Our historic Homestead is tucked in trees, steps away from our Old Barn, and the hustle and bustle of farm life. Enjoy stepping back in time! Only open for rentals and farm events.
Our historic Homestead is tucked in trees, steps away from our Old Barn, and the hustle and bustle of farm life. Enjoy stepping back in time! Only open for rentals and farm events.
Celebrate Hoosier Heritage Barn Week from September 24th – 30th, 2022.
This week we will be providing daily adventures that involve enjoying the beauty of historic Hoosier Heritage Barns in Indiana.
Day #6: Thursday, September 29th
Salomon Farm Park located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a beautiful historic working farm and park that offers walking paths, biking, camps, cooking classes, concerts, an event/wedding venue, the Fall Harvest Fest and more. Salomon Farm Park was made possible through the generous donation of land by Chris Salomon with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Board of Park Commissioners and Parks and Recreation Department.
Salomon Farm Park is a true historic gem on the northern edge of Fort Wayne. It is the perfect location for just about any type of event and/or activity, whether inside our venues or outside in the open space areas near them. Come see what makes Salomon Farm Park's 170 acres so irresistable!
Did you know there is an active Blacksmith Shop at Salomon Farm? It offers classes and demonstrations throughout the year. Come learn more at Salomon Farm Park!
Did you know there is an active Blacksmith Shop at Salomon Farm? It offers classes and demonstrations throughout the year. Come learn more at Salomon Farm Park!
The Our History section of their website: https://www.sauderfeeds.com/ has a Sauder Feeds Historical Timeline starting with 1862 Original wooded property was purchased by Jerry H. Sauder's (JHS) grandparents, Daniel & Anna Shenbeck. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SauderFeeds/
IHS is recognizing each 2022 Centennial Business Award Honoree. Sauder Feeds, Inc. began in 1910 when Jerry H. Sauder started hatching baby chicks in his childhood home. Ten years later it was officially organized as Sauder Leghorn Farm. By 1938, Sauder had built his first feed mill and began shipping chickens. It quickly grew into a family business and is now in its second century of service. Congratulations!
Sauder Feeds, Inc. was officially organized as Sauders Leghorn Farm in 1920, but it began 10 years earlier when 11-year-old Jerry H. Sauder started hatching baby chicks in an incubator on his parent’s dining room table. By 1938, Sauder had built his first feed mill and was shipping chickens throughout the Midwest. Carlton Sauder joined his father and expanded the feed operation and purchased the first semi-tractor for deliveries in 1960. Sauder Feeds exited the hatchery business in 1974 when a fire destroyed the hatchery. In 1975 Jerry I Sauder and his wife Kathy joined the company.
With an increasing demand for feed, the ensuing years saw growth in production, personnel and deliveries which required an increasing truck fleet. Josh Sauder, fourth generation, joined the firm in 2013 with an emphasis on quality control and updating technology. As Sauder Feeds enters its second century of service, they continue to grow and add new technology, quality, and efficiency to the business.
926-930 S. Calhoun Street, on the northwest corner of Washington and Calhoun Streets, was erected by Henrietta Schmitz as a monument to her deceased husband Dr. Charles Schmitz. This is one of Fort Wayne’s most widely-recognized historic buildings. The Schmitz Block was added to the National Historic Register, see the application, same application with map, in 1988 and to the Local Historic Register in 1989. Architectural features include a facade of rough-cut limestone and round, rock-faced piers extending the entire height of the building. The windows of each floor are given various design treatments, and the cornice has modillions carved with grotesques, chimeras, lion’s heads and leaves. The first floor once had three storefronts along the Calhoun Street side. In 1912, the property was sold by the Schmitz children to William H. Noll, a prominent local businessman. Eventually was renamed the Noll Block. The Schmitz Block housed various offices and businesses over the years.
In 1989, extensive rehabilitation began to turn the Schmitz Block into condominiums and office space known as Midtowne Crossing. The work revealed the stone block inscribed with “Schmitz Block.” See Schmitz Block history with photos and timeline on midtowncrossing.netand is one of the many Historic Buildings and Structures of the West Central Neighborhood Association Fort Wayne, Indiana on WestCentralNeighborhood.org.
Built at the turn of the last century by a Dr. Schultz and now listed on the register of historic homes. It’s now home to Potter’s Wife Gallery by Dan and Christine Hudson. In the basement sisters Christine Hudson and Kate Fowler cut and sew and stuff new life into old furniture. This portion of the Schultz House is Delaney’s Upholstery.
Scott's grocery
Started by Don Scott, bought the iconic Eavey's fruit of plenty store at 5300 Decatur Road.
When the Scott’s Food & Pharmacy completes its $5.8 million renovation in Chestnut Plaza early next year, it will also unveil a new name: Kroger.
Although Kroger Co. bought Scott’s 18 stores eight years ago, the local Scott family name has remained on numerous locations.
Feedback from focus groups initially indicated to Kroger officials that the Scott’s brand was valuable, associated with quality, cleanliness and a pleasant shopping experience. The Cincinnati-based grocery chain was in no hurry to tamper with strong customer loyalty, a spokesman said at the time.
But one by one, stores have been remodeled and transitioned to the Kroger banner. In more recent polling, shoppers haven’t shown a strong emotional attachment to the Scott’s name, Kroger spokesman John Elliott said. Now, the store at Illinois and Scott roads is the last location going by Scott’s.
