B Named Places in Allen County, Indiana

Baer Field Airport

See the Fort Wayne International Airport or Paul F. Baer.

July 30, 2022 post by the Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum on Facebook:

An image of the Saturday, April 1, 1944 The Beacon newsletter titled Baer Field And Its Boss--1917 Version! 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. An image of the Saturday, April 1, 1944 The Beacon newsletter titled Baer Field And Its Boss--1917 Version! posted

January 18, 2023 post by Genealogy Center on Facebook:

It's #waybackwednesday! ✈️ This image is from the Harter Postcard Collection in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Libraryand shows the TWA and Chicago & Southern Terminals at Baer Field in Fort Wayne. These were the first two commercial airlines to serve the area at the location that is now known as Smith Field. C&S was merged with Delta Air Lines in 1953 and TWA ceased flights from Baer Field in 1963.

Check out this image and thousands more in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.

  1. Baer Field, 1941-1991: 50th Anniversary at the The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
  2. Over 60 items are found in a search for Baer Field on Internet Archive.
  3. An August 28, 2022 post on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook shows a 1925 to 2001 Smith Field Timeline from the March 26, 2002 The News-Sentinel newspaperfor Baer Field at Smith Field.
  4. Baer Field postcard
    Digital Commonwealth
    Massachusetts Collection Online image
    A color postcard titled: Baer Field Airport, Fort Wayne, Ind. -- Section of barracks, 1,000 man mess hall, hanger and control tower, first reception building, administration building, hospital unit from the 1930-1945 era is at Digital Commonwealth Massachusetts Collections Online which has at least 40 more Fort Wayne color postcards or other items and 64 Allen County postcards from a December 7, 2022 post by True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.

February 8, 2023 post by Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum on Facebook:

Thanks to our newest partner, the Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum, the history of Baer Field and its war time works told through the pages of the base newspaper "The Beacon" will be shared digitally with the public. From 1942 to 1947, the Beacon was published weekly on base containing war news, local troop events, supportive Fort Wayne businesses and organizations and more. Stay tuned for more details to come.

See our World War II military page.

See our 1940s Timeline.

Baker Farm House

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.

Baker Street Station

221 W Baker Street, Street View photo from Google maps with over 100 user submitted photos and more on Google search.
On the right is the Peoples Trust Bank Clock shown in a 1939 photo of a crowded sidewalk by Grand Leader in the Central High School Caldron yearbook.
Discussed March 3, 2024 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook

Has a Facebook page. See web page for Historic Baker Street Station. The Pennslyvania Railroad Station was visited by 10,000 people on opening day, March 23, 1914. From Take a step into history and dream about the future as the Baker Street Station celebrates 100 years and Photo Gallery with video lists notable and famous riders by Jaclyn Goldsborough published September 2, 2014 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. Fort Wayne companies call historic buildings home about the Electron building and Baker Street Station by Dan Vance published January 21, 2019 in InFortWayne.com by KPC Media News Service. See our Railroad History of Fort Wayne page.

Baker Street Station in downtown Fort Wayne celebrates 100 years by the The News-Sentinel published September 1, 2014 on YouTube.
Michael Galbraith, president of ARCH, Inc., shares stories and facts on the Baker Street Station, a historic Pennsylvania Railroad Station in Fort Wayne, which is celebrating 100 years in 2014.

  1. Baker Street Station search results and Pennsylvania Railroad Depot results at the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.
  2. June 30, 2016 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook:

    For "Throwback Thursday" we dug this out of the old scrapbook! Look real careful and follow the arrow to see Hofer and Davis pictured at the grand re-opening of the Pennsylvania Railroad Station back in 2002.

  3. Current home of MartinRiley architects-engineers. Website: martin-riley.com, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martin.riley.ae. Business Spotlight: MartinRiley on Downtown Fort Wayne.
  4. December 15, 2016 post by IN Fort Wayne Community Newspapers on Facebook:

    Happy Thursday, everyone!

    Fort Wayne's Baker Street train station decorated for the holidays.

    infortwayne.com/photo-of-the-day

    — in Fort Wayne, IN.

  5. January 4, 2018 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook:

    Yesterday, for Wall of Fame Wednesday, we shared our beads and medallion from a 2006 Martin Riley party. For "Throwback Thursday" we share this Journal Gazette photo from 1996 when we attended the open house of the refurbished historic train station! If one looks really close, and follows the arrow you can see Hofer and Davis enjoying this celebration!

  6. In 1998 was added to the National Register of Historic Places from their History page.
  7. THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD STATION ON BAKER STREET IN FORT WAYNE, INDIANA: THE STORY OF SERVICE & SURVIVAL by Walter B. Sassmannshausen.
  8. Book filled with 100 years of memories about train station by Walter B. "Skip" Sassmannshausen Jr. published January 24, 2015 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
  9. Baker Street Train Station Turns 100 with video by Eric Olson published February 6, 2015 on 21AliveNews.comnow on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine
  10. Baker Street Station 1920
    By Randy Harter
    Fort Wayne Reader
    2017-06-05


    Pennsylvania Railroad Depot, Fort Wayne, IN.
FWFV00601A

    When the Pennsylvania Lines railroad tracks were elevated through downtown Fort Wayne during 1911-1913, the old Pennsy railroad station that sat about at the location of today’s Mikes Carwash on Calhoun was removed. A new station designed by the Philadelphia firm of Price and McLanahan was built two blocks west and finished in March of 1914. Constructed of semi-glazed buff brick, the beautiful two-story building featured terrazzo floors, marble borders, bronze light fixtures, and over the main concourse, stained-glass skylights. The final cost was $550,000, which adjusted for inflation would be about $13M in 2017 dollars.

    Through the years, this station serviced passengers for the Pennsylvania RR, Penn Central RR, Conrail and finally, Amtrak’s Broadway Limited (Chicago to New York City), which made its last stop at the station on November 11, 1990 (now rerouted through Waterloo). The building, now known as the Baker Street Station, saw more than its share of luminaries and politicians, many of whom used it as a whistle stop opportunity to reach out to voters. Some of those that gave speeches on Baker Street included U.S. Presidents Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower. Likely the station’s highest usage was during World War II, when an estimated 3,000 passengers passed through the station each day.

    During the 1990’s the station nearly became a twisted pile of rubble as the city had issued permits to demolish the once beautiful structure, which by that time featured broken windows and had been stripped of anything salvageable. Fortunately, local architect Vic Martin came to the rescue, gaining ownership of the property in May of 1996. With the help of other passionate citizens and volunteers over the ensuing years, the property was returned to its former grandeur, as well as being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. Now, in addition to being the home of Martin Riley Architects & Engineers, the wonderfully restored main concourse is rented for banquets, receptions and community events. (Image courtesy ACPL)

    Randy Harter is a Fort Wayne historian, author, and tour guide for Fort Wayne Food Tours.

  11. Presentation shares 100 years of Baker Street Station history posted October 24, 2015 on Around Fort Wayne blog .
  12. December 14, 2017 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook:

    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!

  13. Pennsylvania Railroad Station - Baker Street Station, Fort Wayne Indiana with 5 pages of photos February 7, 2023 at Historic Structures.
  14. May 4, 2023 post by MartinRiley architects-engineers on Facebook:

    May is Historic Preservation Month so throughout the month we'll be sharing photos of the Baker Street Train Station through the years. Take a look and see what 30 years difference can make, going from a boarded up ready to be torn down shell after passenger rail left to a iconic DTFW landmark after it went through an award winning renovation from the MR crew.

  15. May 11, 2023 post by MartinRiley architects-engineers on Facebook:

    By the 60's, rail use at the train station was already in it's decline but that didn't stop Fort Wayne's newly formed Wildcat Baseball League from punching a ticket. Below, league members are being shown which car they need to board for their trip to Chicago to see a MLB game.

