“What’s for dinner?” During the 1960s, French cuisine became popular due in large part to the efforts of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. In 1961, John N. Spillson opened one of Fort Wayne’s premier restaurants, Café Johnell. The restaurant featured red velvet upholstery, fine antiques, linen tablecloths, and framed paintings. The European menu was hailed by critics as one of the finest in the Midwest and the Spillsons took home numerous awards. The restaurant’s wine cellar was one of the nation’s most extensive. Café Johnell was arguably the most elegant restaurant ever located in Fort Wayne, offering diners fine French cuisine in the upscale South Calhoun Street restaurant. Always a family affair, John and his wife, Jayne, ran the restaurant with their children Nike and John joining them in the 1980s. After the death of her father in 1995, French-trained chef, Nike Spillson took over the running of the restaurant for the next six years. The forty year tradition of fine French dining in Fort Wayne came to an end in 2001, when owner Nike Spillson closed Café Johnell for the last time. #sociallyhistory
Happy 45th Anniversary. October 10th 1977 Tom & Sharon Casaburo partnered with Jimmy D'Angelo to bring Fort Wayne the original location back on Coldwater Rd. Today owned & operated by Sharon, James, T, Chris & Trey Casaburo we are proud to serve you at the four locations. We are Thankful to the hardest working staff in the hospitality business, You ROCK! And to our supportive guests, the first timers, the regulars, the Wednesday & Sunday barstool family, the carryout only, the date nights, We Thank You Over & Over! Saluti to 45 More!
A little Flashback Friday featuring Tom Casaburo in the very first Casa D’Angelo kitchen on Coldwater Road in 1977! Were you lucky enough to dine there way back when?!
George Lambroff, Bill Eshcoff (one of the Coney Island owners), Jimmy D’Angelo (Casa Restaurant), George Lebamoff (Cap-n-Cork), Bobby Eshcoff (Lambros), Boris Kostoff (Stein Tavern & Quality Foods), Tommy Lebamoff (Ted & Tom's, Elegant Farmer), Ted Gouloff (Ted & Tom's).
Standing: Tom Casaburo, (Casa D'Angelo) George Tsinrsaroff, (George's Suburban House) Leonard Spallone, (architectural designer and contractor) Joe Descarto, Tony DiFilippo, "Wimpy" Wilber Rodenbeck, (Johnny's Rib Bar and The Flame with John Eschoff), Carl Stavreti.
Seated: Ted Sholeff Sr, (South Side Gardens) Bill Dotes, Jimmy D'Angelo. (Casa D'Angelo)
Not pictured: John Eschoff (Lambros), Frank Casagrande (O'Sullivans)
Been a busy day at 203 W. Wayne Street #316, but we now have your Wall of Fame Wednesday edition!!!! For some reason, we always end up around boundary lines! Here we have a No Trespassing sign found at the old CASAD Depot on the former State Road 14 East of New Haven that we surveyed several years ago! Come on down and visit the WOF, you'll be glad you did!
New Haven Depot (DNSC-OLNH) is on 268 acres of land owned by the federal government. Is part of the DLA's Defense National Stockpile Center. Entranceis located on the north side of Dawkins Road (formerly State Route 14), approximately 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) east of New Haven. Surrounded by an 8-foot high fence topped with three-stranded barbed wire. As of 2011 only security staff are on site. From New Haven Depot (DNSC-OLNH) Casad Depot at GlobalSecurity.org.
Amaryllis Installation: Bird's Eye View August 27, 2025 by Maxamillian Studio on YouTube.
FORT WAYNE
Amaryllis represents 2 years of Love and Dedication to Mark Paul Smith and Jody Hemphill Smith, the former Owners of the Castle Gallery and the incredible Artistic Legacy of the Historic West Central Neighborhood. This Gateway Sculpture celebrates our city's vibrancy and love of life.
