Ever wonder about the past lives of some of Fort Wayne's historic buildings?
Today, we're featuring the J.W. Kidd building at 1510 Fairfield Avenue.
The J.W. Kidd building was built in 1900, then owned and operated by, you guessed it, J.W. Kidd, as a medical mail-order business. In 1915, the business closed abruptly and was replaced by Boss Manufacturing Co. as a glove and mitten factory.
In the 60s, the building housed General Electric, which used it as a distribution center. Finally, from the mid-80s to the 2000s, 1510 Fairfield was home to Karen's Antique Mall.
Today, the J.W. Kidd building is undergoing renovations to house a wedding event center and a golf simulator, but its basement remains available for lease! The basement would be a great speakeasy, retro game lounge, nightclub, or tasting room!
As a building with some AWESOME history, who could turn down this unique opportunity?
View the exclusive listing from Sturges Property Group for more information:
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.
At 2720 Fairfield Avenue sits a house built in 1904. The home recently underwent a five-month-long renovation, which included a new roof, kitchen, and HVAC system. Inside you’ll find beautiful original hardwood floors, an open staircase, and elegant windows overlooking a backyard.
At the top of that staircase, on the second floor, is a tree mural, covered with photos of past residents of 2720 Fairfield Avenue. This house is just one of six homes owned by Redemption House Ministries, a transitional housing program that serves as an alternative to incarceration, and the residents pictured in the mural are graduates of the program.
Placed there through court order or referral, most struggle with addiction and have a criminal record, but through structured, faith-based programming, Redemption House is helping these women get back on their feet.
Founder and CEO Tomi Cardin designed the programming for Redemption House based on her experience and connections made from working within the prison system as a volunteer jail chaplain.
“It wasn’t something that I desired to do, I kind of stumbled across it through an invitation from my pastor’s wife to do a chapel service there,” she says. “I had what they call a lightbulb moment during the service. I just knew something in me came alive.”
After some bumps in the road, Cardin became an official jail chaplain and started leading substance abuse classes and Bible studies at the Allen County Jail.
“I was really connecting with the women,” she says. “We would make these great plans for as soon as they would get out, we were going to get together, have coffee, or go to church. They would be released and I wouldn’t hear from them or see them again until they were rearrested.”
Disheartened by seeing this process repeat itself over and over again, or as she called it, “a revolving door of frustration,” Cardin says it made her realize these women needed a different solution and she had a vision for that solution.
“These women needed a safe to go, to keep doing the work they had started while they were in jail,” she says. “When you’re released and you go right back to the same environments, you end up making the same choices.”
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.
Known as the Fairfield Nestel Mansion has one last hope against the cities demolition order as I try to save this beautiful piece of Fort Wayne history.
I would love any old photos or history on the house if anyone has some they can share!
Here is an excerpt from an article written by Rosa Salter with the Journal Gazette:
"Some of 815 Creighton Ave.'s past owners include:
*Capt. Asa Fairfield arrived in Fort Wayne from Kennebunkport, Maine, with his brothers Oliver and Charles in 1833 with the then-astouding sum of $30,000. He was married to Olive, the sister of the attorney Hugh McCulloch, also from Kennebunkport, who had been named judge of the probate court and cashier of the State Bank of Indiana.
Fairfield spent $1,800 of it on 160 of the 240 acres he eventually acquired and farmed on the city's south side. When he bought 815 Creighton, there was only a log house on the site; he later built a double log house and then a frame house before his death in 1868.
For a time, Fairfield's was the only frame house in the area, and it overlooked pastures with pigs, cows and the Wabash Canal, which ran near where the railroad tracks cross Fairfield Avenue.
Fairfield constructed and piloted the first boat to operate on the Wabash Canal. It was called the Indiana.
*Cyrus Fairfield, Asa's youngest son, owned a candle and soap making factory along the railroad tracks on Broadway and continued to sell pieces of the farm for housing.
In the early 20th century, he was known as "the oldest resident of South Wayne" and recalled that Indians from the reservation just south of the city would come up Broadway to spend government checks in nearby taverns.