  16. May 19, 2023 post by MartinRiley architects-engineers on Facebook:

    In 1995, after years of neglect, Vic Martin and John Riley took on the task of restoring the station to its original glory. By this time the station had no electrical or mechanical service, 20 years of water damage, vandals had stripped the building of valuables and caused extensive damage to its historical features. By 1997 and several thousand man-hours later the office wings of the station had been renovated and were fully occupied. The concourse was a different matter but that will be a story for another time...

  17. May 25, 2023 post by MartinRiley architects-engineers on Facebook:

    Circa 1971, passengers await for their trains to arrive via the newly formed AMTRAK. Today, in the same space you can find elegant wedding receptions and other events being held throughout the year.

  18. 1960 Baker Street Station

    Baker Street Station / Pennsylvania Station (1960) in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public LibraryDescription: Opened in 1914 and saw passenger rail service until 1990. It was shuttered and almost razed when architect Vic Martin purchased it. The station was returned to its original splendor. Photo taken from the roof of Lincoln Financial Group 1301 S S Harrison St, Fort Wayne, IN 46802.

    February 8, 2023 discussion on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.

    A Comment by Craig Leonard, local historic preservation consultant, states: This is the largest free-standing building designed by the Philadelphia architects Price and McClanahan(they also designed the 1916 train shed addition to Union Station Indianapolis, which was made into a multi-use mall in the 1980's). Will Price' brother in law, James Turner, was the Vice President of the Western Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, so this firm designed most of their structures between Philadelphia and Chicago. James Turner later left the railroad to found Turner Construction, which built One Summit Square, now the Indiana Michigan Tower. (cf., George Thomas, William L. Price, From Arts and Crafts to Modern, Princeton, 2000. The firm had enough Indiana business to have a branch office in Indianapolis for seven years.

  19. Check out the new mural installed today at the Baker Street Train Station and how it captures the essence of this iconic Fort Wayne landmark!

    Posted by MartinRiley architects-engineers on Monday, March 4, 2024

    March 4, 2024 post by MartinRiley architects-engineers on Facebook:

    Check out the new mural installed today at the Baker Street Train Station and how it captures the essence of this iconic Fort Wayne landmark!

Balser Rentals

Don and Marilyn Balser in business 35 years, had a Volkswagon Beetle car on a pole.

Baltes Building

312 South Harrison Street, built in 1895 for E. M. Baltes and Company. The Baltes Company, established in 1861, sold building supplies. The Cambray family's association with building came later in the twentieth century. The Cambray Building was bought by Don Hall's Restaurants and moved January 29, 2018. Deal gives historic Baltes building a new owner and Fort Wayne Parks department land it wants for downtown riverfront development by Kevin Kilbane published December 14, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. The Baltes Building in the 1913 photo, top right, from the, Fort Wayne, Indiana : a presentation of her resources, achievements and possibilities ... , book below was posted January 29, 2018 on Facebook by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).

Banks of Fort Wayne

Photos and discussion of various former local banks memorabilia posted January 28, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

Barr Street Market

Northeast corner of Barr and E. Wayne Streets Street View photo from Google Maps.

May 16, 2018post by The History Center on Facebook:

Buying fresh food, straight from the farmer, has a 181 year history in downtown Fort Wayne. It is here that we find the beginnings of the Barr Street Market. 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. Today we celebrate the season opening of the Barr Street Farmers Market on Saturday, which is once again home to farmers and vendors selling directly to the people of Fort Wayne. #sociallyhistory

May 7, 2022 post by The History Center on Facebook:

A beloved summer tradition in downtown Fort Wayne returns for another season. The Barr Street Farmers Market traces its origins to 1837, when the land was given to the town of Fort Wayne by Samuel Hanna. The land was designated for use as a public market in perpetuity and was operated as such by the city until the downtown farmers market lost popularity in the mid-20th century. 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.

See also Fort Wayne Farmers Market, Southside Market, and Fort Wayne’s Farmers Markets at Visit Fort Wayne.

  1. The City of Fort Wayne operated the market from the day it opened until 1966 from Barr Street Market on the South Central Trail 12 stops on the Heritage Trail by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
  2. Historic Barr Street Market images on Google.
  3. 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.
  4. Barr Street Market full of history by Michael Hawfield from theCityscapes - People & Places series of articles from the archives of The News-Sentinel newspaper.
  5. Barr Street Market: Trading Under the Trees by Tom Castaldi September 12, 2013 on the History Center Notes & Queries blog.
  6. Historic Barr Street Farmers Market Offers Local Produce and Family Fun published July 1, 2009 with a then and now photo on The Chamber's Daily Dose blog.
  7. Changes at Barr Street Market in 1957 by Corey McMaken published May 28, 2020 in History Journal archives of the Journal Gazette newspaper.
  8. Photo posted and discussed August 19, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
  9. Photos and discussion February 4, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

  10. 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 Centeron 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.

September 21, 2023 post by The History Center on Facebook:

Since 2005, the History Center has partnered with Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana to reenergize and revitalize the 1837 Barr Street Market, which is the oldest public space in the City, into the top-ranked Barr Street Farmers Market. The History Center acquired the Barr Street Market in 1990 and since that time has stewarded and interpreted that beloved public market.

For the second consecutive year the Barr Street Farmers Market was named the best farmers market in Indiana, and this year was also named third in the Midwest and sixth in the nation.

YLNI named #1 farmers market in Indiana for second year

Barto's Gas Station

1201 Creighton Avenue, 1930 to 2014, a block west of the old S. F. Bowser & Company plant (in 2014 the Fort Wayne Police Department Headquarters). Tom Barto closes the family station after 84 years at the intersection of Creighton Avenue and Oliver Street. The first Fort Wayne filling station opened in 1915 from a 1921 newspaper article. See video below and read their story Family-run service station shuts its doors by Paul Wyche published September 20, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. Obituary of John Eugene Barto, of the Barto family who owned and operated Barto’s gas station of Fort Wayne was posted July 28, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. John E. Barto January 28, 1933 – July 17, 2022 obituary at Dignity Memorial.

Family-run service station shuts its doors from The Journal Gazette on Vimeo.

Baseball

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.

140th anniversary of first professional baseball game May 4, 2011 WANE 15 News on YouTube.
On May 4, 1871, the first professional baseball game was played in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Ross Kinsey talks with baseball historian Don Graham about where the game was played and the impact it still has on the community.

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.

See our sections on Camp Allen Park, Fort Wayne Daisies, League Park, Kekionga Ball Grounds, Fort Wayne Kekionga Baseball Team, Parkview Field, Fort Wayne TinCaps, and Fort Wayne Wizards.

