........In
1883 Evangelical people living in the village of Wanatah saw
the need of a church. The church was organized as Trinity Evangelical
Church of the Evangelical Association. The church building, which
is no longer standing, was dedicated May 9, 1884, by Reverend
Mr. Mott from the denomination’s Cleveland headquarters.
The Reverend Mr. August Irwin (Iva/Iwan) was the preacher in
charge of the church. Trinity Church was one of four churches
on a charge consisting of preaching points at Madaryville, San
Pierre, and the Zion Evangelical Church of Wanatah. The pastor
of the charge would move from congregation to congregation on
a pre-arranged preaching schedule. Trinity Church was closed
and some of the members moved membership to the Zion Evangelical
Church of Wanatah in 1927. The bell from this church was retained
when the building was sold and now exists outside of the Faith
United Church. The Building itself was sold in 1934 and Razed
in 1937.Click picture for more info
Zion United Brethren
In
1858 Evangelical preachers from the Illinois Conference came
to this area. They began preaching the Gospel in German. As many
of the area’s early settlers were from Germany and Prussia
the chuch gained a large following. Meetings were first held
in individual homes then the Schoolhouse in Rozelle, a small
community 1 mile south of present day Wanatah. A building was
dedicated 4 miles south west of the town of Wanatah in December
of 1872 where it still stands today at the junction of county
roads 900 W. & 1500 S. In 1917 the language of the services
were changed to English. In 1927 members of the Trinity Evangelical
Church joined the congregation at the dissolution of their original
place of worship. In 1934 the church was remodled and enlarged
with a full basement being addedClick Picure for More Info ........... The bell from the original Trinity Evangelical Church was added at this time. Stained glass windows were added in 1938. In 1949 a parsonage was built just south of the church. In 1955 Zion Evangelical became a separate charge, severing it’s ties with the Zion Evangelical Association. The Zion Evangelical and the Wanatah Methodist Church were “Yoked” in 1962. The original bell from the Wanatah Methodist Church was donated to The Zion Evangelical Church in 1978 by Everette and Irene (Taylor) Cleveland and now is mounted in a memorial outside the Zion Evangelical Church.
A cemetery located just north of the present building was officially established in 1900 although there are several burials that predate it’s organization. The earliest seems to be from 1874. A cemetery endowment fund was established in 1940. It is still a small cemetery at this writing. Many of the original stones are written in the German language.
.........St. John’s started
in about 1858. At that time the congregation was affiliated with
the United Evangelical Synod and had no building. Services were
conducted in school houses around the area. In 1869 the congregation
built a modest frame chuch where the present church now stands.
They were affiliated with the Salem United Chirch of Christ in
Wanatah and rotated clergy between the two organizations. On
February 20, 1876 the congregation dissolved their association
with the United Evangelical Synod to become affiliated with the
Lutheran denomination. At that time the congregation numbered
80 families. The present church ws built in 1915 and replaced
the old frame structure..........St. John’s Lutheran Church does maintain a cemetery just east of the present church edifice. The first burial seems to be in the year 1892, but we are unsure at this time when the cemetery was established.
Salem Evangelical and Reformed ..Chuch
(Porter County)
.........Officially organized
in 1869 under the name of German United Evangelical Salem Congregation,
religious services were held in the homes of early German settlers
until the first building could be erected. This was done in about
the year 1869. By 1895 the congregation had outgrown their accomodations
and a new large brick building was erected on an adjacent lot
purchased in 1884. The old frame building was used as a sunday
school class and later, in the year 1900, as part of the public
school system which had also outgrown earlier appointments. An
addition to the newer building was added in 1906. Upon the merger
of the Evangelical Synod and the Reformed Synod, in 1938, the
Wanatah church became known as the Salem Evangelical and Reformed
Chuch. In 1960 a new Memorial Hall was attached to the structure.