Other residents at that time recalled the neighborhood as having wild hogs, wolves and "wild pigeons" so thick that they broke tree branches where they were roosting.
The wild pigeons were passenger pigeons - a bird that is now extinct.
*Daniel, Charles and Eliza Nestel. Daniel Nestel bought the house in 1880. He was a contemporary of Asa, arriving in Fort Wayne in 1840 after having walked with a companion from New York.
He operated a plant nursery on Broadway. He also often traveled with his children, who in 1861 signed a contract with Baltimore showman William Ellinger as a theatrical attraction and toured the United States and Europe.
Charles was billed as "Commodore Foote," and Eliza was billed as "The Fairy Queen." The two were part of a genre of acts sometimes referred to as "Thumbiana" and often appeared with other small people.
The name "Commodore Foote" would have carried amusing overtones in its day - besides the height pun, there was a real Commodore Foote. Commodore Andrew Hull Foote was well known as the naval officer in charge of the defense of the upper Mississippi River during the Civil War - an area the Confederates were unlikely to reach.
The newspaper reported that Eliza "is the smallest matured lady ever known, being 18 years old and weighs 20 pounds, yet perfect in form and feature, speaks two languages, sings and dances, is a beautiful poetic reader, and everything is charming and pleasing in her demeanor."
Writing on www.showpeople.com, Emma Camden gives some insight into the Nestels' performances in a description of Jennie Quigley, who performed with the Liliputian Opera Co. as "the Scottish Queen."
At intermission, she would often be paired with "another star, such as Col. Speck, Com. Foote or Admiral Dot, and together they would sing duet, dance and `flirt' onstage before the main production resumed," Camden writes. "The flirtation sometimes continued offstage, as after Jennie's death, it was learned that she and Commodore Foote were sweethearts."
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. â 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, cafĂŠ-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.
Last winter, a windstorm damaged the post of our Philo Farnsworth marker in Fort Wayne. Farnsworth (1906-1971) conceived of the idea for electronic television at the age of fourteen and brought his conception to fruition in 1927 with his first electronic transmission. In 1939, he established the Farnsworth Television and Radio Company in Fort Wayne, eventually operating seven television and radio manufacturing plants in Indiana.
We want to thank the Traffic Operations Department of the City of Fort Wayne for their help replacing the post and getting the marker back up at the site this fall and the Hill family for repainting it!
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.
Our city’s first post office was in Hanna & Barnett’s general store at Barr and Columbia Streets. Samuel Hanna, appointed in 1820, was our first postmaster. The post office would go on to have a few other locations, including on Court Street facing the Courthouse, before this magnificent building pictured here was completed in 1889. The site of this post office (also known as the Federal or Government Building) was at the southeast corner of East Berry and Clinton Streets; the lot was purchased in 1883 for $34,000. However, due to the wait for further appropriations, it would not be until 1885 that construction began.
Designed in Washington, D. C. under the direction of Mifflin E. Bell (Supervising Architect of the U. S. Treasury Department) in the Richardsonian Romanesque style popular in the late 1800’s, the building’s turret reached a height of 115 feet above the ground making it among the tallest structures in the city when it was completed at a cost of $215,000.
To the chagrin of officials in Indianapolis, rather than being built of limestone from southern Indiana, it was constructed of buff sandstone from the Stony Point, Michigan quarry owned by Fort Wayne businessman Steven B. Bond. Bond later also supplied the sandstone for the City Building (now the History Center) one block east, completed in 1893.
In addition to the post office on the first floor, beginning in 1903, the building also housed the Federal Court on the second floor as well as other federal offices including the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Marshal’s office. This building was replaced by the new post office and federal courthouse building on Harrison between Douglas and Brackenridge in 1932. The pictured old post office building was razed in 1938 and the site is now part of the parking lot for Citizens Square.
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 (1882â ); 23 East Columbia Street (1887); 125 Calhoun Street (1893, 1899); 1005 Clinton Street ( â1903); 1007 Calhoun Street (1903â 6); 130-132 West Columbia Street (1906â14); 118â122 West Columbia Street (1914â ); 4115 Paper Place (1971, 1995); 4415 Hartman Road (1996â ) 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.
