An image of the Saturday, April 1, 1944 The Beacon newsletter titled Baer Field And Its Boss--1917 Version! posted July 30, 2022 by the Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum on Facebook shows an aerial photo of a farm house in an article about Korah Micheals who bought a farm in 1917 with fields south of Fort Wayne which became the Baer Field Ariport runways and hangars.
Baker Family Ancestral Home - Allen County, Ind. "The Elam and Sarah Baker Farmhouse (in 1902) built around 1880 and still standing today." in a 1902 photo overlaid with a 2013 photo by descendant Daniel Baker on flickr.
See photo and history posted June 5, 2017 by
Randy Harter, Fort Wayne historian and authorand long discussion September 14, 2017 included this comment "Craig Leonard: The rendering of the Pennsy station is signed by Bert Griswold, the local historian who was also the cartoonist for the Sentinel. The building was designed by Will Price of Philadelphia and is notable as his largest surviving freestanding building(he also did the train shed addition to Union Station Indianapolis. His largest works were the Traymore, Blenheim, and Marlboro hotels in Atlantic City, NJ, which were demolished when casino gambling arrived there in the 1970's. He had so much Indiana work that he had a branch office in Indy, where he did the Allison Mansion, now on the Butler campus. See George Thomas, Arts and Crafts Into Modern, published by Princeton in 2000."
A December 14, 2017 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook shared December 14, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook stated: For "Throwback Thursday" we share this article written for the PEOPLE SOUTHWEST through The Journal-Gazette by Tracy Warner on February 11, 1988. Tracy later became Journal-Gazette writer and Editorial Editor, and now works for Indiana and Michigan Power (AEP). We shared pictures before on the McCulloch House on Superior Street, when Tom and Kris Bireley had restored it and we surveyed for them. This article is on the flip side, and mentions one of our long-time clients Bud Hall. It also talks about the City Light property before it became Science Central. BTW....Hofer and Davis, Inc. provided the survey when Science Central took over! It shows an image of the PEOPLE SOUTHWEST a The Journal Gazette newspaper article by Tracy Warner on February 11, 1988 discussing six old buildings he wrote about four years earlier in 1983, four were vital to Fort Wayne heritage, that were wasting away. Two were still empty in 1988. They were the McCulloch House, the Centlivre Brewery site still standing in 1988 but later demolished, The Edsall House, the Baker Street Train Depot, the Hanna School built in 1905, closed in 1977, city bought in 1979, sold in 1984, bought again in 1986 then demolished in 1987 saving only the arched doorways, a gable, the cornerstone and balustrade; and City Light now Science Central. At the end he mentioned car phones a new technology in 1988!
In 1837, Samuel Hanna donated land to the city for the express purpose of establishing a public market. [See page 331, The First Market House in Griswold's Pictorial History 1917] The name of market was taken from the bordering street, which was itself named for John T. Barr, who co-purchased the original 118 lots of the town of Fort Wayne. By 1855, the market was a vital part of the local economy and a market house had been constructed. In 1910, celebrated local architects, Mahurin & Mahurin designed a new concrete market complex, replacing the half-century old market. Located on the east side of Barr Street, it extended two blocks south from the City Hall Building (today known as the History Center) to Washington Boulevard. Expansion of supermarkets into the suburbs brought an end to the Barr Street Market. The northern pavilion (City Hall to Wayne Street) was demolished in 1957, followed by the southern pavilion (Wayne Street to Washington Boulevard) in 1958. In 1988, the History Center acquired the Barr Street Market and for the past three decades the museum has faithfully stewarded this oldest public space in Fort Wayne. Since 2005, the History Center and the Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana have partnered to revitalize and energize this cherished piece of our community’s shared heritage. Copied from the May 16, 2018 post with several historic photos and postcards and May 7, 2022 post by The History Centeron Facebook. See also Fort Wayne Farmers Market, Southside Market, and Fort Wayne’s Farmers Markets at Visit Fort Wayne.
