La Porte County Historical Society

05/29/2026

✨Patton Cemetery Tour on May 30th!✨

Join Museum staff tomorrow for a walking tour at Patton Cemetery in La Porte!

The group will walk you through the cemetery grounds, highlighting the stories of ten monuments and the people they commemorate.

Tours will disembark at 12:00, 2:00, and 4:00 at the entrance of Patton Cemetery.

Tickets cost $5.00 per person. Current Society Members of the La Porte County Historical Society may take the tour free of charge.

A limited number of tickets are available so purchase your tickets today before they are gone!

Tickets can be bought on the Museum's website. Click the link below to purchase tickets:
https://laportecountyhistory.org/.../patton-cemetery.../

We hope to see everyone there!

If you are unable to make it to this cemetery tour, no worries as we will be having another Patton Cemetery tour on October 3rd!

05/29/2026

✨🌻New and Exciting Events this May!🌻✨

June 2-30: New Scavenger Hunt! Find the cows that are hidden around the Museum and receive an exclusive pin!

June 2: Hoosier Cartoons & Comics Traveling Exhibit Arrives! The exhibit explores and examines the life and work of Indiana cartoonists. Included in the exhibit is Evansville’s Karl Kae Knecht; “the first black political cartoonist,” Henry Jackson Lewis; Richmond’s Gaar Williams, who earned a designation as the “James Whitcomb Riley of the pencil”; and Muncie’s Jim Davis, responsible for bringing Garfield to life. This exhibit will be on display until July 2.

June 2: Postcards of La Porte County Exhibit Opens! See some of the unique postcards that are in the Museum's collection. This exhibit will be on display until August 29.

June 18: Underground Railroad in Northwest Indiana Program! Join us at the Museum on Thursday, June 18 at 5:00pm for a wonderful presentation titled 'A broad look at the journeys of freedom seekers and the responses of Abolitionists across northwestern Indiana'. Professor Larry McClellan will be giving this presentation. This is a free event and all are welcome.

June 19: Juneteenth Celebration & Storytime! Families are invited to the Museum at 10:30am to learn about Naomi Anderson to celebrate Juneteenth. This is a FREE event and all ages are welcome!

June 20: Children’s Storytime & Activity! Celebrate National Dairy Month at the Museum! Families are invited to come learn about the local dairies in La Porte County. A real cow will also be at the Museum to pet! This fun filled dairy event starts at 10:30am. All are welcome to attend this FREE event. Snacks will also be provided by Culver's.

05/28/2026

✨La Porte County History Trivia✨

Question #19

Who is this man? He helped La Porte receive what nickname?

~The answer will be revealed on Tuesday, June 2.

05/27/2026

✨La Porte County History Trivia✨

Answer to Question #18

There were three Civil War camps in La Porte County: Camp Colfax, Camp Jackson, and Camp Anderson.

Camp Colfax and Camp Jackson were located in La Porte, while Camp Anderson was located in Michigan City.

Camp Colfax began in 1861 and trained the 9th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. These soldiers were sent to some of the most deadly battles of the Civil War. They even received the nickname of 'The Bloody 9th'. Some of the battles they fought include the Battle of Shiloh, the Battle of Chickamauga, and the Siege of Atlanta. These soldiers were discharged from service in September of 1865. Camp Colfax was located near Colfax Ave in La Porte.

The second Civil War camp in La Porte was Camp Jackson. This was where the 29th Indiana Volunteer Infantry were trained. They were also sent to fight in the Battle of Shiloh. The camp was located across from the Quaker Cemetery on Park Street where an old cabin once stood and used as the headquarters. The old cabin was built in 1841 and was once used as a Quaker Church.

Camp Anderson began in 1863 to train the 127th, 128th, and 129th regiments. The camp was named after Col. Edward Anderson, who had the nickname of 'The Fighting Parson' as he was also a chaplain. The camp was only used for a year and was located near Michigan Boulevard in Michigan City.

On September 23, 1963, there was a dedication for a historical marker of the La Porte Civil War Camps. The marker is located at the corner of State Road 2 and Colfax Ave.

In 1996, a historical marker for Camp Anderson was dedicated. The marker can still be seen and is located on the corner of Carroll Ave and Michigan Boulevard.

~Trivia Question #19 will be posted on Thursday, May 28~

05/21/2026

✨La Porte County History Trivia✨

Question #18

How many Civil War training camps were in La Porte? What were the names of the camps?

~The answer will be revealed on Wednesday, May 27.

Photo: A Civil War Monument that once stood on the lawn of the second Courthouse.

05/20/2026

✨🌻Children's Storytime & Activity!🌻✨

Families are invited to join us on Saturday, May 23 at 10:30 for a story and hands-on activity at the Museum.

For May, children are learning about farming and will be able to grow their own plant that they can take home with them.

All ages are welcome and this is a free event!

05/19/2026

✨Patton Cemetery Tour on May 30th!✨

Join Museum staff on Saturday, May 30, 2026, for a walking tour at Patton Cemetery in La Porte!

The group will walk you through the cemetery grounds, highlighting the stories of ten monuments and the people they commemorate. Tours will disembark at 12:00, 2:00, and 4:00 at the entrance of Patton Cemetery.

Tickets cost $5.00 per person. Current Society Members of the La Porte County Historical Society may take the tour free of charge.

A limited number of tickets are available so purchase your tickets today before they are gone!

Tickets can be bought on the Museum's website. Click the link below to purchase tickets:
https://laportecountyhistory.org/.../patton-cemetery.../

We hope to see everyone there!

If you are unable to make it to this cemetery tour, no worries as we will be having another Patton Cemetery tour on October 3rd! See less

05/19/2026

05/19/2026

✨Historical Society Meeting Tonight!✨

Join us this evening at 7:00pm at the Museum for a fascinating program by Gene Bukowski titled "From To***co Plantation to La Porte Pioneer Woman: The Remarkable Life of Susannah Pottenger-Brown."

Susannah Pottenger’s life embodied the course of early American history. Susannah was a descendant of those escaping religious persecution in Europe. Many of these emigrants were willing to become indentured servants for the chance of a better life in Colonial Maryland. Susannah Pottenger was born during the French and Indian War and was raised on a Maryland to***co farm. She was orphaned in Virginia during the Revolutionary War, survived the dangerous Kentucky frontier, and was widowed very young. Susannah Pottenger-Brown died in Illinois during the Civil War, aged more than 100 years.

All are welcome to attend this free event at the Museum!

We hope to see everyone there!

05/16/2026

✨La Porte County History Trivia✨

Answer to Question #17

The Hobart M. Cable Company built pianos in La Porte.

The Hobart M. Cable Company first began in Chicago in 1900 and later moved to La Porte in 1903. The founder of the company was Hobart M. Cable and he was the President of the company until his death in 1909. The other officers included his son Hobart M. Cable Jr. as Vice President and Howard B. Morenus who was both the Secretary and Treasurer.

The factory was built on the corner of Factory Street and Darrow Street in La Porte. Construction began in late 1903 and the plant officially opened in 1904. The factory was built with the best and modern materials at the time. La Porte was chosen to be the site of the factory because it was “away from the dust and dirt of the metropolis (Chicago)- with uninterrupted light and pure air”.

The company flourished in La Porte and employed 125 workers. At the height of production, 15-20 pianos were produced daily. With the introduction of the radio and the Great Depression, the company suffered tremendously and stopped manufacturing in 1930.

~Trivia Question #18 will be posted on Thursday, May 21~