A historic home and farm located in Perry Township. The farmhouse was built about 1860, and is a two-story, Italianate style brick dwelling. It consists of a two-story, main block topped by a low hipped roof and belvedere; a two-story hip roofed wing; and one story gabled kitchen wing. It features a full-width front porch. Also on the property are the contributing gabled rectangular bank barn and shed-roofed pump house. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 from a November 26, 1984 application.
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 Wayneâs 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 â5 Point Spinâ 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 Foellingerâjust 25 years old at the timeâleads 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 Wayneâs 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 FoellingerâFreimann 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 â 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.
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 .
Over the past few weeks, the former Fort Wayne Bible Training School buildings were demolished at the corner of Rudisill and South Wayne. With its founding in the early 1900s, it was once stated that “Fort Wayne has every reason to be proud of this institution” as the school trained “men and women to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ to our world in need.” Today is the story of its founding.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the country was amid the Third Great Awakening, a historical period marked by religious activism in American history. This Awakening significantly influenced the development of colleges and universities across the country, including in Northeast Indiana. Many denominations began to build colleges and universities to train the next generation. What was once a world requiring frontier and pioneer skills was rapidly transforming due to the Second Industrial Revolution.
While the first commencement occurred in 1909, the Institute sent missionaries to far-off places such as India as early as 1906. Schultz Hall was built in 1905, with Bethany Hall in 1930 to support this rapidly growing school. By 1946 the campus expanded South with a $60,000 purchase of the additional property. While the names changed over time, in 1992, the then Summit Christian College became Taylor University, Fort Wayne. In 2009, the campus officially closed its doors.
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.
It's #waybackwednesday! Take a look at these Fort Wayne then and now photos, courtesy of the Daniel A. Baker collection from our Community Album. The first photo shows the Fort Wayne Box Co. circa 1913. It was later known as Wayne Box and Printing; Container Corp of America, Smurfit-Stone Container, Altivity Packaging, and Graphic Packaging. The second photo shows the former Fort Wayne Box Company undergoing renovation into apartments called Superior Lofts in 2017.
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 â 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 âRousseau Centreâ April 24, 2012 from The Journal Gazette newspaper on The Fort Wayne Downtown Insider Blog.
Fort Wayneâs original âCity Buildingâ 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 âCity-County Buildingâ 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 â which were by then in several locations (in addition to the City-County Building) â 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 âHarry Baalsâ 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.
Did you know that our digital collections include Fort Wayne Civic Theater programs? The Fort Wayne Civic Theatre has located and archived over 600 program books from seasons dating back to 1933. The archive contains a nearly* complete history of program books from the 1943-1944 season forward, with thirty-five books from various seasons dating back to 1933. A complete list of productions by season can be found at fwcivic.org.
Established in 1927, the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre has performed over 700 productions and remains one of the region’s most popular downtown entertainment destinations.
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.
One-hundred and eight years ago today, Blanche Scott became the first American woman to make a solo public flight, doing so at the Fort Wayne Driving Park. In front of a crowd of over 10,000 spectators, Scott flew solo in public as part of the Curtiss Aviation team during an automobile and air meet at the Driving Park. This was not her first pioneering feat. She was the second woman to drive an automobile cross-country, and the first to do so travelling from East to West. In addition, some consider Scott to be the first American woman to pilot an airplane solo, a feat she achieved on September 6, 1910. While the Early Birds of Aviation recognize her flight as the first, the Aeronautical Society of America did not accredit her initial solo flight as entirely intentional, thus creating controversy regarding who was the first American woman to fly solo. She later joined the Red Devils, a nationally traveling aviation exhibition group, and became the first woman to ride in a jet plane in 1948. She was posthumously featured on commemorative airmail stamps and envelopes in December 1980. #sociallyhistory
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!
