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M Named Places in Allen County, Indiana
Mad Anthonys Children's Foundation
madanthonys.org. Charity Classic for Children charity golf tournament every June for northeast Indiana originally organized by the 1956 PGA Fort Wayne Open as a last-minute Pro-Am event. Proceeds from the Mad Anthonys Charity Classic and other fundraising activities are primarily used to provide operational support to the Mad Anthonys Children’s Hope House built in 2003.
Magnavox Defense Group
Bueter Road plant was designed by Alvin M. Strauss when it was Capehart Farnsworth. Magnavox relocated to Fort Wayne from California in 1932. The company, which originally manufactured loudspeakers, made the move to be closer to the city's copper mills, according to the book. By the 1940s, Fort Wayne's Magnavox division began working alongside the Department of Defense, creating often-classified military systems and devices for both the department and NATO countries. Magnavox's annual sales exceeded $650 million and the company employed more than 7,000 people during its 40-year legacy. Not only known for military systems, the company had success with products including the fax machine and global positioning systems. Copied from a book review of Magnavox Government and Industrial Electronics Company, 1951-1991: A Legacy of Pride and Excellence by authors Daniel Aldred and David Peterson of the 330-page hardcover book, which was first released in November 2017 and reviewed in the Book on Magnavox history enters 2nd printing by Charlotte Stefanski published June 30, 2018 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. Magnavox was centered in Fort Wayne - Magna (Great) Vox (Voice) invented stereo speakers and Farnsworth invented television. The Brittany 21 inch t.v. was manufactured in Fort Wayne in 1950 and had the largest picture tube available at the time. Magnavox made the set and moved their company to Fort Wayne from California in 1930, from 90 Fun Facts in April 2011 at the The History Center.
Fort Wayne has long been a center for industrial manufacturing, ranging from railroads to high fidelity sound. One of the foremost powerhouses of the Fort Wayne industrial scene was The Magnavox Company. Founded in 1911, The Magnavox Company was originally named the "Commercial Wireless and Development Company," with their headquarters office in San Francisco and a research lab at the remote location of Napa, CA, for the purpose of developing more sensitive telephone devices. Known for radios, consoles and military communication devices, Magnavox moved its manufacturing facilities to Fort Wayne in 1930. After a two year stint in Chicago, the company headquarters were also moved to our city in 1932. By 1952, the Government & Industrial Division had taken over the majority of the workforce located in Fort Wayne, occupying approximately 318,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing and engineering floor space. To learn more about the history Magnavox, make sure to read our current issue of the Old Fort News, “Magnavox-The Forty Early Years: 1911-1951,” which includes excerpts from the newly published Magnavox Government and Industrial Electronics Company, 1951-1991…A Legacy of Pride and Excellence. Both works are available through the History Center’s gift shop. #sociallyhistory
50 years ago this month, the Magnavox Odyssey went on sale—a milestone in video game history. The Odyssey was the first console that could be played at home with your television. Did you ever play with one?
Though many of the Odyssey's features were groundbreaking, Magnavox's system was soon eclipsed by its rivals. In our newest blog post, our museum specialist asks: was the Odyssey just ahead of its time?
Magnavox, which opened their Fort Wayne plant in 1931, had long been participating in war production before the onset of the Cold War. During World War II, the company produced radio equipment as well as radar and sonar systems. Starting in the 1950s, Magnavox began working on Sonobuoy technology and would eventually produce millions of the underwater acoustic detection devices. In the 1970s AN/SSQ-53B Sonobuoy was developed by Magnavox as an improvement on previous models. Sonobuoys were first invented during World War II to combat the threat of German submarines, and, years later, advanced technologically in response to the increasing sophistication of Soviet submarines which were a threat to American and Allied shipping. Dropped by plane, Sonobuoys track the location of submarines by using acoustic sensors to detect underwater sound. They are designed to be deployed simultaneously for multiple points of data collection and then transmit the information to airplanes and ships. Sonobuoys continued to be produced in the Fort Wayne area under the Magnavox Electronic Systems name and was acquired by Hughes Electronics in 1995. When Hughes Electronics sold its aerospace and defense operations to Raytheon, the former Magnavox defense operations were transferred as well. Shortly thereafter, Raytheon spun off the sonobuoy operation to form Under Sea Systems Inc (USSI), in Columbia City, Indiana. In 1998, Raytheon sold USSI to a British defense consortium named Ultra Electronics, which continues to produce sonobuoys in their Columbia City facilities. #sociallyhistory
For "Throwback Thursday" we share another picture/postcard from the Steuben County Government Building in the old Angola High School. This is the Majestic Theatre on Berry Street. One can see the old City Hall (now the History Center) in the background. The Majestic was torn down in 1957, the "Boys" were just being born and 1 year old at this time. The map of the Central Business District was prepared by A.K. Hofer in 1947 showing it's location as the parking lot of Citizens Square (should have been named the Harry Baals Center).
Entertainment has long been sought by individuals in order to escape their everyday life. One way that this was achieved was through attending the theatre. Exactly 119 years ago today, the Majestic Theatre, located at 216 East Berry Street, opened on 24 October 1904 to an excited public. Ticket prices for professional performances were $3. Live theater was the nation’s main source of dramatic entertainment until the 1920s when movie theaters began drawing audiences away from live theater. The resultant decline in vaudeville and plays performed by professional entertainers planted the seeds that led to the founding of the Civic Theatre. On 21 August 1933, the Old Fort Players leased the 800-seat Majestic Theatre and remained there for seven years. In 1940, the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre was created and remained at the Majestic until 1957. That year saw the splendid old theatre disappear from Fort Wayne. It was demolished to make way for the new Wolf and Dessauer building (today’s Citizen’s Square). #sociallyhistory
Main's Flower Garden
7300 Lincoln Highway East, New Haven, Facebook. Open 7 days a week 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. mid-April-Aug. 31, 260-749-5307. Thousands of colorful varieties of bedding plants, perennials, annuals, shrubs and fruit trees. Joe Main started Main's with his uncle Russell. The Main's were raised on a farm on Ryan Road east of New Haven, where his parents grew vegetables and sold them throughout east Allen County and at the Barr Street Farmers Market in Fort Wayne. In 1968 they built the greenhouse complex that has served as “flower central”. In 1972 flowers began selling better than produce, so they made the switch to selling flowers. Business is blooming at New Haven 'flower central' Main's Flower Garden is a longtime family operation by Rod King published May 3, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
Maloley Bros. photo May 23, 2022 post by The History Center on Facebook about local grocery storres shows Maloley Bros. grocery circa 1950. Most likely the original Broadway Avenue at Jefferson Boulevard store.
