The 1854 Gazetteer of the United States by Thomas Baldwin shows:

LAPORTE, a county in the N. part of Indiana, bordering on Lake Michigan, contains 450 square miles. It is watered by the Kankakee river. The surface is mostly level or undulating, excepting the hills of sand near the lake; the soil is fertile, especially in the prairies, some of which are extensive. Wheat, corn, oats, vines, and fruits flourish. In 1850 this county produced 663,949 bushels of corn; 206,016 of wheat, and 21,322 tons of hay. The quantity of wheat and hay was each greater than that produced by any other county in the state. It contained 21 churches, 5700 pupils attending public schools, and 40 attending an academy. The county is traversed by the railroad from Chicago to Detroit, and by several plank-roads. Organized in 1832. Capital, Laporte. Population, 12,145.