Built in 1895, Engine House #8, 2211 Fairfield Ave., is an excellent example of Neoclassical architecture which was popular c.1891-c.1950. This style uses an eclectic mix of classical features like columned porticos, pediments and cornices with dentils, pilasters, keystones and quoins. This building was designed by architect John M.E. Riedel. He designed more than a few buildings of note in this community including the A.L. & Irene Riegel House, 620 Main St.; St. Paul Lutheran School, 1225 Barr St.; and Concordia Evangelical School, 1820 Alliger St. The Engine House has dentils in the entablature held up by pilasters over the engine house doors and in the entablature at the roof line. The bell tower is on the south side of the building. ARCH is proud to present this edition of Throwback Thursday, part of its work as the historic preservation organization serving the greater Fort Wayne area, made possible by ARCH members and donors. Thank you.
It's #waybackwednesday! Check out these then and now photos, courtesy of the Daniel A. Baker Collection in our Community Album. The first photo shows Fire station #3 on Washington Blvd. circa 1909. The Fire station was constructed in 1893 and deactivated in 1972. The second photo shows the Fort Wayne Firefighters' Museum in 2017, formerly Firestation #3, which opened in 1981.
In the era of gas lighting, Fort Wayne Gas Works, located on the site of todayâs Hallâs 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), 38â40 (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, 1933â1940 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. âThe museum was started in 1984 by local air aficionados,â president Greg Bosk told us. âThey collected memorabilia, historical facts, and we built a museum on the 2nd floor. For at least 10-15 years it was well-received.â But after 9/11, with the TSA and bolstered security at the airport, the museum wasnât as accessible to the public. Bosk said it was also inconvenient â 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 werenât impressed. âWe had a lot of things displayed â not much depth, not much knowledge, but a lot of items to look at,â he explained. âWeâre 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.â21Country: 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.
We're excited to begin unveiling some sneak peeks at what the future of the FWA terminal building will look like with the completion of the highly anticipated Terminal Expansion and Renovation Project! Take a stroll by the future terminal exterior and see just how we plan to transform the curb appeal of FWA.This project is a huge part of Project Gateway - FWA’s airport expansion and improvement project which includes the Parking Lot Rehabilitation Project, East and West Terminal Apron Improvement Project, and the FWA Terminal Building Expansion.
This morning FWA held a groundbreaking ceremony to officially kickoff Project Gateway's East Terminal Expansion and Rehabilitation project!
The East Terminal Expansion and Renovation project will continue to bring the Fort Wayne International Airport terminal building into the modern era â continuing the work started with the West Terminal Expansion and Rehabilitation project, which wrapped construction at the end of May. The East and West Terminal Expansion projects aim to transform FWA into a modernized facility capable of handling the momentum and growth that the Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana communities have experienced over recent years.
Clayco, a full-service, turnkey real estate, architecture, engineering, design-build and construction firm, was awarded the East Terminal Expansion project in December 2022. Mead & Hunt will continue to serve as the design and architecture firm on the project, as they did for the West Terminal Expansion and Rehabilitation project.
âWe are proud of the work accomplished with the West Terminal Expansion and Rehabilitation project, and the beginning of the new FWA passengers are able to enjoy,â said Scott Hinderman, Executive Director of Airports. âWe are excited to continue the progress with the beginning of the East Terminal Expansion and Renovation project with Clayco. As we continue to move toward completion over the coming yearsâwe are ensuring that we will offer a spectacular gateway to our region and the best possible experience for travelers.â
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,
Page 500
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 â the Fort Wayne College of Medicine and the Fort Wayne Medical college â 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
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.