Started by brothers Al and Mike Maloley. At their peak employed 1,200 people in 18 supermarkets in northeast Indiana, a bakery and two M&M stamp stores. Their custom built stores were often a pale turqouise blue brick buidling still seen in a few locations around town. In 1933, the Maloley brothers used their father's insurance money to start the business according to Founder of Maloley’s supermarket dies at 100 by Frank Gray published March 21, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper now on the Alfred “Al” MaloleyFind A Grave memorial.
A little notoriety, a lot of history Local prosecutor's free lecture to focus on the notable — and notorious — women of our city Monday, January 23rd, 2017 on Fort Wayne Magazine. The article is about the presentation ARCH Sin in the Summit City whose video is on our Mary Maloley People section. The end of the article states:
This will be Richards’ fourth lecture for ARCH, and she came up with ideas to focus on people other than white men once while taking a tour of Lindenwood Cemetery. That’s where she saw the graves of people like Maloley and George.
And while she may have been notorious at one point, Mary Maloley’s story didn’t end with the brothel — or brothels — she ran.
Instead, many historians point to her being behind — in some capacity, at least — the Maloley grocery stores that began popping up in Fort Wayne.
“How’s the saying go?” Richards asked. “Something about ugly furniture and old prostitutes — they always end up respectable if they’re around long enough.”
Their colorful aunt DagoMary Maloley lived in the Syrian community in Hartford City before coming to Fort Wayne and helping finance her nephews grocery store Maloley Brothers according to her biography on pages 191-194 in Strangers Among Us The Story of Blackford County Indiana Immigrants by the Blackford County Historical Society, AuthorHouse, 2011.
Maloley's Grocery Store, Fort Wayne, Indiana, ca. 1960 At left edge of the image is a 1961 Chevrolet, Other cars parked at the curb include a 1953 Oldsmobile, a 1959 Rambler, and a 1956 Chevrolet.
Fort Wayne Historical Chain Locations (Groceteria.com) spreadsheet lists several locations, although doesn't list Maplewood Plaza, New Haven downtown then New Haven Plaza, Riviera Plaza, West State Boulevard, or out of town stores like Kendallville:
3520 North Anthony Boulevard (1972-1980)
4317 South Anthony Boulevard as Store #5 (1956-1980)
1840 Bluffton Road was a Sav-a-Lot in 2005 (1980 formerly Marsh)
1101 Broadway Street as Store #4 (1951-1966 former Foodland)
2451 Broadway Street as Store #2 (1945-1956)
2547 Broadway Street (1940)
2728 South Calhoun Street (1945 - 1935 Jesse W Markley)
3918 South Calhoun Street (1980, in 1987 was a Tom's Super Valu
417 West Creighton Avenue as store #2 (1960-1980 former A & P) (415 - 1945-1956, 1966)
2825 Gateway Plaza as store #3 (1966-1975)
508 South Harrison as store #1 (1945-1951)
512 South Harrison (514 - 1935-1940)
631 West Jeffeson Boulevard (1956)
702 East Lewis (1940)
1806 West Main Street as store #3, former A & P (1951-1956)
1810 West Main Street (1940)
6721 Old Trail Road as store #1 "Old Trail Road and Lower Huntington Roads, Waynedale 1956-1960, (1956-1980)
3232 East Paulding Road (1980)
Southtown Mall (1972)
3121 East State Boulevard as store #6 (1966-1980) then SuperValu Cook's
Horace and Addie Mariotte House bought a lot on West Washington Boulevard in anticipation that the street would soon be paved with asphalt. The Mariottes chose to build a home that’s design was from a George Barber pattern book. George Barber was an architect born in DeKalb, Illinois. He became successful through his mail-order catalogs, which contained house plans. Most of his designs were Victorian-era houses. The Mariotte house is one of those houses. The bell-shaped roof on the turret, irregular massing and the latticework around the front gable are common in his designs. Mr. Mariotte was the owner of the Main Street department store, “The Emporium. The Mariottes lived in the house until they moved to their new house in 1918 on West Rudisill Boulevard.
256 page Rudisill Boulevard Cultural Landscape Report, Fort Wayne, Indiana, December, 2007, Prepared for Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation, Prepared by Heritage Landscapes, Preservation Landscape Architects & Planners, Charlotte, Vermont & Norwalk, Connecticut. Page 179: R 1918-1930 Homes along West Rudisill Boulevard between Beaver and Fairfield Avenues are built. The predominant style is Craftsman. This section of Rudisill includes 13 houses on the Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory. Horace & Addie Mariotte House, c.1918, 918 W. Rudisill Boulevard, Mission/Prairie, outstanding, 42374.
“The prairie west of the city, which is now largely cultivated, was an immense swamp in the midst of which was a lake; called Bear Lake. I believe one of the proudest moments of my life was when I shot six prairie chickens, and instead of going directly home, I went down town and marched up Calhoun street with them on my back.” Ernest W. Cook, Early Resident of South Wayne, 1908. Today’s story highlights our rich Native American history but also a significant event in the geological history of Fort Wayne: The draining of the Great Swamp or the Marshy Prairie.
The Little River Valley formed a massive marshland in southwest Allen County into Huntington County. Early settlers avoided it, and the Native American tribes used it for food, transportation, and interaction with other tribes. Initially, a northern channel called Cranberry and an alternative route near Foster Park were transportation routes.