"It is kind of a sad day, but it’s not unexpected," Cheryl Scott, a former Scott’s executive, said in an interview from her Fort Myers, Florida, home.
She reflected on her father’s company and the Scott’s legacy in Fort Wayne. She also recalled the challenges of keeping the retail chain relevant.
"You can’t (afford to) advertise for one store," she added. "And the Kroger name is big."
...
Local grocery wars
The end of Scott’s closes an era when three family-owned grocery chains competed fiercely for local shoppers: Scott’s Food Stores, Rogers Markets and Maloley Food Stores.
"It was quite an oddity to have three local grocery owners. And people were very loyal to their store," Cheryl Scott said.
They considered it a compliment that SuperValu wanted to buy the company, a kind of recognition for all the hard work, she said.
The offer probably also reflected SuperValu’s growth strategy. SuperValu bought Maloley’s in 1980 and Rogers stores in multiple transactions in the early- to mid-1990s.
Scott’s led the local grocery industry on some fronts.
The chain was the first to install checkout scanner technology in 1980, and it was also the first to open a full floral shop inside a store in 1981.
But Scott’s did lag behind in one noticeable area.
The retailer was the last to open for business on Sundays. Don Scott, who died in 2008 at age 91, wanted employees to have that day to spend with their families.
University of Saint Francis buys Scottish Rite Center November 10, 2011 Statement issued Thursday by the University of Saint Francis and Saint Francis unveils plan for Scottish Rite November 11, 2011 by Dominic Adams in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Since the beginning of colonization in the United States, secret societies have been a part of the fabric of daily life. The Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is one of several Rites of Freemasonry. A Rite is a progressive series of degrees conferred by various Masonic organizations or bodies, each of which operates under the control of its own central authority. In the Scottish Rite the central authority is called a Supreme Council. Since 1888, the Scottish Rite has had a continual presence in our community. The original Scottish Rite Cathedral in Fort Wayne was built from 1908-1909 and was located on the southeast corner of Washington and Clinton. In 1953, The Scottish Rite purchased the 1924 Mizpah Shrine building, designed by local architect Guy Mahurin, on West Berry. The Scottish Rite Auditorium served its members and Fort Wayne at large until 2012, when the building was purchased by the University of Saint Francis. The Scottish Rite continues to be a force for good in our community. #sociallyhistory
A collaboration of the University of Saint Francis, Chuck and Lisa Surack, and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic begins an...
A collaboration of the University of Saint Francis, Chuck and Lisa Surack, and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic begins an exciting new chapter for the arts in City of Fort Wayne Government! Surack Enterprises will renovate the Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic will establish their permanent home at 826 Ewing Street. The Saint Francis Music Technology Center will remain adjacent to the Performing Arts Center and thrive with these developments!
Scottish Cultural Society - Indiana Highland Games
Started in 1986 at Zollner Stadium, then IPFW, and Concordia College, moved to Columbia City, but ended in 2012 according to Keeping Scottish heritage alive by Rosa Salter Rodriguez published December 1, 2015 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Once on ARCH's Endangered List due to it having an uncertain future, it's now The Rose Home a transitional living facility for women. Mr. Sieling owned a dry goods store that was located adjacent to the house to the east, and the park across the street is named for him. Sieling donated the park land, once a part of the Wayne Trace Indian Route to Cincinnati in 1915. Copied from an August 7, 2018 post with photo by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage) on Facebook. It is now The Rose Homea Christian not-for-profit transitional living home for women who choose to recover from drug and alcohol addictions. The Rose Home, Inc is also on Facebook.
Charles H. Seyfert, founder of the iconic Seyfert’s snack brand, cooked his first batch of chips on August 20, 1934 at 450 E. Wallace Street in Fort Wayne. Seyfert, a native of Pennsylvania, relocated to Fort Wayne a few years prior with some prodding from his uncle. Two months before opening this first kitchen, Seyfert wrote a letter to his brother regarding his attempt to break into the snack business. He noted that he had been quite successful selling chips and bologna to tourists and travelers in the lake region of Northeast Indiana, but that he could not find a chip that consistently met his standards, writing “[I] intend to start the chip business myself because my biggest trouble is I don’t have a good chip.” Seyfert’s snacks, one of Indiana’s most recognized brands, ceased operations on August 20, 2018, exactly 84 years after Charles H. Seyfert began producing his first batch of chips. Today we celebrate one of Allen County’s innovations with several Seyfert items from our collection, including Charles’ original letter. #sociallyhistory
On August 20, 1934, potato chip company Seyfert’s opened in Fort Wayne. According to the company, founder Charles Seyfert traveled from his Pennsylvania home to the World's Fair in Chicago in 1933 and on his way back stopped in Fort Wayne. He returned, liking "what he saw of the northeastern Indiana town," and established a pretzel business that ultimately failed.
He then founded his potato chip business. The company noted that "the operation was much different than today's. Charles Seyfert did everything himself – from peeling potatoes to making chips to delivering the finished product. Today, miles and miles of conveyor belts carry the raw ingredients, cooked snacks and bags of goodies from one area of the plant to another."
Troyer Potato Products acquired Seyfert Foods in 2001, and the Fort Wayne plant closed its doors in 2018.
In 1933, Charles Seyfert left his home in PA and drove his pretzel truck to Chicago for the World's Fair. On his way back home, he passed through Fort Wayne, Indiana, liked what he saw of the northeastern Indiana town and stopped there to begin a pretzel-making business. Although pretzels were Seyfert's dream, Fort Wayne wasn't ready for pretzels at that time and the businessman went broke. After a trip back home to PA to gather equipment, Seyfert returned to Fort Wayne and started a potato chip operation. This time, the snack food entrepreneur was successful.
