L Named Places in Allen County, Indiana

Lafayette Street

1142 Lafayette Street building photo was discussed as a former Tinner/Tin Smith in 1909 and Speed Shop over its many years September 11, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

Lafayette Medical Center

Lafayette Medical Center: A 20th Anniversary Retrospective at The Genealogy Center. Has various sections mostly people such as Eugene Butler, Dr. Alfred Stovall, Richard Moake, "Mother" Hampton, Andrea Dortch, Eunice & John Cato, Ed Smith, Oddie Ridley, Juanita Henderson, Rose Squires, Creasie Hill, Synovia & Waymon Brown, Rachael Rogers, Alan McGee, Sam Young, Joyce McGown, Elizabeth Santana, Eugene Butler contd., Shirley Woods, Cozey Baker, Mary Barksdale, Jawad Alzayadi.

Lafayette Place

January 9, 2013 Lafayette Place Historic District on Fort Wayne’s south side was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Lafayette Place is bounded roughly by Lafayette Street on the east, Calhoun Street on the west, McKinnie Avenue on the north and Pettit Avenue on the south. The Lafayette Place Historic District is significant in architecture, landscape architecture and community planning, the ARCH news release said. Read more Lafayette Place neighborhood named to National Register of Historic Places It was one of three districts nominated by local group ARCH that received listing approval by News-Sentinel staff reports, January 19, 2013.

Lakeside Park locally famous rose gardens and Ice Skating on the pond. January 31, 2017 discussion on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

Lake Everett

The only natural lake in Lake Township, Allen County includes Spring Lake Woods and Bog, an ACRES Landtrust preserve, that includes a sphagnum bog with native flora including five foot tall cinnamon ferns giving a lush tropical feel in a northern muckland woods. Not open to the public as of summer 2014.

April 27, 2023 post by ARCH, Inc. on Facebook:

Lake Everett has long eluded the plans of lake developers and, curiously, could have been home to much more. In 1914, Fort Wayne businessman Henry M. Williams tried to develop it into an amusement and Chautauqua park, with rail lines feeding it and five fountains. An article in The Fort Wayne Daily News described the plans for an amusement park near a wooded hill on its southeast shore that Williams named Chautauqua Ridge. Six rail lines were planned to Fort Wayne and other northern Indiana towns. Williams, owner of the Fort Wayne Traction Company, died in 1923. His grandiose plan died with him, and a new development company soon was looking for buyers for a housing development of lake homes. ARCH is proud to present this edition of Throwback Thursday, part of its service as the historic preservation organization serving the greater Fort Wayne area made possible by ARCH members and donors. Thank you. Photo courtesy of the Allen County Public Library, 1960.

Lake Shore Hotel

Was located at the intersection of Cass Street and Wells Street just North of the Wells Street Bridge. Photo posted August 8, 2019 by Hofer Davis Surveyors on Facebook.

Lakeside Park

1401 Lake Avenue. 23.8 acres, Lakeside Park is bound by California Avenue to the west, Lake Avenue to the south, Forest Park Boulevard to the east, and Vermont Avenue to the north and Lakeside Park South with two recreational fishing ponds bound by Lake Avenue on the north, Crescent Avenue to the west, Edgewater Avenue to the south, and Delta Boulevard to the east.

Street View photo on 1464 Vermont Avenue from Google map

1520 Lake Avenue Street View photo on Google map

Lakeside Park posted March 22, 2021 by Friends of the Rivers on YouTube.
As the video shows the statue for Henry Lawton that is in Lakeside Park South instead of Lawton Park.

Lakeside Park and Lakeside Park & Rose Garden at City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation. The original part of Lakeside park, acquired from the Fort Wayne Land and Improvement Company in 1908 for $5,000, received a gift of three entire squares and other areas from the Forest Park Company in 1908 and 1912. In the latter year the city purchased an additional area, making the total cost of the ground .$7,800. Improvements to the amount of $17,500 were made in 1912. Copied from page 547 of The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River by Griswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph), 1873-1927; Taylor, Samuel R., Mrs, Publication date 1917 on Archive.org.

Lakeside Park - The uncredited 1912 master plan for Lakeside Park is likely the work of George Kessler, who designed the Park and Boulevard Plan for Fort Wayne the same year. Land for this 23.8 acre landscape was purchased in 1908, with excavation for lagoons beginning in 1911, a refectory pavilion constructed in 1916, an Italianate sunken garden and pergola built in 1925, and tennis courts installed in 1928.

The most classical element in this otherwise picturesque landscape is the sunken garden. Designed in 1921 by Superintendent of Parks Adolphe Jaenicke, the garden contained over 1000 plants and was named a National Rose Garden in 1928. Its strict geometry is a natural fit with its context, bracketed on three sides by city streets and private residences. Throughout the park walks connect to the nearby street grid. Historic photographs reveal ornate furniture and flowerbeds. Four lagoons, both natural and excavated, are featured in the original plans, along with serpentine paths, a curvilinear drive, and bridges leading to islands in the lagoons. Today, a sculpture honoring Fort Wayne’s Civil War hero Henry Lawton is located in the park. The rose garden has recently been renovated. Three lagoons still exist, with one filled to create a baseball field. Copied from The Cultural Landscape Foundation.

Lakeside Park

By Randy Harter, 2018-11-05. at Fort Wayne Reader

In 1890 the Fort Wayne Land Improvement Company held a contest for the naming of a new housing subdivision they were preparing to develop east of the Columbia Street Bridge. Mrs. Lillian Pierce won the $25.00 prize and thus the subdivision and later adjoining park became known as Lakeside.

That same year, the marshy low-lying areas that are now Delta Lakes were dredged out to supply the dirt to build up the riverbanks along the future St. Joe Boulevard and Edgewater Avenue. These lakes were later deepened again for the same reason. In 1908 another developer, The Forest Park Company, started laying out the Forest Park Addition just north of Lakeside Park. With gifts of land from each of the two developers, and the purchase by the city of one small section, today’s Lakeside Park was born.

The streets in the Lakeside addition were soon graveled and the street car line run across the Columbia Street Bridge to Delta Lakes by the end of 1892. The Lakeside School at Oneida and Tecumseh was then completed in 1896. The main Delta Lake became a popular swimming hole for folks from all over town with diving boards, a diving tower, and changing rooms. Four cents would get you a trolley ride from anywhere in the city to Lakeside Park. In 1902 a separate ladies bathing area was added. In the winter the lake became a popular spot for ice skating and curling competitions.

