Sagamore of the Wabash Award

The Sagamore of the Wabash award was created during the term of Governor Ralph Gates, who served from 1945 to 1949. Governor Gates was to attend a tristate meeting in Louisville with officials from the states of Ohio and Kentucky. Aides to the governor discovered that the governor of Kentucky was preparing a Kentucky Colonel certificates for Governor Gates and Senator Robert A. Taft, who to represent the State of Ohio. The Hoosiers decided that Indiana should have an appropriate award to present in return.

The term “sagamore” was used by the American Indian Tribes of the northeastern United States to describe a lesser chief or a great man among the tribe to whom the true chief would look for wisdom and advice.

Each governor since Gates has presented the certificates in their own way. It has been said that one governor even resorted to wearing full Indian headdress as he read the scrolls. The award is highest honor, which the Governor of Indiana bestows. It is a personal tribute usually given to those who have rendered a distinguished service to the state or to the governor. Among these who have received Sagamores have been astronauts, presidents, ambassadors, artists, musicians, politicians, and ordinary citizens who have contributed greatly to our Hoosier heritage.

It should be noted that the Sagamores have been conferred upon both men and women. There is no record of the total number which have been presented, as each governor has kept his own roll; just as each reserved the right to personally select the receipients. Copied from Sagamore of the Wabash Award at IN.gov.

Local recipeients:

Karen Richards, long-time Allen County Prosecutor

Saltsberg, Art

News director of WOWO radio during January 25, 1978 blizzard, twice-weekly call in sports show in 1977 with Ron Gregory. "Later, after leaving WOWO, he reprised the show in Auburn before returning to WOWO in November 1985." With Dean Pantazzi "Sports Talk was must-listening for sports fans in the tristate area. Because of WOWO’s 50,000-watt signal, sports fans across the eastern U.S. and Canada were grafted into the WOWO sports community." from Web letter by Bill Griggs: Saltsberg deserves a salute for his accomplishments, too published November 5, 2012 and After 25 years as an on-air personality at WOWO Radio, Art Saltsberg was among those chosen to be inducted into the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame on April 7, 2019. Saltsberg calls Hall of Fame honor overwhelming by Charlotte Stefanski published February 18, 2019 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. WOWO mainstay Saltsberg retiring by Ben Smith published March 21, 2020 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Sassmannshausen, Walter B. “Skip” Jr.

He was born in St. Anne’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois on November 10, 1941 to Walter and Ethel (Boseck) Sassmannshausen. He died September 24, 2022 at the Towne House. He was a founding member of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society in addition to writing a book about the Baker Street Station - THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD STATION ON BAKER STREET IN FORT WAYNE, INDIANA: THE STORY OF SERVICE & SURVIVAL. He was a history teacher for Geyer Junior High and humanities & psychology at Concordia Lutheran High School discussed September 29, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. The Pennsylvania Railroad Station on Baker Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana: The Story of Service and Survival Hardcover – January 1, 2015 is at Amazon.com. His obituary is at D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Homes - Pine Valley. The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society posted with several photos on October 23, 2022 this statement: Earlier this month, local railroad historian and one of our founding members, Walter "Skip" Sassmannshausen passed away. In the early 1970s, Skip originally gained the City of Fort Wayne's permission to access the steam locomotive display at Lawton Park and labored with a four-inch brush over many hours to repaint the locomotive. In later years, Skip started the Three Rivers Railroad Heritage Council to chronicle local railroad history beyond the steam locomotive and served on the advisory team that helped restore Fort Wayne's Baker Street Station. Skip was a mentor, coach, photographer, painter, and published author. To many in the local rail preservation scene, he was a mentor and a friend who generously shared his knowledge and passion. Read more on Skip's life here: https://www.legacy.com/.../walter-sassmannshausen...

On October 23, 2022 the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society posted several photos with this statement: Earlier this month, local railroad historian and one of our founding members, Walter "Skip" Sassmannshausen passed away. In the early 1970s, Skip originally gained the City of Fort Wayne's permission to access the steam locomotive display at Lawton Park and labored with a four-inch brush over many hours to repaint the locomotive. In later years, Skip started the Three Rivers Railroad Heritage Council to chronicle local railroad history beyond the steam locomotive and served on the advisory team that helped restore Fort Wayne's Baker Street Station. Skip was a mentor, coach, photographer, painter, and published author. To many in the local rail preservation scene, he was a mentor and a friend who generously shared his knowledge and passion. Read more on Skip's life here: https://www.legacy.com/.../walter-sassmannshausen... He wrote a book “The Story of Service & Survival” on the Baker Street Station.

