Today, we continue our list of the top endangered properties in the Historic 07 District. The purpose of this list is to raise awareness of these incredible properties.
Residents of Fort Wayne may drive by and wonder a bit about the massive building at the corner of Pierce and Fairfield. This building, which more recently was one of the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, was originally built for the First Church of Christ, Scientist Fort Wayne congregation. While this building is for sale, the story behind this structure is quite interesting. Read on for more.
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, was founded in 1897, the original members being Mrs. M. L. Brown, Mr. and Mrs. I. N. Woods, Miss Ora Shaver, and Miss Emma Rosenthal. Initially, the church was housed in a small Jewish synagogue until 1913. At that point, the church purchased the Charles McCulloch home at West Wayne and Ewing. Charles, a banker, was the son of Hugh McCulloch, who served as Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and Chester A. Arthur.
Mary Baker Eddy founded the First Church of Christ, Scientist in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and the founder of Christian Science. The church was founded "to commemorate the word and works of Christ Jesus" and "reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing". In the late 1800s and early 1900s, this was one of the fastest-growing religions in the country. In Fort Wayne, the growth was similar.
In the mid 1920's, the local congregation was looking for a new location. In 1926, the church purchased land at the corner of Fairfield and Pierce. As you can see from the picture, this vast structure was built and finished in 1927. The building, built in the neoclassical style, followed the pattern of many other First Church of Christ, Scientist structures around the country. This church was designed by Howard Lovewell Cheney, who also designed Washington National Airport. Over the years, the building has changed hands and now sits empty and for sale. It's a beautiful structure with hopefully an opportunity to be revived soon.
815 W. Creighton has been a home to a "giant" in Fort Wayne history and a home to "little people" who were internationally renowned on the stage. Captain Asa Fairfield came to Fort Wayne from Maine in 1833 with a princely sum of $30,000. He would eventually purchase the land and build this house. In 1880, Charles Nestel purchased the home. His son Charles and daughter Eliza, who were little people, traveled the United States and Europe as "Commodore Foote" and the "Fairy Queen". See Charles and Eliza Nestel and Street View photo from Google maps.
Lots of information in Hard times hide storied history Repairs planned for 1860s Creighton house built by canal skipper by Rosa Salter Rodriguez published September 2, 2007 in The Journal Gazette newspaper is no longer online.
Will third time prove the charm for efforts to save colorfully historic house? Creighton Avenue house was once home to canal captain, world-famous dwarfs by Kevin Leininger published April 16, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
Great Depression-era memories recall another use of Fairfield-Nestel House It served for about 10 years as a hospital for the ill, elderly and disabled. 815 W. Creighton Ave. — it served from about 1923 to 1933 as Anthony Wayne Hospital for Old People and Invalids. The research findings also provide a glimpse of what appeared to have been a difficult life for the hospital's matron, Anna F. Lepper. Much more in the article with no author listed, originally published July 20, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper now archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
House was torn down August 7-8, 2017.
Historic Fairfield-Nestel House demolished Over the years, several owners had tried unsuccessfully to restore the house. was published August 8, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
August 9, 2017 commentary by the last owner of the Nestel House referencing the following August 10, 2017 Rosa Salter Rodriguez artilce with interesting comments and history of the family and many Nestel House posts including from Brad Nestel a descendant of the Nestel family posted many times on the Historic Real Estate Renovations & Sales page on Facebook.
This article was written for and is courtesy of Fort Wayne Reader newspaper.
Olaf Nikolaus Guldlin, the president of the Fairfield Manor Realty Co., had been the founder in 1888 of the successful Western Gas Construction Company on Winter Street in Fort Wayne. Western Gas manufactured and constructed large gas producing plants for cities throughout the country that did not yet have natural gas piped to them. Guldlin and his investors sold Western Gas to the Koppers Corp. of Pittsburgh, PA in January of 1921.
Eleven months later, in December of 1921, his announcement of the proposed construction of the city’s first suburban high-rise luxury apartment building, at a cost of $750,000., was heralded in The Fort Wayne Sentinel. However, it would be another seven years before the building at 2301 Fairfield at Creighton Avenues would actually be completed in January of 1928. Part of the reason for this was that the area surrounding the project was an upper class neighborhood of opulent homes and there was significant opposition from nearby residents to the building. Interestingly, the Guldlin’s own grand residence was across the street (southwest corner) at 2306 Fairfield. A Speedway gas station now sits on part of the property that was his former home.
Utilizing a combination of Craftsman and Classic elements, Fairfield Manor was designed by at that time, the city’s most prominent architect, Charles R. Weatherhogg. Today, nearly 90 years later, the well maintained seven story building remains much the same and has 70 studio, one, two bedroom and larger custom apartments. At the time the building was completed, the rents were as follows: three-room apartment, $77.50; four-room, $105.00; and five-room at $124.00 per month. The apartments included gas ranges, electric refrigerators, and each was furnished with a “Murphy” bed that pivoted out of the wall.
The ground floor included a ladies reception room, lounge and card room, café-tea room, banquet room, large main kitchen, and a beauty shop. The building was originally to have a roof-top garden, and a putting green south of the parking lot, however in the end neither were incorporated. The building’s primary entrance still today features the original elaborate bronze and glass portico, and the interior public area showcases 1928’s marble baseboards, mixed mosaic and terrazzo floors, walnut wood panels and trim.
For most in Fort Wayne today, the name Guldlin isn’t associated with Olaf Guldlin, Western Gas Construction Co., or even the Fairfield Manor, but rather his wife Addie Guldlin. Mrs. Guldlin was an early civic activist and an advocate of safe playgrounds for children. Addie raised funds for the city’s first public playground, which under her direction was elaborately constructed with separate boys’ and girls’ swings, see-saws, sandboxes and wading pools on a six-acre site on Van Buren at the St. Mary’s River. Dedicated in 1911, the park was named in her honor. Sadly, two years later during Fort Wayne’s infamous 1913 Flood, much of the playground was washed away and is today an empty field, still called Guldlin Park.
Formerly Berghoff Brewing at 1019 Grant Avenue. Fort Wayne operations started on April 12, 1954, when Falstaff bought the Berghoff Brewing Company. The corporation also brewed in St. Louis, New Orleans, Galveston, El Paso, Omaha, San Jose, San Antonio and San Francisco. The Falstaff Corporation was bought by Paul Kalmanovitz's brewing conglomerate, General Brewing, in 1975. At that time it made 1.2 million barrels annually at the Fort Wayne plant. Headquarters was moved to Fort Wayne in 1977. After the 1990 closing of the last Falstaff brewery in Fort Wayne, the brand name became a licensed property of Pabst, which continued to produce Falstaff Beer through other breweries. Having sold only 1468 barrels of the brand in 2004, Pabst discontinued production of the Falstaff label in May 2005. Copied from A look into Fort Wayne beer history by Jaclyn Goldsborough published December 26, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. Storage tanks were eventually sold to a brewery in China. Falstaff Brewery Closing In Ft. Wayne published November 09, 1989 in the Chicago Tribune.
November 21st is known as World Television Day. The credited inventory of the television, Philo Farnsworth, lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He began a factory for televisions in Fort Wayne in 1938. While the factory no longer stands, his house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Ninde-Mead-Farnsworth House, where he lived from 1948-1967. The c. 1910 one-and-one-half story, front-gabled, wood clapboard house features shed roof dormers and wide overhanging eaves common to the Craftsman style, but also features Colonial Revival influences in the design of the main entrance door topped by a fanlight and flanked by multi-paned sidelights, underneath a pedimented portico with curved undersides. Learn more about the Ninde-Mead-Farnsworth House by visiting SHAARD Database. Copied from a November 20, 2022 post by Indiana Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology on Facebook.
SHAARDIndiana Historic Buildings, Bridges, and Cemeteries Map site points to the Indiana Buildings, Bridges, and Cemeteries Map with thousands of location pins for the state and individual counties. The Farnsworth House is IHSSI (County Survey) Survey Number: 003-215-49051. National Register Listing, NR-2260 "Ninde-Meade-Farnsworth House" 1996 IHSSI Fort Wayne Interim Report #003-215-17411. Statement of Significance: Significant for its association with Daniel B. Ninde, Franklin B. Meade, and Philo T. Farnsworth. Ninde originally built the house and was associated with The Wildwood Builders Company. Mead was associated with Lincoln National Life Insurance Company and is credited for positioning the company in an industry-leading role. Farnsworth lived in the house from 1948-1967. Farnsworth submitted a patent in 1927 for what would become the modern day television, and is thus credited as the the inventor of the television set. The house is an outstanding example of Craftsman and Colonial Revival style architecture. Name of Repository: ARCH, Inc., Fort Wayne, Indiana; State Register Listed Date: 01/23/2013; National Register Listed Date: 03/20/2013 NPS File Number: 13000082.
TVs history in jeopardy by WANE 15 News March 24, 2010 on YouTube.
A museum dedicated to a Fort Wayne man who created television is about to be homeless. NewsChannel 15's Matt McCutcheon has the story in this report that aired on 3/24/10.