A 1950 photo from THIS DAY IN HISTORY: May 31 in photos by Dan Vance posted May 31, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. Caption; 1950 - In the 1950s, the Barr Street Market was a place to buy plants and flowers as well as all kinds of homegrown fruits and vegetables. Here, on May 31, early-afternoon shoppers had their pick of merchandise. The market was open five days a week, and was at its busiest Friday afternoons and evenings and Saturday mornings.
In 1988, the History Center purchased the Barr Street Market and has stewarded this property as the oldest public space in Fort Wayne for over three decades. Since 2005, the History Center, in partnership with the Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana, has presented the Barr Street Farmers Market each summer. Come and visit our historic market for locally made food and produce each Saturday, May 7 through September 24, 9am-1pm. Copied from a May 6, 2022 post by The History Center on Facebook.
YLNI Summer Farmers Market posted Oct 5, 2022 by YLNIon YouTube Located in the heart of downtown Fort Wayne, at the historic Barr Street Market, the YLNI Farmers Market presents a vibrant market experience during the summer months!
The YLNI Farmers Market is a producer-only market, meaning that our vendors personally make or grow the products they sell. Every vendor is local, coming from Allen or surrounding counties. On average, the market connects 10,000 visitors each week with fresh and unique local produce, plants, meats, baked goods, and homemade crafts.
Historical Facts: The YLNI Farmers Market represents an important part of Fort Wayne’s history. It is an ongoing tradition that’s been alive in the heart of our city for more than a century. Here’s why: Located in the oldest public space in Fort Wayne (at the corner of Barr and Wayne Streets); The original Barr Street Market operated continuously from the 1840s-1950s; In its heyday, the Market stretched for 2 city blocks and had several permanent buildings.
A sign on Main Street points to Camp Allen Park where a monument was erected May 4, 2017 but not shown in the 2015 Street View photo from Google map. The monument was placed at the old Kekionga Ball Grounds, which is now Camp Allen Park along the St. Marys River on the northwest side of downtown Fort Wayne. It marks the location of the first professional baseball league game played between the Fort Wayne Kekiongas and the Cleveland Forest Citys on May 4, 1871. Fort Wayne defeated Cleveland 2-0 in the game. City Councilman Geoff Paddock, baseball historian Bill Griggs and the local Society of American Baseball Research worked with the Fort Wayne Parks Department to place the monument.
Baseball’s first professional league game, 150 years ago posted Jul 6, 2022 This story originally aired: May. 4, 2021 FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - by Daniel Beals on YouTube. Interview with Blake Sebring. May 4 is a special day in baseball, especially here in 21Country. A monument marks a historic site at Camp Allen Park, alongside the St. Marys River.
“You could argue that Fort Wayne was part of the first professional sports league in America, which is kind of cool,” sports historian Blake Sebring told us.
Sebring has literally written the book on sports history in Fort Wayne. “The Kekiongas were a club team in Fort Wayne,” he said, “they had a little bit of a reputation in the midwest as being a good team.” In 1871, they were invited to join the National Association of Professional Baseball Players. A city in Ohio was slated to make history that day. But Mother Nature had other plans.