Seyfert opened its doors August 20, 1934, the operation was much different than today's. Charles Seyfert did everything himself – from peeling potatoes to making chips to delivering the finished product. Today, miles and miles of conveyor belts carry the raw ingredients, cooked snacks and bags of goodies from one area of the plant to another.
In 1982, Borden Inc. acquired Seyfert. In October, 1994, Heath acquisition Corporation acquired the Seyfert Foods division from Borden Inc.. In 2001, Troyer Potato Products acquired Seyfert Foods.
The Troyer organization acquired Seyfert Foods in March 2001 but the relationship between the two companies goes back to the 1960s. At that time, Troyer supplied Seyfert's with potatoes. At the time of the acquisition, Troyer sold its products in Pennsylvania, eastern and central Ohio, western New York, and parts of West Virginia and Indiana. "It was a logical move by Troyer, and we're now fortunate to have product lines that have broad appeal in a number of nearby states," added Clifford Troyer.
On August 20, 1934, potato chip company Seyfert’s opened in Fort Wayne. According to the company, founder Charles Seyfert traveled from his Pennsylvania home to the World's Fair in Chicago in 1933 and on his way back stopped in Fort Wayne. He returned, liking "what he saw of the northeastern Indiana town," and established a pretzel business that ultimately failed. He then founded his potato chip business.
The company noted that "the operation was much different than today's. Charles Seyfert did everything himself – from peeling potatoes to making chips to delivering the finished product. Today, miles and miles of conveyor belts carry the raw ingredients, cooked snacks and bags of goodies from one area of the plant to another." Troyer Potato Products acquired Seyfert Foods in 2001. In August, 2018, it was announced that the company would be ceasing operations, ending the 84 year snack food tradition.
The image below shows a boy scout selling Seyfert’s chips at a fireworks display in Fort Wayne in 1953, courtesy of the Allen County Public Library.
April 3, 2013 album post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook: COSTCO STAGING Gearing up at the COSTCO/KELLEY SITE as spring might be coming to Northeast Indiana soon. This our attempt at giving our followers a visual experience of how a construction site evolves from when the surveyor first steps on the site to completion. Please see other albums already posted.
Chip company closing August 21, 2018 by WTHRon YouTube
An iconic Indiana snack maker is closing its doors after more than 80 years in business. Seyfert's which is best known for their potato chips, cheese puffs and pretzels is shutting down after not being able to find a buyer.
Sheridan Court Apartments
719 Union Street, Architect A.M. Strauss designed this Tudor Revival apartment complex in 1925. Opening in 1926 as the first ever large apartment building in Fort Wayne, from Sheridan Court Apartments on West Central Properties.
Website: www.smdairport.com and Facebook page. The airport was dedicated and began operations in June 1925. Was the City of Fort Wayne’s first municipal airport and was originally named Baer Field in honor of Paul Baer. Situated on 236 acres of land approximately 5 miles north of downtown Fort Wayne and less than two miles from Interstate 69. The first airmail flight left Fort Wayne on December 8, 1930. Airmail service continued until 1933 when it was dropped until 1937. In the early 1940's, Smith Field had scheduled airline service from TWA.
December 4, 2022 post by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources on Facebook stated: This week, the DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology is highlighting some of the places and buildings where advancements in science and technology occurred in Indiana. The first location is Smith Field in Allen County. Smith Field (NR-1720 Smith Field Airport) – Allen County: Located near Fort Wayne, Smith Field Airport is one of the oldest remaining airfields in the nation. Constructed in 1919, the airfield supported the beginnings of America’s flight industry. The airport was dedicated as the Paul Baer Municipal Airport in 1925, after the WWI flying ace from Fort Wayne. Improvements to the airstrips were constructed in the 1930s, alongside a commercial airmail carrier, and more improvements to the airstrips and safety features came via the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression. Following World War II, the airfield was renamed to Smith Field after Arthur “Art” Smith, a Fort Wayne aviation pioneer who was a barnstormer and exhibition flyer that is credited with the invention of the “loop-the-loop" and skywriting. Since then, Smith Field has been used for general aviation purposes and flight schools. You can see more by looking at the property’s National Register nomination form in DNR-DHPA’s online database (SHAARD): on.IN.gov/shaard.
Smith Field Airport at Airport History on AIRPORT AUTHORITY FORT WAYNE INTERNATIONAL website.
The story of Smith Field Fort Wayne : PBS 39 WFWA, 2002Fort Wayne's oldest municipal airfield was re-named Smith Field in honor of aviation pioneer Art Smith, 'The Bird Boy of Fort Wayne.' It served the community as a hub of commercial, corporate and industrial endeavors for over 75 years. Learn about Smith Field's history and watch as local policy makers, citizens and community activists debate this historic airport's future in this exclusive documentary presentation from PBS-39.VHS at Allen County Public Library.
National Park Services: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Iternary - "a rare surviving example of an early 20th-century airport, is historically significant for its association with air-related transportation and commerce in Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana. In 1919, the city of Fort Wayne inspected the site that eventually became Smith Field for its suitability as a municipal airport." Slated for closure in 2003 but pardoned through the influence of pilots, nearby residents and historians, the future of Smith Field -- Fort Wayne’s “other” airport -- is not only secure, but bright.