Located at the southeast corner of Berry and Clinton Streets which housed the Post Office and Federal Courtroom. Built in 1889 and razed in 1938, it was replaced by the new Federal Building on Harrison Street in 1932. A Fort Wayne Through Time Leftovers: The book, Fort Wayne Through Time, that photographer Dan Baker posted May 25, 2018 on his Facebook page and
Randy Harter, Fort Wayne historian and authorposted May 24, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
Built in the 1920s at 502 W. Jefferson Blvd. for Firestone Tires. According to McMahon Tires About Us page it was McMahon Tires from 1969 until sometime after they opened their Glenbrook Store in 1981 and before Starbucks Coffee remodeled and opened in 2006. See several photos posted August 8, 2017 including a September 7, 2006 The News-Sentinel newspaperarticle about the building on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
Founded: 1882, Location: East Berry Street, Fort Wayne (1882– ); 23 East Columbia Street (1887); 125 Calhoun Street (1893, 1899); 1005 Clinton Street ( –1903); 1007 Calhoun Street (1903– 6); 130-132 West Columbia Street (1906–14); 118–122 West Columbia Street (1914– ); 4115 Paper Place (1971, 1995); 4415 Hartman Road (1996– ) In 1882 Samuel S. Fisher purchased the interest of Meyer L. Graff in the Webb & Graff paper firm in Fort Wayne. Samuel was the son of Isaac Fisher, a German-Jewish immigrant butcher, and he worked in his father’s meat market as a young man. After his initial investment, Samuel Fisher rapidly assumed control of Webb & Graff. In March 1882 he bought out A. M. Webb and less than two months later purchased the interest of Harry Graff. Samuel’s brother Max B. Fisher then joined him in the business, which was located on East Berry Street. Read more on Fisher Bros. Paper Company on IndianaHistory.org.
In March I reported about the historic service station at the Five Points intersection of Goshen Rd (Lincoln Highway) in Fort Wayne, IN that the city was giving away to anyone who would move it. Otherwise it would be demolished for a round-about. No one ever claimed it. Here's a circa 1934 photograph of the station courtesy of the Ron Carner Collection. Thanks to Creager Smith for sending this.
Two 1920s service stations at the Five Points intersection on the Lincoln Highway were discussed including the 1934 photo shown on right.
The well-designed filling stations of the early twentieth century prove ideal for adaptive reuse, while still reminding us of our automotive past posted August 16, 2018 by Indiana Landmarks. The stations are a 1926 Colonial Revival-style station 2624 Sherman Street used as a bait shop and 1927 Tudor Revival-style filling station used as a real estate office. The bait shop was razed May 29, 2019 so the intersection can be re-engineered into a round-about intersection. See demolition photo in the article Goodbye, North Side Bait and Tackle by Lisa Esquivel Long published May 29, 2019 on FWBusiness.com.
Known for decades as “Five Points,” the intersection of Goshen Avenue, Sherman Boulevard, and Lillian Avenue is part of the historic Lincoln Highway. Before improvements, the signal-controlled intersection had no pedestrian access, no lighting, poor drainage, long traffic delays, and a history of accidents. The City of Fort Wayne’s Goshen Avenue Improvements Project received the 2021 APWA-Indiana Chapter Public Works Project of the Year in the Transportation category. The $5.3 million Goshen Avenue Improvements Project features a roundabout that improved traffic flow, incorporated pedestrian traffic, and revitalized the neighborhood, including new lighting, an enclosed drainage system, consolidation or removal of multiple access points, and pedestrian friendly walkways along the roadway. The intersection at the roundabout welcomes approximately 18,500 vehicles per day. With the continuous traffic flow from cars no longer stopping at lights, emissions from idling cars is estimated to be reduced by 20%. Copied from GOSHEN AVENUE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT RECEIVES PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD May 20, 2022 on City of Fort Wayne.
Today, the Fort Wayne Public Art Commission and Fort Wayne Public Works commemorated the new “5 Point Spin” public art sculpture located at the Five Points roundabout at Goshen Avenue and Sherman Boulevard.
This beautiful home known as the Flick House was built in 1897 in what is now the Broad River Neighborhood Association - Fort Wayne. The Flick family made their living as florists in the area. The family operated multiple locations including one in Broad River and one downtown. The building downtown was purchased in 1923 for $210,000 which was a huge sum at the time. The location eventually became the Ash Skyline Plaza owned by Ash Brokerage.
Flood of 1982
President Ronald Reagan came to Fort Wayne where he threw a couple of sand bags for national photo ops in the Lakeside Neighborhood. See our Flood of 1982 page.
Foellinger Foundation
A private, charitable foundation that awards grants in Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana. https://www.foellinger.org/. February 16, 2023 Facebook post announced An Influence for Good, a documentary film now on their website that tells the life story of Helene Foellinger and the three generations of Foellingers who preceded her in Allen County.
Beginning with the immigration of Jacob Foellinger, in 1836, the Foellinger family succeeds for four generations as business-men and -women, with a deep commitment to civic involvement. After the tragic passing of her father, Oscar, the ambitious and driven publisher of The News-Sentinel, Helene Foellinger—just 25 years old at the time—leads the newspaper to even greater levels of success.
She and her mother, Esther, form the Foellinger Foundation, formalizing their commitment to uplifting the lives of the residents of Allen County. When Helene passes away with no heirs, the Foellinger Foundation receives her estate. https://www.foellinger.org/documentary
Last night, Foellinger Foundation premiered 'An Influence for Good: The Helene Foellinger Story' at the Arts United Center. We're proud to have worked with the Foundation to share the history of their founders, and the three generations of the Foellingers who preceded them in Allen County.
Everyone in Fort Wayne should watch this documentary to learn how Helene Foellinger became "An Influence for Good." Her influence continues to live on through the many initiatives and causes she funded and continues to fund through the Foellinger Foundation.
Brightpoint also has a cameo appearance in the film as our main offices in Fort Wayne are located in the former News Sentinel Building. Congratulations to all those involved in the telling of this beautiful story. Well done.
The History Center proudly contributed video segments from our collection and footage of our displays for the Foellinger Foundation documentary, "An Influence for Good: The Helene Foellinger Story". Use the link below to watch the documentary on the Foellinger Foundation's website.
Hope Methodist Hospital was located on the corner of Lewis and Harrison Streets from 1917-1953 on the south side of the conservatory block. The conservatory opened November 20, 1983, was named in honor of News-Sentinel publisher Helene Foellinger and Frank Freimann, president of Magnavox. "Surround yourself with nature at the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory ~ an oasis in the heart of downtown Fort Wayne Indiana. Visit the Showcase Garden with its lush seasonal displays, wander through the Tropical Garden where orchids and palms thrive in the shadows of a cascading waterfall, or retreat to the quiet beauty of the Desert Garden." Fort Wayne’s Botanical Conservatory a Breath of Fresh Air on Visit Fort Wayne blog.
Here is the second video segment from the History Center's collection that was provided for "An Influence for Good: The Helene Foellinger Story". It is from our collection of WANE-TV videotapes and is from groundbreaking of the Botanical Conservatory on October 9, 1981. #sociallyhistory
The Foellinger–Freimann Botanical Conservatory is an enclosed conservatory in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Opened in 1983, the conservatory contains a 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2) seasonal showcase garden, a tropical oasis display, with a waterfall, Sonoran Desert display, and outdoor terrace and exploration garden, encompassing a total of 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2). The gardens display over 1,200 plants of 502 different species and 72 types of cactus. From Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia .
See our Forts of Fort Wayne page. Reconstructed fort on Spy Run Avenue near downtown Fort Wayne across the St. Marys River from Headwaters Park. The History page on their web site: oldfortwayne.org briefly describes the various forts built near the three rivers. The bottom section titled The Reconstructed Fort states: This project began in 1964 when Historic Fort Wayne Inc. was established and started planning a reconstruction of the Fort, using Major Whistler’s 1814 drawings. After much fundraising, they purchased property in the late 1960’s and sought a fort builder. Lok-N-Logs Inc., a log home company in Sherburne, New York, took on the unusual project, constructing the Fort first in New York, then transporting it to Indiana, where it was reassembled. It officially opened shortly before July 4, 1976, to celebrate the nation’s Bicentennial, and remained open daily until the early 1990’s. Historic Fort Wayne Inc. disbanded in 1989, and the current Historic Fort Wayne, Inc. was formed in 2004 as a volunteer effort to preserve the Fort. Though they share a name, the two groups are not connected. Construction of the fort re-creation began in the summer of 1975. Work on the replica was not finished for its dedication June 5, 1976, but several hundred people turned out for the festivities. See the articles Historic Fort Wayne and Old Fort Wayne – Learn History In Person! by Louisa D. published June 8, 2015 on Visit Fort Wayne. See photos on Throwback Thursday: Old Fort published August 31, 2017 on The Journal Gazette newspaper. See their Facebook page - INFortWayne.com YouTubeBicentennial Celebration at Historic Fort Wayne. See photos and discussion January 17, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook. 360 virtual photo tour on vpix.net. Photos of Old Fort Wishing Well posted August 6, 2017 and 1896 Fort Wayne watch fob photo discussed August 7, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
Buildings of the Fort Wayne Campus by FW Alumni Center published June 16, 2014 on YouTube This video is review of the Buildings of the Fort Wayne Campus of Fort Wayne Bible Training School/Fort Wayne Bible Institute/Fort Wayne Bible College/Summit Christian College and Taylor University Fort Wayne-five names for one institution. The dates given with the images are when the buildings were occupied, not when building was started.