On May 20, 2017, with the help of City Councilman Geoff Paddock and the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department, Griggs and the Northeast Indiana Baseball Association unveiled a permanent monument on the spot of the game in Camp Allen Park where the first major league baseball game was played. After the Civil War, the Fort Wayne Kekiongas baseball team formed in 1866, and in 1869 the team played the Cincinnati Red Stockings, who were the first team in the country with paid professional players. The Red Stockings won easily 86-8 then won the rematch later that season 41-7. That may not sound like a very important beginning, but the Kekiongas and Fort Wayne were hugely important to the start of professional baseball and later became hosts of the first professional league game ever played. Copied from Fort Wayne Sports History First pitch of pro baseball thrown in city by Blake Sebring published March 25, 2020 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
At Columbia and Lafayette Streets, someone vandalized a valuable stone in the June 16, 1907 article in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Battle of Kekionga
There is an historical marker Harmar's Defeat in the Lakeside neighborhood. See 2017 book The Bones of Kekionga by Jim Pickett, a retired teacher, that blends a historical and fictional depiction of what really happened during the 1790 Battle of Kekionga between American General Josiah Harmar and Miami Chief Little Turtle. Copied from Driven by city history Driver's education course includes tours of downtown by Austin Candor published August 22, 2017 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
B & B Loan
America's great pawn shop 67th anniversary on January 1, 2013
See August Becker. The Becker House, located in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana, is an outstanding example of the Free Classic Queen Anne style. Designed by architect Harry W. Matson and built in 1886, with a front porch and brick veneering likely added circa 1895, the two-story, cross-gabled, blond brick structure is situated on the south side of West Williams Street midway between Fairfield and Hoagland Avenues. Copied from Section 7 page 4 of the Summary Paragraph of the 34 page NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for Becker House 425 West Williams Street at Indiana Department of Natural Resources including 13 photographs of maps, architectural drawing, exterior and interior of the house. Congratulations to the Becker House in Fort Wayne and the Bloomfield School near LaGrange for being listed in the National Register of Historic Places. ARCH was pleased to prepare these nominations. Copied from a November 22, 2022 post by ARCH, Inc. on Facebook.
In 1893 Wing and Mahurin began construction on Robert and Clara's Romanesque styled mansion. Same architect as the University of Saint Francis' Bass Mansion and The History Center both in Fort Wayne. Robert served as a state senator, assistant U.S. Commissioner for Indiana, and was a prominent lawyer. Clara helped form the first classes at the Fort Wayne Art School and was the co-founder of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. The couple was originally from the Muncie area but moved up here for business purposes. They were a very prominent couple during their years here in Fort Wayne. Not only did Clara leave her forever footsteps at the Art Museum his law firm is still going strong known as the Barrett-McNagny law firm serving the local area still today. They only had one child Bessie but unfortunately due to illness died at 11 months old. After Robert's death in 1901 the home was sold to William K. Noble who ran a lumber company that operated in 3 states. His family of 3 lived there for 22 years and sold the building for $50,000 to The Klaehn Funeral home. In 1935 the west side addition was added due to high demand. At this time funerals were no longer held in the residents home as they were done in the 1800s. Today there are over 14,000 square feet in this absolutely breathtaking mansion. No detail has gone unnoticed. It remained a funeral home for over 93 years. Until they left the building in 2018 and the Sturm's bought the building in 2020 to preserve its beauty. We want to preserve our precious history first and foremost. History is the reason why we are all here today! Copied from their website: https://thebellmansion.com/. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebellmansion states: The Bell Mansion is a 130 year old gorgeous victorian event center. We also offer tours!!
Robert C. Bell and William Nobel House at ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage) starts with: The residence of Robert C. Bell was built in 1884. The distinctive Richardsonian style was one of the earliest designs of the prominent Fort Wayne architectural firm of Wing and Mahurin (who also designed the Old City Hall and the Elektron Building). The stone used for the exterior of the residence is native Indiana limestone. The wood used for framing and support, along with interior decorations came from the Jacob Klett & Sons Lumber Yard & Planing Mill which contradicts the 1893 date above and below.
Landmark on West WayneKlaehn, Fahl and Melton One of the finest examples of a well preserved downtown Fort Wayne structure is “The Home” located at 420 West Wayne Street. Spanning a full century and portions of two others, it was the stately residence of Robert C. Bell who built it in 1893. For the past eighty years it has been occupied by the Klaehn, Fahl & Melton Funeral Home. posted September 8, 2015 (Fort Wayne Monthly “Along the Heritage Trail with Tom Castaldi” – July 2010 No. 68) on the History Center Notes & Queries blog.
It was in 1888 when Clara Wolfe Bell, young wife of a prominent attorney and aspiring politican, persuaded John Ottis Adams to travel weekly to Fort Wayne from Munice to take charge of a painting and sketching class in a second-floor room at the southwest corner of Calhoun and Wayne Streets. from Historical Highlight: Mrs. Hamilton's Carriage House Suzanne Slick, Collections Information Specialist July 25, 2018 by KThompson on the Articulate From the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.