Though the Fort Wayne Museum of Art had been around for many years, it moved to its current home in 1984 after a two-year, $4 million construction project that created a 39,000-square-foot building. The museum moved to its new structure on Main Street from the B. Paul Mossman mansion, 1202 W. Wayne St., which is now the home of Castle Gallery Fine Art. The new building had about five times more floor space and a 108-seat auditorium. Copied from 1982 to 1984: Fort Wayne Museum of Art construction, opening Corey McMaken June 23, 2019 Updated Jun 6, 2022 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Financial security and prosperity have long been sought by the people that call Fort Wayne home. From 1794 until 1835, our city did not have an established banking institution, primarily relying on banks in the more populous Ohio River Valley and Eastern States. With the creation of the State Bank of Indiana in 1833, this all changed and the Fort Wayne branch of the bank was officially established on August 25, 1835, exactly 187 years ago today. The list of principals who organized the bank reads like a âwhoâs whoâ of prominent men of the era: Allen Hamilton (president), Hugh McCulloch (cashier) and directors William Rockhill, Asa Fairfield, Jesse Vermilyea, Francis Comparet and William G. Ewing, among others. This branch operated until the charter of the bank was revoked in 1859 and the state allowed the creation of the privately held Second Bank of Indiana, which took over local operations. This bank operated in Fort Wayne until 1865 when it merged with another local bank, which in 1885 changed its named to Old National Bank. In 1863, First National Bank was the first bank in Indiana to receive a charter under the new national banking system, through several events Fort Wayneâs first banks and this second would join together and be important institutions in our community. In 1905, First National consolidated with White National Bank and in 1917 with Hamilton National Bank. Now known as First and Hamilton National Bank, the institution merged with Old National and became Old-First National Bank. In 1933, Old-First National closed in March, but was reorganized and reopened in October as the new Fort Wayne National Bank. Fort Wayne National operated as an independent banking institution until its acquisition by National City Bank in 1998. Through its most recent incarnation, it continues to serve the citizens of Fort Wayne & Allen County as PNC. ts most recent incarnation, it continues to serve the citizens of Fort Wayne & Allen County as PNC. #sociallyhistory
Throwback Thursday from the H & D Scrapbook. On November 2, 1966 ground was broken for the 26 story Fort Wayne National Bank Building, by the way.... Hofer and Davis, Inc. provided the boundary and topographic survey for FWNB!
HISTORY JOURNAL Fort Wayne National Bank building (now PNC Center) opened in 1970 and surpassed Lincoln Bank Tower as the tallest building in Fort Wayne. It held that title until 1982. Construction on the building is seen in these photos. See more: Bank building became city's tallest in 1970
It's pretty incredible what a few passionate citizens can accomplish. 45 years ago this weekend, our organization was officially formed with the goal of restoring and operating a historic steam locomotive on display in Downtown Fort Wayne. In two years, the engine would be removed from Lawton Park and by 1979, it would become the living, breathing time machine we all know and love today. Not bad for a bunch of dreamers. [Depot is shown in a September 1974 photo when the old New York Central line railroad tracks were still in front of the station! It was the first passenger station in Fort Wayne and briefly known as "Union Station."]
For "Throwback Thursday" we share this picture of the old Depot. It is located across the street from last weeks LAKE SHORE HOTEL at the corner of Wells and Cass Streets. It is still in existence and used by Fort Wayne Outfitters, owned by Hall's Drive-Ins, Inc. right across from Promenade Park. BTW...Hofer and Davis, Inc. surveyed the depot for Bud Hall from Hall's Drive-Ins, Inc.
Fort Wayne Paper Box Company
Northwest corner of Superior and Calhoun. Founded as Fort Wayne Paper Box Company by Andrew Burry and Joel Welty in 1897 and incorporated the next year (1898) as Wayne Paper Box & Printing, it would later become Wayne Paper Box Corp. The company made a variety of paper products including folding corrugated boxes, gift boxes, mailing tubes, stationary, calendars and even postcards (many of which depicted Fort Wayne scenes). The building was constructed in two phases with the first phase at the corner in 1904 and the section to the west of that in 1923. Reborn as Superior Lofts.
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 itâs another one of those corny names that builders give housing additions aâla the âFalls At Beaver Creekâ. 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 Iâve 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 25â x 80â and the other 40â x 60â, 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 millâs 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 millâs 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 75â 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 âpicturesqueâ 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.
Since 1905. 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.
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!
There’s a new way to explore all the murals and sculptures in Fort Wayne, including at some of our parks! Introducing the Fort Wayne Public Art Trail â a free, digital guide to Fort Wayne’s vibrant public art.
See the trail at VisitFortWayne.com/PublicArtTrail #PublicArtFW
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 Center on Facebook.
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!
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.