  1. June 2, 1883 perhaps the first night baseball game ever played under the lights of Jenny Electric! Another night game was not played again until 1932 from a newspaper article posted October 17, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
  2. Babe Ruth (“Along the Heritage Trail with Tom Castaldi”-- August 2015, No. 127) on History Center Notes & Queries blog.
  3. Camp Allen Park: Play Ball! by Tom Castaldi, local historianposted APRIL 4, 2013 on History Center Notes & Queries blog.
  4. Northeast Indiana Baseball Association Collection of over 100 photographs is at the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library. About this collection: Northeast Indiana Baseball Association (formerly Fort Wayne Oldtimers' Baseball Association) Collection consists of their quarterly publications: “Newsletter” (1999-2001) and “Line drives” (2002-present), as well as their “Hall of Fame awards banquet” annual brochure.
  5. Pro baseball began in Cincinnati in 1869 Part of the BASEBALL HISTORY series ,written by Matt Rothenberg at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
  6. Fort Wayne baseball first played May 4, 1871 on our Timeline.
  7. Spalding's base ball guide, and official league book for ... : a complete hand book of the national game of base ball .. 1877 on Archive.org.
    Record of the Old Professional Association, from 1871 to 1875, Inclusive. The championship campaign of 1871 began with the entry of ten representative clubs for the championship of the association, viz., the Boston Red Stockings — a newly organized club — the Athletics of Philadelphia, the Chicago White Stockings, the Forest City club of Cleveland, the Haymakers of Troy, the Mutuals of New York, the Olympics of Washington and the Forest City club of Rockford, 111. The Kekiongas of Fort Wayne were also among the entries, but their games were thrown out, as they played no legal game after the middle of July. The Eckfords of Brooklyn also entered the lists, but not until August, and consequently these games were not counted. The legal record made up at the close of the season left the eight legitimate contestants occupying the following relative positions in the pennant race of 1871:
    Posted February 3, 2024 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook with comments by local baseball expert Chad Grambling.

  8. Kekionga Base Ball Grounds and 1871 Fort Wayne Kekiongas Statistics at Baseball Reference.com.
  9. 1871 Fort Wayne Kekiongas season on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
  10. Baseball’s First League Game: May 4, 1871 by John Thorn, the Official Historian for Major League Baseball, posted Feb 7, 2012 on The MLB.com/Blog of Official MLB Historian John Thorn. The blog includes an image of the nine players with their names titled Kekionga of Fort Wayne, Indiana and image of a clipping of the Fort Wayne Daily Gazette, May 6, 1871 newspaper.
  11. Spalding's base ball guide, and official league book for ... : a complete hand book of the national game of base ball .. Volume 1909-1910 on Archive.org.
    Page 208, 1, Elston; 2, Hendricks, Mgr.; 3, Hammond; 4, Osteen; 5, C. Alberts; 6, Van Anda; 7, Dickey; 8, Miller; 9, Kelly; 10, Kempf; 11, Blount; 12, McDermott; 13. Reynolds; 14, Fremer; 15, Hendricks, Jr., Mascot. FORT WAYNE TEAM— CENTRAL LEAGUE. Under Central League 1908 page 205
    Posted February 3, 2024 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook with comments by local baseball expert Chad Grambling.

  12. Fort Wayne Kekiongas in the Archives of Baseball History Daily.
  13. Fort Wayne Sports History: Kekiongas help start the National League by Blake Sebring published June 27, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper
  14. Indiana: The Birthplace of Pro Baseball posted August 9, 2018 on OrangeBean.
  15. Baseball in Fort Wayne, from a minipage written for children by Richard Battin an archived May 27, 1992 Summit City History Notes article on The News-Sentinel newspaper
  16. Baseball in Fort Wayne a book by Chad Gramling, an officer in NEIBA - Northeast Indiana Baseball Association. NEIBA has a Hall of Fame.
  17. Colored Giants African American baseball team played from 1907 thru 1949 is discussed in our African American section.
  18. See our section on the Fort Wayne Daisies womens baseball was popular in Fort Wayne and were league champions from 1952 to 1954.
  19. Fort Wayne Franchise History posted August 30, 2011 at MILB.com.
  20. THE LAST WORD: Souder article details history of professional baseball in Fort Wayne by Kerry Hubartt published April 22, 2019 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. Former 3rd District congressman Mark Souder and local baseball historian wrote an in-depth article about Fort Wayne’s professional baseball history in the semi-annual Old Fort News (Volume 82, No. 1), which is a publication of the Fort Wayne/Allen County Historical Society. It’s called Hugh McCulloch & the Origins of Professional Baseball.
  21. Monument at Fort Wayne park marks first-ever baseball game with photos of monument by: WANE Staff Reports posted: May 3, 2017. updated: May 3, 2017 at CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15.
  22. Monument to mark site of 1871 pro baseball game Ceremony will be held Thursday evening at Camp Allen Park by Blake Sebring published May 3, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
  23. 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.
  24. Fort Wayne's baseball dynasty ended 60 years ago Red Braden's teams dominated nationally and internationally includes list of major league teams that played in Fort Wayne since 1920 by Blake Sebring published August 17, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
  25. June 15, 2022 several photos from The History Centerwere posted on Facebook.
  26. An October 9, 2022 post with a photo from the day's Parade magazine featured the 1962 Wildcat Baseball League on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook on Facebook. A photo of Dottie Schroeder from the 1948 Fort Wayne Daisies baseball team was also shown in the Parade magazine. A photo of the entire page was posted October 16, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
  27. April 3, 2023 post by the Genealogy Center on Facebook:

    Baseball season is upon us! Did you know that we have a digital collection from the NE Indiana Baseball Association? ⚾️

    The Northeast Indiana Baseball Association (formerly Fort Wayne Oldtimers' Baseball Association) Collection consists of their quarterly publications: “Newsletter” (1999-2001) and “Line drives” (2002-present), as well as their “Hall of Fame awards banquet” annual brochure.

    Browse the collection here: Northeast Indiana Baseball Association collection.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

Bass Foundry and Machine Works

Built by John Bass. Bass Foundry Materials, Fort Wayne, Indiana at The Genealogy Center. Minute book - Bass Foundry and Machine Company, Minutes of the board of directors, 1919-1955, including dissolution proceedings in full Archive.org. December 6, 2013 photo and May 1, 2016 photo of the last of the foundry torn down by Daniel Baker on Facebook.

Bass Mansion

See Brookside.

Back to top

Bates Tombstone Yards

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.

21Country: An adventure into Kekionga, and Fort Wayne's history by ABC21 WPTA on YouTube.

B & B Loan

America's great pawn shop 67th anniversary on January 1, 2013

Becker House

425 W Williams Street Street View photo from Google maps

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.

ATC member Arline Nation continuing to improve the Hoagland-Masterson neighborhood. Good to know that the ATC Pigtail Project Porch will have historic status 😉

Posted by Activetranspfw on Tuesday, February 23, 2021

February 23, 2021 post by Activetranspfw on Facebook:

ATC member Arline Nation continuing to improve the Hoagland-Masterson neighborhood. Good to know that the ATC Pigtail Project Porch will have historic status 😉

Congratulations to the Becker House in Fort Wayne and the Bloomfield School near LaGrange for being listed in the...

Posted by ARCH, Inc. on Tuesday, November 22, 2022

November 22, 2022 post by ARCH, Inc. on Facebook:

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.

June 6, 2023 post by ARCH, Inc. on Facebook:

Built in 1887, this three-story brick Queen Anne has a wraparound front porch and 13 rooms. Its original owner, Mr. August Becker, immigrated from Germany at 18. His first job was driving a team of horses. He learned the baker’s trade and opened a grocery and dry good store on Fairfield Ave. Becker became a director of Tri-State Building and Loan Association, Van Arnam Manufacturing Company, and the Home Telephone & Telegraph Company. And a realtor! We know because the current owner used ARCH’s expertise to document and research the history of her home to list it on the National Register of Historic Places. This service is one of the many things we do in this community to help people learn more about their homes and share in the joy of historic preservation. To learn about this paid service or to become a member of ARCH and support ARCH’s mission please visit our website at archfw.org.

When Arline Nation saw Fort Wayne’s historic Becker House in 2012, she knew she wanted it for her home. However, the...