By 1912, the plans for the park that had been drawn by Henry Doswell (landscape architect for Lindenwood Cemetery) had been implemented. These included planting 400 trees, extensive floral gardens, islands in the lake connected by rustic bridges and landscaped paths. In 1917, Adolph Jaenicke designed the sunken gardens, Greek pergolas and rose gardens which were completed about 1920.

Today large areas of the park look much different than they did in the early 1900’s as the main park area north of Lake Avenue included a series of islands and lagoons stretching nearly to California Avenue. During the Mayor Hosey Administration in 1917, a large two-story pavilion was built on the center of the western three islands.

In 1926 under a joint venture with the Izaak Walton League, City Council appropriated $5,000 for construction of a fish hatchery to be contained within the park’s lagoons. In 1930 this resulted in over 110,000 bluegill and largemouth bass being raised and distributed to more than 40 northern Indiana lakes and rivers. Also in that year a concession stand was built along Lake Avenue, which in the winters became a skating hut.

The onset of the Depression closed the fish hatchery in 1931. With the lagoons being a safety hazard and mosquito breeding ground they were finally filled in in 1958, and in 1964 the deteriorated 1917 pavilion was set afire and burned down by the fire department for firefighting practice.  

This article was also discussed November 6, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

The Landing

West Columbia Street is known as The Landing Street View photo from Google maps. See Google images for The Landing

www.thelandingfw.com/, www.facebook.com/TheLandingFW/. A Guide to Dining on The Landing by Olivia O. on Nov. 29, 2021 at Visit Fort Wayne.

  1. The Landing is Stop # 15 on the ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage) Central Downtown Trail.
  2. The Landing Historic District brochure with map and photos of 21 buildings by Fort Wayne Community Development.
  3. The Landing and Columbia Street by Tom Castaldi, local historianApril 11, 2013 on the History Center Notes & Queries blog.

The Landing posted March 22, 2021 by Friends of the Rivers on YouTube.

The Landing is Fort Wayne’s and the State of Indiana’s First Historic District. The Landing Historic District in downtown Fort Wayne was designated in 1965, and it was the city’s first historic district. In fact, The Landing was the first historic district of any kind in the state of Indiana. From item #2 on 10 Things to Know About Historic Preservation in Fort Wayne at City of Fort Wayne. The Landing was home to Fort Wayne's first post office, theatre and hotel. This block of West Columbia Street was called The Landing because it was known as "The Docks" in the Wabash and Erie Canal era, and it was near three basins for canal boats to turn around. It's the oldest commercial area in Fort Wayne. In the 1960s, it became one of the city's first historic preservation projects receiving gas lights, ornamental trees and a new name The Landing for the Wabash and Erie Canal that was just to the north of the existing buildings. The Landing was known for its fine hotels, such as the Randall, which was being historically restored in 2018 and converted into loft housing.

  1. How The Landing and Dock Street Got Their Names (It's for the Same Reason) by Shane G.posted on August 10, 2012 on Visit Fort Wayneblog.
  2. A. D. 1883 cornerstone from unknown source on Dock Street off Harrison Street and the RR elevation between Columbia and West Superior Streets. Discussed many times on social meda by local historians and still unresolved in 2023. The League Park wooden structure for baseball was built nearby in 1883 where Headwaters Park is today and the first night game was played June 3, 1883 so may have something to do with it?

    Street View photo from Google maps on Dock Street

    May 22, 2017 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook:

    You never know what you might see "Out in the Field"! Check out this cornerstone on Harrison Street, just South of the elevated railroad tracks! This 1883 cornerstone is on "The Landing" in downtown Fort Wayne!

    Hans Hofer shared May 22, 2023 on Facebook stating: I think this was discussed earlier on this page [March 7, 2023]. I took this picture when we surveyed for Bud Hall of HALL’s Restaurant for the building they moved on Harrison Street before Promenade Park was built.

  3. Read more in Can The Landing's luster be restored? Downtown Trust is buying properties there and will seek developer by Kevin Leininger was published March 15, 2014 on The News-Sentinel newspaper
  4. Things you should know about downtown Fort Wayne by Kara Hackett was published April 17, 2014 in the The Journal Gazette newspaper.
  5. Some interesting history and future plans for the Landing on a new Columbia Street vision by Mac Parker published January 18, 2015 in the The Journal Gazette newspaper.
  6. Fort Wayne’s District of Columbia: The Landing nears a rebirth with photos and CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15video interview with Mayor Tom Henry published February 25, 2016 on Vision 2020 NEIndiana.com.
  7. Discussed March 5, 2017 on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.
  8. Landing on a new Columbia Street vision by Mac Parker published March 16, 2016 in The Journal Gazette newspaper states: When Fort Wayne was originally platted in 1829, it was envisioned that Main Street would be the primary location for commerce and business. The Wabash and Erie Canal changed that and made Columbia Street the central hub of the city for more than 100 years. The canal was also the catalyst that changed Fort Wayne from a village of 1,000 people to a city prominent in the whole Midwest – and with one of the longest and most colorful histories west of the Appalachians. When Columbia Street was laid out, it was four blocks long – three blocks lying east of Calhoun Street and one block west of Calhoun. The City-County (now Rousseau) Building, Freimann Square, Arts United Center and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art now occupy where East Columbia Street once was. West Columbia Street still very much exists and has come to be known since canal days as "The Landing." On the west end of Columbia Street was the Orbison Turning Basin, a space wide enough that canal boats could be turned; this was also the main port for Fort Wayne, hence the name, "Landing." The buildings located on the north side of Columbia Street were originally built to face the canal just to the north. After the canal was abandoned and the land sold for railroad right-of-way, these buildings were actually rebuilt so that the front faced south to Columbia Street. The eventual downfall of the canal was when the railroads came – it is ironic that the first locomotive to come to Fort Wayne was actually brought in on a canal boat and offloaded and re-assembled at The Landing. While the canal was in full operation – and for many years after it folded in 1883 – Columbia Street remained the No. 1 location for business in Fort Wayne. It was estimated that more than 2,500 businesses have come and gone from the once four-block-long street, including feed stores, blacksmith shops, grocery stores, theaters, dry good stores, cigar factories, barbershops, a number of hotels and on and on. Baking powder and Pinex cough syrup were two of the many products invented or developed on Columbia Street. A 17-year-old telegraph operator came to work on Columbia Street in 1864 but unfortunately was fired because he was too slow in sending Morse code. That young operator later became the most renowned inventor in the world – Thomas Alva Edison. In the early 1900s, businesses and hotels started to locate to the south, but Columbia Street remained the main artery for business until well into the 20th century. The article continues more information up to the current plans to refurbish The Landing.
  9. June 2018 started a Twitter Page thelandingfw: twitter.com/thelandingfw