Lace up your rollerskates! We are headed to Bell’s Skating Rink on Indiana 930 for our Throwback Thursday post. Bell’s may have the distinction of being the oldest roller rink in Indiana. Joseph Bell turned the Lincoln Highway Dance Hall into the rink in 1926. Previously the dance hall had been an open air pavilion and the floor was dirt. Joseph and Anna Bell were Italian immigrants. The rink has stayed in the family. Over the years the rink has been updated with new murals and a switch from pipe organ music to popular songs. The brick house attached to the rink likely dates back to the 1930s or1940s. Copied from a January 5, 2023 post by ARCH, Inc. on Facebook.
A most German town is an apt description of Fort Wayne during the late 19th century and along with that heritage came the demand for German beer. One German family to answer this demand was the Berghoff family. The Berghoff Brewery was established in April 1887 by the Berghoff brothers: Gustav, Henry, Hubert and Herman. They brewed German beers with the names, Dortmunder, Salvator and Bock, that reflected their Germanic homeland. Berghoff survived the era of Prohibition by making soft drinks, but by the time beer production resumed in 1933, the Berghoff family had sold most of their interests in the business. The Falstaff Brewing Corporation of St. Louis purchased the brewery in 1954; in December 1988 it was acquired by the S&P Company of California. In January 1990, the brewery closed its doors for the final time. The closure of the former Berghoff plant, Fort Wayne’s last major brewery, brought an end to the tradition of large-scale beer production in our city. Quote and one of 20 photos copied from an April 8, 2019 post by The History Centeron Facebook. See Berghoff Brewery history of the Berghoff's on FortWayneBeer.com and History on BerghoffBeer.com. See also A look into Fort Wayne beer history by Jaclyn Goldsborough published December 26, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. See Lafe Gunther driving the beer delivery wagon and Chauncey Relue with delivery wagon photo in Comments to photo posted April 20, 2017 onthe original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook. Photo of their billboard sign from the 1940s by John Vachon at The Library of Congressposted April 5, 2019 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group on Facebook
A 30-by-50-foot log cabin, made of squared-off tulip tree logs dating from at least the 1850s and likely used by federal Indian agents engaged in removing native tribes from Indiana. It is a log cabin getaway spot run by Klare Stech that ended up on more than 40 acres of land in Cedar Creek Township at 18017 Devall Road outside Spencerville. It used to be on land that had been a turkey farm off Maysville Road near St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church, which traces its founding to 1838. Information copied from website and Retreat into the past 1800s cabin rented out to lodgers after years of restoration work by Rosa Salter Rodriguez published March 17, 2013 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
The 200+ year old Bicentennial Tree has a 1797-1987 plaque on Baker Street in downtown Fort Wayne, just south of Parkview Field. It is 14 feet, 4 inches in circumference from Fort Wayne's Centennial Oak Tree published November 1, 2022 by TreeMasters, Inc. It was discussed May 22, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. Called John Hancock Oak by Waymarking.com is described as a 200+ year old bicentennial year tree with a marker just south of Parkview Field on Baker Street between Fairfield and Harrison Streets by the Baker Street train station parking lot. The marker states: 1787-1987 The National Arborists Association and The International Society of Arboriculture jointly recognize this significant tree in this bicentennial year as having lived here at the time of the signing of our constitution Presented by: Maxwell Tree Expert Company. Photo and discussion March 28, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group on Facebook. There is a former old Apple Tree with lots of local lore too! A May 22, 2022 Facebook post by ACRES Land Trust shows how ACRES staff learned how to use a borer tool that safely takes a section of wood from a tree that shows you can age the tree and observe how much it grew each year!
Bicentennial Woods Preserve
Bicentennial Woods Preserve is an ACRES Land Trust Nature Preserve in Perry Township. Their web page states: Purchase of these 80 acres was made possible by Mary Ellen Arnold in 1994. Over 2 miles of trails. ... The property was acquired to honor Fort Wayne's Bicentennial in 1994. Towering oaks, hickories and sycamore, some more than 200 years old, dominate the woods.