Was at 800 West Rudisill Blvd. 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. The Light Tower was the name of the yearbook of Fort Wayne Bible Training School (1928-1931), Fort Wayne Bible Institute (1932-1950) and Fort Wayne Bible College (1951-1972);The Vine was the name of the yearbook from 1973-1989, and Summit Christian College (1990-1992); Taylor University Fort Wayne continued naming the yearbook, The Vine (1993-2003); The Vine DVDs were produced in the years 2004, 2005, 2006; No yearbooks were produced in 1929, 1931, 1933, 1934, 2007 or 2008;The Horizon Line was the last yearbook, 2009; The 1956 dedicated to Professor Oliver E. Steiner in his memory; Elaine Perry, editor; Founded Theta Beta; Nurses Training course. Copied from the 1956 ebook below: Fort Wayne Bible College Light Tower Yearbook . There are dozens of similar Fort Wayne Bible College publications on Internet Archive. Fort Wayne Bible College-97 Years of Memories 1, Memories-2, Memories-3, Memories-4YouTubes.
Fort Wayne Box Building
The former box company built in 1904 was located on the northwest corner of Superior and Calhoun Streets. It produced cardboard art and business calendars, wood and glass souvenirs, leather goods, signs, and novelties. In 1910 the company bought out the Fort Wayne Engraving Company and moved its operations into the building. Graphic Packaging was the last owner to utilize the building before closing it in 2010. It is currently being converted into apartments called the Superior Lofts. Copied from Superior Lofts History and an overlayed photo ca. 1913 and 2017 posted September 19, 2018 by Daniel Baker on Facebook.
Fort Wayne Building Loan Fund & Savings Association
First of many associations in late 19th century Fort Wayne. After 25 years loaning money to build around 2,000 homes in Fort Wayne for Pennsylvania Shop railroad employees was disbanded in 1905. See July 30, 1905 article in The Journal Gazette newspaper published July 30, 2017 on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.
#TBT from the #CrossroadArchives: In this clipping from the Fort Wayne News Sentinel in March 1945, Richard Sunderman, the new head of the Fort Wayne Childrens Home and his wife (known as the matron of the home), were officially installed. The text of the article is as follows:
"Pictured above at left are Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Sunderman, newly-chosen superintendent and matron of the Fort Wayne Children's Home of the Evangelical and Reformed Church, who were installed Sunday evening at St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Church.
"Others, starting from third from left, are Dr. John W. Myers, St. John's Church; Dr. Karl Koepke, Salem Church; the Rev. John W. Heistand, Wadsworth, O[hio], and the Rev. B. E. Reemsnyder, Grace Church; Dr. Koepke gave the charge to Mr. and Mrs. Sunderman. A reception followed the installation.
"Mr. and Mrs. Sunderman came to Fort Wayne from Wadsworth, O[hio]. Mr Sunderman is a graduate of the University of Michigan and for 20 years taught at Wadsworth High School and more recently was municipal director of recreation there.
"Mrs. Sunderman has been active in church women's work for the last 15 years. For several years she served as the president of Akron Region Women's Guild, as well as president of the guild in the Wadsworth Trinity Church. She was organist of Trinity Church for six years and is a member of the American Guild of Organists. She was active in the Federated Women's Clubs and served as a member of the of the Medina, O[hio] county YWCA.
"The Sundermans have two children, Elizabeth, 12, and Duane, 17, a senior at North Side High School. Both have been active in music groups and Duane is a member of the North Side High School Band."
A Genealogy.com question: Allen County Children's Home in the 1940's and 1950's By Jennifer Phillips December 20, 2003 at 09:17:22 I am looking for information on the Allen County Children's Home that was torn down. I am trying to get original records from the late 1940's and early 1950's. My father and his siblings were residents there until their father came and got them out. My father remembers them taking a photo of him and his siblings. This is the only photo that exists of my father and his brothers and sisters. Shortly after their father got them out of the children's home one of his sisters died. I would love to be able to get that photo for my Dad. I would truly appreciate any help.
On the Indiana Genealogical Society Blog a September 27, 2012 post Information Sought On Allen County Children's Home in Fort Wayne Author Dean Jensen is seeking information about the Allen County Children's Home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In particular, he wants to gain a sense of what the children's daily lives were like (schooling, play, jobs), as well as the layout of the grounds and what it looked like inside and out. Information from anyone who has knowledge of what the institution was like - including janitors, kitchen helpers and groundskeepers - would be appreciated, particularly from the years 1929-1932.
A 40-year-old landmark in downtown Fort Wayne officially starts an important new mission with a new name. The City-County Building served as the home for the administrative offices of City and County governments for the past 40 years. Edwin J. Rousseau spent 40 years in Allen County and Fort Wayne politics, including terms on the Fort Wayne City Council, Allen County Council and the County Board of Commissioners. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 76. After many of those offices moved to Citizens Square last year, the building was renovated to serve as headquarters for City and County police and the City fire department. Several County government offices will remain in the Rousseau Centre — including the assessor, auditor, recorder, treasurer and veterans services. Paraphrased from City-County Building Officially Becomes Rousseau Centre created April 23, 2012 on Allen County Government. City-County Building Renamed “Rousseau Centre” April 24, 2012 from The Journal Gazette newspaper on The Fort Wayne Downtown Insider Blog.
Fort Wayne’s original “City Building” is the sandstone Richardsonian Romanesque structure designed by the local architects Wing & Mahurin completed in 1893 at the southeast corner of Barr and Berry and now occupied by the History Center. In July of 1965 then Mayor Harold S. Zeis working in conjunction with the Allen County Commissioners, announced that as part of downtown renewal, a new jointly operated “City-County Building” complex would be constructed at 1 East Main Street between Calhoun and Clinton Streets. Designed by the local firm of Strauss Associates, Inc. with Hagerman Construction as the general contractor, ground was broken in the fall of 1968 for the nearly two block square project, and the cornerstone then laid in 1969. At 217,000 square feet with 10 stories above ground, the precast-concrete building was completed in September 1971.
Moving forward 33 years to 2004, Mayor Graham Richard proposed moving the now cramped City of Fort Wayne offices — which were by then in several locations (in addition to the City-County Building) — into the old Wolf & Dessauer/Renaissance Square building that had been constructed in 1959 on the block bounded by Clinton, Wayne, Barr and Berry. It would be Mayor Tom Henry that would later revive the idea and relocate city government the two blocks to that location. Henry had directed the city to purchase the building for $7.3M in 2009, which after a $10M extensive remodeling project and naming contest that received national attention due to a playful and winning “Harry Baals” fan base despite of which it opened instead as Citizens Square in June of 2011, 40 years after having first occupied the then new City-County Building in 1971. The City-County Building on Main Street was then renamed the Edwin J. Rousseau Centre in 2012 in memory of longtime city and county council office holder Ed Rousseau. (Image courtesy ACPL)
Randy Harter is a Fort Wayne historian, author, and tour guide for Fort Wayne Food Tours.
For "Throwback Thursday" we share this picture of the Northeast corner of Calhoun and Main Streets, the Riegel's Pipe and Tobacco Shop before it became the City County Building, now known as the Rousseau Centre. BTW...Hofer and Davis prepared the Boundary and Topographical for the Board of Public Works in 1966.
Newspaper articles and pictures are from the scrapbooks my grandfather and father made about surveys they had prepared.
This photo is from a book in the company library, not sure which book.
Several photos were posted February 26, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook, one mentioned the address as 631 Main Street at Calhoun Street, with the status: Demolition of Riegel's 1967. Mayor Zies was there with my Grandfather [Frank Bougher] as they prepared to remove the East side of S. Calhoun Street for urban renewal making way for the new City County Building. The project eventually leveled all the buildings bordered between Columbia and Main street down to the Lafayette street Fire station.
Aka Indiana School for Feeble Minded Youth. Indiana’s second oldest mental health facility opened in 1879 at Knightstown. It was relocated to Fort Wayne in 1890. The first patient admitted that year was an eleven year old boy from Ossian, Wells County. It served mentally retarded children from throughout Indiana until 1939, when its service area was reduced to the northern half of the state. Its mission was expanded to include patients of all ages with other developmental disabilities. Before closure in 2007 the facility had admitted 12,162 patients. The center’s admission registers, card index, and a nearly complete set of medical records on microfilm, are at the Indiana State Archives. Copied from Other Indiana Hospitals for the Mentally Ill and Developmentally Disabled at the Indiana Archives. See also Fort Wayne State Hospital & Training Center aka Indiana School for Feeble Minded Youth Cemetery. The name change was discussed around the 1:22 minute mark and closed April 18, 2007 (1:46 minute mark) when the last resident left during Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels administration, 2005 to 2013, from the 1:43 minute mark of The Forgotten PBS documentary.