Savage, Charlie

Fort Wayne native won a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 2007 while at the Boston Globe. Read The powers that be New book traces post-9/11 arc of presidency by Brian Francisco published November 22, 2015 in The Journal Gazette newspaper now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. He has written several articles about Fort Wayne such as the Culture Wars over General Anthony Wayne Day and Little Turtle's burial site, also posted on our Indian Native Ameircan and Indian Burials pages. He has an article called The Buried History of Fort Wayne and Culture War by Charlie Savage, post date September 26, 2020 on his website charliesavage.com. He wrote a long article When the Culture Wars Hit Fort Wayne A quiet Indiana city declared a holiday to celebrate its founder. In the age of Trump, nothing is ever that simple. by Charles Savage posted July 31, 2020 on Politico.

Saylor, Ulrich

A Maryland native who arrived in Maumee Township in 1836 and bought a lot near the Wabash & Erie Canal lock No. 1, the eastern most lock. He built a store and post office at the site and later became the lock's chief operator. Visitors can see remanants of the canal on the south side of U.S. 24. He is the namesake of the Saylor Cemetery in Maumee Township. Discussed in Grave secrets Old cemeteries offer history lesson, scenic views by Devon Haynie published July 19, 2009 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. An Allen County Public Libraryaccount is needed to read the article online through the ProQuest web site. See his 8 page history with photos Ulerick Saylor, Sr. b. 1788 d. June 27, 1860 by Carolyn I. Schmidt in Canawlers At Rest in the Hoosier Packet - August 2013 at Canal Society of Indiana. See page 312 The Site of Saylor's Lock in The WPA Guide to Indiana: The Hoosier State. See page 387 in Valley of the upper Maumee River, with historical account of Allen County and the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana

Saxton, Jim

Celebrating... Jim Saxton of Bruce Ewing Landscaping Jim Saxton has received the prestigious Landscape Achievement Award from the Indiana Nursery and Landscape Association at the 2012 Green Excellence Award ceremony on Business People magazine. City's Past Illuminated Through Historic Lighting Fixtures Jim Saxton worked at the Paramount Theatre rescues historic light fixtures by Julia Meek published February 1, 2017 on WBOI.org.

Schaltenbrand, Wayne

Veteran of Fort Wayne's acting scene died September 28, 2012. Born in Sunbury, Pa., he graduated from high school in Delmar, Md., in 1962. He went to Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1966. He received a master’s degree from Purdue in 1967 and soon afterward found work as a biochemistry researcher at the Fort Wayne State Developmental Center, according to his brother. From City acting community mourns loss of stage vet Schaltenbrand died before opening night October 01, 2012 by Archie Ingersoll of The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Scheele, Leonard Andrew

July 25, 1907 to January 8, 1993. The seventh Surgeon General of the United States, Scheele was appointed to the position by President Harry Truman in 1948 and also stayed in the role under President Dwight Eisenhower until 1956. Born in Fort Wayne in 1907, Scheele attended the University of Michigan and spent many years on the medical side of military locations. From 1943-1945 her earned the rank of lieutenant colonel and specialized in health-related governance in occupied territories with the Medical Department of the Army. After his time as surgeon general, Scheele traveled to Cuba on behalf of President John F. Kennedy during the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. He died in 1993 at the age of 85. Copied from FORT WAYNE FIVE: Important medical figures published with photo April 9, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. Leonard A. Scheele at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Buried in Arlington National Cemetery. See his Find A Gravememorial.