Before the swamp draining, if it was a wet period, taking the southern route, individuals could canoe between the St. Mary’s River to the forks of the Wabash (See swampland picture for what it might have looked like). Even during regular periods, an individual would have to portage just a short distance near Ardmore Road (the current end of the Little River today). Along the way, you would see islands made of dunes (Fox Island, Sand Point).
Perhaps this southern route, although lesser known, was strategically important to Miami. In the early 1800s, when reserves were being granted to the Miami, they chose reserves on the southern and western ends of Allen County instead of the areas north. Even to this day, the Chief Richardville house sits in a location that lies where the south channel alternative portage route existed. Maybe this choice was because of the south channel.
Agricultural interests and city expansion would eventually lead to the demise of the Great Swamp, with one of the most significant impacts occurring due to the construction of the Fairfield Ditch. Today, while driving into Waynedale, you might notice a small bridge when traveling south on Bluffton Road passed Sand Point Road. The bridge passes over the Fairfield Ditch. This ditch was created in 1880 to divert one of the major sources of upland runoff into the valley, ultimately expediting drainage projects across the Great Swamp.
Clinton at Fourth Street and Lawton Park facing south Street View photo from Google map with over 100 photos of various plaques, memorial sayings, and more
This major bridge replacement project into Fort Wayne, Indiana provides a gateway to the downtown combined with a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Following the analysis of adjacent parks and downtown context, DLZ prepared concepts for memorializing Dr. King and further developing the bridge into a signature City gateway. DLZ worked closely with the Memorial Committee and other City officials, to develop a preferred design that focused on the pedestrian and vehicular experience. DLZ also aimed at minimizing the impacts to adjacent park properties and the River Greenway. Copied from Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge, Fort Wayne at DLZ Architecture Engineering Planning Surveying Construction Services.
Thrilled to unveil the two new plaques installed on the MLK Bridge this afternoon. The new plaques send a strong message of our commitment to ensure Dr. King’s legacy is remembered and that we think of him often.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge was updated Friday with two new, solid bronze plaques facing vehicle and foot traffic on North Clinton Street downtown. The $117,000 investment replaces the 2012 plaques that were showing signs of wear from the natural elements and air pollution. The original plaques were made from aluminum. Mayor Tom Henry said the first attempt to honor King’s legacy didn’t last as long as he had hoped, but the new, double-sided plaques should last about 30 years.Fort Wayne unveils new MLK Jr. Bridge plaques Madelyn Kidd March 22, 2024 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Fun Fact: The farm on which this stately 1870s brick house sits on Rose Avenue was part of the first farm in New Haven on land granted by President John Quincy Adams in 1825. The property, donated to the New Haven Parks Department, is being developed as Marylands Farm Park. Check out the website at marylandsfarmpark.org. Be sure to watch the video! [shown above]
Marylands Farm Park celebrates its heritage as part of the first farm in Adams Township, established nearly 200 years ago in 1825. Plans are underway to preserve the farm’s rich, rural heritage and refresh it in ways that awaken our minds and senses to the natural world around us. The park will be a tranquil place to explore history and nature and to be inspired by what surrounds us, with an array of experiences to appeal to diverse interests and abilities. Copied from Discover Marylands Farm Park – NEW HAVEN, INDIANA.
A New Haven farm with a rich history dating back nearly two centuries is in the beginning phase of a transformation that aims to make nature accessible for people of all abilities.
President John Quincy Adams gave the farmland to Jesse Adams in 1825. Decades later, Jesse Adams’ property was divided, and a farmhouse, barn and other structures were added. The land was New Haven’s first farm and was used for about 150 years. Alison Adams, who named Marylands Farm Park after her childhood farm in England, said she didn’t know the significance of the acreage along Rose Avenue when she bought it in 1986. Restoring its 1870s brick farmhouse of Italianate architecture was a major undertaking, she said. ... Marylands Farm Park will feature a rain garden, a picnic pavilion, paved and unpaved trails, a nature playground, a sensory trail, and farm animals, including ducks, sheep, chickens and goats. Copied from Marylands Farm Park construction underway in New Haven, Nicole Kauffman, November 30, 2023, The Journal Gazette newspaper. This land is also the location of the Adams Family Cemetery where his daughter was buried in 1825.
Maryland Settlement
Name of the settlement established in 1833 near the Turner Cemetery in Aboite Township.
The Freemasons Hall was designed by noted architect Charles R. Weatherhogg (1872 - 1937). It is an 8 1/2-story, rectangular Classical Revival style steel frame building faced with Indiana limestone. The front facade features four five-story Ionic order columns alternating with window openings. The cornerstone was laid in 1923 and the building completed in 1926. Freemasons Hall stands 10 stories tall with meeting spaces built on a grand scale.
Historic places matter, and ARCH Inc. takes our role in advocating for their survival seriously, part of our mission is to preserve our built history. The Masonic Temple, 216 E. Washington Blvd., is cloaked in history and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Neo-classical in design, it was built c.1926 and designed by architect Charles R. Weatherhogg, who was the leading architect in Fort Wayne between 1910 and 1930. The Masonic Temple survives as one of Weatherhogg’s largest and grandest designs. It’s one of a few Neo-classical buildings still standing in the city, and the local Masonic groups who still own and maintain it understand the responsibility they bear. It’s a large, expensive building to maintain, but we advocate for it and encourage donations to the Masons’ restoration and maintenance fund drive because their building is important to our city’s heritage. ARCH can advocate effectively for historic places because it has the support of its members and donors. Join us at archfw.org.
Have you explored our Masonic Lodges of Greater Fort Wayne Collection?!
The collection of Wayne Lodge No. 25 Minute Books covering 1823 through 1958 and documenting some of the early leaders of Fort Wayne, including familiar names such as Ewing, Foster, Rudisill, and Wells.