Sam is working on an extensive project to get the physical and digital records of the Fort Wayne State Developmental Center building sites converted and transferred to the Archives.
1892 Samuel Hanna sold 100 acres to the driving association formed by some of the city's wealthiest men. 1902 was Fort Wayne's first fair. Auto races were on a one-mile oval and by 1910 airplanes appeared. In 1913 the land was sold to developer Louis F. Curdes, developer of Forest Park Boulevard. It became Forest Hill through the 1940s. From Lost track fades from memory by Rosa Salter Rodriguez published July 07, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. See also Fort Wayne Driving Park by Mark Meyer posted February 11, 2013 on the History Center Notes & Queries blog. October 23, 2018 post with photos and information about Fort Wayne Driving Park by
The History Centeron Facebook.
The Fort Wayne Electric Light Co. was incorporated in 1881 to sell a dynamo and arc lamps patented by James Jenney. Ronald T. McDonald was the founder and president of this company. From History of Meter Companies and Fort Wayne Electric (1881-1915) at watthourmeters.com. The officers of the new company, the Fort Wayne Electric Works, organized in May, 1899, were: Henry C. Paul, president; S. D. Green, vice-president; M. F. Westover, secretary, and Fred S. Hunting, treasurer and sales manager, while Mr. Wood continued his services as factory manager and chief electrician. From Fort Wayne Electric Works on VintageMachinery.org. The Fort Wayne lamp works of the Edison Lamp Works of General Electric was opened in September 1906. Several photos and a brief history on Fort Wayne on LampTech.com/uk. A Fort Wayne 12" Antique Desk Fan is discussed at Vintage Fans.com made by General Electric for FWEW . Photo and discussion September 29, 2017 on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook. See General Electric for more information.
Established in 1846 as The Fort Wayne Female College on grounds donated by Wm. Rockhill. In 1855 it consolidated with the Fort Wayne Collegiate Institute for Young Men and was called the M.E. (Methodist) College. In 1890 the college grounds were deeded to Taylor University, and in 1893 it moved to Upland, Indiana home of Taylor University. Erected by the M.E. College Association - 1936.
I located this 1876 map. It looks like Wayne Street ended at the Methodist College, so I wonder if Wayne was a two-way street at that time or one had to come around in front of the College and head east on Wayne. So fascinating!
In the era of gas lighting, Fort Wayne Gas Works, located on the site of today’s Hall’s Gas House restaurant on Superior Street between Barr and Lafayette streets, was the central public utilities operation in Fort Wayne. Copied from Under the Gas Lights by Tom Castaldi published May 23, 2013 on the History Center Notes & Queries blog. For more see Old Gas House.
The Fort Wayne Experiment discussed on pages 36-37 in The prefabrication of houses
by Albert Farwell Bemis Foundation; Kelly, Burnham Publication date 1951
During the Great Depression in the late 1930s prefabricated plywood-panel homes were built with WPA labor at the rate of one-a-day! One reference is labeled "Fifty Plywood-Panel Houses Built at Rate of One a Day," Architectural Record, LXXXV (March, 1939), 38–40 (this contains excellent photographs of the housing, examples of which appear on pages 362 and 363) from Fort Wayne and the Great Depression: The New Deal Years, 1933–1940 Iwan Morgan on Indiana Magazine of History, Volume 80, Issue 4, pp 348-378. There are photos on page 362 and 363 of their pdf download file or view the pdf here. These homes were discussed May 3, 2017 onthe original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebookand was in a Comment far down in the long discussion on Sears Home Kit homes January 25, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook. Similar Tiny Houses also known as Tin Village barracks were built after World War II for returning war veterans.
Fort Wayne International Airport
21Country: Fort Wayne Aviation Museum hopes to soar to greater heights by Daniel Beals posted October 14, 2021 on YouTube FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA21) - In the early 1900's, Fort Wayne was home to several aviation pioneers: Art Smith, Paul Baer, & Margaret Ringenberg. Before the Fort Wayne International Airport was what it is today, it was a World War II military base. For the last several decades, the Fort Wayne Aviation Museum displayed artifacts and the history behind those topics, and many others. “The museum was started in 1984 by local air aficionados,” president Greg Bosk told us. “They collected memorabilia, historical facts, and we built a museum on the 2nd floor. For at least 10-15 years it was well-received.” But after 9/11, with the TSA and bolstered security at the airport, the museum wasn’t as accessible to the public. Bosk said it was also inconvenient — guests had to have a plane ticket, or make arrangements two weeks in advance to get clearance. He also said as times changed, younger visitors weren’t impressed. “We had a lot of things displayed — not much depth, not much knowledge, but a lot of items to look at,” he explained. “We’re trying to go from that old look of items sitting on the shelf to a very digital look that would appeal to the kids and schools, through their phones and their tablets.”21Country: Fort Wayne Aviation Museum hopes to soar to greater heights by Daniel Beals updated: September 30, 2021 on ABC WPTA21.com TV station.
In 1925 Baer Field opened where Smith Field is today. In 1941 Fort Wayne bought land south of the city and given to the government for the new Baer Field and old Baer Field is renamed Smith Field. 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 newspaper for Baer Field at Smith Field.
An image of the Saturday, April 1, 1944 The Beacon newsletter titled Baer Field And Its Boss--1917 Version! posted July 30, 2022 by the Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum on Facebook shows an article with an aerial photo of a farm house south of Fort Wayne about Korah Micheals who bought a farm in 1917 whose fields became the ariport runways and hangars.
The New York Times newspaper states the airport is a well-financed partnership with regional economic interests, and the fact that 75 percent of the passengers fly in and out of the airport on business, a high rate in their article Airlines Head Abroad, and Also Inland by Joe Sharkey published September 15, 2014.
Since the late 1980s, volunteers have welcomed arriving passengers with almost 2 million individually wrapped Ellison Bakery Free cookies at Fort Wayne, IN as published in February 2015 by CNBC.com.
"Book celebrates city’s aviation history" January 14, 2012 newspaper article in The Journal Gazette newspaper about the new book Fort Wayne Aviation: Baer Field and Beyond with stories and photos of local aviation history by Roger Myers.
Manhole Covers of Ft. Wayne - a 128 page book by Kathryn Moore published in 1988 available on Google books was a FunFactFriday Facebook post on September 8, 2017 by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage)
On March 10, 1876, at the Aveline house, the Fort Wayne College of Medicine was organized by Drs. C. B. Stemen and H. A. Clark, teachers in a medical college at Cincinnati, and Drs. B. S. Woodworth, I. M. Rosenthal and W. H. Myers, of Fort Wayne. The building, later occupied by W. F. Geller, at the southwest corner of Broadway and Washington boulevard, was fitted up as the college home. The original faculty consisted of Drs. Stemen, Woodworth,
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Clark, Rosenthal, Myers, J. H. Ford, M. M. Latta, H. D. Wood, A. M. Hunt, R. W. Thrift, H. Van Sweringen, S. H. Swan, A. E. Van Buskirk and E. Melchers. Two well-attended sessions followed the opening of the institution.
At the end of the second session, a controversy between factions of the faculty of the college resulted in a reorganization which endured for one year, after which period two institutions — the Fort Wayne College of Medicine and the Fort Wayne Medical college — came into being simultaneously. Each claimed the other to be an intruder and not legally established. During the three years of the existence of the latter institution, which was located at the southeast corner of Calhoun and Baker streets, the controversy continued, and wordy conflicts provided frequent and varied forms of entertainment for the non-professional portion of the population.
Added to the earlier internal troubles of the medical school was the hostile attitude of many people of the town, who failed to appreciate the advanced methods of the school in the teaching of certain branches through the means of dissecting human bodies. Dr. W. H. Myers, on the occasion of the graduation of the class of 1878, described the experience of the school as a purification "by passing through the refining quarantine of prejudice."
The grand jury, of which I. D. G. Nelson was the foreman, condemned the dissecting room of the college on the ground that it was "used for the purpose of depositing, concealing and dissecting human bodies, a portion of which, at least, are stolen from cemeteries or graveyards in this vicinity, in violation of law, common decency and the proprieties of life." The report added that the alleged practice "has produced and is producing great excitement, anxiety and indignation, especially among those who have families or have recently lost friends."
GRAVE ROBBERIES
The report refers to several cases of the removal of bodies from Lindenwood and other cemeteries, which had resulted in the arrest of six physicians and one student. The investigation of the cases was replete with sensational features. In one instance, when the body of a Roanoke (Indiana) man was found within the college walls, a prominent member of the faculty declared that he believed that professional grave robbers in the employ of the enemies of the institution had placed the body there "with a view to bringing our college into disrepute." The physician added the information that within a brief period thirty graves had been robbed.