The Columbia Street story by Bates, Roy M.; Keller, Kenneth B Publication date 1975 144 page version on Archive.org
the 1970 version is only 16 pages: The Columbia Street story by Bates, Roy M. Publication date 1970 on Archive.org

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Landmark Building

In 1924, on 8 acres of land the Fort Wayne Hospital and Sanitarium, at 1640 Spy Run Avenue was established by Doctor Stamets. See biography of Henry Stamets, M.D. in Indiana, One Hundred and Fifty Years of American Development, Volume 3. The building is now the Shepherd’s House. Lonnie Cox the executive director of the Shepard's House posted a Comment stating: The building you're talking about is now the Shepherds House property, a transitional living center primarily for veterans suffering from alcohol/ drug issues many with symptoms from PTSD and some non vets with the same. When we bought the building it was called the Landmark and served as an office building. It was originally built as the "Knight Mansion", a very prominent, in today's dollars, billionaire family. The Knights were the parents of movie star Carole Lombard's mother, in fact somewhere there's an old newspaper article describing the beautiful wedding of her and Carole's father in the parlor, which is now our office. At some point later it was turned into a holistic hospital. I'm not sure of the date but it was eventually bought by contractor J. R. Miller and Nancy ("Honeytree") Miller who upgraded the building to code then sold to Greg Pelosi for office space, which it remained until we bought it. I had heard that at one time there was a horse racetrack where the apartment buildings are next door that extended all the way down to the river. There was a lot of historical action going on around that area in the old days...the old house across the street was the home of Fort Wayne's first mayor, the whole area was the battlegrounds with the early Indian tribe and also many Indian burial grounds throughout. when it was discussed September 14, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

Lanternier-Vesey Flowers

On Crescent Avenue, now closed, could trace its history in Fort Wayne back to 1854. Before the Allen County Courthouse downtown was built, before the old City Hall building on East Berry Street was even a notion, before the Cathedral was planned and even before Lindenwood Cemetery took in its first grave, there was a florist in Fort Wayne called Lanternier. Word has it that the floral business was started by a family from France, and it was at one point on Calhoun Street. In time, Lanternier bought out a florist named Vesey and eventually it ended up in a little building on Crescent Avenue near State Boulevard. Read the rest of their story Wilting business ends Lanternier’s 158 years by Frank Gray of The Journal Gazette newspaper published September 9, 2012. Lantenier - Vesey Flowers - December 23, 1914 Fort Wayne News Christmas rose newspaper advertisement when Vesey's was at 2602 Thompson Avenue fromthe original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.

LaSalle Inn

LaSalle Inn, on Facebook, with Sion Bass House - Bed and Breakfast - the historic 1842 home of Fort Wayne’s most celebrated Civil War hero Sion Bass, has been added to the LaSalle B&B Inn. Fort Wayne’s only bed and breakfast. LaSalle Bed & Breadkfast - occupies 2 buildings: The Thomas Snook House and the Sion Bass House. Located side by side in the 500 block of W. Washington Blvd.

Law Enforcement/Firefighters Memorial of Allen County

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064419740187

1001 North Wells Street - Street View photo from 1006 Ewing Street from Google maps

February 16, 2012 post by Law Enforcement/Firefighters Memorial of Allen County on Facebook:

A view from "the eye in the sky"

May 10, 2019 post by the Fort Wayne Police Department on Facebook:

Today we honor the Officers and their families of those that have made the supreme sacrifice and fallen in the line of duty while serving our community. Our thoughts and thanks are always with these families that have given so much. Please remember them and all of our officers in your prayers.

The Fort Wayne-Allen County Police and Fire Memorial is at 1001 North Wells Street which also has a Facebook page: Law Enforcement/Firefighters Memorial of Allen County.

The memorial honored 14 law enforcement officers who died while serving Allen County since 1904:

  1. Marshal Columbus L. Croy, Woodburn Police Department, June 7, 1907
  2. Officer Matthew Gebhardt, Fort Wayne Police Department, March 10, 1926
  3. Officer Edward Schafenacker, Fort Wayne Police Department, Dec. 8, 1950
  4. Officer Kenneth Stiverson, Fort Wayne Police Department, July 17, 1969
  5. Officer Omega Graham, Fort Wayne Police Department, Dec. 10, 1987
  6. Sgt. Kenneth W. Hayden, Fort Wayne Police Department, Sept. 12, 1989
  7. Officer Donald Knepple, Allen County Adult Probation Department, April 28, 1997
  8. Officer Eryk Heck, Allen County Sheriff’s Department, Aug. 15, 1997
  9. Officer Daniel Edenfield, Allen County Sheriff’s Department, May 16, 1998
  10. Trooper Cory Elson, Indiana State Police, April 3, 1999
  11. Officer Bradley Matteson, Fort Wayne Police Department, Oct. 5, 2000
  12. Sgt. Joseph A. Cox Jr., Allen County Sheriff’s Department, Feb. 12, 2017
  13. Officer David A. Tinsley, Fort Wayne Police Department, Sept. 11, 2018
  14. Master Trooper James R. Bailey, Indiana State Police, March 3, 2023

Copied from Families, agencies honor officers who have died in line of duty Corryn Brock May 12, 2023 The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Fort Wayne Police Department officers killed in the line of duty posted on the Officer Down Memorial Page.

Patrolman Kenneth P. Stiverson, age 36, was killed by gunfire July 17, 1969. His photo and information is posted on the Supporting Heroes website.