Posted by Indiana Landmarks on Thursday, March 21, 2024

Thursday, March 21, 2024 post by Indiana Landmarks on Facebook:

When Arline Nation saw Fort Wayne’s historic Becker House in 2012, she knew she wanted it for her home. However, the road to owning the 1886 Queen Anne wasn’t easy. After years of vacancy, the foreclosed property was a wreck, with broken plumbing and radiators, damage from frozen pipes, and cracks in almost every window. But, beneath the damage, Nation saw her dream Victorian home. “It took almost a year from the time I put my offer in to get the house in my name and fix to a point it was livable,” says Nation. After years of restoration, Nation plans to safeguard investment in her historic home by donating the property to Indiana Landmarks as an estate gift.

Read more of Nation's story on our website: Protecting a Labor of Love

📸: Sierah Barnhart Photography⁠

#indianalandmarks #historichome #historicpreservation

Bell Mansion

420 West Wayne Street Street Street View photo from Google Maps of former Klaehn, Fahl & Melton Funeral Home

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!!

A December 28, 2022 video by Ricky Hellard on Facebook. January 8, 2023 several photos of what it looked like as the Klaehn Funeral home were shared by The Bell Mansion LLC on Facebook.

  1. 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.
  2. Landmark on West Wayne Klaehn, 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.
  3. 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.

Bell's Skating Rink

7009 IN-930 Street View photo from Google maps.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BellsRink/

Lace up your rollerskates! We are headed to Bell’s Skating Rink on Indiana 930 for our Throwback Thursday post. Bell’s...

Posted by ARCH, Inc. on Thursday, January 5, 2023

January 5, 2023 post by ARCH, Inc. on Facebook:

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.

Belmonte Stores

Local "dime" store chain went out of business when the big box stores came to town.

Berghoff Brewery

Herman Berghoff Brewing Co.

The Herman Berghoff Brewing Company on Fort Wayne Beer.comhas the history of the company.
The brewery was completed in 1888 at the cost of $140,000. Above the main entrance in stone was a Star of David, a strange symbol for German Catholic's to use unless you know that King David was reported to be the first brewer. The Brewery was turning out Dortmunder Beer by the first week of June. Discussed March 21, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.

April 8, 2019 post by The History Center 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. #sociallyhistory

"Famous Berghoff Beer"

Daniel Baker "Famous Berghoff Beer" taken on July 7, 2014 on flickr.

The Berghoff Brewery was founded in 1887 by four brothers who had immigrated from Germany. It was located east of Fort Wayne on Grant Avenue near Memorial Park. One brother, Herman, brought the beer to the Chicago's World Fair in 1893 and did so well, he opened a cafe that evolved into the Berghoff Restaurant (which is still open).

The Volstead Act (1919) was the end for many breweries, but others were able to adapt. Indiana boasted 33 breweries in 1918, but saw only 17 survive to Prohibition's end in 1933. Berghoff switched gears and began producing a root beer called, "Bergo's" and a Malt Tonic. As the end of Prohibition became more apparent, the Berghoffs (wanting an edge) began the switch back to making beer and dumping the product into the sewer. Legalization of alcohol under 3.2% ABV came April 7, 1933 and the Berghoff Brewery was ready. It was the first in Indiana to get their beer to market. 15,000 cases of Berghoff beer were on the trucks by 7am that same day.

By the 1940s, The Berghoff family began selling their holdings and the brewery was purchased by Falstaff Brewing Corp. in 1954. Falstaff modernized the brewery and produced their own label until it closed in 1990. That ended a 103 year old legacy and was the last of the big Fort Wayne breweries.

Berghoff Beer continues to be brewed today....

**********************************************************************************

-Friedrich, M. * D. Bull. (1976) "The Register of United States Breweries, 1876-1976."

-http://berghoffbeer.com/ - https://www.fortwaynebeer.com/berghoff-brewing?

-Ankenbruck, John. (1975) "Twentieth Century History of Fort Wayne." Fort Wayne, Indiana. Twentieth Century Historical Fort Wayne, Inc.
Daniel A. Baker Ft. Wayne, Indiana
-http://www.falstaffbrewing.com/

Falstaff Brewery Closing In Ft. Wayne November 09, 1989, Chicago Tribune.

  1. Berghoff Brewery history of the Berghoff's on FortWayneBeer.com
  2. History on BerghoffBeer.com on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
  3. A look into Fort Wayne beer history by Jaclyn Goldsborough published December 26, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
  4. April 20, 2017 post by the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook:

    Lafe Gunther driving the beer delivery wagon and Chauncey Relue with delivery wagon photo in Comments to photo posted

  5. April 20, 2017 Tim Relue comment to post above to the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook::

    My great uncle Chauncey Relue on his Berghoff Wagon in front of my great grandpas bar

  6. The Library of Congress posted April 5, 2019 on PositiveFortWayne. -->

March 20, 2023 post by WANE 15 on Facebook:

A 6,800-square-foot home on Fort Wayne's southwest side is for sale. PHOTOS:

Interesting story of the Covington Manor Farms at 3333 W Hamilton Road South built by John and Mary Berghoff in 1931. It was first listed as “Covington Downs” in the 1932 Fort Wayne City Directory.

 

FOR SALE: Covington Manor Farms home listed for $3.7 million on Zillow by Joe McQueen, posted March 20, 2023 at CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15 .

A photo of Covington Manor in an online article Berghoff Breweryon FortWayneBeer.comis discussed March 21, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.

Berghoff Gardens

Discussion with photos December 31, 2016 and post cards discussion February 3, 2017on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

1501 East Berry Street

August 11, 2023 post by Sturges Property Group on Facebook:

Welcome BACK to FUN 👏 FACT 👏 FRIDAY! 👏

Let's take a step back in time 🕰️ to 1900 when the building at 1501 E Berry Street was built. In 1902, the confections manufacturer Heit-Miller-Lau Company moved in, producing Mary Wayne Chocolates 🍫 (aptly named after Anthony Wayne's wife).

In 1930, ownership shifted and the name of Heit-Miller-Lau Company was changed to something a bit more familiar, Wayne Candies. 🍬 They continued making candies, such as vanilla cream nut clusters, and in 1947, Wayne Candies copyrighted the name "Bun Bar", and the candy as we know it was officially born! 💡

The Wayne Candies factory went through many new owners after that, from the makers of Whopper's Malted Milk Balls to Nabisco, until finally in 1995 the local plant was closed down and production moved to a plant in Pennsylvania. 🚚

Today, the Olde East End building has been refurbished thanks to the City of Fort Wayne Commercial Facade Grant, and it is now home to many businesses, including Summit City Brewerks 🍻 and Hair Candy Fort Wayne. 💈 It's also directly adjacent to Indiana Tech student housing. And it could be home to your business, too

Want a piece of history? 📜 Sturges Property Group is offering Suite 107 and 205 for lease within Olde East End, so make sure to find the listing on our website and call today for more information on this historic and iconic piece of Fort Wayne's story!

https://sturgesproperty.com/properties/olde-east-end

#fortwayne #fortwaynehistory #sturgespropertygroup #commercialrealestate #dtfw #downtownfortwayne

ARCH, Inc. The History Center

Historic image credit to Allen County Public Library. See more here:

http://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/.../collection/coll6/search

Besancon

Besancon is a French settlement east of New Haven and Fort Wayne. Celebration at Besancon discussed in a newspaper article May 31, 1906 in the The Journal Gazette newspaper page 1 and page 3 reprinted on pages 82-84 in the March 2017 Allen County Lines quarterly publication in the Membership section of the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana websiteVolume 41 Number 3. See Besancon in our Towns of Allen County.

Beside Still Waters Greenhouse and Log Cabin Retreat

Website: http://besidestillwaterslogcabinretreat.com/ or Facebook page

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.