In 1877, ghouls removed the body of a prominent citizen from a grave in Lindenwood cemetery; the cemetery association offered a reward of $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the culprits.
It is of interest to note that the Fort Wayne College of Medicine survived the attacks made upon it and became recognized as one of the leading institutions in the middle west. During its later years and until the college was made a part of Purdue University, it occupied home of the late Judge Hugh McCulloch, on West Superior street, now the headquarters of the Fort Wayne Turnverein Vorwaerts. In later years the medical department of Purdue
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was taken over by the Indiana University and the course of study includes attendance in departments at Bloomington and Indianapolis.
"Resurrection men" or "resurrectionists" were men or women who stole corpses from graves in order to sell them to medical schools for dissection. In the 1870s, Allen County experienced a surge of body snatching after the formation of two medical schools in the area.
In the late 19th century, donating your body to science was a practice very few people did. This left medical colleges to find alternative avenues for securing corpses for students to dissect. The Fort Wayne Medical College and the Fort Wayne College of Medicine both opened in the 1870's, leading to a sharp increase in body snatching and public outcry against the practice. Eventually, seven people associated with Fort Wayne Medical College were arrested in connection with these illegal activities. Finally, in 1879, the General Assembly of Indiana passed the Anatomical Act of 1879 which provided a lawful means by which medical schools could obtain bodies.
A January 21, 2023 post on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook stated: 1876: This brick building, corner of Washington St. & Broadway, housed the Remmel Bros., west-end druggists, on the ground floor; and the Medical College of Fort Wayne on the 2nd and 3rd floors. "It may not come as a surprise to many of you that body-snatching was carried on to a high degree during the 1870's and 1880's. At that time Fort Wayne gave great prominence of being an important medical center. The dissecting room was on the 3rd floor front." - (excerpts from) Fred J. Reynolds' Quest Club Paper, via ACPL: http://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/.../p16089.../id/19704/rec/2 . One January 21, 2023 says only a pillar from building still exits.
Here's an interesting one, this device, known as a "cemetery gun," served as a very real deterrent to would be grave robbers during the golden age of body snatching. The weapon would be positioned on the deceased's grave, cocked, primed, and loaded, ready to fire upon unsuspecting thieves if they crossed any of it's three tripwires. Understandably, cemetery guns were outlawed in England in 1827. Another popular safeguard of the day was the "Grave Torpedo," an explosive device which would be buried and attached to the coffin. Any disturbance caused it to explode, killing the offending individual...
One newspaper article no longer online originally stated that when the coliseum opened in 1953 there was a planned Phase 2 with a giant swimming pool and Phase 3 with a 3,500-seat auditorium. An educated guess is the pool was probably meant to replace the municipal beach that closed a few years before the coliseum opened. Various public pools in city parks and a few housing subdivisions opened in the 1960s likely negated the success of a giant swimming pool at the coliseum.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY: July 13 in photos published July 13, 2018 by The Journal Gazette newspaper states: 1936 - In July 1936, the city opened a pool, complete with Red Cross lifeguards, in the St. Joseph River below the Waterworks Dam on Anthony Boulevard. So many swimmers rushed to the pool that planned improvements to the municipal beach and the river bed became impossible - and the board of works announced a preferred route for the public to travel there.
A mill for the manufacture of "print" paper, and a better quality of paper for book printing, was established by the Fort Wayne Paper Company, composed of Messrs. Freeman, Bard and Dublinski. A. G. Barnett became interested in the venture in 1867. The plant was destroyed by fire in 1871 and was not rebuilt. The mill was located about five miles north of Fort Wayne on the right bank of the St. Joseph river. It was operated by water power.
However, in 1835 the inevitable "first saw mill" was built by Klinger and Comparet, on Becket's Run from which stream the power was derived. Six years afterwards, in 1841, Henry Rudisill built the first steam saw mill on the St. Joseph river, and after that, indefatigable mill builder that he was, added a second story to the building and conducted a carding mill there. At the death of Mr. Rudisill the property passed to his son-in-law, N. B. Freeman, who continued the business until 1866, when with two partners he built a dam and erected a paper mill about four miles up the river, and devoted his energies to the newer enterprise. The paper mill was completely destroyed by fire in 1871, but in spite of very heavy loss, it was immediately rebuilt on a larger scale and continued its successful career. In all these ventures, the settlers bore a part, for they were laborers in the building and operation of these mills, and without their participation in many occupations other than clearing and farming, many fine things had gone undone.
The Fort Wayne Paper Mill As you drive east from North Clinton on Washington Center Road, on the right you will pass the Paper Mill Bluffs housing addition and the Paper Mill Office Park. At first blush you may think it’s another one of those corny names that builders give housing additions a’la the “Falls At Beaver Creek”. Hummmm?
But you are actually headed down the hill towards where the old Fort Wayne Paper Mill operated on the St. Joe River from 1866 until 1889. The paper mill sat the equivalent of about a couple city blocks up the river to the north of the current 1963 concrete Paper Mill Bridge on Washington Center/St. Joe Center Roads. While I’ve not run across any images of the paper mill or its dam, we know from newspaper accounts that there were two buildings along the river that were each two stories high, one was 25’ x 80’ and the other 40’ x 60’, as well as a residence being there. One of these large buildings would have been connected to the water wheel in the river that powered the mill’s machinery. The paper produced at the mill was made, initially at least (as most paper mills did of that era) from linen and cotton rags. The company ran advertisements in the local papers that they had a buying office for rags and a sales office for paper at 51 East Columbia Street. With the new street numbering system the city had put in place in 1902 that would put their offices in the block where Freimann Square is today. In the mill’s first year of operation the Fort Wayne Daily Gazette touted that it was now being printed on Fort Wayne Paper Mill paper, and so no longer had to get their paper from Cleveland or Dayton; however it appears the most of the paper manufactured at the mill was brown Kraft type butcher wrapping paper which they supplied to local stores and markets from their offices on Columbia Street. The mill appears to have been a success and in April of 1880 communicated to the Fort Wayne Daily News that they had set a new record of producing 2542 lbs. of paper in a single day.
Prior to our current 1963 concrete bridge (since widened) there was an iron bridge over the river per the attached pictures. However, as you can see from the aerial photographs it was not lined up with Washington Center/St. Joe Center Roads as ours is today. You can see that Washington Center Road had a one block jog north and then crossed the iron bridge and then angled back south to link up with St. Joe Center Road on the other side of the river. Before the iron bridge there had been a wooden suspension bridge at that location that had been built in 1872 and that then collapsed in 1882 necessitating the pictured iron bridge being built in 1883. Today as you drive back west across the new bridge if you look to your right you can see the old stone bridge abutment about a city block north on the west side of the river.
The paper mill dam, just north of the mill, ran all the way across the St. Joe River and it was frequently reported in the paper that it was once again needing repairs or had partially washed away. Additionally, in 1881 an entirely new dam had to be constructed across the river as the winter ice and high spring waters had so badly damaged the old one. I would imagine with equipment of that time that this would have been no mean feat. Yet, despite a new dam being built it also had a number of large breaks over the ensuing years including a 75’ gap torn in the dam in March of 1897. I was unable to find reference as to when the last of the dam finally disappeared.
In 1877 wealthy Fort Wayne industrialist William Fleming gained control of the eleven year old paper mill and operated it for twelve years before closing it in 1889 and selling all of the equipment to a new mill being built in Hartford City in which he was a major stockholder. Thus, the 23 year run of the Fort Wayne Paper Mill came to an end. However for a number of years after the demise of the mill, articles continued to appear in the local papers about social events and the great fishing around “picturesque” paper mill dam.
BridgeHunter page for Paper Mill Bridge states: Built ca.1882 by the Morse Bridge Company; removed sometime after a new bridge was built to the South in 1963. Also called: Upper St Joe Center Road Bridge.
The Fort Wayne Park and Boulevard System was significantly shaped by landscape architects George Kessler, Arthur Shurcliff, and Adolph Jaenicke. Two successive presidents of the independent Board of Park Commissioners, Colonel David Foster and Fred Shoaff, ensured that the combined vision of these designers developed into the 1960s by influencing the selection of landscape architects in both the public and private realms.
George Kessler’s 1912 master plan organized and expanded upon the city’s urban landscape, incorporating the three rivers that converge in Fort Wayne and connecting existing parks with new boulevards and parks, providing incentive for residential and commercial development. Kessler also designed Rudisill Boulevard, created a plan for Lakeside Park, and designed several features in existing parks. Copied from the Fort Wayne Park and Boulevard System page by The Cultural Landscape Foundation. See the 267 page Indiana MPS Fort Wayne Park and Boulevard System Historic District National Register of Historic Places Registration Form in the Catalog at The National Archives.
May 17, 2022 post the first in an ongoing series dedicated to the parks in Fort Wayne 1800-1899 with history and photos by
The History Centeron Facebook.
June 6, 2022 post second in an ongoing series dedicated to the parks in Fort Wayne 1900-1920 with history and photos by
The History Centeron Facebook.