Birkmeier & Sons Monument Co., Inc.
Founded in 1880 by John G. Birkmeier, a Delphos, Ohio teacher who started the business as a way to increase his income while raising six children. In the first few decades after its founding, larger memorial monuments were set using a horse-drawn cart with an elaborate system of pulleys.
Originally located along the banks of the Miami-Erie Canal in Delphos, Ohio, John G. Birkmeier’s grandson, Alexander C. Birkmeier expanded the business to Fort Wayne, Indiana selling cemetary monuments and headstones from his bicycle and sending orders to the Delphos-based operation. In 1927 he built a home for the Fort Wayne business to simplify operations for the family. That same Spanish Eclectic-style building is still used today and is located at 2323 W. Main Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Located directly across the street from the city's largest cemetery, Lindenwood Cemetery, the building sat on the main highway leading west out of Fort Wayne. The route of U.S. 24 was later moved south of the building which sits on the old bed of the Wabash and Erie Canal. Read the rest of their history at www.birkmeier.com/?page=history
Blue Cast Mineral Water Sanitarium and Magic Springs
Woodburn, Indiana. 21412 Bluecast Road, Woodburn, IN 46797. Blue Cast Springs History by Tom Castaldi and more on ACRES Land Trustweb site. Advertisement is shown at Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Blue Cast Nature Preserve an 87 acre property became the 5,000th acre of nature preserved by ACRES Land Trust December 27, 2012. It contains deep ravines, over 3,000 feet of frontage along the Maumee River, a heronry - a large group of active blue heron nests - and a mature forest. Several springs on the property have water with a blue cast that was so popular in 1902-1905 it was bottled and sold throughout the United States for "magnetic, invigorating and curative powers." A luxurous health spa located on the property in 1913 to capitalize on the water's popularity and scenic beauty. Information from a December 2012 ACRES Land Trust letter. Newest Nature Preserve Harbors Ghosts video by Eric Olson published January 3, 2014 on
21Country at ABC WPTA21.com TV station. See advertisement posted April 6, 2017 by Indiana Historical Bureauon Twitter.
ACRES trust adding 2 preserves in region 130 combined acres are near Woodburn and east of Angola March 13, 2013 by Vivian Sade of Journal Gazette - Two environmentally significant properties in northeast Indiana have been added to the state’s oldest and largest land trust, officials of a land trust company said. ... Blue Cast Springs includes 87 acres of upland forest, floodplain, ravines and 30-foot bluffs overlooking about 3,000 feet of Maumee River frontage, just north of Woodburn.
At the 1:40 minute mark this video claims the 1992 Amore book shown above says it was invented in Colorado. The History of the Kmart Blue Light Special - “Attention Kmart Shoppers” posted Feb 22, 2021 by Retail Rewindon YouTube Beginning in 1965, possibly an idea created by menswear department manager Bob Anderson, Kmart became known for their Blue Light Specials. A Blue Light Special was a random announcement of a sale highlighted by a rotating blue light and an announcement via the intercom system. The Blue Light Special was successful for a couple of decades but as Kmart began struggling by 2000, the Blue Light Special made a couple of comebacks in hopes of rekindling nostalgia and memories of what Kmart once was.
Blume, Martin, Jr., Farm
7311 Flutter Road, Martin Blume Sr. born in Germany, immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1835. In 1863 Martin Sr. moved to Allen County and acquired a large section of land, which he cleared and farmed until he retired. He sold 157 acres of land in 1878 to his son Martin, Jr.. Brief post May 6, 2017 on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook groupmentions this property has a National Register of Historic Places Registion Form including 8 photos and on page 8 mentions the large two story brick Italianate house of Henry Young on Trier Road that dates to 1885, the 1865 two story Italianate house of William Shordon on Maysville Road and 1880’s brick Victorian Jacob J. Vonderau farm house on Wheelock Road.
Who thought old bottles found in strange places could be interesting history?