5910 Maples Road, restored 1881 Centennial barn, 1835 'Old House' and 1914 'New House', continously owned by the same family for seven generations since 1835. Facebook page or Web site.
Maumee Theatre
1121 Maumee Avenue, the Theatre opened in 1930 with seating given at 590. The Maumee Theatre was operated by Premiere Theatres. The theatre closed in 1955 and was later demolished and is now a vacant lot. Information from cinema Treasures.
Maumee Valley Beverages
It's Wall of Fame Wednesday! You never know what you might dig up when you are trying to find a property corner. Check...
It's Wall of Fame Wednesday! You never know what you might dig up when you are trying to find a property corner. Check out this Maumee Valley Beverages bottle we found at the old Don Pruden Garage and the old Levin Scrap Yard. This company bottled soda pop out of Fort Wayne back in the day! Come on down to see this and much, much more! We will even get your picture!
Revitalized photos: Charles McCulloch, local banker, president of the Fort Wayne College of Medicine and a City Council member, commissioned the building of this Gothic Revival, 10,416 Sq. Ft. double house in 1881. Note the distinctive iron cresting along the roofline and parapeted dormer windows. What a beauty! Sources: Indiana Landmarks, ACPL, Wikimedia posted April 15, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
McCulloch-Weatherhogg House
300 West Wayne Street Street View photo of historic marker location between parking lot and street light from Google Maps Street View photo shows First Presbyterian Church sign on the corner of Ewing Street and historic marker on the right near the parking lot entrance .
This beautiful home was built in 1881 and designed by architect Thomas J. Tolan. It is of Victorian Gothic Style and stands on the former site of the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Wayne that was built in 1837. Charles, son of Hugh McCulloch, lived in the east unit of the house with his wife Sarah Ross McCulloch and their children Clara and John Ross in 1881. Sarah Ross McCulloch passed away in 1882 and Charles remarried soon after, moving his family in 1889. Charles retained the ownership of the house after his move. David N. Foster, a merchant, occupied the west unit in 1887 and his brother Samuel M. Foster, a prominent merchant and industrialist, moved into the east unit of the home three years later. The Foster brothers were significant figures in the development of the Fort Wayne park systems; they remained tenants of the house until 1904. In 1908 Charles McCulloch’s oldest son J. Ross McCulloch lived in the west unit with his friend Charles Weatherhogg; the east unit was then occupied by J. Ross’s half-brother Fred McCulloch. J. Ross remained living in the house until his death in 1957. From 1916-1918 he was part of the commission to erect the statue of General Anthony Wayne that now stands in Freimann Square and he was one of the planners of Fort Wayne’s 1916 celebration of Indiana’s centennial. After the death of J. Ross, the house then passed on to his niece Betty Hiscox. After Betty’s death the house and contents were sold in auction, around 1983. First paragraph copied from McCulloch-Weatherhogg House/First Presbyterian Church marker is Stop #9 on the ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage) Central Downtown Trail. See First Presbyterian Church on The Historical Marker Datatbase HMdb.org or our First Presbyterian Church section.
#4 - HUGH MCCULLOCH HOUSE. YEAR CONSTRUCTED: 1843.Hugh McCulloch was one of the country's leading financiers in the mid-19th century and one the primary founders of the national banking system. He built the home located at 616 W. Superior St. in the Greek Revival Style for himself and wife Susan Man, who was one of the first school teachers in the city. The original construction included a cupola on the center roof. McCulloch was at President Abraham Lincoln's bedside when he died. The building housed the Fort Wayne Turnverein (Turners) in the early 20th century and also served as the home of a realty company. (News-Sentinel file photo). Copied from FORT WAYNE FIVE: Oldest city structures on the National Register of Historic Places by Justin Kenny posted January 4, 2018 at The News-Sentinel newspaper archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
The Hugh McCulloch house was built in 1843 in the Greek Revival Style by architect Henry Williams, who was known as the “southern architect” of Fort Wayne. The house was sited on the highest point, with a broad front lawn extending down to the canal, and a steep slope to the north, to the river. Originally the two story house was perfectly balanced, with a porch on the left, a greenhouse on the right, and four stately square columns in front. A cupola graced the center roof. The grounds, which encompassed all the area between the river and the Wabash & Erie Canal, west to Van Buren Street, were surrounded by a tall white picket fence and filled with fruit trees and grape arbors. In 1862, an Italianate style addition was added to the rear of the house. Other additions to the house were made and by the mid -1860s the house was a blend of Classical Revival and Italianate style elements which resulted in a curious combination of masses and embellishments. First paragraph copied from Hugh McCulloch House by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
A similar image titled: Hugh McCulloch House (ca. 1870) was contributed by Daniel Baker, Description: Home of Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury, Hugh McCulloch. The earliest part of the home was constructed in 1843. It was later the home of the Fort Wayne Medical College and Fort Wayne Turners..
A comment to this photo posted February 8, 2024 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook by Craig Leonard, local historic preservation consultant, states: This is how it looked after the medical school remodeled it in 1893; the original house was much smaller. First property ARCH ever owned. Karen Anderson and i field measured it right before the blizzard of 1978 hit. Copy of feasibility study at ACPL.
For "Throwback Thursday" we share this picture from an article on The Bireley's and their renovation of the Historic McCulloch Mansion from The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette on February 11, 1988. BTW.... The Bireley's had Hofer and Davis, Inc. prepare a boundary survey of the property!
BTW...The article has the wrong address for this property, this is located at 616 WEST SUPERIOR STREET not the West Berry Street address!
[ Built in 1843, in 1890 became the Fort Wayne Medical College which closed because they were involved in grave robbing! Rumor is this was overlooked until one of the students went to class and found a recently deceased uncle lying on the table. Later it was home to the Turner Athletic Club, Fort Wayne Poster Co., electrians union, and other owners. The house sat empty for 12 years! ]
For "Throwback Thursday" we share this article written for the PEOPLE SOUTHWEST through The Journal-Gazette by Tracy Warner on February 11, 1988. Tracy later became Journal-Gazette writer and Editorial Editor, and now works for Indiana and Michigan Power (AEP). We shared pictures before on the McCulloch House on Superior Street, when Tom and Kris Bireley had restored it and we surveyed for them. This article is on the flip side, and mentions one of our long-time clients Bud Hall. It also talks about the City Light property before it became Science Central. BTW....Hofer and Davis, Inc. provided the survey when Science Central took over!