May 14, 2013 post by Law Enforcement/Firefighters Memorial of Allen County on Facebook:

Police Memorial 2013 Photos by John McGauley

May 12, 2023 post by the Fort Wayne Police Department on Facebook:

Police Memorial 2023

 

Lawton Park

Page 472 - LAWTON PARK. The city authorities, supported by a growing civic pride, purchased, on the 24th of January, 1864, the major portion of the lands which now comprise Lawton park. In the beginning the tract was known as the City park, later as North Side park and, finally, in honor of General Henry W. Lawton, by its present name. The purchase was made from William Fleming, S. B. Bond, C. D. Bond, W. H. Jones, Hugh B. Reed, Henry J. Rudisill and J. W. Dawson at a cost of $35,500. The balance of the tract was purchased in 1866 and 1881 from Mathias Mettler for an additional sum of $37,255. Coped from The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River by Griswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph), 1873-1927; Taylor, Samuel R., Mrs, Publication date 1917 on Archive.org.

Lawton Park ca. 1905

By Randy Harter 2017-01-11 in Fort Wayne Reader.

The grounds for what would become Lawton park were purchased in 1864 as a site for the Indiana State Fair, an event that ended up only being held there once, in 1865. The property joined the city park system in 1866 and was given the name of Northside Park. In 1899, local and national military hero Henry W. Lawton was killed near Luzon while leading a 4,000 man army during the Philippine Insurrection.

Lawton, born in Maumee, OH was chiefly raised in Fort Wayne and in 1858 enrolled in the Methodist Episcopal College here which stood at the intersection of Wayne and College Streets in today’s West Central neighborhood. At the onset of the Civil War in 1861, he joined the first Indiana regiment that was formed and later became the first Fort Wayne native to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, given for his heroism during the war’s Atlanta campaign. Lawton would go on to distinguish himself in the Spanish-American War, several Indian campaigns, and in the tracking to Mexico of Indian Chief Geronimo in 1886.

Northside Park was renamed in honor of Major-General Henry Lawton in 1900 and the cannon returned from the Philippines was placed upon a limestone base there. Recently, the over 115 year old cannon was removed, taken to Illinois for restoration, and then re-installed at the park. You can see the cannon on your left as you pass the park while driving south on North Clinton Street. A bronze statue of Lawton was erected in Lakeside Park in 1921 and additionally statues of him are in Garfield Park in Indianapolis, and Thomas Park in Lawton, OK. His grave and a bronze monument to him reside in Arlington National Cemetery.

History discussion by Randy Harter, a Fort Wayne historian and author of two books on local history, January 12, 2017, postcard statue photo discussed September 2, 2017 and general Lawton Search on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

LC Nature Park

LC Nature Park shares plan to protect, restore Indiana’s land by Daniel Beals posted on YouTube. Same video on LC Nature Park.
21Country: LC Nature Park shares plan to protect, restore Indiana’s land Bison, elk part of preservation efforts by Daniel Beals, Published: Jan. 4, 2022 on ABC WPTA21.com TV station.

9744 Aboite Road, Roanoke, Indaiana 46783, Google map, www.lcnaturepark.org/, https://www.facebook.com/lcnaturepark/.

Located on 200 acres southwest of Fort Wayne, Indiana on Aboite Road, LC Nature Park includes herds of bison and elk as well as restored tallgrass prairie, an ancient sand dune, and forested areas.Our mission is for the guest to Learn about Indiana’s ecosystems through camaraderie, food, and fun, explore natural landscape restorations, and protect our native flora and fauna. The park’s vision is to inspire a lasting appreciation for Indiana’s natural history and native environment. LC Nature Park lies within the Little River Valley and shares a natural heritage with other nearby protected sites such as Eagle Marsh. Copied from LC Nature Park at Visit Fort Wayne. LC Nature Park at Hagerman Group. LC Nature Park featuring elk, bison holds grand opening, posted: May 1, 2021 at CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15

November 14, 2022 post by The Waynedale News on Facebook:

John Brooks, founder of LC Nature Park and chairman of the board of Brooks Construction Company, Inc., received the Sagamore ...

Shared LC Nature Park Founder Named Sagamore Of The Wabash November 8, 2022 by The Waynedale News Staff at The Waynedale News.com.

Five questions for John Brooks of LC Nature Park posted November 21, 2022 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.

February 25, 2023 post by PUNCH Films on Facebook:

A little slice of Montana in Northeast Indiana just minutes from Downtown. We’ve become so enchanted with this place LC Nature Park so when a good snowfall showed up on the radar, we jumped to film these guys in a snowy landscape. We’re grateful for our 4WD Suburban. #LCNaturepark, #4WD, #Suburban

April 14, 2023 post by Hoosier History Live on Facebook:

Guest Roadtripper Terri Gorney Lehman of Fort Wayne suggests a visit to the relatively new LC Nature Park in Allen County between Fort Wayne and Huntington in the historic Little River Valley. The park was created by the retreat of the Lake Erie Lobe of the Wisconsin Glacier. Events include Trillium Fest, summer camps for kids, antler roundup, and public hikes. Listen to Terri Sat. about 12:15 pm on Hoosier History Live on WICR 88.7 fm or stream at wirconline. WICR Terri Gorney Lehman Society of Indiana Pioneers Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana LC Nature Park

League Park

League Baseball Park posted March 22, 2021 by Friends of the Rivers on YouTube.

Page 557 in The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River by Griswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph), 1873-1927, league baseball park on Calhoun street, north of Superior street. The Baseball field was located where Headwaters Park and county jail, formerly Jailhouse Flats, are today between the confluence of the three rivers, Superior and Clinton Streets. A wooden structure was erected at the park in 1883. Rebuilt several times, the place received a major overhaul in 1908 with new grandstands and a grass infield. After the damage caused by the Great Flood of 1913, additional restoration was required. It was readied as a host park for semi-pro Central League teams, including the Lifers when they moved up to a minor league status. That 1927 exhibition season, League Park’s grandstand was filled with more than 3,000 fans, occupying all sitting and standing room. Enthusiastic Fort Wayne fans streamed in, eager to witness high drama from Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and the other Yankee legends. The fans were not disappointed, as they sensed Babe’s charge into the annals of American history. Copied from Babe Ruth: A Big Hit in Fort Wayne by Tom Castaldi, local historianpublished August 24, 2016 on Indiana Historical Bureaublog. The last two of Fort Wayne’s 12 major-league games were played at League Park in 1902. These American League regular-season contests were played in Fort Wayne, Indiana, by the Cleveland Bronchos in order to circumvent the Sunday blue laws in Cleveland. See League Park (Fort Wayne) by Bill Griggs and Jim Nitz published on Society for American Baseball Research. It was discussed April 17, 2017, photos posted August 26, 2017, September 17, 2017 Randy Harter, Fort Wayne historian and authorposted a short history with photo and a photo of the plaque at Headwaters Park was posted April 5, 2019 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook. See our section on Camp Allen, Fort Wayne Daisies, Kekionga Baseball Ground, Fort Wayne Kekionga Baseball Team, Parkview Field, Fort Wayne TinCaps and Fort Wayne Wizards.

