La Porte County Historical Society

La Porte County Historical Society La Porte County Historical Society Museum is located at 2405 Indiana Avenue in La Porte. For research questions, email [email protected].

✨Patton Cemetery Tour on October 3rd!✨Join Museum staff on Saturday, October 3, 2026, for another walking tour at Patton...
09/01/2026

✨Patton Cemetery Tour on October 3rd!✨

Join Museum staff on Saturday, October 3, 2026, for another walking tour at Patton Cemetery in La Porte!

We will walk through the cemetery grounds and highlight several 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/event/patton-cemetery-tour-october-3-2026-registration-required-2/

We hope to see everyone there!

✨Children's Storytime & Activity on September 19th!✨Families are invited to join us on Saturday, September 19th at the M...
09/01/2026

✨Children's Storytime & Activity on September 19th!✨

Families are invited to join us on Saturday, September 19th at the Museum for story time and an activity at 10:30am!

This is a FREE event and all ages are welcome!

Each month, Museum volunteers and staff will host a story time followed by a hands-on activity.

For September, children are learning about Washington Park, the Lighthouse, and the Dunes in Michigan City!

✨La Porte County History Trivia✨Question #26What famous architect built houses in Long Beach?~The answer will be reveal...
08/27/2026

✨La Porte County History Trivia✨

Question #26

What famous architect built houses in Long Beach?

~The answer will be revealed on Thursday, September 3.

✨La Porte County History Trivia✨Answer to Question #25The factory seen in the photo was Smith Brothers Cough Drops in M...
08/27/2026

✨La Porte County History Trivia✨

Answer to Question #25

The factory seen in the photo was Smith Brothers Cough Drops in Michigan City.

James Smith began the cough drop business in 1847 in Poughkeepsie, New York. When James died in 1866, his two sons, William and Andrew, took over the business. This is when the business became officially known as the Smith Brothers.

The cough drop business was very successful and to keep up with the demand, there was a great need to expand the business. The company looked toward the Midwest for a new factory location and Michigan City was selected. A big drawl for this location was the access to various railroads that went through the area which allowed the cough drops to be more easily shipped.

A new 'modern' factory was built in 1921. Air conditioning was installed in the factory as well. The factory opened with 60 workers in total and 20 of the workers were women. Over time, the workforce was expanded to 200 to keep up with the ever increasing demand of cough drops.

The factory was in operation until 1959 and the building was demolished in 1966. There were many possibilities for this empty lot. One option was to even build high rise condos. In 2000, the space was made into Millennium Plaza. Smith Brothers Cough Drops still exist to this day and can still be purchased in a variety of stores.

~Trivia Question #26 will be posted on Thursday, August 27th ~

✨New Traveling Exhibit on Display!✨The La Porte County Historical Society is happy to host Indiana Historical Society's ...
08/21/2026

✨New Traveling Exhibit on Display!✨

The La Porte County Historical Society is happy to host Indiana Historical Society's Traveling Exhibit 'Faces of the Civil War'.

The exhibit brings to life the stories of many Hoosiers whose lives were touched, and in some cases taken, by the Civil War.

Rather than focusing on statistics and large-scale battles, 'Faces of the Civil War' illustrates how regular Hoosiers coped with the tragic experiences of the day.

This exhibit will be on display until October 2.

We hope everyone can stop by and see this neat exhibit!

✨Antiques Road Show & Tell at the Museum!✨Join us on Tuesday, September 15 at the Museum for our version of Antiques Roa...
08/21/2026

✨Antiques Road Show & Tell at the Museum!✨

Join us on Tuesday, September 15 at the Museum for our version of Antiques Roadshow!

Bring in a treasured antique or vintage item and share the story behind it! Don't have an item to bring? No worries! Come and enjoy hearing the neat stories of the items others have brought in.

This FREE event will begin at 7:00pm. Refreshments will be provided.

Please note that items brought in will not be appraised.

We hope to see everyone there!

08/18/2026

✨Museum Open!✨

The power has finally been restored at the Museum!

We hope to see everyone soon!

08/15/2026

MUSEUM CLOSED

The museum is closed today, August 15th and the children’s activity has been cancelled. We’re hopeful that power will be restored, and we will be able to open again on Tuesday.

08/14/2026

MUSEUM CLOSED

The museum will be closed today, August 14.

08/13/2026

MUSEUM CLOSED

The museum will be closed again today, August 13.

Address

2405 Indiana Avenue, Ste 1
Laporte, IN
46350

Telephone

(219) 324-6767

Website

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