Then, in 1962 the merger of the Evangelical and Reformed Synod
with the Congregational Christian Church took place and the Church
became known as The Salem United Church of Christ as it is known
today. Click on the Picure for more information This Church does support a cemetery loacted just over the LaPorte County line in Porter County, Indiana. It is located on County line Rd, just south of US 30. Although information on it’s organization is nor present the first burial seems to be in 1898. There are two cemeteries together here the one closest to the highway is supported by Sacret Heart Catholic Church of Wanatah.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Wanatah was organized December 27, 1893. Services were held in the old frame School building which stood on the north east corner of the junctions of Main & Cross St’s in the present town of Wanatah. They continued there for two years. In 1895 a lot in town was donated by Mr. & Mrs. Ed Dolman for the purpose of erecting a permanent structure to serve as a church. The building was completed on February 23, 1896. A basement was added to the building in 1921. In 1962 the Wanatah Methodist Church was “Yoked” with the Zion Evangelical United Brethren just south east of Wanatah and services continued until the year 1967. Waining attendance closed the church in 1967 and the building and land were purchased by Mr. Everett & Irene (Taylor) Cleveland and was used as an apartment building. The bell from the church was donated to the Faith United Methodist Church in 1972. The building being in a poor state of Click the Picture for more info. repair was razed in 1983 and an empty lot is all that remains today.
Now
in Clinton Township, The Wanatah Christian Chuch was begun on
January 12, 1889. They met in the frame school building located
on the north east corner of the junction of Main & Cross
St’s in the town of Wanatah. They decided in February of
that same year to erect a building for the purposes of a church.
The church was erected on the corner of Main & High St’s
on a lot next to the old frame school. It was appointed with
fine stained glass windows. In 1904 electric lights were installed
and pews were purchased to replace the chairs. In 1914 the entire
building was moved one block west to a lot previously purchased.
At this time a basement was added under the structure. In 1925
a balcony was added to the back of the sanctuary. A Baptistery
was installed in 1945 as well a a splendid stained glass window
above the Nave which was purchased by the Ladies’ Aid. In
1956 extensive remodeling was done. An educational addition was
built to provide a study and class rooms as well as restrooms.
The congregation continued to grow and in 1994 erected a new
church on lands donated by the Culver family. The church is now
located just north west of the town of Wanatah on Highway US
30. The old Building still stands at 208 N. Illinois St, Wanatah,
and was purchased by Mr. Wayne Rice who was fearful that the
building would be razed. It was used by a Baptist congregation
from 1996 - 1999. Currently the building houses the Wanatah Christadelphian
Ecclesia with most of it’s original ammenities intact. 
As early as 1856 the Catholic
Sacrements were offered in homes around the area. The closest
mission was in San Pierre, Indiana. In 1858 a Catholic Parish
was established at Shimmels which was located between Wanatah
and LaCrosse. The church was named St. Martins and was attended
by the Wanatah Catholics until 1887. At that time The Wanatah
Church of the Most Precious Blood, as it was originally called,
was established. The building was erected on grounds donated
by M. Tucker and dedicated November 12, 1887. A School and Rectory
to house the teaching Nuns was erected in 1888. In 1911 the church
was extensively remodeled and renamed Sacred Heart Catholic Church
as it is known at the present time. The School continued until
after 1965. The school building was razed in about 1972 although
the rectory still stands today. The Church does support a cemetery located west of Wanatah on County Line Road & US 30. The cemetery is actually in Porter County. It is unsure at this time when the cenmetery was established but the earliest burial seems to be from 1888.
.........The
Wanatah Christadelphians were organized in September of 1998.
Their members were originally of the Kouts Christadelphian Ecclesia
which was established in 1921 in Chicago, Illinois. Before Chicago
the members were located in the country of Wales. Between the
years of 1990 and 1998 several of the members of the Kouts Ecclesia
had moved to Westville and the surronding areas of LaPorte County,
Indiana. Citing the driving distance and the overcrowding of
the Kouts facilities, several members of the Kouts, Indiana Ecclesia
decided to form a new Ecclesia. At first the congregation met
in the homes of various members in Westville and LaPorte, Indiana.
In 2000 the congregation aquired the old Wanatah Christian Church
building located at 208 N. Illinois St. Wanatah, Indiana. It
is here that they hold services today. Christadelphian were
mentioned in Packard's History of LaPorte County as having services
in LaPorte as early as 1857. Click the picture to go to their website.
750 W 1300 S.
Morgan Cemetery