I'm incredibly grateful to Sculptor Cary Shafer, Fabricator Kammerer Dynamics and all that helped make this happen with Hemphill Smith Art Foundation.
Mark and Jody are like my adopted parents and took me under their wing when I moved to Fort Wayne. They helped foster a sense of openness and inclusion within West Central. I am profoundly grateful that they were a part of my life.
Cary Shafer and Amaryllis, brilliantly captured what makes Historic West Central Special with an ode to Historic Architecture and the vibrant downtown living that West Central provides. The Sculpture itself refers to both of Fort Wayne's Industrial and Creative cultures and announces to visitors and residents alike that Fort Wayne has become a vibrant and artistic destination worthy of celebrating.
The Amaryllis is located across from the Sweeney Park Tennis Courts along Jefferson Blvd.
George Ironstrack, Assistant Director of the Myaamia project, presents on the historical and contemporary contexts of the akima Pinšiwa awiiki (Chief Richardville House in Fort Wayne, Indiana), which received National Historic Landmark status in 2012. This talk was given during Family Day of the 2012 National Gathering of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.
Item 7. The Chief Richardville House (Akima Pinšiwa Awiiki ) is one of only two National Historic Landmarks in Allen County. The Pinšiwa (Richardville) House is a rare and nationally significant example of a treaty-negotiated residence, built in 1827. It represents the resolve of Civil Chief Pinšiwa and the Myaamia (Miami) people to remain on their traditional lands within the expanding United States. When built, this was the finest house in northern Indiana. It was the primary home of Pinšiwa from 1827 to his death in 1841, and today it is owned and operated by the History Center. Note—the official NHL name of the house is in the Myaamia language. from from 10 Things to Know About Historic Preservation in Fort Wayne at City of Fort Wayne.
Website: www.fwhistorycenter.com/chiefRichardvilleHouse.html. At a press conference on April 17, Todd Maxwell Pelfrey, executive director of the History Center, offered a brief history of the life of Chief Richardville. “Born in Kekionga (in what would become Fort Wayne) in 1761, Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville (know as Pinsiwa, “The Wildcat,” in the Miami language) served as the Akima or Civil Chief of the Miami from 1814 until his death in 1841. His legacy and the legacy of his people were secured through his implementation of a seemingly benign yet revolutionary piece of treaty making, the establishment of fee-simple title to Miami homelands throughout Indiana and construction of permanent residences for tribal leaders on these lands. His home at 5705 Bluffton Road was constructed in 1827, funded in part by the 1826 Treaty of Mississinewa, along with eight other residences for his sub-chiefs throughout northern Indiana. Copied from Observations on the Chief Richardville House National Historic Landmark Designation posted April 27, 2012 on History Center Notes & Queries blog.
The original site 5705 Bluffton Road is the oldest Native American dwelling in the Midwest, the first Greek Revival Style house in northeast Indiana, the oldest house in northeast Indiana and home to the wealthiest man in Indiana at the time of his death in 1841. His home was acquired in 1991 by the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society. The United States government officially declared it a National Historic Landmark in 2012. It is, in fact, the only Treaty House (of the once thousands in existence) that is still standing in the United States. Copied from THE AKIMA PINSIWA AWIIKI posted September 9, 2016 by Michael Morrissey on The Waynedale News.com.
The Akima Pinšiwa Awikii (Chief Jean-Baptiste de Richardville House), Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a rare example of a treaty house remaining in the U.S. that was constructed as the direct result of treatymaking between American Indians and the U.S. government. Built in 1827 as part of the terms of the 1826 Treaty between the Miami (Myaamia) and the U.S., the Pinšiwa Awikii was the primary residence and the locus of Pinšiwa’s activities as a sovereign leader in Miami negotiations with the United States government during the years 1818 to 1841. The Akima Pinšiwa Awiiki is nationally significant under NHL Criterion 1 as it is associated with events that made a significant contribution to, and is identified with or outstandingly represents the broad national patterns of United States history and from which an understanding and appreciation of those patterns may be gained. Copied from a longer American Indian Influence in the Old Northwest Territory article at the National Park Service.