For "Throwback Thursday" we share this page from the 1930 BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS report. A look at the names and you have the basis for one of the best park systems in all of the U.S.A.! Names like Foster, Shoaff, Wolf, Hattersly, Trier, Ackerman, Yarnelle and Jaenicke...and BTW...A.K. Hofer was the Department Engineer in 1930.
Schipperâs research made an impact on one particular park well before the bookâs online release. After analyzing old newspaper clippings and the gravestones of the donors, he realized that Sieling Park had been misspelled as âSeilingâ 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 Wayneâs 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 Wayneâs 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 cityâs 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. Maryâ 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 cityâs 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. Maryâ 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 ââŚfor the comfort and pleasure of our neighbors and their children for all timeâŚâ, 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!
From 1951-1970, the Fort Wayne Park System continued to grow with the addition of ten new parks, three playlots/parks, a memorial and a reservoir, including several substantial areas. In 1953, Lions Park was created out of the 14.35 acres gifted to the city by the Central Lions Club of Fort Wayne. The large lion statue was dedicated to Henry and Wilhelmine Franke. The Pi Chapter of Psi Iota XI Sorority purchased and developed 8.9 acres of land in the Indian Village addition, later donating it to the city as Psi Ote Park in 1953. In 1955, nearly all of the land that comprises the 186.5 acres of Shoaff Park was purchased with funds donated by Mr. and Mrs. Fred B. Shoaff. 1957 saw the addition Waynedale Park, located across the street from Waynedale Elementary School. In 1959, a memorial to Little Turtle was dedicated near his burial site on Lawton Place in the Spy Run Neighborhood. In 1966, Fort Wayne Community Schools donated the grounds of the former Hanna Homestead for the creation of the Hanna Homestead Park in the heart of the East Central Neighborhood. 1966 also saw the development of Kreager Park in northeast Fort Wayne. It was created out of the Seyfert Farm property (an old potato farm), it was later expanded and reached its current size in 1997. Buckner Park, on Bass Road, was purchased in 1969 from Marie Buckner. During its lifetime it has served the community in several capacities, including public farm land, military training ground, as well as a variety of other uses. Today it offers a modern playground, sprayground, and shelter amidst nearly two hundred acres of natural open space. In this time, in addition to new parks the city continued to improve our existing parks. This included, but was not limited to, construction of a golf clubhouse in Foster Park, the first artificial ice rink in Indiana in McMillen Park, the opening of the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo and the Diehm Museum of Natural History in Franke Park, and the opening of the McMillen Park Golf Course. #sociallyhistory
This is the third in an ongoing series dedicated to the parks in Fort Wayne. Join us in celebrating our wonderful park system, 1951-1970!
The statue of David N. Foster continues to watch over Fort Wayne from the corner of Swinney Park. Known as the âFather of Fort Wayneâs Parks,â 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 âmaster plan,â 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 âNew Facility Zone;â 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 âNew Facility Areaâ 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 âcomprehensive plan.â 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.
The Fort Wayne Speedway posted Sep 19, 2022 by WANE 15 News on YouTube The Fort Wayne Speedway built in 1928 was once one of the most vaunted tracks in the country, Ethan Dahlen. Nine deaths from danger of racing is one reason it closed from the book BIG TRACK LITTLE TRACK by J Daniel Heath (Author), Kenny Barr (Foreword) at Amazon.com. An informative historical account of two legendary speedways in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A five-eighths mile high banked "big track" that existed from 1930 until 1964 and a three-eighths mile "little track" that existed from 1951 until 1964. This book describes the events and people that made up the Fort Wayne Speedway and South Anthony Speedway. [September 2023] The Fort Wayne Speedway built in 1928 was once one of the most vaunted tracks in the country, Ethan Dahlen. From âMan killerâ: Remembering Fort Wayneâs forgotten speedway by: Ethan Dahlen Posted: Sep 19, 2022, Updated: Sep 20, 2022 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15.