Once down and nearly out, the sky's the limit for Fort Wayne's first airport by Kevin Leininger was published December 30, 2015 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
Wow! Really feeling nostalgic walking through Smoky's Record Shop on Wells Street this morning. We are going through their remaining stock to see if there are vinyl pieces that we could resell at Our Wooden Nickel Records locations. Hard to believe that this store has been closed for 13 years. The store closed when owner Charles “Smoky Montgomery passed away back in 2006 and never reopened. The Montgomery family are in the final stages of selling off both remaining inventory along with the property. Definitely an interesting piece of Fort Wayne history!
Smoky died in 2006, the records were damaged from a leaky roof with over 20,000 45 RPMs still upstairs
The records have been sitting at Smokys since he passed in 2006.. all the records were picked through by various record shops and collectors over the years. The remainder of the records were sold last weekend and these are the ones that weren’t wanted or damaged. Very sad to see all of these records wasted... but even w media presence, no one came a knockin.... i still have about 10,000 left indoors for FREE if anyone is interested. Must take the entire lot.
Are you looking for an investment opportunity down town? This is the best deal on the Market, The old Smoky's Record shop in the Wells Street Corridor! Check it out!
Was built in 1972 by Michael Graves for Sanford and Joy Snyderman.
Photos of unique archetecture of Snyderman House (1972-1977) by architect Michael Graves on WTTW PBS. Snyderman's left the house in 1998 and sold it in December 1999 to developers Joseph Sullivan and William Swift who planned to tear it down and develop homes on the property.
Daughter Nancy Snyderman is a medical doctor and national television personality.
Sunday, July 30, marks the 21-year anniversary of the Snyderman House, a Fort Wayne home designed by famous architect and Indiana native Michael Graves, burning down due to a possible arson.
July 29, 2020 - Put our second SoundWalk sign down in Fort Wayne at McCulloch Park. More to come?? Download the app and go listen to this interactive music experience by Metavari (@utesch | @boydiggity). SoundWalk on Facebook.
April 1, 2022 - Out now! Go take a walk in the Fairfield Corridor with the free app to a gain a whole new perspective on the area that we've all grown to love. This is an experience that is built to grow with your contributions! If you're walking along and have a memory of the area triggered, or would like to share some of your knowledge of the area, please contact us so that we can record you and add your voice to the experience. Download for iOS and Android at www.soundwalkapp.com. Beautiful location art by Nicolle Ginter. App funded by Indiana Humanities grant with a match from Wunderkammer Company, Audio recorded with help from, WELT 95.7 FM - Fort Wayne Community Radio, We'll be out there today at 5:30pm if you'd like to join. Fairfield Corridor - SoundWalk Release. SoundWalk on Facebook.
August 11, 2022 - The @fortwayneparks department has graciously added a sign pointing visitors the area’s SoundWalk at the sidewalk of Packard Park! Go take a walk with the app or download it for free to experience from wherever you’d like!
Downtown Public Art Trail Soundwalk Dedicated: City officials and the Fort Wayne Public Art Commission dedicated the...
Downtown Public Art Trail Soundwalk Dedicated: City officials and the Fort Wayne Public Art Commission dedicated the Downtown Public Art Trail Soundwalk. The dedication was held at the Pillars of Hope and Justice Monument, located at the northwest corner of Ewing Street and West Main Street. . .
Historic Southside Farmers Market is on Facebook and website: http://www.southsidefarmersmarket.com/. Located at 3300 Warsaw Street, serving Fort Wayne and surrounding areas since 1926, is open Saturdays 8-1, and has been a local historic district since 2001. Open every Saturday from Easter through mid-December. It is an indoor market, and is open from 7 am – 1 pm. At the South Side Farmers Market rural life and agriculture, as well as fresh meat, produce, and flowers, can be found in the midst of urban Fort Wayne. The market began in 1926 and is owned and operated by the Allen County Producers Association. The market structures are unlike any others in Fort Wayne, representing the only location in the city with the feel of a historic fairground. See also Barr Street Market, YLNI Farmers Market, Fort Wayne Farmers Market, and Fort Wayne’s Farmers Markets at Visit Fort Wayne.
South Side Farmers Market Celebrates 99 Years!: South Side Farmers Market, Fort Wayne’s oldest continually operating farmers market, is proudly stepping into its 99th year of service to the community. Opening Day for the 2025 season was Saturday, April 19th. . .
Here is our Throwback Thursday selection from the Hofer and Davis, Inc. Scrapbook! Seems hard to believe it was 10 years ago [2004] that the demolition began at Southtown Mall. And by the way........ The City of Fort Wayne chose Hofer and Davis, Inc. to provide their surveying services. [ Journal Gazette ]
YouTube video Circa 1992. A 6 and a 1/2 min walk through the now demolished Southtown Mall in Fort Wayne, IN. The video goes from L. S. Ayres to Sears, the Kohls wing is not included.
Yesterday afternoon we had the privilege of helping cut the ribbon on @starfinancialbank [ STAR Financial Bank] Headquarters as the Lead Architects on this tremendous project. This is a project we have loved seeing come to life and dramatically change the skyline of downtown Fort Wayne. Thanks to all the design teams involved!
Opened in 1883 on Fairfield Avenue, was started by J. H. Stellhorn (Stellhorn Avenue is named for him) and there are still some hints to the store’s age, like the 1915 Master Rule scale. Fort Wayne's oldest hardware store is on the market by Bob Caylor was published January 19, 2016 in The News-Sentinel newspaperwhen the store closed and building was sold.