It shows an image of the PEOPLE SOUTHWEST a The Journal Gazette newspaper article by Tracy Warner on February 11, 1988 discussing six old buildings he wrote about four years earlier in 1983, four were vital to Fort Wayne heritage, that were wasting away. Two were still empty in 1988. They were the McCulloch House, the Centlivre Brewery site still standing in 1988 but later demolished, The Edsall House, the Baker Street Train Depot, the Hanna School built in 1905, closed in 1977, city bought in 1979, sold in 1984, bought again in 1986 then demolished in 1987 saving only the arched doorways, a gable, the cornerstone and balustrade; and City Light now Science Central. At the end he mentioned car phones a new technology in 1988!
October 24, 2019 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook: For "Throwback Thursday" we share another picture/postcard from the Steuben County Government Building in the old Angola High school. This is the Hugh McCulloch mansion on Superior Street. BTW...Hofer and Davis, Inc. did a boundary survey of this masterpiece in 1997!
Driving by 616 West Superior Street, you will pass one of Fort Wayne’s oldest extant homes, that of “the father of modern banking,” Hugh McCulloch, who became one of the nation’s leading mid-nineteenth century financial figures and statesman.
Born in Kennebuck, Maine, the young Boston-educated attorney moved to Fort Wayne in 1833. At first practicing law here, he later became the manager of the Fort Wayne branch of the Bank of Indiana, and later its president. In 1863 he was called to Washington, D.C. and named the country’s first Comptroller of the Currency, and then later was chosen by President Abraham Lincoln to be his Secretary of the Treasury. A member of Lincoln’s cabinet, McCulloch had met with the President earlier on the day of his assassination, and was at his bedside the next morning when he died on April 15, 1865. McCulloch subsequently held the office of Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Andrew Johnson and Chester Arthur, and was later made the U. S. Ambassador to Great Brittan.
Hugh and Susan McCulloch had their Greek Revival style home on W. Superior built in 1843. It had been designed by local architect Henry Williams who would go on to design the since razed Hanna Mansion on E. Lewis Street the next year. The McCulloch home was part of the nearly 100 acre property the family owned, and was bounded on the north by the St. Mary’s River, and the south by the Wabash and Erie Canal, the boats of which they could watch glide by from their front porch.
The beginning of the major changes to the home occurred when it was sold in 1892 to the Fort Wayne College of Medicine who greatly expanded and reconfigured the home to house an amphitheater, three lecture rooms, laboratories, faculty rooms, pharmacy, and other spaces pertinent to the school’s needs. The College of Medicine later moved to Indianapolis and merged with Purdue University in 1905.
The house was further changed when in 1906 it was purchased by the German athletic and social club Turnverein Verwoerts (now Fort Wayne Turners on Parnell Avenue) who further modified the house by removing much of the internal structure to create a gymnasium, proscenium stage, basement shower rooms, and offices, which they utilized until the mid-1960’s. The house continued through a succession of owners, including for a time Fort Wayne Poster Corp., International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, ARCH, and Bireley’s Antiques.
Hugh McCulloch was one of the twelve local business leaders who in 1859 had put forth the funds for the acreage and development of Lindenwood Cemetery, and expected to one day be interred there. However, when McCulloch died at 86 in 1895, he and his wife were living in their home in Prince George’s County, MD and he was buried in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
1795 Broadway Street, 4.1 acres since 1864, McCulloch Park is located at the intersection of Broadway and Parkview. McCulloch Park was acquired from Hugh McCulloch, a Fort Wayne resident and treasury secretary under Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant. The donated land was used as a public cemetery until those buried there were relocated to Lindenwood Cemetery for reasons of sanitation. McCulloch Park features a historic bandstand and the memorial grave site of Indiana's seventh governor, Samuel Bigger. Governor Bigger remains in his original resting place because he had no family to authorize a reburial. Every Saturday morning during the summer, McCulloch Park gets used for a farmer’s market which lines the walks with tents filled by local vendors providing products from around the region. The park is also surrounded by the former General Electric Company campus which is currently the site of the adventurous Electric Works construction project. Former Indiana governer, Samuel Bigger’s grave and William Polke’s grave marker can be found, along with a monument commemorating former General Electric employees who served in WWI. Copied from McCulloch Park at City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation.
An original memorial on the Electric Works campus is dedicated to the selfless sacrifice of those who gave their lives in defense of our country in World War I — 748 men and women from the Works went into military service during WW1. Six lost their lives.
The memorial once sat at the SW corner of Broadway and Wall Street, before the Works expanded to the west side of Broadway. Now, the monument is located in McCulloch Park and lists employees of the Fort Wayne Works General Electric Company who served in WW1.
This Memorial Day, we honor our nation's heroes. “We don’t know them all, but we owe them all.”
On January 20, 2022 local historian Craig Leonard posted on Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne Private Facebook Group a colorized photo of the image above stating: The McDonald and Taylor Block, designed by Wing & Mahurin in 1895. It served as interim courthouse 1896-1902. In 1912 it was bought by Lincoln Life as the first headquarters building they owned rather that leased; they used it until their building on South Harrison Street was built in 1925. The building was also used as the interim public librar when the present main library was being built. Now the home of Barrett & McNagny.