Scheibenberger, Kenneth Robert

Honorable Kenneth Robert Scheibenberger, 69, passed away on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. Born on Sunday, January 16, 1949, in Fort Wayne, he was a son of Robert G. Scheiben berger and Marilyn J. Rouch. He was a lifelong member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. A Fort Wayne native, Scheibenberger was a graduate of Concordia Lutheran High School and IPFW. He received his law degree from Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis and was a criminal defense attorney for Lebamoff Law Offices and a public defender before becoming a judge in Allen Superior Court from 1991 until 2010. He was a founder of the Allen County Drug Court. He was a founding member of the German Heritage Society and instrumental in creating a sister city releationship with Gera, Germany and was the President of Germanfest when he passed. He was survived by his wife of 46 years, Susan G. Scheibenberger; daughter, Abigail (John) Heidenreich; daughter-in-law, Elizabeth (Zachary) Walker; grandchildren, Juliet Gayle Walker, Jaeger Kenneth Heidenreich, and Veronica Ann Walker; sisters, Melinda Smith, and Laura Hillyard; brother, Timothy (Rena) Scheibenberger. He was also preceded in death by his son, Samuel R. Scheibenberger; and daughter, Kathryn E. Scheibenberger. See his Legacy.com obituary and Kenneth Scheibenberger, former Allen Superior Court judge, dies by Kevin Leininger published April 18, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.

Schele, George Adolf

1881-1932, see photo at Sinclair Refining Company gasoline station on corner of Broadway and Taylor around 1930 in Photo Album on The Indiana Album and same photo with discussion May 16, 2017 onthe original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.

Schimmele, Dr. Ralph George

Born July 30, 1924 in Fort Wayne, he died at age 78 August 11, 2002 in Fort Wayne. He was survived by his wife, Joanne of Ft. Wayne; two sons, Dr. Paul R. Schimmele of St. Louis, MO and Dr. Steven R. Schimmele of Ft. Wayne; three daughters, Mary Ann Fleisher of Ackworth, GA, Janet Schimmele of Park Rapids, MN and Kay E. Cuny of Indianapolis, IN; ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; preceded in death by one brother, Glenn Schimmele and one sister, Delores M. Floering. Copied from his online obituary. He developed the first dental auxiliary program at IPFW and retired as professor emeritus of dental auxiliary education. He was recipient of the 1990 Ralph E. Broyles Medal and the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1970. He received his degree from Indiana University (D.D.S., 1952). Copied from Schimmele, Ralph G. from the University Archives. See his photo Ralph Schimmele, 1965 at IUPUI.org and Find A Gravepage.

Schmidt, Vivian Goodrich

80, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, died Sunday, January 17, 2016, of natural causes. Born October 14, 1935, in East Orange, N.J. (with her identical twin sister, Mary), she was a daughter of Laurence B. and Lois S. Goodrich. In 1971, she became the second woman to be elected to the Fort Wayne City Council. In 1980, she was elected by her peers to serve as Council President. She served as Councilwoman-at-Large for 10 years, until she and Bill moved to St. Louis in 1982. See Honoring Memories or FortWayne.com obituary. See also Leadership icons Schmidt, Helmke set public service example Editorial published January 23, 2016 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Schipper, Joshua

1. Facebook, Fort Wayne Road Commission - FWRC
2. Crossroads of History: Strolling through Fort Wayne's Parks Paperback – November 22, 2022 by Joshua Schipper (Author), Lydia Reuille (Editor) on Amazon.com. 22-year-old history author Joshua Schipper has released a new book that dissects the history and names of each of the 87 city parks in Fort Wayne. ... Schipper’s research made an impact on one particular park well before the book’s online release. After analyzing old newspaper clippings and the gravestones of the donors, he realized that Sieling Park had been misspelled as “Seiling” for around 60 years. After presenting his evidence to the Parks and Recreation Department, the park signage soon changed to reflect the correct spelling. Copied from Strolling Through Fort Wayne’s Parks December 5, 2022 book review by The Waynedale News.com Staff. Was posted December 12, 2022 by The Waynedale News on Facebook.
3. Crossroads of History: Paving through Fort Wayne's Streets Paperback – August 8, 2020 by Joshua Schipper (Author), Sara Fiedelholtz (Editor)
4. Joshua L. Schipper at Muck Rack, as seen in: Catholic News Service, Arlington Catholic Herald, Catholic Review, Video/Digital Content/Graphic Design Producer at Today's Catholic: Today's Catholic, Freelance Reporter: Input Fort Wayne, WhatzUp, NWI Catholic.
5. Fort Wayne author writes book on every park in the city by Lydia Reuille, posted Dec 18, 2022 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15.