Liberty Bell in Fort Wayne

July 6, 1915 is when The Liberty Bell in Fort Wayne by Carmen Doyle published July 9, 2014 on Visit Fort Wayne. WORLD WAR I: 100 YEARS LATER How the Liberty Bell Won the Great War As it entered World War I, the United States was politically torn and financially challenged. An American icon came to the rescue. This article has a photo of the crowd along the railroad tracks in Fort Wayne. Special Report by Stephen Fried published April 2017 in The Smithsonian Magazine. Several discussions of the Liberty Bell in Fort Wayne on Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne Private Facebook Group

Lillie Building

Built in 1990, 105-117 W. Wayne Street and 904 S. Calhoun Street. The site of the Lillie Building was once home to many well-recognized local establishments including Azar’s restaurant, Greenblatt’s Furs, and M&N Shoe Store. See Lillie Building history with photos and timeline on midtowncrossing.net.

Lima Road

People sometimes wonder why it's called Lima Road, also known as Indiana State Route 3? Looking at a map it shows Lima Road goes north from Fort Wayne through Kendallville to Howe, Indiana. Shortly after 1834 the town was settled in an area known as Mongoquinong by the Potawatomi Indians a name given to the prairie in northeastern Indiana. Sometime after 1834 it became know as Lima, an 1876 atlas map shows the name as Lima, and sometime before 1884 was renamed for John B. Howe a local banker. So Lima Road north out of Fort Wayne used to go to Lima, now it goes to Howe, Indiana.

Lincoln Collection

900 Library Plaza, see our Lincoln Collection section at the Allen County Public Library

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Lincoln Highway

See separate page Lincoln Highway.

Lincoln National Bank and Trust

Was chartered as The German American National Bank in 1905 from November 27, 2011 post on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook. Photos and discussion January 1, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

Lincoln National Life Insurance Company

Was headquartered in Fort Wayne until 2008. Lincoln National Bank founded in 1905, received written permission from the late president’s son, Robert Todd Lincoln, to use Lincoln’s image as its logo. The The Journal Gazette newspaper was founded in 1863 to provide an editorial voice in support of Abraham Lincoln and the ideals for which he stood. Abe Lincoln grew up in Spencer County, Indiana from age 7 to 21 from Abe Lincoln's enduring Hoosier legacy at 150 years published April 14, 2015 in The Journal Gazette newspaper now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

  1. Lincoln National Bank and Trust Company: Highlights in a Half Century of Progress and Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, Home Office Organization, Fort Wayne, Indiana, April 21, 1942 photo at The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
  2. They completed their new building in 1923. The Abraham Lincoln “Hoosier Youth” statue, cast in Belgium, was unveiled in 1932. See early photo posted August 11, 2017 on Fort Wayne Food Tours.

Lincoln Tower

116 East Berry, established 1929, Street View photo is from Google maps wtih several dozen user submitted photos

For decades Indiana’s tallest building. Construction of the Lincoln Tower began in October 1929 and was completed in November 1930. At 22 stories and 312 feet tall, it was Indiana’s tallest building. Lincoln National Bank and Trust was chartered as The German American National Bank in 1905. During World War I, anti-German sentiment was running high and therefore on May 31, 1918, the German American National Bank became Lincoln National Bank. Shortly after Lincoln National Bank and Trust was formed, President Charles Buesching commissioned a skyscraper to serve as headquarters for the new bank. Buesching considered it to be a monument to the German immigrants who settled the Fort Wayne area at the turn of the 20th century and formed the backbone of his investors, depositors, and customers. Buesching himself was a German immigrant. Read more on Lincoln Bank Tower on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

  1. Currently occupied by Old National Bank.
  2. Lincoln Tower Plaque These poor pictures are of the plaque located across the street from the Lincoln Tower. The bank was originally started as the German-American Bank of Fort Wayne in 1905. The bank changed its name in 1918. From photo album at Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook.
  3. Indiana Landmarks Where We Live which includes a 2 minute podcast.
  4. The Lincoln Tower posted July 11, 2013 by Tom Castaldi on the History Center Notes & Queries blog.
  5. The Lincoln Tower Stop #5 on the Central Downtown Trail 19 stops on the Heritage Trail by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
  6. The Lincoln Tower marker photos with Google maps Street View image, and more at The Historical Marker Datatbase HMdb.org. The Lincoln Tower by Tom Castaldi, local historianposted July 11, 2013 by History Center Notes & Queries blog.
  7. A tour of Lincoln Tower: Art deco gem in Fort Wayne bustles with bank, snack shop, offices with photos by Lisa M. Esquivel Long published June 14, 2016 on The News-Sentinel newspaper.
  8. Restaurant review: Lincoln Tower Soda Fountain by Laura Weston-Elchert published June 14, 2016 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
  9. Southeast from Lincoln Tower – 1966 photo and history by Randy Harter, Fort Wayne historian and authorpublished August 8, 2018 and Lincoln Tower ca. 1970 published March 22, 2017 on Fort Wayne Reader, then posted March 22, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
  10. A November 20, 2013 post with a 1929 construction photo stating taken in 1929 by A.K. Hofer, company founder, of a high rise under construction in downtown Fort Wayne. What is the name of this building? posted by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook then shared November 20, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
  11. A November 21, 2013 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook with photos stated: These poor pictures are of the plaque located across the street from the Lincoln Tower. The bank was originally started as the German-American Bank of Fort Wayne in 1905. The bank changed its name in 1918 was shared November 21, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.

Little River Wetlands Project

Street View photo from Google map is east of Eagle Marsh and northeast of Fox Island

Little River Wetlands Project posted Oct 12, 2021 by Little River Wetlands Project on YouTube
Our mission is to restore and protect wetlands in the historic watershed of the Little River, a major tributary of the Wabash River, and to provide educational opportunities that encourage good stewardship of wetlands and other natural ecosystems.