Dewy’s Bottle Museum (antique bottles found) posted Jun 24, 2022 by Daniel Beals on YouTube. Dewy began researching county archives, connecting with other bottle hunters over the internet, to learn where forgotten dumping grounds once were. “All old dumps are located behind, or near water and cemeteries,” Dewy learned, “around railroads they’d also dump, because of old railroad stations, they’d throw their trash somewhere so they would just throw it on a hill or anywhere and just bury it.” His most interesting trip, was to an old privy. He tells us he has only been lucky enough to take part in one dig so far. “If you don’t know what a privy is… it’s a place where the outhouse was,” Dewy said, “you dig into these holes and find glass where they put their outhouses at, because that’s where they put their trash at.” “It tells a story of that family, or whoever was there,” he finished. Copied from the longer description also at 21Country: Dewy’s Bottle Museum on ABC WPTA21.com TV station.
The Bowmar Brain came out in the Autumn of 1971, with four functions and an eight-digit red LED display, for $240 from Calculator at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
A final technological innovation associated with Fort Wayne is the hand- held calculator.
The Bowmar Instrument Corp. was formed in Fort Wayne in 1951 by Edward and Joan White. He earlier had been head of the electron-mechanical section of the Farnsworth Television Co. At first a one-employee operation in a barn loft at Smith Field, the company grew to 30 employees by 1953, and by 1957 had expanded to occupy the site of today's operation on Bluffton Road.
In 1971, the company introduced the first hand-held calculator called the "Bowmar Brain." The technology developed at Bowmar, which included the familiar red "LED" (low energy diode) readouts, enabled American business to regain from the Japanese the lead in calculator electronics.
As it turned out, Bowmar lost the calculator in the marketplace because it was unprepared for the huge popularity of the new item. Borrowing heavily to increase production and determined not to use cheaper foreign labor, Bowmar found itself unable to compete in the calculator price wars of the mid-1970s. In addition, the Bowmar product was hurt by having to deal with its chief rival, Texas Instruments, for basic components - many of which, it later was learned, were defective or held up in delivery. Bowmar, like ITT and Magnavox of Fort Wayne, withdrew from the consumer market and has concentrated instead on government and industrial contracts
1302 East Creighton Avenue, last used as headquarters for the Fort Wayne Police Deaprtment was orginally the headquarters of the S. F. Bowser & Company, founded in 1885 by the man who invented the world's first self-measuring pump. Sylvanus Freelove Bowser was one of the city's top three or four industrialists in the early 20th century.
Bowser, Man and BuildingS. F. Bowser, inventor of the automobile gas pump, built his 1917 company headquarters in Fort Wayne with an eye for quality and workmanship. His legacy there, however, is a fading one. with photos on Indiana Landmarks .
RTV6 - WRTV Indianapolis TV August 8, 2017 posted a 30 second video of the Bowser Pump history on their Facebook page.
Bowser, Man and Building S. F. Bowser, inventor of the automobile gas pump, built his 1917 company headquarters in Fort Wayne with an eye for quality and workmanship. His legacy there, however, is a fading one. Published May 18, 2017 by Indiana Landmarks.
The Bradley
204 West Main Street corner of South Harrison Street, west of The Landing one block south of Promenade Park. 2019 Street View photo still shows construction site from Google maps with over 260 photos. Born of Midwestern charm and modern design sensibilities, The Bradley is a true reflection of the city it calls home, immersed in Fort Wayne’s genuine spirit of community, industry and creativity. Evoking a sense of comfort and warmth, The Bradley has been collaboratively designed by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, co-founder of the iconic lifestyle brand, Vera Bradley, and Provenance, known for its collection of award-winning boutique hotels. Copied from About The Bradley at Visit Fort Wayne
Broadway business association has completed improvement projects over the last several years. Local businesses, such as Mad Anthony Brewing and George's International Grocery, and attorney Steve Shine, whose law office is on the Broadway Plaza. www.broadwayfortwayne.com.1014-1016 Broadway row of c. 1890 commercial buildings were purchased in 2010 by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
Broadway State Bank --Fort Wayne, Indiana filmed August 11, 1976 when it was The Palace and The Scorpion dancing pool hall live music bar business posted November 11, 2016 by the Allen County Public Library on YouTube. This clip is a short piece that is part of a longer series of Fort Wayne landmarks documented on open reel video tape in the 1970s. The series was made possible by the Fort Wayne Public Library, now the Allen County Public Library. This segment was recorded August 11, 1976 at 1930 Broadway in Fort Wayne, IN.