Bicentennial Woods Preserve

340 E. Shoaff Road, Huntertown, Indiana. Street View photo from Google Maps has over 600 photos

The property was acquired to honor Fort Wayne's Bicentennial in 1994. Bicentennial Woods Preserve is an ACRES Land Trust Nature Preserve in Perry Township. From their website: PRESERVE DESCRIPTION This is hill country, carved by glaciers and covered with towering oaks, hickories and sycamores, some more than 200 years old. This area was shaped by water gushing from a rapidly melting glacier more than 10,000 years ago. The meltwater dumped its sediment load at Bicentennial Woods, creating the preserve’s sandy hills. This nature preserve is part of the Cedar Creek Corridor, the largest forested corridor in the region. The mature forests found here are uncommon in our region today. Some of the largest oak trees in Bicentennial Woods sprouted during the Civil War. A variety of woodland birds can be seen and heard in spring and summer. Spring wildflowers include wild blue phlox, wild geranium, bloodroot and Jack-in-the-pulpit.

October 5, 2023 post by ACRES Land Trust on Facebook:

Our stewardship team updated a few signs at Bicentennial Woods! This property continues to be one of our most visited preserves. More people = more potential for misuse. Let's work together to keep this space beautiful for generations to come. Be sure to adhere to all preserve rules!

- Open dawn until dusk

- Stay on the trails (that means stay out of the creek)

- Take nothing, leave nothing

- Foot traffic only

- Dogs are on leashes (and you're holding the leash)

- Remove any waste left by your animal

#BicentennialWoods #acreslandtrust #stewardshipteam

Birkmeier & Sons Monument Co., Inc.

2323 West Main Street, www.birkmeier.com. Street View photo from Google Maps.

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 archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. The current About Us page is different: https://www.birkmeier.com/who-we-are/history-and-staff

Location, location, location: It’s the mantra in deciding where to buy. In this case, proximity to Lindenwood Cemetery...

Posted by ARCH, Inc. on Thursday, April 1, 2021

April 1, 2021 posted by ARCH, Inc. on Facebook:

Location, location, location: It’s the mantra in deciding where to buy. In this case, proximity to Lindenwood Cemetery and U.S. 24 was deemed ideal when Birkmeier & Sons Monument Company built its c. 1929 West Main Street building after moving to Fort Wayne from Delphos, Ohio. That building is our Throwback Thursday feature for today. In 1880, John G. Birkmeier needed more money to raise his six children. He started the monument business, located on the banks of the Miami-Erie Canal, to supplement his teacher’s paycheck. Seeing an opportunity for growth, Birkmeier’s grandson, Alexander C. Birkmeier, moved the business to Fort Wayne, near the largest cemetery in the city. The West Main Street building was constructed in the Spanish Eclectic style. The porte cochere, green terra cotta roof tiles and ornamentation around the main entrance are characteristics of this style. One of the most interesting things about the building is the interior mural along the west wall, which depicts pastoral scenes from Lindenwood Cemetery. Birkmeier & Sons Monument Lindenwood Cemetery Nebraska Neighborhood Association, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46808 West Central Neighborhood Indiana Landmarks Indiana Historical Society Indiana Historical Bureau Indiana Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology Greater Fort Wayne Inc. City of Fort Wayne Government Ball State College of Architecture and Planning Ball State Historic Preservation City of Delphos Miami and Erie Canal Corridor Association Miami Erie Canal Path Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana Allen County Public Library The History Center

 

This post was shared April 1, 2021 by Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana. A comment March 9, 2024 asks about any relationship with the Birchmier family that came from Switzerland to Ohio sharing this link: History of the Birchmier Familycompiled by Muriel Birchmier and Marjory Birchmier Pulaski, Iowa - Davis Co. July 1979 starting with the family of Jakob Birchmier 1776-1812 married Maria Annae Kuenzi in Switzerland before moving to Ohio.

Black Swamp

See the Great Black Swamp

BlackStone Building

Built in 1927 at 112 W. Washington Blvd. See Blackstone Building web site and Blackstone Building (Fort Wayne, Indiana) for history on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopediawith copy of 1987 application to the National Historic Register added in 1988 and to the Local Historic Register in 1989.  

Back to top

Blue Cast Mineral Water Sanitarium and Magic Springs

Page 70 in the book The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River Volume 2 by Griswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph), 1873-1927; Taylor, Samuel R., Mrs, Publication date: 1917 on Archive.org on Archive.org.

The Blue Cast Magnetic Springs. — Allen county is to be considered greatly favored in the prestige given by the Blue Cast Magnetic Springs and Sanitarium, which give to the county a reputation for the best of natural and properly amplified facilities for the successful treatment of many of the ills to which human flesh is heir. As the wonderful remedial powers of the waters of the Blue Cast Springs become better and more widely known, in the same ratio is the popularity of the fine sanitarium that has been provided in connection with the same to become more and more one of the leading health meccas of the middle west. No other springs in Indiana can claim waters of greater and more assured medicinal value than those of the Blue Cast Magnetic Springs, and to the splendidly equipped sanitarium are drawn each year greater numbers of health-seekers whose faith in the institution is virtually to be assured through beneficial results. In a publication of this order it is impossible to enter into details concerning the analysis of the Blue Cast waters or the manifold attractions of the sanitarium and its beautiful park, for all these matters are adequately described in the literature sent forth by the institution itself and available to all who make application for the same, but as the developing company has made the institution one of the really great health resorts of Indiana and one that contributes in many ways to the precedence of Allen county, it is but due that a brief review be incorporated in this history of the county. To accomplish this end most consistently the following quotations are taken from an attract- ive brochure issued by the Blue Cast Magnetic Springs Company : ' ' Blue Cast Magnetic Springs and Sanitarium are located in beautiful Blue Cast Park, two miles north of Woodburn, Indiana. Woodburn is on the main line of the Wabash Railroad, seventy-five miles from Toledo, Ohio, and fifteen miles from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Direct connections are, therefore, possible with all railroad and interurban lines running into these two traffic centers. Blue Cast Park is on the Maumee river, con- sists of eighty-five acres, half of which is a fine grove, fronting for over

Page 71

a half mile on the beautiful Maumee river. High banks, splendid scenic views, good boating and fishing, afford most desirable sport and recre- ation. Blue Cast Magnetic Springs have long been known to residents of the surrounding country, who have enjoyed refreshment and kept in health for many years by partaking of this natural tonic from the crude springs. Now the healthful and invigorating properties of Blue Cast magnetic spring water have become available for the multitudes of sick and ailing and those desirous of continued well being. The name Blue Cast is derived from the very slight bluish tint which distinguishes the water. Another part of the name. Magnetic, is derived from the fact that the water has been endowed by Nature with a peculiar magnetic force rarely found in any mineral water of any kind, the world over. Iron or steel when immersed in this water will become magnetized. This wonderful invigorating force is imparted to those who bathe in Blue Cast water, exerting a powerful tonic and metabolic influence on the cell life of the body. The speedy and popular endorsement of these curative and tonical waters is amply justified by the searching analysis of their properties which has been made by well-known and authoritative chemists. The official analysis establishes beyond a doubt that Blue Cast Magnetic Spring water not only possesses refreshing and exhilar- ating qualities, but is Nature's own remedy for many common and chronic ailments." The water is further attractive as a high-grade table beverage, and in connection with the sanitarium has provided a bottling department with the best modern facilities, so that the product may readily be shipped to all parts of the country without the slightest deterioration,. From an auhoritative analysis and incidental report made by a leading chemist are taken the following statements: "This is a very fine water for internal medication and is adapted to a wide range of medical uses: the magnesium carbonate is especially good in all stomach disorders and its sulphate acts mildly on the bowels, while the potassium salts aid all the eliminative organs and act as alteratives." Of Blue Cast Sani- tarium the following brief description has been given: "The building is a modern, fire-proof, steel and concrete structure, steam heated, electric lighted, with hot and cold Blue Cast Magnetic Spring water in every room. No expense has been spared to carry to the extreme in this sani- tarium all the purposes for which it has been constructed, — the comforts of home, rest, recreation and the renewal of the health of patients." The bath facilities are of the best modern type and make provision for the use when expedient of the wonderful magnetic mud that has been impreg- nated by the springs. An efficient medical staff is maintained in con- nection with the institution, and there are few health resorts in the United States that can offer greater attractions for recreation and health- building. For full information concerning the institution application should be made to the general manager, George A. Hogue, who is treas- urer of the Blue Cast Company and who has been the dominant force in the development of this splendid health resort. George A. Hogue was born at Akron, Summit county, Ohio, on January 17, 1875, and is a son of Albert and Samantha (Rollins) Hogue, both likewise natives of the old Buckeye state, the father having been long employed as an expert machinist in the old Buckeye mower and reaper works at Akron. George A. Hogue is indebted to the educational institutions of his native state for his early scholastic training, and as a youth he became associated with contracting work in railway construction. He initiated his activ-