Cigar Manufacturers
The tobacco plant is native to the New World. Mass cultivation of the tobacco plant in America began during the 17th century. Throughout the succeeding centuries the cultivation and distribution of tobacco has been a driving force in the American economy. Beginning in 1860, Fort Wayne played a part in the tobacco industry with the manufacture of cigars for nearly a century. Some of the most prominent cigar manufacturers in our city were Cooney Bayer, Baker Cigars and William J. Steckbeck & Sons. Coony Bayer, the last remaining and also the largest cigar manufacturer in Fort Wayne, closed in 1958. Copied from photos posted July 9, 2018 by The History Center on Facebook to promote their temporary cigar display: Sweet Smell of Success: Fort Wayne’s Premier Cigar Industry!
830 South Harrison Street Fort Wayne, IN 46802, phone: (260) 422-1957, Facebook - motto: We serve the world 15 at a time. The current owners 22nd anniversary was on January 1, 2013. The favorite menu item is World Famous “Garbage” consisting of potatoes, eggs, ham, and cheese.
Cindy's Diner will be moving from it's current spot to West Berry Street and Maiden Lane in June to make way for the new...
Cindy's Diner will be moving from it's current spot to West Berry Street and Maiden Lane in June to make way for the new multi-million dollar Ash Brokerage project.
An extra picture regarding the Ash Complex. If you have never seen a house, or in this case, a diner moved, take a look...
An extra picture regarding the Ash Complex. If you have never seen a house, or in this case, a diner moved, take a look at this. Cindy's Diner was raised using several steel I-beams as a base yesterday. They will install wheels under the beams and roll her out this weekend!
Congratulations to our friends at Cindy's Diner! They opened this morning at their new location at the corner of Maiden and Berry Street! Stop by and see them!
Congratulations to our friends at Cindy's Diner! They opened this morning at their new location at the corner of Maiden and Berry Street! Stop by and see them!
Citizens Square Officially Open at City of Fort Wayne. All the older buildings were razed and a new builiding opened in 1959 as the new Wolf & Dessauer department store building bounded by Clinton, Wayne, Barr and Berry Streets. Ownership changed hands in the 1960s and a couple more times before the City of Fort Wayne purchased the empty building in 2009 and after renovation dedicated it in 2011 as Citizens Square. For more details read Citizens Square Block – 1957 with photo of the older buildings by Randy Harter, Fort Wayne historian and authorpublished December 9, 2018 in Fort Wayne Reader. Citizens Square is a building in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It houses Fort Wayne's municipal government. In 2011, the building attracted media attention when it was almost named the "Harry Baals Government Center" after its former mayor. From Citizens Square on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Citilink
Citizens Street Railroad Co (1872) - Fort Wayne Transit Co (1950s-60s) - PTC (Public Transportation Corp - 1968) - The Bus Company - was discussed in A look at our public transportation past by Betty Cackmar published December 7, 2015 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
City Building - Old City Hall
Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown is TOMORROW! This last postcard has no message written on it, but we love the open...
This last postcard has no message written on it, but we love the open space on either side of this landmark that houses the History Center today.
The City Building was built in 1840 on land donated to the city by Samuel Hanna at Barr and Berry Streets. The Fort Wayne Old City Hall is a castle-like building located at 308 East Berry Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Built in 1893 the Fort Wayne Old City Hall Castle served as the city hall for the city of Fort Wayne until 1971. Today is a museum known as the Fort Wayne History Center which houses over 23,000 artifacts and is open to the public daily. Photo by Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne. In 1977, the city of Fort Wayne committed a Federal Grant to rehabilitate the Old City Hall for use as a historical museum that is now the home of the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society known as the History Center . City Building (The History Center) is Stop #7 on the ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage) Central Downtown Trail.
