far, the reason for the name is unknown. New Durham Township first contained all of what is now Michigan, Clinton and Coolspring townships. It was named by Miriam Benedict, the first white woman settler in LaPorte County. She named it after her old home, Durham, New York. She was buried in Union Chapel Cemetery which was later rededicated and in her honor named Miriam Benedict Cemetery. The four remaining townships (Cass, Dewey, Hanna and Prairie) were formed from the area to the south, once Van Buren Township of Starke County.

It is of interest to learn how the various townships received their names, some of which are self-explanatory. Wills was named after John Wills, the first settler, who lived near Boot Jack. Springfield was named by Judah Leaming, an early settler, after his home in the east, Springfield, Massachusetts. Clinton was named after DeWitt Clinton. Galena, like Kankakee, was named after the river. Hudson was named for the explorer, Henry Hudson. Cass was named after Lewis Cass. Dewey got its name from George Dewey, one of the first settlers. Hanna was named after an official of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Lincoln was the first township in Indiana to be named for Abraham Lincoln and Johnson received its name from Andrew Johnson.