Following are key dates involving early history of the Northport Indian Mission Church, and the church's campground on Camp Haven Road south of Northport where the annual meeting has been held for 114 consecutive years. Much of the information was compiled by church member and Northport native Val Maidens, who credits author Dorothy Reuter for research contained in her book, Methodist Indian Ministries in Michigan.

CHURCH

1856 – Rev. David Thomas, a Methodist missionary from the Grand Rapids area, came north with two boats of Indian people to look for a place to settle. Thomas preached in the Cathead Bay area on June 29, according to a notation written in Rev. George Nelson’s diary.

1859 – Minutes from the Annual Conference stated that $40 in mission money was allotted to the Northport Indian Mission, and that $50 was allotted each year between 1872 and 1879.

1881 – The first recorded Northport Indian Mission baptism was conducted on Aug. 27. Infant Peter Antwine was baptized by John C. Robinson. The boy’s parents were Ashitan and Margaret Antwine.

1882 – The Enterprise reported that “material is on ground for the erection of the new Indian Mission M.E. church on lands purchased for that purpose from Chester & Elizabeth Stebbings, two miles southwest” of Northport. The church grounds were deeded to trustees Thomas Antoine, Peter Shawandase, Joseph Lightsky, Joseph Redbird and Peter Yagua-ge-zhick. The grounds “convey one acre, more or less, for the consideration of fifteen dollars … to be used, kept and maintained and disposed of as a place of divine worship.”

1890 – Minutes from the Annual Conference reported that on Christmas Day, “the Indian Church two miles west of Northport has at last secured their bell and was put in place Saturday.”

1898 – Under the tenure of P.E. Whitman, who served the Indian Mission from 1895 to 1900, it was reported the District Indian Camp Meeting had an attendance of 700 people.

1912 – George Bigelow built a steeple on the church, and the church was otherwise improved at a cost of about $265.

1947-54 – Amos Kahgee would travel a total distance of 200 miles each Sunday to minister to the Kewadin and Northport parishioners. Under his direction, membership reached 74, with 100 in Sunday school in 1950. On Nov. 24, 1954, Kahgee collapsed and died while preaching at the Northport Congregational Church. Before he collapsed, he said, “Love me as I have loved you.”

CAMPGROUND

1893 – The first recorded baptism at the Northport Indian Mission camp meeting was on Oct. 3. Eight-month-old Margaret Coon, the daughter of George and Mary Coon, was baptized by the Rev. John Jacobs.

1899 – Camp meeting grounds were acquired from William and Prudence Macmachen for $100 on Sept. 4. The grounds covered “four and three-fourths acres, more or less.”

1895 – Elder E.L. Kellogg reported the annual camp meeting a “grand success with 50 Indians being saved.”

1904 – Rev. John D. Deets was given credit for the success of “the very large 10-day camp meeting.”

1905 – According to the Annual Conference minutes, “2,000 whites attended the camp meeting this year.”

1908 – The minutes related that “the successful camp meetings for so many years a rallying point for the Indians of northern Lower Peninsula, finally found a home. A tabernacle costing about $300 had been built.

Christain, spiritual callings. Read related story.