The history section of the web site of the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre says that the company was founded in 1927 as the Fort Wayne Community Theatre Guild, changed its name to Old Fort Players in 1931, moved into the Majestic Theatre that same year, changed its name to Fort Wayne Civic Theatre in 1940, and moved their operations to the Palace Theatre on East Washington Boulevard in 1957. The Civic Theatre company mounted 231 productions at the Majestic over the years. While at the Palace it was renamed the Civic Playhouse. The Civic Theatre left the Palace Theatre in 1969 and briefly set up shop in another location before moving to its current home on the downtown Arts Campus in 1973. From June 27, 2012 Capital Theater comment on cinema Treasures and Sept 22, 1967: Civic Theatre installs sign with photo by Corey McMaken published February 21, 2019 in The Journal Gazette newspaper from a post on Twitter.
It's #waybackwednesday! Check out this advertisement for Clem Hardware in Monroeville, IN for the Star Vestibule Storm Front, a device to protect people in a buggy during a snowstorm!
Is named for DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828), who is often called the “Father of the Erie Canal.” While serving in various official capacities he advocated building a canal through upstate New York into the Midwest. The resulting Wabash-Erie Canal led to the growth of the city at its highest elevation and gave Fort Wayne the nickname it has kept to this day: “Summit City.” from MLK name-change request pits the present against the past Group wants Clinton Street renamed for Martin Luther King Jr. by Kevin Leininger published March 31, 2012 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
Cloverleaf
Dedicated May 27, 1958, the first in Fort Wayne at Coliseum Blvd. then U.S. 24 and 30, now 930, to help trafic flow near the east end industries, photo at Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne.
Club Olympia
At the intersection of Harris and Goshen Roads, opened March 21, 1963. One of only 4 Olympic size pools in Indiana. 1968 Olympic Gold medalist swimmer Sharon Wichman practiced at Club O. The leaking pool closed April 28, 2009 when the struggling American Legion Post 82 filled it in with dirt to expand their floor space to use for meetings and conventions.
CNN (Cable News Network)
CNN's first broadcast: June 1, 1980, by CNN June 1, 2011 on YouTube. On June 1, 1980, CNN aired its first news broadcast anchored by the husband and wife team of David Walker and Lois Hart.
The first CNN broadcast June 1, 1980 was at 6 p.m. shown live in about a million and a half U.S. households. The top news story of the night was then-President Carter’s arrival in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he was visiting civil rights leader-turned-adviser to Bill Clinton Vernon Jordan, who was “in serious but stable condition” following an assassination attempt on May 29. Jordon was at the Fort Wayne Marriott Hotel for his May 29, 1980 address to the Fort Wayne Urban League Equal Opportunity Dinner.
Hour long video: CNN First Hour: June 1, 1980 - two minutes of blank space at the beginning - Fort Wayne is mentioned at the 8 minute mark. The Cable News Network was launched at 5:00 p.m. EST on Sunday June 1, 1980. After an introduction by Ted Turner, the husband and wife team of David Walker and Lois Hart anchored the first newscast.
CNN First Hour: June 1, 1980 by Brandon Millman on YouTube says: The Cable News Network was launched at 5:00 p.m. EST on Sunday June 1, 1980. After an introduction by Ted Turner, the husband and wife team of David Walker and Lois Hart anchored the first newscast. This is the complete hour, including all commercials.
(Incidentally, CNN had paid for a satellite link until 6:30 p.m. Mr. Carter departed the hospital at 6:22 p.m. Had he left Vernon Jordan's room eight minutes later, CNN would have lost its satellite link and the story.) from page 33 in the book The Art of Business Warfare: Outmaneuvering Your Competition with Military ... by David Leppanen.
5910 Maples Road is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The nomination was prepared by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage). The 44-page National Register of Historic Places Registration Form includes an extensive history, maps, and several exterior and interior photos including the three photos.