Schirmeyer

1. Leo Schirmeyer obituary CLIPPED FROM Fort Wayne Daily News Fort Wayne, Indiana 01 Apr 1916, Sat • Page 14 mvsmyth23 Member Photo CLIPPED BY mvsmyth23 • 05 Dec 2016 on Newspapers.com.
2. Son Ralph built houses after World War II. An article RALPH L. SHIRMEYER, INC. v. INDIANA REVENUE BOARD ET AL on JUSTIA US Law.
3. Louis Schirmeyer raises pigeons CLIPPED FROM The Fort Wayne Sentinel Fort Wayne, Indiana 09 Sep 1916, Sat • Page 3 mvsmyth23 Member Photo CLIPPED BY mvsmyth23 • 05 Dec 2016 on Newspapers.com.

Schmitz, Charles

Born November 24, 1809 in Borlogh, Germany. One of Fort Wayne’s first physicians, with his wife Henrietta came to Fort Wayne from Germany in 1837. She was born January 13, 1809 and died September 3, 1889 in Massachusetts. They bought property in 1839 and built their house in 1840. In 1866, he subdivided the property for the building of storefronts; a source of rental income for the Schmitz’s. He died March 10, 1887, his wife Henrietta Schmitz then commissioned architect Frank B. Kendrick to build the Schmitz Block on Calhoun Street in 1888. See Schmitz Block for more information. They are buried in Lindenwood Cemetery. See Dr. Charles Carl Schmitz and C Henrika Schmitz and their children: Charles Florence Schmitz 1842-1883, Lisette Schmitz Biewend 1846-1922, Caroline S. Schmitz Douglass 1846-1929 on Find A Grave.

Schrantz, Miss Virginia

1927-1998, see her photo and some information on her Find A Grave memorial. Philanthropist and founder of the Miss Virginia Mission House at 1312 Hanna St. Miss Virginia Memorial Parkway was named in her honor in 2015. Seventeen years after her death, Miss Virginia’s work was recognized when the Fort Wayne Board of Public Works approved a request to designate a portion of Hanna Street the "Miss Virginia Memorial Parkway" shown on Google map. The four-block portion of Hanna Street is between Lewis and Hayden streets just southwest of downtown. Coped from Part of Hanna Street to be named after Miss Virginia published June 3, 2015 and Street dedicated to woman who left mark of kindness published June 4, 2015 both by Dave Gong in The Journal Gazette newspaper. Miss Virginia was of the Catholic religion. Priests would often visit her home, however, religion played no part in who she welcomed into her home and she welcomed all who came. She dedicated her life to helping others. Her work was recognized by Mother Theresa in 1982. Copied from and where you can read more in MISS VIRGINIA – VOICE OF THE TOWNSHIP by Richard A. Stevenson Wayne Township Trustee, published December 20, 2013 in The Waynedale News.com. For more than 40 years, Virginia "Miss Virginia" Schrantz served Fort Wayne’s inner-city poor, leaving a lasting mark on the lives she touched. Her former home at 1312 South Hanna Street, on the corner of Hugh and Francis Streets, once known as Miss Virginia’s Mission House, is still operating as Miss Virginia’s Food Pantry, missvirginiafoodpantry.com, providing food to needy residents from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The pantry’s suppliers include Tim Didier Meats, the Community Harvest Food Bank and the St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen, among others. She was discussed June 26, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook. Miss Virginia’s dream still growing as garden takes root by Bethany Beebe published July 26, 2022 in Today's Catholic.

Schwartz, Doug

Schwartz retired from the Air Force Reserve on Saturday after 35 years of service. He had been the commander of the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base north of Kokomo since June 2014, leading the largest aerial refueling unit in the Air Force Reserve command. Copied from From Fort Wayne to the sky: Col. Doug Schwartz retires from Air Force Reserve by Douglas Hay published May 16, 2016 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.

Schwartz, Harold

1896-1984, Greenlawn Cemetery, Harold and his brother Clifford Schwartz were featured with photo in a WWI Fort Wayne News newspaper article, WWI Vet gets grave marker 3 decades later published May 27, 2017 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15.

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Scott, Blanche Stuart

Newspapers.com clipping

Newspapers.com clipping

On Saturday, October 23, 1910, Miss Blanche Stuart Scott  flying in the air above Driving Park, became the first woman in America to make a solo public flight by airplane.