5800 Smith Road, Fort Wayne, 46804. Little Rivers Wetlands Project on Facebook. Little River Wetlands Project (LRWP) protects more than 1,300 acres of wetlands in the Little River watershed. In addition to Eagle Marsh (our Eagle Marsh page), Arrowhead Preserves consisting of Arrowhead Marsh and Arrowhead Prairie and Buttonbush Bottoms, LRWP also co-owns Little River Landing with ACRES Land Trust. Webiste: www.lrwp.org. A photo of the Continental Divide sign at the Little River Wetlands Project was discussed December 11, 2021 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. The sign shows that East of the divide, the Great Lakes Watershed flows to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence Seaway. West of the divide, the Mississippi Watershed drains via the Wabash River system to the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.

See our Three Rivers page for more information.

On July 29, 2022 a photo of the St. Lawrence River Continental Divide sign was posted by Little River Wetlands Project on Facebook stating:

Our continental divide selfie sign is back up! Stop by Eagle Marsh this weekend for a hike, post a selfie, tag us and tell us which watershed you live in! You can learn more about the continental divide here: on their YouTube channel video: 3 - Current of Time: The Little River Wetlands Story - Modern Geology and Invasive Carp CC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A January 19, 2023 post by Little River Wetlands Project on Facebook :

FIRST LOOK! We've partnered with NiSource and PBS Fort Wayne to create a series of pieces that beautifully communicate the importance of wetlands and restoration efforts. Our first piece will be hitting the airwaves soon however, you get to see it here first! We hope you love it as much as we do!

 

 

From farmland to nature preserves, the mission of Little River Wetlands Project by Daniel Beals posted June 3, 2022 on YouTube

The Little River Wetlands Project restores some the portage wetlands between the 3 rivers that were here when the pioneers first arrived. The portage was the only land barrier on shortest trade route using rivers between Quebec and New Orleans in 18th century North America. "Its project area encompasses 25,000 acres of land once known as the Great Marsh, in Allen and Huntington Counties, Indiana. When settlers first arrived in this area, they found a vast wetland complex teeming with wildlife. LRWP is working to restore what can be saved of this great and valuable ecosystem." Just outside of Fort Wayne’s urban landscape, you’ll find lush oases home to thousands of native plants and wildlife. And though once natural to Indiana’s ecosystem, these nature preserves have been re-built from the farms they once were, after human settlers. Behind the ambitious feat: the Little River Wetlands Project (LRWP). “It began in 1990 by a group of concerned residents here in Allen County, that were worried about 85% of Indiana’s wetland loss at the time,” Executive Director Amy Silva explained. “Wetlands are the kidneys of our community and they will tell you whether or not you have good water quality.” She told us, LRWP has a two-pronged mission: restoration and protection of wetlands in the Little River Valley, and education. You’ll often find schools, guided hikes, and even corporate work days part of the activity out at Eagle Marsh. LRWP cares for four preserves, with three of them being accessible to the public. By far the most popular, is off of Engle Road. Close to city limits, and with several miles of trails, you’ll often see people walking through the serene wetland of Eagle Marsh. It’s also a favorite place for nature photographers to spend hours trying to get perfect pictures of over 250 species of birds. Copied from 21Country: From farmland to nature preserves, the mission of Little River Wetlands Project Building ecosystems and restoring Indiana’s natural landscape with video by Daniel Beals published June 2, 2022 on ABC WPTA21.com TV station.

March 29, 2023 post by Little River Wetlands Project on Facebook:

Eagle Marsh felt the BURN 🔥 yesterday! It was a great prescribed burn that was made possible with the help of Blue Heron Ministries, A Land Trust. The burn helps remove invasive species and allow for stronger, John Gevers Photography Captured amazing photos and here are a few throughout the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 26, 2023 post by Little River Wetlands Project on Facebook :

LRWP is so excited about the amazing partnership with PBS Fort Wayne on the second video of the 3 video series sponsored NIPSCO and the NiSource Charitable Foundation. This will be playing between programs on PBS and on PBS Kids. We believe this 2nd video shows the rich history of the wetlands and how diverse the wildlife who depends on these wetlands is. It is our hope that the audience will see how LRWP came to be and aid in the preservation of the wetlands we have today.

Thank you PBS and NIPSCO and the Nisource Charitable Foundation for making this happen!

Plan you visit to see the beauty of the wetlands first hand! more information at www.lrwp.org

Lofts

March 30, 2023 post by City of Fort Wayne Government  on Facebook:

Construction is set to begin on The Lofts at Headwaters Park in downtown Fort Wayne.

Read more:

SITE WORK TO BEGIN ON THE LOFTS AT HEADWATERS PARK DEVELOPMENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Log Cabins

Log Cabins in Allen County, Indiana is a website and printed book with 31 photos at The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Demise of an Old Log Cabin torn down August 31, 2012 by Sue Downey, page 106, published in the Allen County Lines June 2013 issue in the Members Only section on ACGSI.org is one of over 100 "hits" when searching for "log cabin" on their site. In The House that Nathan Coleman Built by Patricia Prascsak. Nathan Coleman is one of Allen County’s early settlers arriving about the year 1827, coming from Shelby County, Ohio mentions a log cabin built on his property on page 52 of Allen County Lines December 2014 issue. Another example of log cabins mentioned is History of Besancon France & Besancon, Indiana Researched & Written by Michael R. Morow Presented by Mary Jane Novosel to the Rosary Sodality Feb.23 2019 in Besancon Historical Society The Chronicles ISSUE 69 Volume 2 Winter 2019. Log cabins are mentioned on page 5 of the Our One Hundredth Anniversary 1849-1949 History of Wayne Street Methodist Church on ACGSI.org and in the Church History of First Wayne Street United Methodist Church website.

Carole Lombard Memorial Bridge

Google map photo from Street View. See Carole Lombard People page.

  1. Carole Lombard Plaque Updated information and photos by the Anthony Wayne Rotary
  2. The Carole Lombard Memorial Bridge at BridgeHunters.com.
  3. Carole Lombard Memorial Bridge has photos and documentation at HistoricBridges.org.