Fred Stellhorn, a lime-burner and canal boat operator, purchased in I860 a tract of land in the south half of Section 26, Wayne Township and immediately took up residence on the property.
A log house and a small water-powered sawmill were on the property when
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acquired by Mr. Stellhorn. When the mill was erected is not known, but it was built by a man named Browning.
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.
Fred Stellhorn was unable to operate the mill because of ill health brought on as a result of his occupation as a lime-burner, so his eldest son, J. Henry Stellhorn, took charge and continued its operation until 1873, when the mill was forced to discontinue, because of the shortage of water during the summer months. Mr. Stellhorn purchased a steam mill in Fort Wayne and moved it to his farm, locating it on the river bank about 1500 feet south of the old water-powered mill.
The water-powered mill was a one-story frame building located on the east abutment of the dam, and was equipped with a 6-foot upright saw, powered by an overshot wheel. The dam was about 150 feet in length and 6 feet high, and was constructed of heavy spiked timbers and held securely by massive stone work at either end. The mill race was about 200 feet long.
Mr. Charles Stellhorn, brother of J. Henry Stellhorn, was born in 1862 on the Stellhorn farm and lived near there his entire lifetime. At one time he operated the steam mill. We are indebted to him for this information.
Much of the timber cut at the water-powered mill was walnut, as it was very plentiful on the land in the immediate vicinity. J. Henry Stellhorn at one time purchased the timber on 300 acres of land across the river, and so much of it was walnut that it was cut into 2 by 4’s and disposed of largely in Fort Wayne.
Nothing remains on the old mill site today. However, some traces of the dam are still visible, and the framework of the old mill building was moved off the site about 1880, to another part of the farm and converted into a granary, which still stands to the east of what is now Calhoun Street extended. The old Stellhorn home, which still stands, was constructed of lumber fabricated at the old mill and, in recent years, it was discovered that the 2 x 4’s and siding used in this house are of walnut. A number of years ago, the home was moved from its original site to its present location.
In the 1800s, there were as many as 35 water-powered mills along the major streams and rivers of Allen County, with as many as 2,300 across the state. There were two such mills in south Fort Wayne, but by the early 1900s, not a single water-powered mill was still in operation. Today’s story is about the Stellhorn Mill, World War I rationing, and history long forgotten. Read on for more!
Water-powered mills, or a watermill, use water to drive the milling, rolling, or hammering process. This process is needed for numerous goods ranging from flour to lumber. The watermill and the sail are known as the earliest use of machines to harness natural forces to replace human labor. The earliest evidence of using a watermill was in the 2nd century BC by the Greeks.
Fast forward 2000 years and humans used the same technology in and around Fort Wayne. Knowing that watermills were big business, Fred Stellhorn, a lime burner and canal boat operator, purchased the land, the mill, and a log cabin in 1860. Fred’s son, Charles, eventually took over the mill and transitioned to steam power, abandoning the watermill. Still, once the steam mill burnt down, Charles was forced to relocate the mill to the corner of Hollis and Fairfield, where he partnered with Fred Moellering. [See Moellering Brickyard]
By the 1910s, the mill ground flower for the area farmers. At the same time, the United States entered World War I, causing the Federal Government to enact flour conservation laws. The laws aimed to conserve wheat so that 30% of the average US consumption could be sent to the allies. Moellering, who was operating the mill, was shut down in 1918 for not following these laws. While this was a short-lived shutdown, Moellering continued to operate the mill, eventually owning and living on the land until the mid-1940s.
C. Merle Engelman purchased the mill, eventually selling the property to McComb Funeral home, which still stands today.
A special thank you to Betsy Engelman Allen for the pictures and history.
The Nathaniel P. & Sophia Stockbridge house on West Wayne Street is our topic for this week’s Throwback Thursday. Mr. Stockbridge was a native of Freeport, Maine and came to Fort Wayne in 1843. Mr. Stockbridge served as the manager of the H. Durrie & Company hardware store. According to Bert Griswold’s The Pictorial History of Fort Wayne Indiana, Stockbridge bought a bookstore and stationary business in 1853 and grew it to be the “largest retail and wholesale enterprises of the time.” The house was built in 1845 in the Italianate style. Gone is the four-sided tower with arched windows and a pyramidal roof. The way to detect that this was the Stockbridge house was to look at the semicircular window in the front gable and the pitch of the gables. Looking at Google Earth, one can side the outline on the roof where the tower rested. Mrs. Stockbridge died in 1866. Mr. Stockbridge retired from his business three years before his death in 1896. Historic house photo courtesy of Fort Wayne Historic Houses and Nathaniel Stockbridge photo courtesy of the Allen County Public Library Community Album.
A comment by Randy Harter, Fort Wayne historian and authorstated: The local chapter of the Audubon Society is named after Nathaniel's son Charles Stockbridge who was a taxidermist and operated out of the family store on Columbia Street. Here's one of the business postcards that Charles used. Courtesy Harter Postcard Collection/ACPL.www.stockbridgeaudubon.org/
Formerly May's now Hanson Stone Quarry on Ardmore Avenue.