1919, March 3 - Park Board Makes Report for 1918 Showing Vast Volume of Work Done. Clipped from The Fort Wayne Sentinel03 Mar 1919, Monday, page 16 Clipped by StanFollisFW on 20 Feb 2022. Hon. W. Sherman Cutshall, Mayor, 45 acres added to Swinney park, Memorial Park, Addition to Lawton Park, Water Supply for Lakes, Anthony Boulevard Pavement, Park Acreage of Indiana Cities, Dedication of Wayne Monument, A List of Fort Wayne Monuments: Soldier's Monument, Spanish War Monument, General Henry W. Lawton, Wayne Trace, Johnny Appleseed Monument, Harmar's Crossing, Perry A. Randall, Commodore Perry, General Anthony Wayne, Proposed Lawton Monument, Changes of Secretary.
Schipper’s research made an impact on one particular park well before the book’s online release. After analyzing old newspaper clippings and the gravestones of the donors, he realized that Sieling Park had been misspelled as “Seiling” for around 60 years. After presenting his evidence to the Parks and Recreation Department, the park signage soon changed to reflect the correct spelling. Copied from Strolling Through Fort Wayne’s Parks December 5, 2022 book review by The Waynedale News.com Staff.
As Fort Wayne grew in the mid-1800s, the dwindling amount of green space for relaxation and recreation became apparent to city officials and citizens. In response, the first city park, Old Fort Park, was established in 1863, through the gift of land from Henry Williams. An urban park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation. Parks may consist of grassy areas, rocks, soil and trees, but may also contain buildings, monuments, fountains or playgrounds. Throughout the remainder of the 1800s, five other parks were established in Fort Wayne. Northside Park (today known as Lawton Park) was purchased in 1866 to be the home of the Indiana State Fair. In 1869, Colonel Thomas Swinney leased his family land to the city and they in turn established Swinney Park. Between 1876 and 1886, the city purchased or was given 3 additional parks: Hayden Park (today known as Nuckols Memorial Park), Reservoir Park, and McCulloch Park. In the 1890s, Colonel David N. Foster, the father of Fort Wayne’s parks, oversaw the formation of the park board and believed that every home should be no more than 10 minutes from a public park.#sociallyhistory
This is the first in an ongoing series dedicated to the parks in Fort Wayne. Join us in celebrating the beginning of wonderful park system, 1800-1899!
At the turn of the 20th Century, Fort Wayne continued to grow and the demand for public parks increased. From 1900-1920, over one dozen parks, including several substantial areas, were established in Fort Wayne to serve the growing community. Lakeside Park was created out of land donated by Fort Wayne Land and Improvement Company in 1908 and opened to the public in 1912. Additionally in 1908, the city purchased 15 acres of forest for $10,500 for the establishment of Weisser Park. In need of direction, in 1909 city leaders engaged Charles Mulford Robinson to create a preliminary plan for the development of the city’s parks and boulevards. In 1911, the park department furthered these plans through the work of George Kessler. The famed landscape architect laid out a larger system and designed three features of the parks, Theime Drive Overlook, Three Rivers Park (never built) and the original layout of Foster Park. In 1912, brothers, Samuel and Colonel David N. Foster donated 110 acres along the St. Mary’ River for Foster Park. Between 1916 and 1920, the city continued to improve our parks system. This included, but was not limited to, placement of a memorial to Johnny Appleseed in Swinney Park, the Lincoln Log Cabin in Foster Park, opening of the first swimming pool in Lawton Park, and the leasing of West Swinney Park to George Trier, who established Trier Amusement Park. In 1917, one of the longest serving parks superintendents, Adolph Jaenicke, began his tenure in Fort Wayne and his masterful creations would serve as jewels throughout the city for the next three decades. #sociallyhistory
At the turn of the 20th Century, Fort Wayne continued to grow and the demand for public parks increased. From 1900-1920, over one dozen parks, including several substantial areas, were established in Fort Wayne to serve the growing community. Lakeside Park was created out of land donated by Fort Wayne Land and Improvement Company in 1908 and opened to the public in 1912. Additionally in 1908, the city purchased 15 acres of forest for $10,500 for the establishment of Weisser Park. In need of direction, in 1909 city leaders engaged Charles Mulford Robinson to create a preliminary plan for the development of the city’s parks and boulevards. In 1911, the park department furthered these plans through the work of George Kessler. The famed landscape architect laid out a larger system and designed three features of the parks, Theime Drive Overlook, Three Rivers Park (never built) and the original layout of Foster Park. In 1912, brothers, Samuel and Colonel David N. Foster donated 110 acres along the St. Mary’ River for Foster Park. Between 1916 and 1920, the city continued to improve our parks system. This included, but was not limited to, placement of a memorial to Johnny Appleseed in Swinney Park, the Lincoln Log Cabin in Foster Park, opening of the first swimming pool in Lawton Park, and the leasing of West Swinney Park to George Trier, who established Trier Amusement Park. In 1917, one of the longest serving parks superintendents, Adolph Jaenicke, began his tenure in Fort Wayne and his masterful creations would serve as jewels throughout the city for the next three decades. #sociallyhistory
This is the second in an ongoing series dedicated to the parks in Fort Wayne. Join us in celebrating our wonderful park system, 1900-1920!
From 1921-1950, the Fort Wayne Park System continued to grow with the addition of eight new parks, three playlots/parks, a youth center and a Japanese Garden, including several substantial areas. In 1921, Franke Park was created out of the 80 acres donated by John Franke, owner of Perfection Biscuit Company. S.F. Bowser and his wife gave a tract of land surrounding their factory to the city “…for the comfort and pleasure of our neighbors and their children for all time…”, since 1923 this land has been known as Bowser Park and Playgrounds. In 1928, the Japanese Gardens (name changed to Jaenicke Gardens in 1942) opened to the public and later included a Japanese tea house. This attraction was popular with the people of Fort Wayne for several decades. 1932 saw the opening of Study Park, located behind Study Elementary School. In 1937, two parks were established: McMillen Park and Packard Park. The original 74 acres of McMillen Park were donated to the city by Mr. and Mrs. Dale W. McMillen, Sr. The former Packard Piano building was purchased by the city, who tore it down and created Packard Park out of the property. Mr. and Mrs. Alfred W. Kettler (namesake of Kettler Hall at PFW) donated land to form Kettler Park. In this time, in addition to new parks the city continued to improve our existing parks. This included, but was not limited to, placement of a statue of General Henry Lawton in Lakeside Park, the opening of the first municipal golf course at Foster Park, the formation of Shoaff Lake in Franke Park, opening of the new swimming pools in Memorial and McMillen Parks, and the construction of the Foellinger Theatre in Franke Park. #sociallyhistory
This is the third in an ongoing series dedicated to the parks in Fort Wayne. Join us in celebrating our wonderful park system, 1921-1950!
The statue of David N. Foster continues to watch over Fort Wayne from the corner of Swinney Park. Known as the “Father of Fort Wayne’s Parks,” Foster once declared that there should be a park within a 10-minute walk of any resident of the city. While this may ring true in certain neighborhoods of Fort Wayne, the Parks and Recreation Department has identified several areas still in need of parks and associated facilities.
Every five years, the Parks and Recreation Department publishes a “master plan,” which helps the department remain eligible for grants from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The master plan provides a generalized outlook of actions that the park department will take over a five-year period, and the department plans to release its newest five-year plan in the coming weeks.
The most recent plan, published in 2018, identified six areas of the city that lack adequate park facilities, including large swaths of the Northeast, Northwest, and Aboite Planning Areas.
The department recently added a playground on Sheldon Drive in the northeastern “New Facility Zone;” however, this map from the master plan only provides a general idea of where park facilities are needed. It primarily relies on raw park acreage to identify zones, rather than a community-by-community analysis of needs.
For example, the “New Facility Area” in the Northeast Quadrant nearly borders Shoaff Park, which offers the most amenities of any park in the city system. Additionally, the map identifies relatively little area for expanded facilities in the Southeast Quadrant, but the parks in this area are typically smaller and offer fewer amenities.
Alec Johnson, Deputy Director of Park Planning and Development, says a better idea of what is needed in each planning area will be brought to light with the completion of a new “comprehensive plan.” This long-term plan will guide new facility developments based on a more detailed analysis of what each community needs, as opposed to the generalized master plan.
Ca. 1911, 114 W. Washington Blvd. was added to the National Historic Register in 1988 and to the Local Historic Register in 1989. See Fort Wayne Printing Building history with photos and timeline on midtowncrossing.net.
Was built in 1928 by Frank Funk on farmland along the dirt California Road north of where Glenbrook Square on Coliseum Boulevard is today.
1928 - FORT WAYNE SPEEDWAY with several photos on speedwayandroadracehistory.com states: Fort Wayne speedway was built in 1928 by Frank Funk within the local Fairgrounds, Funk also built Winchester Speedway and Dayton Speedway as well as others, The Fort Wayne track was described as high banked, fast and treacherous, The track was 5/8th of a mile in length.