Carole Lombard House

Google map photo from Street View of Carole Lombard house 704 Rockhill Street.
Shows the Old Aqeduct Club Monument on the left and the Carole Lombard Memorial Bridge.
See The Carole Lombard House website About the current owners and The Carole Lombard House Facebook page.
The Carole Lombard House is on the West Central Trail 17 stops on the Heritage Trail by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
See Carole Lombard People page.

Lustron Houses

The Hoosier Story - Lustron Houses posted Apr 23, 2022, by The Hoosier Story on YouTube
Host Anne Shaw speaks with Todd Zeiger about Lustron Homes. Lustron's are unique, prefabricated post-World War II housing made from enameled steel. These rare houses can be found scattered throughout the midwest. Shared May 1, 2022 by Indiana Landmarks on Facebook. Around the 12:30 mark Todd Zeiger mentions a good resource is the Ohio Historical Society. The Ohio History Connection, was formerly the Ohio Historical Society from their About page. He also mentioned the National Trust for Historic Preservation where I found Lustrons: Building an American Dream House. Also shared May 2, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook

The Ohio History Connection has several articles for Lustron search. One is 1950s: Building the American Dream Explore 1950s pop culture, a Lustron steel house and more! on ohiohistory.org. Big news in Columbus, Ohio, and across retro-world: On July 13, the Ohio Historical Society will open a new exhibit about life in the 1950s that includes an amazing centerpiece: A 1949 Lustron house that has been completely assembled inside the museum. Lustron houses are famed prefabricated houses built from 1948-1950 – notable because they are made almost completely from steel inside and out, including everlasting gobstopper porcelain enamel painted interior and exterior walls and roof. Copied from Lustron house #549 — reconstructed inside the Ohio Historical Society by Pam Kueber posted June 25, 2013, Updated: June 4, 2021 on retrorenovation.com. The easiest way to tour a Lustron home would be to pay a visit to the Ohio History Center in Columbus, also known as the headquarters of the Ohio History Connection. copied from The 1950s Lustron Houses Hiding In Ohio Were A Futuristic Answer Once Upon A Time by April Dray posted Janaury 21, 2020 on www.onlyinyourstate.com.

At least eight Lustron houses were built in Fort Wayne. Between the years of 1948 and 1950, the Lustron Corporation produced porcelain- enameled steel, prefabricated houses in response to the post-World War II housing shortage in the United States. Despite being heavily funded by the federal government, inadequate start-up cost estimates, production and construction problems, and design deficiencies eventually resulted in the failure of the Lustron Corporation after producing just 2,680 houses. Approximately 187 of those were built in Indiana. Copied from April 18, 2018 Facebook post by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).These steel-and-ceramic dwellings still stand, more than 60 years later by Patrick Sisson in Lustrons: Building an American Dream House by Aria Danaparamita at National Trust for Historic Preservation. Lustron Homes, the ‘50s prefabs that were ahead of their time published October 10, 2016 on Curbed.com. Sometimes confused with Sears homes. They came with an assembly manual and a serial number. See Rebuilding a Prefab Home in the Indiana Dunes One family’s journey to resurrecting a mid-century Lustron for their vacation home. Posted on February 28, 2019 by Indiana Landmarks.

There is an August 2, 2010 Indiana MPS Lustron Houses in Indiana 28-page document in the National Archives Catalog for the NRHP National Registry of Historic Places National Park Service. For anyone wondering why Lustron quit making houses, on page 7 of the 28 page document it states: Standlund had projected the plant could produce 100 houses per day, but even at its best, the plant produced only 26 per day, and 50 per day were needed just to break even. On page 10 it states: it is estimated that approximately 187 Lustrons were built in Indiana, about 180 of which are still standing. It is known that, according to Lustron shipping records, 142 houses had been shipped to locations in Indiana by December 31,1949. ... The majority of Lustron models built in Indiana were the 2-bedroom, Westchester Deluxe, which is not surprising since this was the best-selling model for the company. ... Two Indiana Lustron homes are individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) [one in Chesterton, another in Indianapolis]. Page 17 shows floor plans and a photo of a 2-bedroom Westchester Deluxe model. Fort Wayne, IN (photo by Jill Downs).

October 18, 2018 had a discussion on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebookand April 28, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook another discussion of local homes. The HRHP document on page 21, lists nearly 200 known addresses in Indiana. They accessed the Lustron Registry in 2008 at http://www.lustronregistry.org/ that still exists on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. NRHP states the Fort Wayne Lustrons are all Model 02 Westchester two-bedrooms and provides the following addresses from the Lustron Registry. Google Street View maps show photos of each house. The 2008 version of the Lustron Registry list of known houses in Indiana is on the Internet Archive Wayback Machinehttps://web.archive.org/web/20090503193608/http://www.lustronregistry.org/HTML/states/Indiana.htm. There is a 39 page document The illustrious lustron A Guide for the Disassembly and Preservation of America’s Modern Metal Marvel on ncmodernist.org.

  1. #64 - 316 Fleming Avenue, between Fairfield and Webster, the Lustron registry listed it in 2008 as gray. Google Street View map.
  2. #65 - 1928 Glenwood Drive, off North Anthony, a photo was posted April 29, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. The Lustron registry listed it in 2008 as gray with a 2 car garage. Google Street View map.
  3. #66 - 415 West Maple Grove near Fairfield and Hoagland on the south side of the block. The Lustron registry listed it in 2008 as blue-green. Google Street View map
  4. #67 - 2510 Oakridge Road, Serial Number: 1723, off of State (Brookview Terrace) is listed in the National Register. It's a contributing house in the Brookview--Irvington Park Historic District. From Creager Smith April 29, 2022 comment on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. The Lustron registry listed it in 2008 as gray with a 1 car garage. Google Street View map.
  5. #68 - 3214 Parnell Avenue The Lustron registry listed it in 2008 as blue-green. Google Street View map.
  6. #69 - 1133 Somerset Lane, Serial Number 1721, off Parnell. The Lustron registry listed it in 2008 as gray. Google Street View map.
  7. #70 - 4105 Webster Street, between W. Rudisill and Lexington. The Lustron registry listed it in 2008 as tan. Google Street View map.
  8. #206 4127 Rosewood Drive, Serial Number 835, on corner of Aboite Center Road and Rosewood Drive was disassembled for removal to Ohio. Unknown if reassembled. The Lustron registry listed it in 2008 as tan. Google Street View map.