Strand Theatre
Southwest corner of E. Wayne Street and South Clinton Street, opened as the Empress Theatre in the fall of 1912. By 1917 it was renamed the Strand Theatre. It was a moving picture theater as late as 1927. Today is part of the grassy open plaza fronting One Summit Square. Comments and Information from cinema Treasures. Joe Vogel said: design of the Empress Theatre was by one of the town’s leading architects of the period, John M. E. Riedel. He also designed the Lyric Theatre. In its early years, the Empress presented Sullivan & Considine vaudeville.
Constructed in 1890 at 821 S. Calhoun Street, it. is one of downtown Fort Wayne’s oldest and most recognizable structures. It was one of the first locations in Fort Wayne to have early telegraph lines, the conduits for which can still be seen in the building’s basement. It hosted a Western Union and various financial institutions such as the first office for Lincoln Financial Group, a Fortune 250 company that still has a large office location and prominent community presence in Fort Wayne. Copied from The past and present of the historic Strauss Building by Jenn Kunkle published December 13, 2018 on Living Fort Wayne.com.
Built in 1886-1887 is an outstanding example of Italianate and eclectic architecture designed by the renowned Fort Wayne architecture firm of Wing & Mahurin. The house was built in 1886-1887 for Christian G. Strunz, his wife, Lisette, and their daughter, Henrietta. Christian operated a grocery from about 1860 until his retirement in 1900. Henrietta's daughter Helen married Roy Sponhauer in 1922, and lived in the house with Henrietta until her death in 1945. Helen continued to live in the house until 1976, the year she died. That same year, GTE bought the house to use the lot for parking. Copied from the 2002 Home and Garden Tour by the West Central Neighborhood Association. There is a photo on the Christian G. Strunz House Facebook Landmark & Historical Place.
Here's another ARCH #TBT photo for you! Back in 1980, the Strunz-Sponhauer House was moved by ARCH from 333 E. Berry...
Here's another ARCH #TBT photo for you! Back in 1980, the Strunz-Sponhauer House was moved by ARCH from 333 E. Berry Street (across from the McCulloch-Weatherhogg House/United Way building) to prevent its demolition for a parking lot for GTE. It now sits at 1017 W. Berry Street in the West Central Neighborhood alongside two other relocated homes to fill the large expanse of land once occupied by the Fleming house (torn down for a parking lot).
The Strunz-Sponhauer House, built in 1886-1887 for Christian G. Strunz, his wife, Lisette, and their daughter, Henrietta, is an outstanding example of Italianate and eclectic architecture designed by the renowned Fort Wayne architecture firm of Wing & Mahurin. It was individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
In 1914 brothers Joe, Christian and Elmer Stucky purchased the Rich General Store and Hardware in Woodburn Indiana. One of the oldest family owned and operated appliance and electronic retailers in the United States. See their About Us page.
Fort Wayne was the highest point above sea level on the Wabash & Erie Canal, which ran from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. The canal was the longest in the Western Hemisphere, and it started in Fort Wayne on February 22, 1832, the anniversary of George Washington's birthday.
The Summit
Is the old Taylor University campus on West Rudisill Blvd. Closed in 2009, the Ambassadors Enterprises bought the campus in 2011 and it began as a community resource for Fort Wayne and its nonprofits. http://thesummitfw.com
—A sundown or sunset town was a town, city, or neighborhood in the US that excluded non-whites after dark.
—The term sundown came from the signs that were posted stating that people of color had to leave the town by sundown. In most cases, signs were placed at the town's borders which read: "Negro, Don't Let the Sun Set On You Here." The exclusion was official town policy or through restrictive covenants agreed to by the real estate agents of the community.
—Often, the policy was enforced through intimidation. This intimidation could occur in a number of ways, including harassment by law enforcement officers or neighbors, and in some circumstances violence.
—The phenomenon of sundown towns was the impetus for Harlem civil rights activist Victor Green to write the Negro Motorist Green Book, which detailed safe places for Black travelers to rest and eat without fear of harassment, threats or death.
—With the 1968 Fair Housing Act, sundown towns became illegal -- on paper. Many people are surprised to learn that some of the places they live, were once sundown towns. Contrary to popular belief, sundown towns were a Northern and not Southern phenomenon. #BlackHistory#SundownTowns
“Don’t let the sun go down on you in this town” became the motto of thousands of towns that threatened racial violence and even death on African Americans traveling after nightfall. In states like Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, what became known as “sundown towns” were towns where waves of violence left Black passersby feeling unsafe – some of which continue to exist in various forms today. These communities often kept out people of color overnight – by force, law, or custom. Black newspapers, including The Atlanta Daily World published weekly stories of assaults, arrests, and murders of Black travelers. One 1960 story, “Two Held, Others Sought in Attack on Woman Motorist,” reported the attempted murder of a Black female, Catherine Jones, by 7 white males, while driving through a White section of Atlanta.
In the early decades of the 20th century sundown towns allowed Black people to pass through during the day and to shop or work there, but they had to be gone by dark. Yet African Americans ingeniously worked around these restrictions and created their own pathways for safely traveling the country during this time period. This included scheduling travel during daylight, and mapping destinations to bypass counties where racial hostilities against Black motorists had been documented.
These hostilities lead New York postal worker and travel writer Victor Hugo Green to create “The Negro Motorist Green Book.” The annual resource guide (printed from 1936-1967) provided information on Black-owned lodging, dining, and car service businesses for Black travelers – as well as insight into sundown towns, listed by city and state. Sundown towns pepper every region of the U.S. but have been noted as most virulent in the Midwest, including Anna, Illinois, and Howell, Michigan. The exact number of sundown towns registers in the thousands, though there is no official count. Hundreds of Black-owned businesses were listed in the Green Book each year, with the number shifting with new or shuttered establishments per edition.