McDonald's Restaurants
7502 West State Road 930, aka Lincoln Highway, New Haven was the first around 1958 in Fort Wayne area, Street View photo from Google maps
August 10, 2022 discussion on when the first McDoanld's opened in Fort Wayne generated almost 200 comments on Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne Private Facebook Group. Steve Winans comment: NEW HAVEN -- Which was rural Ft Wayne at the time & NOT New Haven... It was called "LINCOLN HI-WAY EAST" McDonald's -- 2nd was CALIFORNIA ROAD MCDONALD'S. (now Coliseum McDonald's).... NEXT: opened within days of each other, was DOWNTOWN MCDONALD'S, & CALHOUN STREET... then Goshen Road, Waynedale, State Street, S Anthony(original location), & Time Corners -- in that order..... Another discussion January 10, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook Steve Winans comment: I was a Restaurant Manager & Supervisor for McDonald's Corp in the greater Fort Wayne area for 37 years... I was on the rebuilding team & reopening team for Downtown McDonald's in 1988/89... I also had access to the National Store numbers, of course!! New Haven is #155, Coliseum is #156... That means they were the 155th && 156th stores to be opened Nationally....
This list shows the McDonald's restaurants address and store numbers are in their URL website address. The store number is "assumed" to indicate the order in which they opened.
The original McDonald’s was founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California. They rechristened their business as a hamburger stand. The McDonald's franchise was founded on April 15, 1955, in Des Plaines, Illinois, by Ray Kroc and Richard Macdonald from McDonald's at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation was thrilled to be at the Grand Opening of McKinnie Commons on Wednesday alongside Mayor Henry, the City of Fort Wayne Government Community Development division, Council members Sharon Tucker, Glenn Hines, Tom Didier and Geoff Paddock.
Some places or historical facts disappear from our modern consciousness. Buildings are gone and people involved are deceased. This week’s Throwback Thursday is about one of those places, the McKinnie House. This place was not a house, but rather a first-floor restaurant and a second-floor hotel located in the original 1860 Pennsylvania Railroad between Calhoun and Clinton streets, north of the railroad. The station was a brick Neo-Classical building that was used until the Baker Street Station was built in 1914. Captain Henry McKinnie opened the McKinnie House c. 1867. When he retired, his son, William, took over as proprietor. He ran the establishment for about 10 years, when the Pennsylvania Railroad took over all such places along its system. William went to on to successfully open the Wayne Hotel. He engaged in the real estate business until his death in 1913. Photos Courtesy of the Community Album on Allen County Public Library's website.
McMillen Park
Happy Easter from the History Center! Check out this epic easter egg hunt #throwback in McMillen Park, date unknown.
Happy Easter from the History Center! Check out this epic easter egg hunt #throwback in McMillen Park, date unknown.
McMillen Park Apartments
Were built on 23 acres of land in the 1940s for returning World War II veterans at 4209 Plaza Drive near the corner of South Anthony Boulevard and McKinnie Avenue off Werling Drive. See Tin Village for more WWII housing projects. In 2016 plans were announced to tear down the apartments and have groundbreaking in November 2017 for single-parent families and Scholar House apartment buildings for students pursuing higher education.
4226 Werling Drive July 2007 Street View photo from Google Maps shows similar view of the first photo below before they were torn down in 2011.
February 6, 2024 post on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook : Here are four photos in the Library's collection all taken in January 1951. They were taken in the Fort Wayne area, but no place was given. Does this place look familiar to anyone? I expect it is very different today if the houses are still standing.
Notice the dirt roads with pot holes in photos taken sometime after World War II when these apartments were built.
Community will help decide best use for site in southeast Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Ind. – The City of Fort Wayne officially took possession of the former McMillen Park Apartments near Anthony and McKinnie in the middle of September. The 214-unit apartment complex, built just after World War II, has been mostly vacant in recent years. Copied from City Takes Possession of McMillen Park Apartments
Located on Washington Boulevard and Maumee Avenue with access off of Glasgow with 42 acres since 1918. History: Memorial Park is a tribute to the men and women of Fort Wayne and Allen County who gave their lives in service of their country during World War I. The land that was formerly known as the "golf grounds" and that would later be Memorial Park was acquired from Ms. Minnie Hill White on November 29, 1918, only eighteen days after the signing of the armistice that ended the conflict. Known for several beautifully sculpted monuments commemorating various participants and events in the conflict, it also includes a monument to aviation pioneer, originator of skywriting and Fort Wayne resident Art Smith. Smith Field Airport would later be renamed in his honor.Copied from Memorial Park at City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation.
The Allen County and Fort Wayne World War Memorial, as it looked in Memorial Park in 1928 when constructed. Photo credit: ACPL.
Dear Photograph: "The Spirit of Flight" Arthur Smith Memorial, circa 1928 & 2014.
Sculptor: James S. Novelli;
Stonework: J.G. Birkmeier & Sons;
A pioneer in early aviation, Arthur Roy Smith, was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1890. His desire to fly led him to build his first aircraft by the age of 16 with the financial help of his parents mortgaging their home. The plane crashed and was destroyed on its first flight. His many attempts earned him the nickname, "The Smashup Kid."
Smith eventually became a celebrated stunt pilot, perfecting the night skywriting with flares. His feats amazed the world from America to Asia raising the bar for his fellow pilots and inspiring countless future aviators.
When America entered World War I, Smith found his height and previous injuries prevented him from flying in combat. His experience was put to use testing aircraft and training pilots for World War I.
After the war, he worked for the United States Post Office flying between New York and Chicago. It was during an overnight delivery run in 1926 that he went off course and was killed in crash near Montpelier, Ohio--just weeks before his 36th birthday.
In honor of their "bird boy," the citizens of Fort Wayne had an approximately 33' tall monument dedicated to Art Smith in Memorial Park in August 1928. At a cost of $40,000, it is one of the city's finest pieces.
(B/W photograph courtesy of the Allen County Public Library)
The Art Smith Memorial at Memorial Park from the 1928 REPORT OF BOARD OF PARK COMMISIONERS. The World War Memorial and dedication from the 1929 REPORT. The Olin J. Pond Memorial Drinking Fountain and a page about Memorial Park from the 1930 REPORT. This is our "Throwback Thursday" for this week! BTW... A.K. Hofer was BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS Department Engineer in 1930!