Camera and Editing by Steve Fortriede.
2441 Broadway. June 11, 2022 photo posted on Facebook: A little throwback for you today. This was the theater as it stood in 1926. Opened as the Broadway Theater on November 5, 1923. It was renamed Indiana Theater in 1934. From the 1970’s this theater last operated as Cinema Blue, an X-rated theater which closed in 1985. The building became home to a restaurant in 1998, called the Catablu Gourmet American Grill. In May 2009, it became a jazz club known as The Philmore on Broadway. By 2017 it was an entertainment & events venue. And coming in 2022 it will re-open as the newly renovated Chateau On Broadway!
The Philmore on Broadway at CinemaTreasures.org has an October 9, 2009 comment with a decent amount of history such as: The newly built Broadway Theater was to develop a reputation for showing the best silent movies in a pleasing atmosphere. The building had a stage, an auditorium that had an arched ceiling which provided better ventilation and acoustic properties, contained an orchestra pit and three sets of balconies, it could seat 600 people, the ladies room provided space for parking baby buggies, and the screen was made of the best gold fiber. The film featured at the Grand Opening of the Broadway Theater was Back Home and Broke starring Thomas Meighan, a poplar leading actor of the time. Everyone attending on opening day was given a rose (New Broadway Theater). Referencing two newspaper articles: “New Broadway Theater.” The News-Sentinel 3 November 1923. Pond, Cindy. “Indiana Theater Closes Nov. 9.” Journal Gazetter 27 October 1969. November 5, 2022 post by The Chateau on Broadway discussed November 5, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. Century old Broadway theater will now be the Chateau on Broadway by Jamie Duffy posted: Jan 18, 2023 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15.
Episode 166: Bass Mansion published December 20, 2021 by Granite Ridge Builderson YouTube One of Fort Wayne's hidden architectural gems: the Bass Mansion, located on the campus of the University of Saint Francis. Join the BTS crew as we explore the ornate styles of the mansion, plus a bit of football action with Johnny the Saint Francis Cougar!
Brookside wins prize for outstanding restoration an Indiana Landmarks YouTube video. Published on May 1, 2013. Their About statement: Rather than opt for modern updating, the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne completed an all-out $4.5 million restoration of historic Brookside, earning the 2013 Cook Cup for Outstanding Restoration.
Brookside was finished in 1891. John Bass, a successful businessman, ran the Bass Foundry and Machine Works, which covered 20 acres of land on South Hanna Street. Brookside was considered the family's country getaway; their city home was at West Berry Street and Fairfield Avenue. In 1902, the original Brookside burned in a fire sparked by a gas explosion. By 1903, the home was completely rebuilt in stone, concrete and steel. It has six bedrooms for family and guests and three for servants; 13 fireplaces; three staircases; and a ballroom on the third floor with a mural in the skylight depicting the nine dancing Muses of Greek mythology. In 1944, the Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration bought the home for $60,000 to house St. Francis College, which had originally been in Lafayette. The house served as the college and living space for the sisters until 1948, when expansion began with construction of Trinity Hall. Throughout the restoration of the home, the school took care to preserve the historic integrity of the building while modernizing it. Copied from Wearing its holiday finest, former Bass Mansion on USF campus open to public The Christmas in the Castle event takes place this weekend and next. By Cindy Larson of The News-Sentinel newspaper Wednesday, November 28, 2012.
Tours of Brookside at University of Saint Francis. They moved what was then Saint Francis College from Lafayette, Indiana to Fort Wayne. The mansion served as the college library until the university opened the Lee and Jim Vann Library in August 2006."