Goshen Sundown Town Documentary AIRS TONIGHT ON WNIT
Checkout, ‘Goshen - A Sundown Town’s Transformation’ TONIGHT at 9 p.m. on South Bend’s PBS station, PBS Michiana - WNIT , as a part of their Juneteenth celebration programming. This 30 min documentary, produced by Goshen College film students, explores Goshen, Indiana’s past as a racially exclusionary Sundown Town and how the community is finding ways to acknowledge this history and move forward.
Additional airings will include June 22nd and 25th at 4 p.m on the main WNIT channel 34.1. WNIT is also available on all the local cable and satellite networks.
Goshen repents of being a ‘sundown town’ Anna, June 24, 2015 on Anabaptist World. James W. Loewen, author of the 2005 book Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism, says Goshen shared this notoriety with an estimated 10,000 towns, cities, suburbs and even counties throughout the United States (especially in the Midwest) for much of the 20th century—indeed, to this day in a few cases. Call it ethnic cleansing, American style. A Harvard-trained sociologist and former university professor, Loewen defines a sundown town as “any organized jurisdiction that for decades kept African Americans or other groups from living in it.” I would add: or even staying overnight in it. Goshen repents of being a ‘sundown town’ June 23, 2015 in The Mennonite now on Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
“Sundown Towns are towns that were for decades all white on purpose, and some of them still are. It turns out that they’re all across the midwest.” Some towns had signs that made their intentions clear. One that says ‘Whites only within city limits after dark’ covers the front of [James W.] Loewen’s book. Others used more crass language, racial slurs or threats of violence to get their point across. ... “But, across the Midwest it turns out, all kinds of towns - hundreds of them in Indiana, even more hundreds in Illinois.” Between the 1890s and the 1940s, Sundown Towns became a popular trend in Northern states. In his book, Loewen profiles three Indiana towns; Elwood, Huntington and Martinsville. Dr. John Aden is the Executive Director of the African American Historical Society Museum in Fort Wayne. He remembers Martinsville, Indiana as an unfriendly place. “You could not be caught in that county or anywhere near that town, even during the day, let alone at night.” Copied from Legacy of 'Whites-Only' Towns Rose and Continues to Affect Today by Ella Abbott published September 17, 2020 on 89.1 WBOI Northeast Indiana Public Radio.
Sundown Towns A Hidden Dimension of American Racism by James W. Loewen.
Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism
by John D Beatty, CG
Genealogy Gems: News from the Allen County Public Library at Fort Wayne, No. 213, November 30, 2021 from the Genealogy Gems ezine at the The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indianawith an Archive of online Genealogy Gems articles.
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Many Americans, as well as religious and cultural institutions, have begun a process of reexamining the history of racism in local history contexts. By identifying ways in which minority groups have been discriminated against, they seek to find dialog, shine light on past history, and redress decades of wrong behavior. From about 1890 to as late as the 1970s, many Americans lived in so-called “Sundown Towns.” These communities enacted laws that prevented African Americans from owning property. Some even posted signs using racist language forbidding them the right to stay in those towns after dark. People of color have long known about these restrictions, but their history may be new to others, especially whites, who may be unfamiliar with how pervasive these laws and practices were in small towns and suburbs across the country for much of the twentieth century.
A useful history of this discrimination is James W. Loewen’s book, “Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism” (New York: The New Press, 2005), GC 973.068 L8255u. In a compelling narrative history, Loewen discusses how these laws were enacted during the Jim Crow era in America, not only in the South but also throughout the North, beginning decades after the Civil War. After an idealistic period immediately after the war when freed slaves were welcomed in northern communities, a dark period descended across the country. Segregation, threats, and even violence occurred during this period in an effort to force African Americans and minority groups to leave certain towns. Town councils passed real estate covenants forbidding the ownership of land in certain planned suburbs. Racist stereotypes prevailed, and even in the North, the Ku Klux Klan enjoyed a resurgence in the 1910s and 1920s. Driving out so-called undesirable people became a civic-minded activity that lasted until the reforms of the Civil Rights legislation of the 1960s and even for more than a decade afterward.
Sundown towns sprang up across the South and Midwest during this period and were surprisingly widespread. Loewen recounts the stories of violence and threats in many individual towns in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Arkansas, and elsewhere. The work is well documented and makes for disturbing reading, even though most such communities have since undergone extensive reform and integration in recent times. Here in Indiana where I live, I was surprised by how many communities had sundown laws.
The value of such a book may seem less apparent for genealogists than for local historians, but it still can be useful for the study of family history. Loewen explains that many local histories avoid any discussion of these issues and therefore offer a stilted view of their past. If our ancestors lived in “sundown” communities, that knowledge, however uncomfortable, may help us gain a better understanding of them and the world in which they lived. That will help us become more attuned to a variety of records, make us better researchers, and thus help us write better, more accurate family histories.
Was your Indiana town a sundown town? This graph from the "Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society" can help you find out.
Learn more about Indiana sundown towns in the INseparable Film "From Sundown to Sunrise." Watch here: From Sundown To Sunrise By: Pat Wisniewski and Tom Desch
Trace one man’s journey from sundown to sunrise as he and his family integrate an all-white Indiana town in 1968. By breaking the color barrier, they also helped transform the town and place it on a trajectory of inclusion.