For "Throwback Thursday" we share this picture of the dedication of the WORLD WAR MEMORIAL in Memorial Park. This is found in the TWENTY - FIFTH ANNUAL Report of Board of Park Commissioners in 1929. F.M. Randall was the Civil City Engineer in 1929, A.K. Hofer would become Department Engineer in 1930.
For "Throwback Thursday" we share this picture of the dedication of the Art Smith monument at Memorial Park on August 13, 1928. A. K. Hofer would become the Park Engineer for the BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS in 1930.
A limestone tribute memorial to Mrs. Olen J. Pond and to those who served in World War I was dedicated November 11, 1930 in Memorial Park looking out over Maumee Avenue, from the south side of Memorial Park, near the basketball courts. It is one of several commemorative monuments on park grounds. The head was removed in the 1990s and never recovered. Photos shown on pages 20 of the 1953 Olen J. Pond Memorial Plaque in Franke Park and page 62 of the November 11, 1930 Olen J. Pond Memorial Monument in Memorial Park in FORT WAYNE MONUMENTS PLAQUES AND MARKERS IN CITY PARKS compiled in 2020. The statue head was replaced in 2022. Memorial Park statue her ‘whole self’ again -- finally! The restored statue of Mrs. Olen J. Pond at Memorial Park by Jonathan Shelley published June. 22, 2022 on 21AliveNews.com. An August 26, 2023 post on Facebook had over 20 photographs of the World War I Memorial.
Photos and discussion of memorials at Memorial Park dedicated 18 days after the signing of the armistice ending World War I on Nov. 11, 1918. The park was primarily designed to remember the local soldiers who died during “the war to end all wars.” In a larger sense, as the JG editorial board opined in the park’s centennial year, Memorial Park “honors all those who have given their lives in defense of America.” Copied from Veteran's Day commemorates those who have protected a grateful nation, Fredrick McKissack, November 11, 2023, The Journal Gazette newspaper.
"Flowers don't worry about how they're going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful." —Jim Carrey
Enjoy the beauty of spring wildflowers at Metea County Park in Allen County, IN
Methodist College
Current Street View photo from Google maps of West Wayne Street at College Avenue facing west, showing the southwest corner on the left, northwest corner on the right with Castle Gallery facing West Wayne Street at corner of College Avenue.
Stood at the west end of West Wayne Street fronting College Avenue. The college was torn down around 1899, moved to Upland, Indiana around 1894 and renamed Taylor University. The 1200 and 1300 blocks of Wayne Street were then developed.
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!
The The Indiana Albumhas this 1864 image Pencil drawing of Fort Wayne College building, Fort Wayne, Indiana in their Quentin Robinson Collection. Description: The inscription reads "Ella Maude Robinson born here in 1864." The Fort Wayne College, better known as the Old Methodist Episcopal College, was established by the Methodist Church as the Fort Wayne Female College in 1846. It was renamed the Fort Wayne College in the 1850s when it consolidated with the Fort Wayne Collegiate Institute for Young Men. In 1890 the grounds were deeded to Taylor University. This building was located on the west side of College Street in about the 1000 block. The building no longer stands and West Wayne Street bisects the site.
Speaking of the old Methodist College, here is a picture I found last year to show visitors to our Home and Garden Tour. Two of the houses that were on the Tour sit where the College used to be located. What beautiful historic buildings that are no longer with us.
The drawing is from the 1917 Pictorial History book shown below.
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!
For "Throwback Thursday" we share this article from The Fort Wayne Journal - Gazette from their circular celebrating Parkview's 100th year on July 25, 1978. BTW...Hofer and Davis, Inc. has been providing surveys to Parkview for over 60 years!!!!!
For "Throwback Thursday" we share the Cover of the July 25, 1978 Fort Wayne Journal - Gazette circular celebrating the 100 th Anniversary of Parkview Memorial Hospital. In 2011 Hofer and Davis, Inc. prepared a topographical survey for the "Main Entrance" redesign by Vintage Archonics, which has completely changed it's look today!
Myers Airport
On Wayne Trace near Paulding Road between the late 1930s and the late 1940s was a joint venture between Lester Myers and Jim Kelley as a privately owned for-profit operation (page 8, 106). Between the world wars, Fort Wayne had three airfields, Guy Means Field, a private airfield, Myers Field a for-profit, and Paul Baer Field largest and best equipped (page 11). They moved operations from Myers Field to Paul Baer Field creating Fort Wayne Air Service Hanger 48 (page9, page 105) of Fort Wayne Aviation: Baer Field and Beyond 2011 by Roger Myers, Geoffrey Myers, Larry Myers, and Martin Kraegel III, a Google ebook. See map photo and discussion March 10, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
Meyer Drug Stores
Photo of February 19, 1957 fire on South Calhoun Street and West Jefferson Blvd. posted by CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15. Such as Calhoun and Rudisill in the 1950s-1960s. Founded in 1860s by J. F. W. Meyer born in Westphalia, Germany arrived at New Orleans October 3, 1847 discussed in March 17, 1901 on page 4 of The Journal Gazette newspaperand reprinted on page 86 in the March 2017 Allen County Lines quarterly publication in the Membership section of the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana websiteVolume 41 Number 3.
Michael Kinder & Sons
MKS - kinderandsons.com established in 1892 commercial, industrial and institutional construction company. See Building a Legacy For 125 years, family-owned Michael Kinder & Sons has provided top-notch, turnkey construction solutions to northeast Indiana by Tammy Davis published June 6, 2017 in Business People magazine.
Opened in 1962 south of the new Engle Road and East of U.S. 24 way out in the country. A 1962 newspaper article mentions 15 murals depicting the history of Fort Wayne posted May 11, 2017 by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook.
Way back when in 1948, with great foresight and a nod to innovation, our Founder Joe Dahm opened Indiana’s first automated carwash, Mike’s Minit Man. A few years later Ed Dahm joined his brother's business and the rest was history!