Page 72

ities along this line in 1892 and eventually became an independent and successful contractor. He obtained and completed the contract for the construction of the line of the Ohio Electric Railway from Lima, Ohio, to Fort Wayne, and had the supervision of all construction work in that connection except the building of the sub-stations. Within his active career as a contractor he built six hundred miles of electric railway — principally in Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. He thus developed to the full his admirable initiative and administrative powers, and when, in 1912, he identified himself with the development and exploiting of the Blue Cast Magnetic Mineral Springs he came to the work splendidly equipped. He effected the organization of the Blue Cast Company, which purchased the land and erected the fine sanitarium now conducted under his direct and effective management, and while the company had the best of medium through which to justify such exploitation it has been in large measure due to the earnest and well-ordered efforts of Mr. Hogue that this fine Allen county institution has been brought before the people of the country and the success of the enterprise made cumulative in character. In politics he is a Republican, and in his civic attitude he is characteristically loyal,' progressive and public-spirited. In 1898 he wedded Miss Lua Harrison, daughter of J. B. and Carrie Harrison, of Cleveland, Ohio, and the two children of this union are Earl Harrison Hogue and Bonita Goldie Hogue, the son being now a cadet student in Pillsbury Military Academy, in the state of Minnesota.

Woodburn, Indiana. 21412 Bluecast Road, Woodburn, IN 46797. Blue Cast Springs History by Tom Castaldi and more on Blue Cast Springs Preserve at ACRES Land Trust web site. 1914 advertisement was posted March 5, 2012 post on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook 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, 21Country Featured Reporterpublished January 3, 2014 on 21Country at 21AliveNews.comnow on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

April 6, 2017 post by Indiana Historical Bureau on Facebook:

#AllenCoApril Which Allen County town became a destination as a health resort?

Henry Schnelker established the Blue Cast Mineral Springs in Woodburn, Allen County in 1901. Spread across 84 acres, pumps produced more than 100 cases of water per day that supposedly had healing properties. AC Hugue bought the business in 1912 and expanded it to include a sanitarium. The Blue Cast Sanitarium, opened in 1913, featured mud baths and beautiful gardens patients could tour with visitors. The Sanitarium advertised itself as an ideal place to heal kidney and stomach troubles, lumbago, neuralgia, and rheumatism, with physicians on staff to provide individualized treatment. The sanitarium thrived in the late 1910s and early 1920s, but ultimately failed in the 1930s during the Great Depression.

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 no longer online. 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.

March 11, 2023 post with several current photos of what is left of the foundation on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. Charlie Savage shared several Blue Cast photos from the Woodburn Historical Society Collection in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.

Blue Cast Magnetic Springs And Preserve April 30, 2022 Mike Fromholt on YouTube.
In this video, I explore the site of the 1913 sanitarium, Blue Cast Magnetic Springs, and the spring itself, as well as the mud sulfer spring. There are also short clips of the early spring woodland wildflowers that were in bloom during the visits I made to the preserve. The preserve itself is located near Woodburn, Indiana in Allen County, and is owned and managed by ACRES Land Trust, a land preservation organization located in northeastern Indiana. It was acquired by ACRES in 2012 and contains 87 acres, woth more than half being forested. It also borders the Maumee River, which gives one the chance to see waterfowl, Great Blue Herons and Bald Eagles. There also is an archeoligical site on the property, which is shown and talked about in the video. Here's a link to the Blue Cast Spring history: https://acreslandtrust.org/blue-cast-....

Blue Light Special

In 1966, the famous “Blue Light Special” was invented by a Kmart manager in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who was seeking a way to make it easier for his customers to find the Christmas wrapping paper that he was clearing; the Blue Light Special went on to be adopted chainwide and become an American icon. Copied from Kmart Corporation on Encyclopdia.com. Similar to Kmart Corporation on Company-Histories.com and In the Aisle of Blue Light by James Surowiecki, May 6, 2001 on the NewYorker.com. Another page says Kent Bartell a 24-year-old assistant manager of a Kmart store in Fort Wayne, Ind., in December 1965 from Kent, Ohio, Man Recalls Inventing Kmart `Blue Light Special' on highbeam.com. This was posted September 4, 2022 and started a lengthy discussion on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. A similar page is Attention Kmart Shoppers by Alex Artaud postd Sep 1, 2001 on svconline. However, other websites claim the First Kmart Blue Light Special was flashed on Colfax Avenue posted September 2, 2015 and September 4, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook saying I have this on no less of an authority than Bob Anderson, one of the Kmart workers who conceived the blue-light idea. It took place 30 years ago at the first Kmart store in the Denver area, No. 4101 at 7325 W. Colfax Avenue. The information comes from page 165 in the book "Amole One More Time" by Author Gene Amole, published October 8, 1992 shown below and mentioned in the video also below.

Page 165 Amole, one more time by Amole, Gene, 1923- Publication date 1998 on

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.

ATTENTION K-MART SHOPPERS! 🛒 Back in the 80 & 90s, a former @Kmart employee saved a private collection of original in-store background music cassettes from being lost to history. Take a nostalgic stroll through the aisles at Attention K-Mart Shoppers by Mark Davis (And Others). Copied from an April 16, 2023 post by Internet Archive on Twitter.

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.

Bob Inn

Bob's Gateway Inn, now the Dugout on Fairfield across from Packard Park discussed August 7, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook

Bookstores

Browse Some Bookstores in Fort Wayne by Shelley G. posted November 11, 2011 on Visit Fort Wayneblog.

Bottles

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 21AliveNews.com.

Bowmar Instrument Corp.

patent 3,886,012 May 27, 1975
Laurie F. Slater patent 3,886,012 May 27, 1975 image

Formed in Fort Wayne in 1951 by Edward and Joan White. In 1971, the company introduced the first hand-held calculator called the "Bowmar Brain."

  1. Electrical engineer Ed White, a former Harvard University research assistant and employee of the trailblazing Farnsworth Radio and Television Corporation, started Bowmar in his garage in Fort Wayne Indiana in 1951 at the age of 23. From About Us: The Bowmar Legacy timeline at BowmarLLC.
  2. Laurie F. Slater patent 3,886,012 May 27, 1975 in Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office Patents · Volume 934 1975 in a Google eBook partially shown on right.
  3. Bowmar News company newsletters from 1970s at the Allen County Public Library.
  4. Bowmar - " Bowmar Brain" 901B at Pioneering Calculator Companies Bowmar early electronic pocket calculator at Vintage Calculators .
  5. 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.
  6. Bowmar calculator at the Datamath Calculator Museum.
  7. A January 9, 2017 photo and discussion on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
  8. A January 19, 2023 post with photo of company logo on pens with Laurie F. Slater patent on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
  9. Digits are for calculating

    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

    Copied from City was home for many inventions by Michael Hawfield published December 13, 1993 inCityscapes - People & Places series of articles from the archives of The News-Sentinel newspaper.