1. Fort Wayne 1910 on Blanche Stuart Scott 1st American Woman Pilot blog, Fort Wayne Driving Park by Mark Meyer published February 11, 2013 on the History Center Notes & Queries blog
2. The amazing flying Miss Blanche Scott by Richard Battin published October 19, 1994 in the SUMMIT CITY HISTORY NOTES inCityscapes - People & Places series of articles from the archives of The News-Sentinel newspaper.
3. Photos at BLANCHE STUART SCOTT 1885-1970 AKA Blanche Stuart 'Betty' Scott on earlyaviators.com. Before Amelia, there was Blanche by Carmen Doyle published January 14, 2014 on History Center Notes & Queries blog.
4. Tomboy Of The Air by Yael Ksander posted April 25, 2011 on Moment of Indiana History.
5. The Tomboy of the Air by Elizabeth Borja posted on October 23, 2011 on Archives Division of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum blog.

Scott, Donald G.

91, born September 25, 1917 in Galveston, Indiana, passed away Saturday, December 27, 2008 at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. He was founder of Scott's Food Stores in 1954, eventually with 18 stores and 4,300 associates. He married Rose Botts in 1980, they had two daughters, Cheryl Scott (Tina Taviano) of Fort Wayne and Lee Scott of Venice, CA; one grandson, Chris (Emily) Irmscher of St. Charles, IL; two granddaughters, "T" Irmscher of Fort Wayne, and Ariel Hassman of Venice CA; three great-grandchildren; three step-daughters, Joan (Gary) McVoy of Fort Wayne, Linda (Tony) DeBenedetto of Jacksonville, FL, and Dianne Peterson of Fort Wayne; six step-grandchildren; seven step-great-grandchildren. Read more from his December 28, 2008 D.O. McComb and Sons obituary and Indiana grocer Don Scott dies at 91 published January 15, 2009 on The Produce News website.

Scott, Lewis Everett  

November 19, 1892 – November 2, 1960, born in Bluffton, Indiana. He had two brothers and a sister. His father, Lewis, had moved to Bluffton from Warren, Indiana, shortly before Everett's birth. Lewis' brother, Frame, had been a baseball player when he was younger. Scott attended Bluffton High School, where he played for the school's baseball and basketball teams. He graduated in 1909. Scott married his high school sweetheart, Gladys Watt, in 1912. Nicknamed "Deacon", was an American professional baseball player. A shortstop, Scott played in Major League Baseball for 12 seasons as a member of the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds, from 1914 through 1926. After retiring from baseball, Scott became a professional bowler and owned bowling alleys. He died in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the age of 67. He was posthumously inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame and Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. Copied from Everett Scott on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopediawhich has much more sports information. Scott was named the fourth-best athlete from TOP 50 Northeast Indiana's Top 50 Athletes of the 20th Century by The News-Sentinel newspaper. Discussed November 28, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

Seaney, John Willard

The Seaney Fountain was erected in 1899 and destroyed in 1906 from a newspaper article "Horse Plunged Into the Fountain Monument and Broke it Into a Dozen Pieces" - "smashing the whole thing beyond repair" according to Find-A-Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=79268786.

Seaney, Thomas L.

IN PICTURES: WORKING ON THE NICKEL PLATE ROAD by Betsy Cantwell story with photos about her grandfather who worked 60 plus years for the Nickel Plate Railroad in Fort Wayne published November 3, 2017 on GoRail.org.

Sebring, Blake

Remembering Not to Forget - A Story of Fort Wayne's Sports History by Chris Treft June 24, 2014 on YouTube
A Short Documentary film about Fort Wayne Sport's history and the city's neglect of our great sport's past. Watch and see if you know all the great sporting events that have happened in Fort Wayne or were done by a Fort Wayne native. Blake Seabring and Kaleigh Schrock talk about how they think the city's sport's past should be remembered. This is a film by myself, Chris Treft, for which I completed it in his Memory, Culture and Identity graduate class at IPFW for my final project. To see more of my films and work as an aspiring sports broadcaster please visit my website ChrisTreftBroadcasting.com

News-Sentinel sports writer, Blake Sebring's ISSA Hall of Fame speech News-Sentinel sportswriter inducted Sunday by Blake Sebring published April 13, 2015 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.