Mizpah Shrine founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1910 is one of 194 shrine centers throughout North America and Europe. The Shrine is an organization of Freemasons, dedicated to having fun and helping children. St. Francis buys Mizpah building by Sarah Janssen of The Journal Gazette December 7, 2012.
Someone was asking about bricks made in Fort Wayne. As it happens, like many people, I have family who worked at the Moellering brick yards. The brick yards were located where Southgate Shopping Plaza now sits. My great-grandfather and his extended family made bricks there for years.
One comment by Betsy Engelman Allen: My father owned Moellering Mills on South Fairfield in Ft. Wayne. Grist Mill was originally located on St Mary’s River, but burned down. First mill owners were probably related to the brick makers.
Moellering is not mention in the book: The water-powered mills of Allen County, Indiana by Bates, Roy M. It is most likely the XXIV. Stellhorn Sawmill on pages 17-18 described as: The mill was situated on the right (east) bank of the St. Marys River, about 1500 feet north of the Stellhorn Bridge, opposite the present Fairview Golf Course, on Fairfield Avenue extended, a short distance south of the City limits of Fort Wayne. Additional comment for Stellhorn Mill: Yes, I bet that was the original name. Not sure when grist mill burned & they built a cement block building on Fairfield. Moellering was the name when Daddy & his partner made the purchase in 1944. It was a flour mill @ that time & produced “Snow Drop Flour”.
Moellering Mills on Fairfield. I believe the original mill was on St Mary’s River near Stellhorn Bridge, Stellhorn Grist Mill. When it burned this cement block building replaced it. My Dad, C. Merle Engelman & his partner purchased the mill in 1944. At that time it was a flour mill & produced ”Snow Drop” flour. Later Dad turned it into a feed & grain elevator. McComb Funeral home bought the property when Dad & Melvin Gerke closed the mill.
This movie below gives an idea how much manual labor was involved in making bricks by hand.
The Last Brickmaker in America: trailer by go BMG February 15, 2011 on YouTube.
Academy Award® winner Sidney Poitier delivers a stirring performance as an honest laborer fighting for tradition in The Last Brickmaker in America. The story follows Henry Cobb (Poitier), who has proudly poured 57 years of sweat and blood into his family's brickyard. After toiling from dusk until dawn every day but Sunday, Henry's passion for his work disappears and is replaced by grief from the death of his wife and fear of automation's increasing hold on American manufacturing.
Then, 12-year-old Danny Potter enters Henry's life. Henry becomes a mentor to the boy, offering Danny a refuge from his bickering parents and the role model he so desperately needs. In turn, Danny rejuvenates Henry's passion for life. Featuring rich imagery, production values, and supporting performances, The Last Brickmaker in America is a powerful and uplifting family film about integrity and friendship that will capture hearts across generations for years to come.
Montgomery Ward
114-116 West Washington Blvd was the former Montgomery Ward. The Journal Gazette newspaper article and photos posted September 1, 2017 and general Search on PositiveFortWayne and general Search on YouKnowFortWayne. -->The West Washington location is now Mid-Town Crossing. Like Sears, Montgomery Ward also sold kit houses from their Book of Homes and Wardway Homes catalogs from 1910 to 1931. Several are found on Internet Archiveas shown in the photo and discussed under Kit house on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
We are often asked about a cutoff year for us accepting photos. History doesn't have an end date, and neither do we. We...
We are often asked about a cutoff year for us accepting photos. History doesn't have an end date, and neither do we. We copy even recent snapshots, up to the present, especially of buildings, businesses, and events.
For those of us who lived it, the 1970s don't seem that far distant, but this image was taken 50 years ago. This ca. 1972 snapshot captured David Castator in a fair ride at Fort Wayne's Northcrest Shopping Center. The center opened in 1957, part of a trend of suburban malls that prompted the removal of many downtown stores. In the background are Wards and Thom McAn stores.
Visiting malls and shopping centers (where 33% of retail sales occurred) was more of a social event and form of entertainment back then. Online shopping, recessions, and, more recently, Covid-19 slowed foot traffic to these shopping destinations and today many malls sit empty or under occupied throughout the state.
David's mom didn't realize that her picture of his toy train ride could help illustrate economic history! What stories do your photos tell? Set up an appointment to let us view and scan your family photos for our community digital archive (https://indianaalbum.pastperfectonline.com). Contact info@indianaalbum.com.
Fort Wayne - The Moochers' Club House stood on the banks of the St. Joseph River north of Robison Park (an amusement park that is now gone) near Fort Wayne. According to local newspapers, the Moochers' Club bought the land in 1900 and built the cottage in the spring. The club was used for family reunions and as a hunting retreat, but we know little about the club--does anyone have stories? Henry Lawrence Hoffman, 3rd from left in front row, is the only person identified in this ca. 1905 photograph. Club members offered the cottage for sale in 1914. [The Indiana Album: Loaned by Nancy (Poinsette) DeLullo]
A portion of Rudisill Boulevard dedicated by Mayor Tom Henry July 25, 2015 was discussed in Parkway street designation to honor late, longtime local neighborhood champion by Kevin Kilbane published July 23, 2015 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.Mary L. Morris – (Died December 18, 2014, at age 67) Social worker, teacher, realtor and public servant who worked for many years at the Fort Wayne Housing Authority and SCAN. She served for many years as president of the Oxford Community Association, served as president of the Indiana Democrat American Caucus and was a lifetime member of the NAACP and Fort Wayne Urban League. from the five page document MEMORIAL WAY LISTING & HISTORY FW Public Works Traffic Engineering in Your Neighborhodat City of Fort Wayne.
Moritz Brothers Market
133 East Main Street near Calhoun Street, 1912-1967, the building was built in 1860 and was to be torn down shortly after a March 7, 1967 The News-Sentinel newspaperarticle was published saying the market was over 70 years old, moved to this building in 1912 and would move to a 621 South Harrison Street. The article with photo was posted July 9, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