In 1946 two further tracks were added inside the 5/8th mile oval, these tracks were concidered by some as the fastest dirt oval tracks around, The 1/2 mile track utilized both straights but had shorter corners, while the 1/4 mile Midget track utilized part of the front sraight only.
The track surface was not kind to the drivers with many dips and hollows across its width and length, The outer safety rails were very low and cars would often launch out of the arena.
The Fairgrounds closed in 1964 and the land was sold off to become Industrial land.
Still cool to see this at the Hall's in Fort Wayne off Lima Road. To think that track is about where the Hall's is at... alot of Memories way back then.
Hall's Hollywood Drive-In on Facebook:
4416 Lima Road, The fabulous 50's live on forever at Hall's Hollywood! Located right next to the Roller Dome North, www.facebook.com/HallsHollywood
Ft Wayne Big Track_Title01.flv by Kevin Allgire uploaded May 7, 2011 on YouTube This video is from The former Fort Wayne,Indiana Speedway and the former South Anthony Speedway(Fort Wayne,IN.). A Big Thank-You goes out to former racer and Founder of The Northeastern Indiana Racing Museum(Auburn,IN.) Paul Ladd for supplying this video so I could post it on Youtube. Also there's no sound.
The Top Ten of Fort Wayne Sports History Photo Story published July 20, 2014 by Chris Treft on YouTube
A top ten list of things Fort Wayne Sports History has produced all time. This is in the form of a photo story with all pictures taken by myself, Chris Treft. This project was completed for my photo journalism class at IPFW.
Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant The Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant was constructed at the confluence of Fort Wayne’s three rivers in 1933. When it was built, it had the capacity to produce 24 million gallons of treated water per day (MGD). Since the original construction there have been two major additions: a 24 MGD expansion in 1955 and a 24 MGD addition in 1981. The total capacity of the Plant today is 72 million gallons per day, enough to supply the needs of Fort Wayne for at least the next 10 to 15 years. Learn more about how the Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant cleans and treats drinking water for more than 300,000 people in the Fort Wayne region. No municipal improvement in the history of Fort Wayne has combined utility and beauty in such a marked degree as has the filtration plant. The public appreciation of it will grow with the coming years and it will remain a glorious monument to the courage and vision of its builders. Frank Roberts, Editor Journal-Gazette, December 1933. Water Filtration Plant by
Tom Castaldi, local historianat Heritage Trail by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne was incorporated as a city in 1840. After a decade-long struggle, the city built a water works that began service on December 14, 1880. The system was designed by Josiah D. Cook with a reservoir 97 feet above the level of the court house that would be filled by two steam engines, an efficient one of 3 MGD and a less-efficient back-up engine of 2 MGD. Cook felt this was less expensive than a system of direct pumping, which would have required to complete sets of pumping apparatus. Holly engines were selected and the reservoir was only partially completed for several years, so the system functioned mostly as a regular Holly water works system, with a Holly triple-expansion engine added in 1891. Copied from Documentary History of American Water-works which lists dozens of online sources from 1870 thru 1981.
The Story of Fort Wayne's water system Date Issued 1933. Abstract: Dedication souvenir booklet honoring the completion of a waterworks improvement plan, the Three Rivers Project at Hagley Digital Archvies. Found in one of the links above by the Documentary History of American Water-works.
MamaJo
MamaJo is a tunnel system built to help clean the city's rivers. Derived from taking the first two letters from Fort Wayne’s three rivers, the Ma from Marys, Ma from Maumee and Jo from Joseph, MamaJo seems only fitting for a project that’s had an engineer's working title of the Three Rivers Protection and Overflow Reduction Tunnel (3RPORT). And so MamaJo becomes the protector of our rivers.
Mining lore says that as far back as the 1500s, workers prayed to Saint Barbara for protection while working in the dark underground. Since then it’s been tradition to name the tunnel boring machine. More at MamaJo at the City of Fort Wayne.
See our Three Rivers page. The City of Fort Wayne Tunnel Program FAQS states: Fort Wayne is under a federal court order to greatly reduce the amount of combined sewage going into our rivers each year, to reduce sewage that backs up into homes during wet weather events, to eliminate discharges from sanitary sewers and to enhance the sewer system’s reliability through ongoing operation and maintenance, repair, rehabilitation and replacement. Fort Wayne negotiated with the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and the United States Department of Justice for more than ten years before an agreement was reached in late 2007 that governs how City Utilities will reduce discharges from the combined sewer system into our rivers during wet weather. The agreement – incorporated into a federal Consent Decree that is enforced by a federal court – is a result of the Clean Water Act. See the Fort Wayne City Utilities MamaJo page: https://utilities.cityoffortwayne.org/mamajoupdate/.
It’s part of an 18-year, $240 million effort to reduce the number of combined sewer overflows into Fort Wayne’s three rivers – the St. Joseph, St. Marys and the Maumee – from an average of 76 overflows per year to four. The St. Joseph is the first watershed that will reach compliance with the consent decree, Wirtz [Matthew Wirtz, City Utilities deputy director] said. Overflows occur when high water volumes, such as what might occur during heavy rainfall, back up the city’s combined sewer system, causing it to alleviate the pressure by discharging into the rivers. The St. Joseph River typically overflows 12 to 15 times a year, causing sewers to dump 9 million gallons of wastewater into the river. Through some earlier sewer separation projects, City Utilities has been able to decrease that amount to about 5 million gallons per year. "All those overflows (on the St. Joseph River) will be reduced to one or less in a typical year," Wirtz said. He said this portion of the project will be completed four years ahead of schedule and is expected to come in significantly under budget. Once the project is complete, it’s expected to discharge only about half a million gallons into the river in a typical year – a 97 percent decrease from the current overflow levels. Copied from Watershed year for St. Joe River Will achieve compliance with 2008 decree next year by Dave Gong published December 25, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
The city water filtration plant video City Utilities Today created by Patrick Stelte published October 28, 2017 on Access Fort Wayne.
City Utilities Today Date Created:October 27, 2017 Creator:Patrick Stelte October 2017. At Fort Wayne Government Access - City TV.
Topic this month: The Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant with guests Mike Gierscher, Superintendent and Vicky Vehr, Water Quality Supervisor.
USS Fort Wayne
Ship ID-3786 - was a 6245 gross ton (12,260 tons displacement) freighter, built in 1918 by Baltimore Drydock and Shipbuilding Co., Baltimore, Maryland; acquired by the Navy 27 December 1918 the last year of World War I; and commissioned as USS Fort Wayne (ID # 3786) the same day, Lieutenant Commander S. C. Fenn, USNRF, in command. After the war it became the SS Fort Wayne and scrapped in Japan in 1934. See photos and information on S.S. Fort Wayne (American Freighter, 1918) Served as USS Fort Wayne (ID # 3786) in 1918-1919 on the Naval Historical Center web site, and USS Fort Wayne (ID-3786) on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
3900 Old Mill Road. In 1912 Samuel and Colonel David N. Foster and their families donated Foster Park to Fort Wayne. The land extended along the St. Mary's River for some two miles, including wooded areas. The original wooded section contained 67 acres. Shortly after the addition of that land, the Fosters again made a donation. This time, another 40 acres. This extended the park as far as the Stellhorn Bridge. In the early 1920's the Park Board purchased 111 additional acres of land making the park an area of 218 acres, and bringing the park to four miles of river bank. In the large area the Municipal Golf Course and pavilions were and are located. In subsequent years additional land was added making for a total of 255 acres and Foster Park now also includes:swings and other play equipment, tennis courts, trails, floral areas, a replica of Abe Lincoln's Birth Cabin, and a cable foot bridge among other features. Interesting to note, in 1938 Foster Park Pavilion #3 was built by the WPA. Work on restoring this pavilion will start in late spring! Check out the NEW Ecology Trail Guide of Foster Park produced by Emily Richardson a student at The University of Saint Francis. Copied from Foster Park at City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation. Foster Park was founded in 1912 and comprises 255 acres along the St. Mary’s River. Its location at 3900 Old Mill Road includes an 18-hole golf course, several tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and a variety of floral gardens, a bridal area, and a paved pathway for bikers, walkers and joggers that run the breadth of its acreage. Land for the park came from Col. Samuel and David L. Foster, who donated the first 67 acres to the city in 1912. Since then, 151 additional acres have been added to the original land. The park also includes a dog park and several soccer fields located in the area known as Foster Park West which lies near the intersection of Bluffton Road and Winchester Road in Waynedale. Three stone pavilions are scattered throughout the parkback dating back to the 1930s, constructed with funding from the federal Works Progress Administration. Copied from Foster Park Pavilion #3 Restored by Michael Morrissey posted June 3, 2022 on The Waynedale News.com.
For "Throwback Thursday" we share this picture of "The Swinging Bridge" in Foster Park in 1939! BTW...A.K. Hofer was the Department Engineer for the Board of Park Commissioners in 1930 when this bridge was built.
367 page Foster Park Cultural Landscape Report Fort Wayne, Indiana December, 2007 Prepared for Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation by Heritage Landscapes Preservation Landscape Architects & Planners Charlotte, Vermont & Norwalk, Connecticut.
“Foster Park is Given to People” was the headline in the newspaper in 1912 when Foster Park first opened. The evening was important, but the actual plan was hatched on a cold December evening in 1911 at the Anthony Hotel in downtown Fort Wayne. Read on to learn more and participate in a survey to provide feedback to the City of Fort Wayne on the future of Foster Park.
David N. Foster, the father of Fort Wayne’s parks, began exploring beautifying Fort Wayne in the late 1880s and early 1890s. He organized the Fort Wayne Land and Improvement Company, which developed Lakeside. Foster, staunchly against saloons, ensured that the 500 acres around Lakeside would forever prevent the sale of liquors. While concerned about alcohol, he believed Fort Wayne should have a park within a 10-minute walk of every home.
In 1895, Foster supported the creation of a committee to decide whether Fort Wayne needed a municipal park board. By 1905, an actual Board of Park Commissioners was formed, and Foster served as the president for 25 years. During this time, he became instrumental in beautifying Fort Wayne and fortifying the city as a haven for viewing parks as a quality of life issue.
Fast forwarding to 1911, Foster knew that tax support was not available to purchase land. While a new taxing law allowed the Park Department to declare park districts and levy taxes on property in those districts, the money could not flow outside that district. This created a barrier to extensive funding of parks across different locations. So on that cold December evening, Foster gathered the influential members of Fort Wayne society at a banquet.
The goal was to get individuals to pool funds to purchase property around town. That entity would then purchase and donate the property back to the people. Hence the title, “Foster Park is Given to People.” That evening he was able to raise $10,000. For perspective, Weisser Park (15 acres) was purchased for $10,500, and Lakeside Park was updated for $17,500. This group would eventually support the purchase of portions of Foster Park and other properties formed as parks.
At the 1912 dedication of Foster Park, approximately 25% of the city, or 15,000 people, were in attendance. However, the real purpose of why Foster did what he did became evident that day. Through donating the land for Foster Park, he believed parks were critical for cities. In speaking to the crowd, he explained why. Foster, born in New York City, spent his childhood in a major metropolitan area. Born in 1841, he stated as a child, he would walk miles to Central Park to “enjoy a breath of fresh air and a glance at the green grass.” Amazingly, a childhood experience in New York City led to the development of our great park system.
Since September 22, 1917, twin monuments have marked this rural intersection. Four Presidents Corners is the intersection of Maples and Sampson Roads in southeastern Allen County, Indiana, just northwest of Monroeville. This intersection is the junction of four townships, each named for a former president. Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and Andrew Jackson (the third, fourth, fifth, and seventh presidents) are the namesakes of the four townships. Copied from the Four Presidents Corners page of the Four Presidents Corners Historical Society Monroeville, Indiana.
About 1 year ago (February 28,2012) We wondered if any of you had ever heard of "Four Presidents Corner" in Allen County, Indiana. Several of you knew it was where four Townships, with Presidential names joined each other. From such modest beginnings, it has evolved into the ever popular Hofer and Davis, Inc. - LAND SURVEYORS "Riddle of the Week". Just last week when heading to Monroeville, Indiana, we snapped this picture of the monument documenting the site.
Fox Island County Park, 7324 Yohne Rd., Fort Wayne, IN 46809, Phone: 260 449-3180, Fax: 260 449-3181. Fox Island Park on Facebook. Fox Island Alliance. A nature preserve started around 1975 in the Allen County Parks Department. The 600-acre park contains the largest contiguous forest in the county and a 40-foot-high glacial sand dune which could give visitors some idea what the area looked like when explorers and pioneer settlers came to this area. Sol Fest is held every May since the 25th anniversary in 2000 in celebration of nature education at Fox Island with a mix of music and get outdoor oriented activities. See Rediscover outdoors at Sol Fest Annual event at Fox Island benefits county park efforts by Keiara Carr published May 2, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
THROWBACK THURSDAY! The Plat of the Week shared for our friend Ron Zartman, Park and Education Manager at Fox Island County Park reminded me of a true bedtime story my father shared with me in close proximity to Fox Island. Do you remember???? Fort Wayne made national news in 1965 when dairy farmer V.O. Harrold corraled 30 Brown Swiss Cattle within the right of way of the newly constucted Interstate 69 to dramatize the injustice he felt in the States offer of the condemned farmland taken. Mr. Harrold was arrested after this stunt for malicious trespass. Carl A. Hofer testified in the trial in regard to damages caused to the farm. Mr. Harrold was awarded $18,500 dollars by a jury of 6 men and 6 women in Superior Court. I rarely drive by the farm without imagining 30 cows fenced in on I-69!!! Posted December 3, 2015 with newspaper clipping and aerial image by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook and shared December 3, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
In August 1921, John Bohn Franke (1866-1927), president of the Perfection Biscuit Company, purchased an 80-acre tract known as the Kraeger-Wallace woods to protect it from subdivision and development. The land was just north of the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Fort Wayne. The land included “picturesque Spy Run creek,” said to be “one of the most beautiful Spots in Fort Wayne,” and had been used for picnics and gatherings for several years. John B. Franke and his wife, Amelia A. (Schmidt) Franke (1865-1928), lived in the Forest Park neighborhood, east of the St. Joseph River. The Frankes’ Prairie Style house at 2131 Forest Park Boulevard, was designed by prominent Chicago architect Barry Byrne and built in 1914. During the 1920s, they became major philanthropists in the Fort Wayne community. In December 1921, Franke donated the 80-acre property to the City of Fort Wayne, stipulating that it “be forever used as a public park, free to all the people.” copied from Franke Park Master Plan at https://www.frankeparkplan.com/.
Back by popular demand!!!!!!!!! The Hofer and Davis,Inc. LAND SURVEYORS "Riddle of the Month" The pond at Franke Park did not always look like it does today. Thanks to a large donation and vision by Fred B. Shoaff (see article below), A.K. Hofer was hired by the Board of Park Commissioners of the City of Fort Wayne to design plans and specifications for the construction, turning an almost useless swamp area into the pond as we know it today.
What year was the pond completed?
The next day January 23, 2014 with image of the City of Fort Wayne letter dated November 14, 1946 Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook posted: We had several guesses of 1938 and 1939, which is when a "small" pond was made for fishing and skating as found in the Parks Department website. The key to the answer of this "ROTM" is when was the "present day" pond completed. This is the letter to A.K. Hofer hiring him to prepare the plans and coordinate the construction bidding for the present day pond in 1946. The pond was completed in 1948 by May Construction Corporation, excavating 67,185 cubic yards of dirt, laying about 1/4 mile of drainage tile and installing a spillway and headwall for about 55,000 dollars!
200 E. Main St., Fort Wayne, IN 46802. Since 1971, 4.6 acres. Google map photo above is from Street View. Designed by Alvin M. Strauss. History: Freimann Square was funded in large part by the posthumous donation of Frank Freimann, the former president of Magnavox Company. In 1971, Mr. Freimann's gift was used for actual park development while a federal grant provided the land for this downtown oasis. Copied from Freimann Square at Fort Wayne Parks.org. this park located in the center of the city provides space for many of the local festivals and events. Visitors can enjoy the colorful fountain, majestic statue of General Anthony Wayne, and the beautiful foliage on the square. Copied from Freimann Square at Visit Fort Wayne. Photo of the 200 block of Columbia Street downtown at Main and Clinton Street prior to when it was razed in 1970 to build the park is shown on the right, posted May 28, 2019 by
The Landing Fort Wayne on Facebook. See old and new photos and discussion August 31, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook. See Freimann SquareWikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Freimann Square was dedicated on Sept. 27, 1973, when several hundred people turned out in downtown Fort Wayne to see the fountains in action. The park was funded by the Freimann Charitable Trust, which was created by the late Frank Freimann who was president and chief executive officer of Magnavox Co. . Copied from 1973: Construction and opening of Freimann Square by Corey McMaken Jun 6, 2019 in the
History Journal archives of the Journal Gazette newspaper.
Frigidaire
The refrigerator "Frigidaire was founded as the Guardian Frigerator Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana and developed the first self-contained refrigerator (invented by Nathaniel B. Wales and Alfred Mellowes) in 1916." copied from Frigidaire on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia and Our History Frigidaire on Frigidaire-la.com. "Two of the first home refrigerators both appeared in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where, in 1911, General Electric company unveiled a unit invented by a French monk. In 1915 the first "Guardian" refrigerator - a predecessor of the Frigidaire - was assembled in a wash house in a Fort Wayne backyard" copied from The Story of the Refrigerator formerly on the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers www.aham.org website. A father of the refrigerator in City was home for many inventions by Michael Hawfield from the archives of The News-Sentinel newspaper published December 13, 1993. There is also a YouTubeRefrigerator Marketing: "The Proof Parade" 1937 Frigidaire published March 27, 2013.
Fairfield Manor Image 1927.