Colonial Theatre
Was located at 1003 South Calhoun Street, SE corner at Washington where a parking garage is located in 2018. A 1911 glass plate negative by Norman Standish was posted August 22, 2018 by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage) on Facebook. "His Friends Wife" and "Indian Maiden’s Lesson" were playing at the time. A building to the right of the theater was the Shining Parlor. Craig Berndt provided the photo.
Columbia Street
Now known as The Landing which has been a prime location downtown off and on since the beginning of Fort Wayne. Renovations are in the works for future developments as of 2017.
Community Harvest Food Bank - the food bank was formed after International Harvester left Fort Wayne in 1983 leaving hundreds jobless devastating the community. It is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the alleviation of hunger through the full use of donated food and other resources. See 30 years for food bank Community Harvest lauded for aiding area by Vivian Sade published September 17, 2013 on The Journal Gazette newspaper.
For "Throwback Thursday" we share this picture taken by Dailey Fogle from the SHAMBAUGH, KAST, BECK & WILLIAMS building at 229 W. Berry Street as featured in the April 14, 1975 edition of The Fort Wayne Journal - Gazette. This is looking North from said building at the "proposed " and now the site of the SENIOR CITIZEN'S RECREATION CENTER. Oh and by the way...Hofer and Davis provided the surveys in 1974!
Was founded in 1913 by Swiss immigrant Fred Marolf, Sr. in Indiana and remained private until it was acquired by Beatrice Foods in 1971. It was later acquired by ConAgra Foods, Inc. in 1990. The Indiana location was closed by ConAgra in 1991 and the label relocated to New Berlin, Wisconsin. The company was named for the location of its plant on the County Line Road dividing Allen and DeKalb counties in Indiana. The County Line cheese plant was on the DeKalb County side of the road, just north of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Throwback Thursday: County Line Cheese by Jenny posted March 19, 2015 on Eckhart Public Library blog. April 24, 2016 and November 24, 2017 discussions on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group. County Line (brand) on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopediastated: "is a brand of cheese owned by ConAgra Foods, Inc. and marketed primarily to delicatessens. " See a plant photo January 2, 2012 on Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne and again July 20, 2012. The brand County Line Cheese is now sold by DCI Cheese Company of Richfield, Wisconsin.
One of the oldest standing homes in Allen County is for sale. WANE 15 Taylor Williams WANE 15 takes you on a tour of the property and shows you what life was like when the house was first built.
Fort Wayne home built in 1852 up for auction, mystery includedOctober 15, 2019 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15 with several photos states: The homestead, though not on the historical registry, is one of the oldest still standing in Allen County. Historical experts have told Sowers that part of the smaller portion of the house was built in the 1820s while the larger section was built in 1852. Several places, streets, and buildings in the area are named after Covington Homestead. However, not much is known about the original owners of the Covingtons’. The Allen County History Center has a few newspaper articles from the 1950s on the house and then owners at the time, the Cronin family. [included in the online article] Other than the articles nothing else is known about the family or the home.
For "Throwback Thursday" we stick to our theme of COVINGTON MANOR FARMS. The first is some promotional material from the time it was platted in 1993. The second is an old picture taken on the estate. The 3rd is a picture of the old Berghoff Estate taken from the Assessors Office. Anyone remember the Charity Horse Show? BTW... Hofer and Davis, Inc. did the survey for the Berghoff's in 1964, the Perrey's in 1981 and the plat in 1993.
C & P Machine
Fort Wayne's engine experts 48th anniversary on January 1, 2013
413 West DeWald Street, read more about Grace E. Crosby at ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
Curly's Village Inn
Paul "Curly" Armstrong, a retired Indiana basketball legend and Ft. Wayne celebrity, along with his wife Mary Armstrong, founded Curly's Village Inn in 1969. They have their history on their About web page.