Back to top

Bowser Building

Bowser gasoline & oil equipment for the home garage by S.F. Bowser & Co. Inc. Publication date c.1920 on Archive.org

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.

  1. S.F. Bowser & Co. ; Employees, S.F. Bowser & Co. ; Periodicals, and S.F. Bowser & Co. ; History searches at The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
  2. Bowser appears over 300 times in searches in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library
  3. January 22, 2024 post by the Genealogy Center on Facebook:

    Did you know that the Genealogy Center has a digital collection of historic publications from the Bowser Pump Company, located here in Fort Wayne? ⛽️

    Browse the collection here:  Bowser Ink

  4. August 7, 2023 post by the Genealogy Center on Facebook:

    New collection alert ❗️

    We now have monthly employee publications of Bowser Inc. (Fort Wayne) available within our Community Album. Check back as new materials are being added regularly.

    View the publications here: Bowser Ink

  5. Bowser appears many times in discussions with photos and history on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook
  6. Bowser : designers, engineers, manufacturers of equipment for receiving, storing, metering, distributing, filtering, dispensing and merchandising, gasoline, oils, and similar liquids for commercial and industrial purposes by  S. F. Bowser & Company Publication date [19--] on Internet Archive
  7. The Bowser booster (Volume yr. 1918) S. F. Bowser & Co Oil Tanks, Pumps, and Storage Systems - S.F. Bowser and Co Publication date 1915 on Internet Archive
  8. Bowser Buildings Update on Community Development City of Fort Wayne web site.
  9. 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. with photos on Indiana Landmarks .
  10. Some pictures from Robt. L. Miklues book from 1978 on the Bowser Pump & Tank Co. Bowser was a firm believer that all employees should lso be home owners. was posted Janaury 6, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
  11. Discussed August 18, 2015and a photo of the sixth floor Pearl Harbor Memorial on August 21, 2015 on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group.
  12. The 'Bowser Building' may soon be gone, but history won't forget the man and the empire he created with photos by Kevin Leininger published April 21, 2016 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
  13. Bowser Booster publication photos February 25, 2017 and March 1, 2017 photos, photo of 1919 name tag and more posted May 30, 2019 with more discussions in Search on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
  14. Residents protest planned demolition of the historic Bowser Pump buildings on Creighton Ave. Neighbors would like to see the buildings reused and repurposed. by Kevin Kilbane published March 9, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
  15. Contractors to begin demolishing historic Bowser buildings by Jacob Burbrink published March 15, 2017 on 21AliveNews.com. Work begins to raze Bowser buildings Y to take over land for outdoor use by Dave Gong published March 17, 2017 on The Journal Gazette newspaper.
  16. Demolition of former police headquarters on hold by CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15 published March 17, 2017 with a March 18, 2017 discussion by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage)on Facebook.
  17. Salvage materials photos were posted April 5, 2017 and April 12, 2017 on The Wood Shack Architectural Antiques on Facebook.
  18. April 18, 2017 post on tear down with photo and discussion by Randy Harter, Fort Wayne historian and authoron You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
  19. First Gas Pump and Service Station with photos and history at American Oil & Gas Historical Society.
  20. RTV6 - WRTV Indianapolis TV August 8, 2017 posted a 30 second video of the Bowser Pump history on their Facebook page.
  21. 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.
  22. November 29, 2023 post by the Genealogy Center on Facebook:

    Happy #WaybackWednesday! Check out these then-and-now images from the Daniel A. Baker Collection featured in our Community Album 📸

    Circa 1917, Sylvanus Freelove Bowser posed in front of his SF Bowser company headquarters, where he pioneered the invention of the automobile gas pump. ⛽

    Fast forward to early 2017, and the last remnants of SF Bowser & Co. were demolished. Dale McMillen, Sr. acquired the headquarters, later leasing it to Phelps Dodge Company and the Fort Wayne Police Department for several years.

    Explore these historical snapshots and more in our Community Album: Allen County Community Album

Bowser Park

0.92 acres at Reed and Fisher Streets. Boswer Park at the City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation is also a Legacy Park. See Sylvanus Bowser.

Bowser Park celebrates 100th year, earns Legacy Park August 17, 2023 The Journal Gazette newspaper .

August 16, 2023 post by Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation on Facebook:

In celebration of reaching the 100-year milestone, Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Director Steve McDaniel dedicated improvements to Bowser Park today along with Fort Wayne Deputy Mayor Karl Bandemer, park and neighborhood representatives and public officials.

The park sign now proudly displays a Centennial Legacy Park insignia. In addition, an art mural by artist Lyndy Bazile evokes civic pride in the park and neighborhood and stands just yards away from the original stone marker provided by Sylvanus and Sarah Bowser in 1923. The stone is inscribed “for the comfort and pleasure of our neighbors and their children for all time to come.” Interior and exterior upgrades to the pavilion feature updated restrooms and walkways to make them accessible to people with disabilities, concrete improvements and a new roof.

August 16, 2023 post by City of Fort Wayne Government on Facebook:

100 years and counting.

Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation celebrates the centennial of Bowser Park, joining 25 other Legacy Parks in Fort Wayne.

Read more: BOWSER PARK IMPROVEMENTS HONOR PAST, EMBRACE FUTURE

August 16, 2023 post by WFFT FOX 55 on Facebook:

In celebration of reaching the Centennial milestone, Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Director Steve McDaniel dedicated improvements to Bowser Park.

Bowser Park reaches 100-year milestone

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

Website: https://www.provenancehotels.com/the-bradley, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBradleyHotel/.

Brateman Brothers

Sold police uniforms and many leather items. Discussed August 6, 2017 and again August 8, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

Breweries

See Berghoff Brewery and Centlivre Brewery. Fort Wayne breweries on HoosierBeerStory.com has map with 14 locations and links to more information on the Hoosier Beer web site. Craft Beer series A Four-Part Series on Beer in The News-Sentinel newspaper. A look into Fort Wayne beer historypart 1 of 4 published December 26, 2013, Behind the scenes with Mad Anthony's brewmaster part 2 of 4 published December 27, 2013, Summit City Brewerks a long time in the making part 3 of 4 published December 28, 2013, and part 4 of 4 Fort Wayne home brewers find great resource at local supply shop published January 2, 2014 all by Jaclyn Goldsborough in The News-Sentinel newspaper. More brewing history at IndianaBeer, OldBreweries, FortwayneBeerand Summit City Brewery by Jeff Johnson on Fort Wayne Beer.com. There is a 2011 book called Hoosier Beer: Tapping into Indiana Brewing History by Bob Ostrander, Derrick Morris a Google eBook. Fort Wayne is mentioned several times. Strasbourg Brewing Co. opened in 1882 and closed in 1904 it was open for 22 years in New Haven owned by Mack and Gabet.

Broadway Corridor

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 Explosion

In February 3, 1966 around 10-10:30 a.m. near Kinsmoor and Broadway,  just north of Goutys Service Station, 2 blocks north of the Bluffton Road bridge, an explosion blew a house off its foundation possibly into the St.Marys River. Condensed from Comments January 16, 2017, November 22, 2017, December 23, 2017, April 19, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook. Later in 1966 on August 23 a natural gas explosion occurred at Phelps Dodge also discussed several times. For more fires and explosions see Fire Police City County Federal Credit Union calendar on the Wayback Machine.