Why people thought steel houses were a good idea posted Mar 29, 2022 by Vox on YouTube
Shared May 13, 2022 by Heritage Documentation Programs, NPS on Facebook
It was supposed to be the future of housing. What went wrong? Why aren’t homes made of steel? In the late 1940s, one company posed that question. Lustron was a prefabricated home that was supposed to be the future of housing. So why did it fail? For just a few years — 1947 to 1950 — the Columbus, Ohio-based Lustron represented the future of housing. Using a steel frame and porcelain enamel-covered steel panels, Lustron made homes in a factory and shipped them around the country. Vox’s Phil Edwards visited a Lustron home just outside Dayton, Ohio, to experience the unusual features, like magnetic walls, for himself. This home’s quirks weren’t relegated to the materials. Through a combination of government funding sources, an attempt to reinvent the production cycle for home, and a unique distribution plan, the Lustron home helps explain how housing does — and doesn’t — work in America. See the video YouTubepage for suggested publications for more information.

Luther Institute

See Luther Institute page

Lutheran Foundation

See Lutheran Foundation History by The Waynedale News Staff published May 12, 2004 on The Waynedale News.com.

Lutheran Hospital

Moved to West Jefferson Boulevard in 1992. By March 5, 2001 the last of the old hospital was torn down. Lutheran celebrating 30 years of doing heart transplants by Jennifer L. Boen was published July 13, 2015 in the The News-Sentinel newspaper. Old 1920s Lutheran Hospital was on Fairfield Avenue posted December 25, 2009 on Vintage Fort Wayne closed group on Facebook. Oakdale History: Lutheran Hospital Lutheran Hospital, 1913, Demolished 2000 is a good history with timeline by the Historic Oakdale Neighborhood Association. Photo of 1905 cornerstone posted May 26, 2018 on Facebook by Wunderkammer Company. Another photo of inscription on two sides of cornerstone along with Duemling Clinic discussed May 26, 2018 and the photo Postcard of new Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, Indiana, ca. 1906 at The Indiana Albumwas posted February 16, 2019 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook

Lutheran Hospital - by Randy Harter, Fort Wayne historian and authorwho gave permission in 2017 to repost his articles. Posted February 4, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

This article was written for and is courtesy of Fort Wayne Reader newspaper where it was published February 3, 2018.

The Lutheran Hospital Association was organized by area Lutheran congregations in 1903 under the leadership of its director, the Reverend Philip Wambsganss. The association then purchased the former 21-room brick residence of Judge Lindley Ninde on Fairfield at Wildwood Avenues and remodeled it to accommodate 25 patient beds with the resulting dedication being held on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1904. Three months later an addition was already in the planning that would bring the hospital’s size to 75 rooms by 1906. In 1953, the original structure was entirely replaced when a $3-million project allowed for the construction of an entirely new hospital with a capacity of over 300 patients, which was dedicated in 1956. Over the years a number of further facility expansions continued to take place on the hospital’s 12-acre site.

In 1981, the hospital, landlocked on Fairfield Avenue, purchased substantial acreage at I-69 and US 24 with the intention of someday constructing a new hospital at that location. Six years later, in 1987, the announcement was made that the first phase of the new facility’s construction was ready to commence. At a cost of $92million, the new Lutheran Hospital was completed in 1992 and the final move from Fairfield Avenue to 7950 W. Jefferson Blvd took place.

In 1995, Quorum of Brentwood, TN bought Lutheran for $137millon. This sale resulted in the emergence of The Lutheran Foundation , which has invested and grown the proceeds since, thus far disbursing over $162million to faith and health & wellness based activities over a 10 county area in Northeast Indiana. Even with these distributions, in 2016, the Foundation held assets of over $200million.

The sale of Lutheran Hospital to Quorum did not include the hospital’s old 425,000 sq. ft. facilities on Fairfield Avenue, for which the foundation strived to find a new use. Finally, with no buyers in sight, the old hospital was razed in 2000, the grounds landscaped, and then reborn as Lutheran Park and Gardens in 2006. The only building left standing on the former hospital grounds, the original Duemling Clinic (small rectangular building pictured at the southwest corner of Fairfield and Home Avenue) is now The Lutheran Foundation’s offices.

After buying Lutheran, Quorum went on to purchase St. Joe Hospital in 1998. With St. Joe’s purchase came Dupont Medical Center, which had been built in 1990 on the 125 acres at I-69 and Dupont Road that St. Joe had purchased in 1984 for future healthcare expansion. From this site later evolved Dupont Hospital, whose groundbreaking then took place in 2000. Dallas-based Triad Hospitals then acquired Quorum (who owned a number of hospitals and health care facilities in addition to Lutheran/St. Joe/Dupont) in 2001 for $2.4billion. Then in 2007, Community Health Systems (CHS) of Franklin, TN purchased Triad, which included Lutheran Health Network, for $5.1billion, and who as of this writing remains the current owner.

(ca. 1985 Image Courtesy HPC/ACPL) Image is posted on both articles linked above.

Lyric Theatre

Opened October 12, 1908 at 1014 South Calhoun Street as a home to vaudeville acts and movies. By 1929 it was operating as the Riley Theatre a burlesque place. Around 1942 it was renamed Wayne Theatre and was still open in 1955, but had closed by 1956, then was torn down in the 1960s. The downtown Hilton Hotel now stands on the site. From a colored postcard Wayne Theatre 1014 S. Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 with comments on CinemaTreasures.com. A Lyric Theatre postcard is at CardCow.com. page 26 of the book Fort Wayne by Randolph L. Harter.

A photo was posted January 11, 2023 by the Genealogy Center stating: It's #waybackwednesday! This image shows the Lyric Theater in downtown Fort Wayne. The theater is pictured along with Dixie Shoe, Sherman's Men's Clothing and on the second floor, Maurice R. Miller window displays. The Lyric also operated under the names Riley and Wayne Theaters. This block is now the site of the Hilton Hotel. This photo is courtesy of the Goldstine/Wesner Collection in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.

See local Theaters such as the Broadway Theatre, Clyde Theatre, Embassy Theatre, Holiday Theater, Jefferson Theatre, Lyric Theatre, Palace Theatre, Paramount Theatre, and Rialto Theatre.

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