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
Photos and more on Some History About Former Fort Wayne Speedway "A place called Fort Wayne Speedway operated on the north side of Fort Wayne just north of what is now Coliseum Boulevard and Glenbrook Square mall at KPC.news. It's now a place adjacent to a Putt Putt where little kids go to drive (very) small vehicles. The track was built in 1928 by Frank Funk, who also built other racetracks, including the former Jungle Park at Rockville and the Winchester Speedway, still operating. When the Fort Wayne Speedway was built in 1928, the area was farmland; it remained so for most of the track's existence. Coliseum Boulevard was California Road -- a dirt road then -- and neighboring farmers probably constituted what little traffic there was. From 1951 to 1964, another race track broke the silence on the south side of town. South Anthony Speedway ran two nights a week on a 3/8-mile asphalt oval. The homes in Victoria Park are in that spot now. Race tracks may come and go, but people's memories of them do not fade. The Fort Wayne Speedway especially is remembered for its track, which was said to be the highest-banked and fastest 5/8-mile track in the world."
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.
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. Maryâs 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.
As you enjoy a trip to Foster Park, you might next time stop to learn more about the Lincoln Memorial Cabin. The cabin, located at the entrance to the park, was to be constructed in 1917 (Picture #1 â 1920 Dedication). However, the project was delayed due to the United States entering World War I.
The foundations of the cabin appear to be where interests of the Foster brothers, the Parks Board, and Lincoln National Life Insurance Company aligned. At the time, Samuel Foster was president of Lincoln, Colonel Foster was president of the Parks Board, and ultimately the two of them founded the park itself.
Lincoln was formed in 1905, and Perry Randall, a Fort Wayne attorney and entrepreneur, suggested the name "Lincoln," arguing that the name of Abraham Lincoln would powerfully convey a spirit of integrity. In August 1905, Robert Todd Lincoln provided a photograph of his father, along with a letter authorizing the use of his father's likeness and name for company stationery and advertising. To this day, the Lincoln Museum in Fort Wayne is one of the largest collections in the country.
Lincoln commissioned an architect to travel to Hodgenville, KY, Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace, to ensure the memorial would match every detail of the cabin in which Lincoln was born. Also, the logs used for the construction of the cabin were cut down from Southwood Park with the permission of Hilgeman & Schaff. The organizers even shipped trees from New York to match those with which were planted near Lincoln’s original cabin in Kentucky. So the next time you are at Foster Park, take a moment to enjoy the 100+ year history that connects us.
On August 22, 1920, this crowd gathered for the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial Cabin (center back) in Foster Park, Fort Wayne, Indiana. The cabin, a replica of the Kentucky cabin in which Lincoln was born, had been constructed in 1917 by the Lincoln Life Insurance Company, but the dedication was delayed by World War I. A flag-draped stage, visible in the distance on the right, was constructed for the dedication. The program included music by the Elks Band and a men’s quartet, a keynote address by author Frederick Landis, and finally the presentation of the cabin to the city of Fort Wayne by Lincoln Life Insurance Company President Samuel M. Foster and the city’s acceptance of the gift by Park Commissioner D.N. Foster. In his remarks, Samuel Foster expressed the hope that the cabin would bring the people of Fort Wayne “into a closer and more constant association with the memory of the greatest product of American democracy,” Abraham Lincoln. More photographs of the cabin dedication can be viewed at Foster Park 1920 search.
âFoster Park is Given to Peopleâ 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 Wayneâs 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, âFoster Park is Given to People.â 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 âenjoy a breath of fresh air and a glance at the green grass.â Amazingly, a childhood experience in New York City led to the development of our great park system.
Fort Wayne Parks reopens restored Pavilion 3 in Foster Park. This public-private partnership brings new opportunity for reengagement with a little-known section of Foster Park. The structure that had started to deteriorate has been made sound, with new wood shake roof, windows and flooring. Itâs completely and accurately restored in the style of the original design. In addition to the rustic limestone and timber picnic shelter, park users can enjoy a new nature path through the woods, access new integrations to both the Foster Park walking loop and to the Fort Wayne Trails Poka-Bache Connector plus a beautiful open vista view of the St. Marys river. This project was made possible through a public-private partnership with Friends of the Parks of Allen County, South West Area Partnership and Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation.
Thrilled to celebrate Foster Park Pavilion 3 today, a successful multi-year effort to partner, plan and complete an accurate restoration of the historic picnic shelter and the surrounding Oak Grove recreational site.
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 âpicturesque Spy Run creek,â said to be âone of the most beautiful Spots in Fort Wayne,â 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 Frankesâ 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 âbe forever used as a public park, free to all the people.â 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!
Soap Box Derby at Franke Parke, 1978 Mar 27, 2020 Indiana Historical Society on YouTube
Description This film documents a soap box derby event that took place at Franke Park, Fort Wayne in 1978. This film is part of the WKJG-TV collection. WKJG-TV was formed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on November 21, 1953. WKJG was the first television station in Fort Wayne. The station was originally owned by William Kunkle, who owned several other television and radio stations. WKJG-TV, an NBC affiliate, had several other owners during its existence, including Thirty Three Inc., Joseph R. Cloutier Co., and the Corporation for General Trade. In 2003 the new owners, New Vision Television, changed the call letters to WISE-TV. WISE-TV, channel 33, remains an NBC affiliate.
Title Soap Box Derby at Franke Parke
Owning Institution Indiana Historical Society
Use Statement This image may be printed or downloaded by individuals, schools or libraries for study, research or classroom teaching without permission. For other uses contact: mailto:visualcollections@indianahistory.org
Required Credit Line Use must be accompanied with the attribution: Indiana Historical Society.
Item ID P0504_REEL12_SOAP_BOX_DERBY.mp4
Subject Fort Wayne (Ind.)
Sports & recreation facilities
Sports
Soap box derbies
Racetracks
Races
Racing
Creator WKJG-TV
Date 1978-07-15
Time Period 1970s (1970-1979)
Geographic Location Indiana--Allen County--Ft. Wayne
Source Collection Name WKJG-TV COLLECTION
Source Collection Number P0504
Digital Collection Name Indiana Historical Society Moving Image Collection
Digital Collection Number dc127
Format of Original 16 MM
Digital Format MP4
Film Length 22 Min. 58 Sec.
File Size 833 MB
Type Moving Image
Language English
Audio Yes - Intermittent
Notes This collection was digitized with grant funding made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Indiana State Library.
Copyright Notice Digital Image 2020 Indiana Historical Society. All Rights Reserved.
Phase 1 consists of adding a new entrance to the park off Goshen Avenue and adding a new central pavilion that could hold up to 400 people. Franke Park master plan unveiled by Ethan Dahlen, posted Apr 11, 2023.
Mayor Tom Henry, Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Director Steve McDaniel, community leaders, funding partners, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (INDR) and Great Lakes Commission representatives celebrated the beginning of phase one of the Franke Park Renaissance Master Plan with a ground-breaking ceremony.
The groundbreaking follows five years of planning and fundraising with an Advisory Group of major park stakeholders and robust public input. Phase one will include the following highlights:
⢠New winding, tree-lined entrance from Goshen Road.
⢠New bridge over Spy Run Creek.
⢠New enclosed, state-of-the-art, rentable pavilion with capacity for 400 people with parking.
⢠Paved multi-use trail, thoughtful vehicular circulation and connection to residential neighborhoods in SW corner of the park.
⢠Improvements to the mountain bike and hiking trails.
This project coincides with Phase Two of the Spy Run Creek Streambank Restoration with design and construction support from the INDR and funding support from the Great Lakes Commission through the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program, provided by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.
The 200 block of E Columbia Street was razed in 1970 to give us our downtown greenspace: Freimann Square Park. Previously, it contained businesses such as Indiana Feed & Seed and National Mill Supply. photo from The Landing
Since 1971, 4.6 acres. 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.
Freimann Squarefrom Wikipedia, 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.
FACT 
at 1510 Fairfield Avenue.
which used it as a distribution center. Finally, from the mid-80s to the 2000s, 1510 Fairfield was home to Karen's Antique Mall.
but its basement remains available for lease! The basement would be a great speakeasy, retro game lounge, nightclub, or tasting room! 
Fairfield Manor Image 1927.