Broadway State Bank

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.

Located at the at the corner of Broadway and Taylor Street. George Kelly, not George Machine Gun Kelly robbed the Broadway State Bank August 20, 1930. Walter E. Helmke, Mayor Paul Helmke's grandfather was the prosecuting attorney on the case after Kelly was arrested in Chicago and brought to Fort Wayne for trial. It was the top story in local newspapers for many days. See SUMMIT CITY HISTORY NOTES The straight story on 'Machine Gun' Kelly by Richard Battin published by The News-Sentinel newspaper. Photos and more were posted and discussed August 8, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

Broadway Theatre


The Chateau on Broadway 1926 photo June 11, 2022 Facebook post

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.

See local Theaters such as the Broadway Theatre, Clyde Theatre, Embassy Theatre, Holiday Theater, Jefferson Theatre, Lyric Theatre, Majestic Theatre, Palace Theatre, Paramount Theatre, and Rialto Theatre. Theatre versus Theater trivia. Some say the spelling Theatre refers to a focus on live performances while Theater refers to the physical place. Others say it is the British spelling versus American spelling.

Back to top

Brookside - John H. Bass Mansion

2701 Spring Street, University of Saint Francis

Street View photo from Google map and several photos on Google map including the This Historic House is listed on the National Register U.S. Dept. of Interior Washington, D.C. plaque for June 2, 1982.

Beautiful Brookside (aka Bass Mansion)

Posted by University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne, IN on Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Tuesday, February 17, 2015 post by University of Saint Francis - Fort Wayne, IN on Facebook:

Beautiful Brookside (aka Bass Mansion) [ aerial photo ]

Page 104, starting on page 98 in Wing & Mahurin, architects, Fort Wayne, Ind by Wing & Mahurin, Publication date 1896 on Archive.org.
Photos shown January 15, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook

Episode 166: Bass Mansion published December 20, 2021 by Granite Ridge Builders on 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.

  1. Designed by Marshall S. Mahurin.
  2. Bass Mansion photos on Google images.
  3. 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."
  4. 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.
  5. January 31, 2011 post by ARCH, Inc. on Facebook:

    Don't miss this insider look at the restoration of the Bass Mansion, by the architectural firm that made it happen.

    Tuesday,February 10, 7pm, North Campus Lecture Hall, University of St. Francis.

  6. Vorderman Photography has a great shot on his Facebook page.
  7. How many grotesques do you see? on Hidden Gems blog from Indiana Landmarks.
  8. Photos of Bass Mansion - University of Saint Francis at Conrad Schmitte Studios Inc.
  9. Brookside Mansion, a working historic home by Cindy published May 9, 2017 on Traveling Adventures of a Farm Girl blog.
  10. 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 Event World-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.

Buckner Park

July 10, 2023 post by Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation on Facebook:

Today Mayor Tom Henry, Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Director Steve McDaniel, community representatives and additional public officials dedicated the new paved pedestrian trail and picnic shelter at Buckner Park in southwest Fort Wayne.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony highlighted some of Buckner Park’s unique geographical areas, including grass prairies, wetlands, stream crossings, woodlands and vistas. This ¾ mile trail to the new picnic shelter will wind through these areas and offer bench seating made from recycled materials at scenic spots.

Bueschings Peat Moss

Website: https://www.bueschings.com/ In 1998 - Dan Buesching was digging up peat in the pond for the family peat buisness and hauled up a mastodon tooth-filled skull, leg bones, part of a pelvis, two large leg bones and other parts. IPFW students soon joined in the excavation, and in the end it turned out Buesching’s find was one of the most complete mastodon skeletons ever found in this part of the country. Read about the mounted skeleton now on display as Fred the Mastodon on our 1998 Timeline. Bueschings donated the fossil to the Indiana State Museum where they have it on display. You can also visit the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and at Science Central in Fort Wayne, Indiana to see the casting. Copied from Bueschings Peat Moss & Mulch About page.

October 31, 2019 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook:

For "Throwback Thursday" we share another Mastodon found! This is at Buesching's Peat Moss on the Cook Road. In 2004 IPFW celebrated their 40th Anniversary and local businesses painted these Don's in tribute. BTW...it was at Bueschings they unearthed a Mastodon!

Bun Candy Bar

Maple, vanilla, or caramel covered in unsalted peanuts and milk chocolate. Started in the 1920s, was made by the local Wayne Bun Candy Company, later bought out by Clark Bar America of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, then Minneapolis, Minnesota based Pearson acquired the brand in 1998. See the November 4, 2012 and May 21, 2013 discussions of the candy bar and building on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook, Wikipedia and lots of comments on Candyblog March 10, 2006 Pearson’s Buns. March 24, 2017 discussion and 1923 advertisement posted August 26, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

Burger Chef

Locations discussed March 23, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

Bursley and Company

1913 G. E. Burlsey & Company

501 South Clinton Street. G. E. Bursley & Company, Fort Wayne IN: 1913. reproduced from a printed source from the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.

1920s Warner Brothers General Store

WARNER BROTHERS GENERAL STORE, LEO IN: INTERIOR, SHOWING PUBLIC LIBRARY OF FORT WAYNE AND ALLEN COUNTY, LEO DEPOSIT LIBRARY (WITH CHILDREN READING), PLUS SECTION OF STORE WITH CANNED GOODS, MANY OF LITTLE ELF BRAND, PRICES CLEARLY VISIBLE, PET MILK. 1920S in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library. Discussed February 28, 2024 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook

  1. RINGENBERG STORE In 1928, John Ringenberg and his wife, Ruby, opened a grocery and dry goods store in the Schepelmann building on the north side of Main Street next door to the Drug Store. They featured the Little Elf products which were distributed by The Bursley Company. An interesting fact about the "Little Elf" brand name was that it was designed by Marion Lochner, one of the first graduates of Woodburn High School. Mr. Lochner was vice-president of The Bursley Company in 1955.

    From page 177, Business and Professional Home Community, U.S.A. published by The Woodburn Days committee of 1954 in the Woodburn History section of the Members Only section of the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana website.

  2. In 1963, the company acquired the Food Marketing Corporation of Fort Wayne, Indiana, which traced its roots to the early 1800s, as Bursley & Company. SuperValu (UnitedStates) on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Elf brand products were sold in Maloley's Fine Foods and other local grocery stores in late 20th century Fort Wayne area.
  3. Bursley & Co. ghost sign at PharosTribune.
  4. G.E. Bursley Company

    American Trade-Marks and Devices: G E Bursley & Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana (litho) at Meisterdrucke.us Fine Art Prints

  5. Page 60 G. E. Bursley & Company Little Elf logo in A book of American trade-marks & devices by Joseph Sinel Publication date 1924 at Archive.org

  6. American Trade-Marks and Devices: G E Bursley & Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana (litho) 7198405 American Trade-Marks and Devices: G E Bursley & Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana (litho) by American School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: G E Bursley & Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Illustration for A Book of American Trade-Marks and Devices compiled by Joseph Sinel (New York, Alfred A Knopf, 1924). Media Storehouse.

Byron Health Center

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.

  1. Byron Health breaks ground on Lake site Center won't just be 'another nursing home' by Rosa Salter Rodriquez published October 11, 2018 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
  2. Byron Health Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana with maps and photos posted July 25, 2022 on The Wayward Wanderlust Foreign and Forlorn A walk with Wayward Wonderlust.
  3. December 13, 2022 post by Byron Health Center on Facebook:

    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!

  4. December 15, 2022 post by Byron Health Centeron Facebook:

    Grateful to our friends at WANE 15 for this 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.

  5. August 23, 2023 post by Byron Health Centeron Facebook:
Back to top

Page updated: