Allen County, Indiana Genealogy

Places in Allen County, Indiana

The Landing

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

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

The Landing is Stop # 15 on the ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage) Central Downtown Trail.
The Landing Historic District brochure with map and photos of 21 buildings by Fort Wayne Community Development.
The Landing and Columbia Street by Tom Castaldi, local historianApril 11, 2013 on the History Center Notes & Queries blog.
The Landing apartments: www.thelandingfw.com/, www.facebook.com/TheLandingFW/.
A Guide to Dining on The Landing by Olivia O. on Nov. 29, 2021 at Visit Fort Wayne.
The Landing posted March 22, 2021 by Friends of the Rivers on YouTube.
The Columbia Street story by Bates, Roy M.; Keller, Kenneth B Publication date 1975, the 144 page version on Archive.org
the 1970 version is only 16 pages: The Columbia Street story by Bates, Roy M. Publication date 1970 on Archive.org
How The Landing and Dock Street Got Their Names (It's for the Same Reason) by Shane G. posted on August 10, 2012 on Visit Fort Wayne blog.
A. D. 1883 cornerstone from unknown source on Dock Street off Harrison Street and the RR elevation between Columbia and West Superior Streets. Discussed many times on social meda by local historians and still unresolved in 2023. The League Park wooden structure for baseball was built nearby in 1883 where Headwaters Park is today and the first night game was played June 3, 1883 so may have something to do with it?

Street View photo from Google Maps on Dock Street.
Discussed March 23, 2024 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. A Comment said the local FW History Roundtable tried to determine what building it may have come from and were unable to come up with anything conclusive when several photographs were posted and discussed March 7, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
You never know what you might see "Out in the Field"! Check out this cornerstone on Harrison Street, just South of the elevated railroad tracks! This 1883 cornerstone is on "The Landing" in downtown Fort Wayne!
Posted by Hofer and Davis,Inc. LAND SURVEYORS on Monday, May 22, 2017

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

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

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

A Comment said the local FW History Roundtable tried to determine what building it may have come from and were unable to come up with anything conclusive when several photographs were posted and discussed March 7, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
Read more in Can The Landing's luster be restored? Downtown Trust is buying properties there and will seek developer by Kevin Leininger was published March 15, 2014 on The News-Sentinel newspaper
Things you should know about downtown Fort Wayne by Kara Hackett was published April 17, 2014 in the The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Some interesting history and future plans for the Landing on a new Columbia Street vision by Mac Parker published January 18, 2015 in the The Journal Gazette newspaper now archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
February 4, 2016 post by Hoch Associates on Facebook:

A #TBT to Columbia Street in Downtown Fort Wayne (today known as The Landing) going all the way back to summer of 1888. You can see some of the structures still standing today.

We are excited that City of Fort Wayne - Municipal Government leaders have announced that The Model Group will be leading the development of this key downtown block centrally located near the new Skyline Garage and Ash Brokerage Corporation headquarters along with Riverfront Fort Wayne.

Courtesy of ACPL Historical Archives. [ over 280 images "The Landing" in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library- eleven items "The Landing" in the History Center Digital Collection on the mDON mastodon Digital Object Network ]
Fort Wayne’s District of Columbia: The Landing nears a rebirth with photos and CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15video interview with Mayor Tom Henry published February 25, 2016 on Vision 2020 NEIndiana.com.
Landing on a new Columbia Street vision by Mac Parker published March 16, 2016 in The Journal Gazette newspaper states: When Fort Wayne was originally platted in 1829, it was envisioned that Main Street would be the primary location for commerce and business. The Wabash and Erie Canal changed that and made Columbia Street the central hub of the city for more than 100 years. The canal was also the catalyst that changed Fort Wayne from a village of 1,000 people to a city prominent in the whole Midwest – and with one of the longest and most colorful histories west of the Appalachians. When Columbia Street was laid out, it was four blocks long – three blocks lying east of Calhoun Street and one block west of Calhoun. The City-County (now Rousseau) Building, Freimann Square, Arts United Center and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art now occupy where East Columbia Street once was. West Columbia Street still very much exists and has come to be known since canal days as "The Landing." On the west end of Columbia Street was the Orbison Turning Basin, a space wide enough that canal boats could be turned; this was also the main port for Fort Wayne, hence the name, "Landing." The buildings located on the north side of Columbia Street were originally built to face the canal just to the north. After the canal was abandoned and the land sold for railroad right-of-way, these buildings were actually rebuilt so that the front faced south to Columbia Street. The eventual downfall of the canal was when the railroads came – it is ironic that the first locomotive to come to Fort Wayne was actually brought in on a canal boat and offloaded and re-assembled at The Landing. While the canal was in full operation – and for many years after it folded in 1883 – Columbia Street remained the No. 1 location for business in Fort Wayne. It was estimated that more than 2,500 businesses have come and gone from the once four-block-long street, including feed stores, blacksmith shops, grocery stores, theaters, dry good stores, cigar factories, barbershops, a number of hotels and on and on. Baking powder and Pinex cough syrup were two of the many products invented or developed on Columbia Street. A 17-year-old telegraph operator came to work on Columbia Street in 1864 but unfortunately was fired because he was too slow in sending Morse code. That young operator later became the most renowned inventor in the world – Thomas Alva Edison. In the early 1900s, businesses and hotels started to locate to the south, but Columbia Street remained the main artery for business until well into the 20th century. The article continues more information up to the current plans to refurbish The Landing.
April 9, 2019 post by The Landing Fort Wayne on Facebook:

"On the upper floor of the business on the northwest corner of Columbia and Calhoun streets, Thomas Edison lived for a short time when, in 1864, he worked for the railroad as a telegraph operator. That building was destroyed in 1980. In the same building, which in later years was called the Old Drug Company, druggist Joseph and Cornelius Hoagland and their partner Thomas Biddle developed the formula that became Royal Baking Powder. Elsewhere, the west end of Columbia Street became famous for its hotels, such as the Wayne and the Randall." via The History Center
June 28, 2023 post by The Landing Fort Wayne on Facebook:

Our city is growing and changing right before our eyes. The Landing has gone through it's own changes over the years. Check out these photo of the different phases of our street view.

First photo - 2022

Second photo - 2018

Third photo - 2015
September 27, 2023 post by The Landing Fort Wayne on Facebook:

It's time again to take another trip down memory lane. Swipe to see the progress our community has made over the years.

Photo 1: Present Day

The Landing has undergone a breathtaking transformation, with curbs removed to seamlessly blend business and street, new paving, elegant light fixtures, inviting benches, and lush landscaping.

Photo 2: 2019 During Construction

Flashback to 2019, when our dedicated team embarked on a monumental journey to breathe new life into this historic gem. Witness the behind-the-scenes magic that set the stage for our revival!

Photo 3: Fall 2019

Take a peak at what a normal fall day looked like before The Landing became the bustling community it is today.

Photo 4: Summer 2011

Travel back to the summer of 2011 to the days when The Landing was home to the legendary 3 Rivers Festival beer tent! 5