Brookside - The Bass Mansion Renovation a WFWA TV39 Fort Wayne PBS Special | 57m 4s Brookside, also known as the Bass Mansion, was added to the National Register for Historic Places in 1982. Renovations on the former residence of industrialist John Henry Bass were completed in 2009-2010. The mansion is currently an administrative building on the University of Saint Francis. Aired: 10/01/10 Rating: NR. Description of Brookside the Bass Mansion Renovation highlights of the rennovation.
Vorderman Photography has a great shot on his Facebook page.
Historic buildings often have interesting architectural features that are not seen on modern buildings. Today we are featuring some examples of grotesques, which are sculptured or painted ornament involving fanciful distortions of human and animal forms, sometimes combined with plant motifs. These types of carvings are often mislabeled as gargoyles and while they are very similar in appearance, the main difference is that a gargoyle functions as a waterspout from the roof gutter of a building while grotesques do not serve that function. The John H. Bass Mansion in Fort Wayne (Allen County) is an excellent example of Richardsonian Romanesque located on the campus of the University of Saint Francis. The current mansion was built after a fire destroyed all but the foundation of the previous home in 1902. The house was rebuilt with many fire-proof features and modern systems in place including electricity, steam heating, a telephone intercom system and a burglar alarm which was activated by pressure on the rugs scattered throughout the house. The exterior of the building features ornate carvings of all types around the entire perimeter, but some of the most interesting are the grotesques around the main entry. Photos: John H. Bass Mansion, Fort Wayne, Allen County. Copied from an October 29, 2022 post by Indiana Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology on Facebook.
Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company
Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company provides insurance for churches and related ministries. Founded in Grabill in 1917, Brotherhood Mutual is a provider of property, liability, workers compensation, commercial auto and foreign travel insurance for churches and related ministries. The company, which serves more than 40,000 churches and ministries in 43 states and the District of Columbia, has been recognized as one of the best places to work in Indiana by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce for five straight years.
Brown, W.B., Company
From ARCH Facebook March 30, 2013 EventWorld-class manufacturer of Arts and Crafts Mission style furniture, electric lighting fixtures, and store interiors from 1906 to 1923, the W.B. Brown Company, known locally as the "Chandelier Factory", was one of northern Indiana's most successful design-manufacture firms during the peak of the American Arts & Crafts movement of the early 20th Century.March 30, 2013 brochure on ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage) on Facebook.
Intersection of Lake Avenue and Beacon Street - Street View photo on Google map in October 2022 was still showing Byron Health Center under construction in 2019.
Byron Health Center has its roots as the Allen County Poor House, built in 1853 in the Waynedale area. In 1916, the facility was moved to its current location and Fort Recovery, an anti-tuberculosis tent hospital was established. This later became known as Irene Byron Hospital. The facility was named to honor Irene Byron, who died while serving her country in World War I and was an executive secretary of the Anti-Tuberculosis League. Copied from Our History page of the Byron Health website. Formerly at 12371 (12101) Lima Road, from 1919-1976, there was an Umarked Cemetery discussed on our Perry Township Cemetery page. The new facility at Lake Avenue and Beacon Street broke ground in 2018 and moved to new home in 2020.
A December 13, 2022 post by Byron Health Center on Facebook stated: While we moved to our beautiful new home on Beacon Street in 2020, seeing this building be torn down is definitely bittersweet for our staff and residents, as well as Greater Fort Wayne. Byron has a long history of serving Allen County in a unique way and while this physical location will no long exist, our beautiful memories and the life that was lived and celebrated within these walls will never leave us. Let us know your favorite memory of the old building in the comments!
December 15, 2022 post by Byron Health Centeron Facebook stated: Grateful to our friends at WANE 15 for this thorough reporting. As it says in the article, we moved to our new home in 2020, where we have a beautiful mural that showcases our long history and dedication to serving those in Allen County. If you are interesting in coming to have a tour of the new building, contact us at info@byronhealth.org!Demolition of former Byron Health Center underway by Joe Carroll and Ethan Dahlen with video at CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15.