In this film, you’ll hear the use of racial epithets as people recall incidents from their past. These slurs are not censored and of course may be very difficult for you to hear. Thank you for your generosity of spirit as you listen and participate in the online watch parties.
For decades, so-called "sundown towns" were notorious for shutting out African-Americans and other minorities after nightfall. Bluffton, Ind., just south of Fort Wayne, was thought to be one of them. Bluffton Mayor Ted Ellis talks about what he calls an underlying current of racism. Opening line for: For Midwestern Town, Looking Past 'Sundown' August 10, 2006 Heard on News & Notes at 89.1 WBOI Northeast Indiana Public Radio.
I was somewhere between asleep and awake. It was Christmas Eve, 1987, and we were cruising up Indiana State Highway 37 in my mom’s 1973 Ford Mustang—cobalt blue—making the trek from Bloomington, Indiana to our hometown of Fort Wayne, so we could celebrate Christmas with family. The sounds of Walter Hawkins’s Love Alive II, a tape mom kept in steady rotation, were blaring through the car’s speakers. Over Hawkins’s “Be Grateful,” I could hear my mom, in the driver’s seat, bickering with my aunt, who was riding shotgun. My eight-year-old spirit registered a panic in my aunt’s voice that I had never heard from her before. “Girl, we can’t stop! We’re in Martinsville,” my aunt said. Are the opening lines of Traveling While Black Learning the racial geography of Indiana as a young Black girl in the 1980s by Tanisha C. Ford posted June 19, 2019 on BeltMag.com.
'Try That in a Small Town' came to my mind when our son, a young Black man, was stalked and harassed simply for sitting in his car on a residential street in a white Los Angeles suburb.
Was located on Lima Road where Don Ayres autodealership is located in 2019. Although another comment said it was where Crazy Pins is now located. A picture of the area with the drive in theatre and the Speedway was said to be in the Halls restaurant at Lima Road and Coliseum Blvd. Was discussed May 12, 2019 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook
5501 U.S. Hwy 30 W., www.sweetwater.com, employs 800 with around 400 million dollars in sales. Started in 1979 in a VW microbus. Is the third largest United States dealer in musical equipment for musicians, recording studios, schools, houses of worship, concert sound companies and broadcasters. Sweetwater sells digital recording systems, keyboards, guitars, microphones, mixers, loudspeakers, signal processors, and drums. Sweetwater Sound, along with All Pro Sound, installed the new sound system in Indiana University's Assembly Hall in November. Assembly Hall is the home court for the IU Hoosier basketball team. From Sweetwater Sound installs sound system in Assembly Hall published January 27, 2013. Read more in Your Story. Made Here: Sweetwater by Melissa Long published November 19, 2014 on 21AliveNews.com. Sweetwater: Sounds Like a Great Place! posted December 3, 2014 by Louisa onFort Wayne Insider official blog of Visit Fort Wayne.
Original construction of the house was begun in 1844 with a second story, wing, and rear portion added in 1885. Thomas Swinney gave to the city of Fort Wayne the eastern portions of his property. In 1847, the Allen County Fair was established on these grounds, with a half-mile racetrack as well as the usual display pens and corrals. The annual September Fair was held here for many years afterward. More than a decade later, in 1889, the first local Labor Day celebration was held on the Swinney grounds, and labor leaders long viewed the area as special for laboring people. ... Here at the Swinney property on July 4, 1843, hundreds of people of Fort Wayne and the surrounding region gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Wabash and Erie Canal, the longest canal ever built in North America. Its ground-breaking had been held here in 1832, and in this presidential election year of 1843, candidate Lewis Cass appeared in town to make laudatory speeches along with other state and local notables. Copied from Swinney Home by Tom Castaldi, local historianpublished April 3, 2014 on History Center Notes & Queries blog.
#5 - SWINNEY HOMESTEAD. YEAR CONSTRUCTED: c. 1844-45. Local settler and businessman Thomas W. Swinney constructed the brick and limestone home, which was later enlarged and renovated by his children towards the end of the 19th century. The grounds surrounding the structure were designated the Allen County Fairgrounds, later becoming Swinney Park and the museum of the Fort Wayne-Allen County Historical Society. (News-Sentinel file photo) Copied from FORT WAYNE FIVE: Oldest city structures on the National Register of Historic Places published January 4, 2018 The News-Sentinel newspaper archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
The Thomas Swinney House is one of 90 stops on our new Allen County Historic Sites pass!
The original construction of the house began in 1844, with more floors and features added over time. The land the house was built on, owned then by Thomas Swinney, was often the center of large community gatherings, including a celebration for the grand opening of the Wabash & Erie Canal in 1843. Thomas Swinney bequeathed the home and 240 acres of land to the city as a park that was to "remain open and free to the public..." and in 1893, his daughters gave the city early possession of the land to develop what is now Swinney Park.
Learn more about Thomas Swinney, this historic home, and how the home and surrounding land have transformed over time — with the Allen County Historic Sites pass. >> VisitFortWayne.com/HistoricSites
Photo of the Dedication of Swinney House Marker (L to R: Dr. Vincent Westfall and Robert Murphy), Nov. 7, 1965 shown in February 16, 2021 post by The History Center on Facebook.
Surack Enterprises will renovate the Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic will establish their permanent home at 826 Ewing Street. The Saint Francis Music Technology Center will remain adjacent to the Performing Arts Center and thrive with these developments!
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