NS Series: Fort Wayne's All-Time Greatest Athletes links to the Greatest Baseball, Football, and Basketball players at The News-Sentinel newspaper

1. About Blake Sebring at The News-Sentinel newspaper states: Tailing the Komets. Blake Sebring has covered the Fort Wayne Komets for 25 years, covering more than 1,400 games, and is one of only four men to ever cover the team for The News-Sentinel. Besides legendary sports editor Bud Gallmeier's 35 years, no one in newspapers has covered the Komets longer. He was inducted into the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscaster Hall of Fame in April 2015. He is also the author of seven books, including ``Tales of the Komets,'' ``Legends of the Komets" and ``Live From Radio Rinkside: The Bob Chase Story.''
2. Books by Blake Sebring at thriftbooks.com.
3. Blake Sebring talks about book "Fort Wayne Sports History'' The News-Sentinel published on May 21, 2013 YouTube.
4. Fort Wayne Sports History Paperback – July 3, 2013 at Amazon.comis one of his book and Fort Wayne Sports History Facebook page of the same name posting highlights from the book. He has some items in our Baseball section. Amazon states: What would a Fort Wayne Sports Hall of Fame look like and who would it include? The author draws on a lifetime of knowledge – and plenty of research – to tell stories of famous sports figures from the Fort Wayne area and of memorable local events which had major influences on national and international sports. Local athletes have affected almost every level of amateur and professional sport, and many landed in their sports' halls of fame. The city itself has impacted the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup, the Sullivan Award, the Olympics, NCAA championships, the French Open, NASCAR, the World Series, the NBA, the PGA, the LPGA, the Indy 500 and the World Cup along with numerous national and world championships. Rod Woodson, Bernard Pollard, DaMarcus Beasley, Lloy Ball, Mike Emrick, Eric Wedge, Jarrod Parker, Deshaun Thomas, Cathy Gerring, Tyler Eifert, Anthony Spencer, Jason Baker, Chris Schenkel, DeDee Nathan and Jason Fabini are some of the people who have represented their sport and the city of Fort Wayne. This book contains their stories – nuggets of sports history – in a calendar format that is easy to search by month and day, or simply enjoy reading cover to cover.
5. Sebring joins PFW media relations team as News Center director posted 10/06/22 at PFW.edu.
6. Eyes Toward Heaven: A physically challenged woman's visits with Jesus Paperback – November 20, 2022 by Blake Sebring (Author), Melody Foreman (Editor) at Amazon.com stated: Since she was diagnosed at age 4 with a degenerative neurological disorder, Tonia Graber has been confined to a wheelchair. She has limited use of her limbs and has undergone more than 100 surgeries and medical procedures. Though she has full cognitive abilities, constant spasms and tremors mean she can utter only one or sometimes two words at a time. But for more than three years, Tonia has experienced visions of heaven, regularly visiting with Jesus, talking with angels and receiving keys and gems. Besides telling her she will be healed and will walk again, the consistent messages are “Jesus is coming back soon,” and “Tell everyone everywhere.” Remarkably, Tonia can talk with some normalcy during her visions, of which her parents have documented more than 1,600. During these interludes with Jesus, Tonia walks, runs and leaps in fields of long grass, rows across a lake to eat fish and is told to prepare herself to become a worldwide missionary. “I ready! I go!” she always responds. As the experiences have progressed, Tonia has had visions in heaven and several places on earth, often seeing angels throughout her daily life.

Blake Sebring Releases Fort Wayne Sports History Book 2 minute video posted June 19, 2013 by WANE 15 News on YouTube

Fort Report 06 23 13 30 minute video posted June 22, 2013 by The News-Sentinel on YouTube
Kevin Leininger interviews News-Sentinel sportwriter Blake Sebring, who will discuss his lastest book, "Fort Wayne Sports Hiistory," and the Komets.

See, Wong

May 3, 2023 post by The History Center on Facebook:

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we share the story of a woman commonly referred to by Fort Wayne residents of the early 20th century as “Mrs. Long Jim.” Wong See came to Fort Wayne from China in spring 1902. Her arrival was much anticipated in the city, and it was widely reported in the local newspapers. She was said to be the first Chinese woman to reside in Fort Wayne.

Wong See married a man called “Long Jim,” a common nickname of the period for someone of tall stature, whose real name was most often given as Jim Wah. Jim was a well-respected laundryman and merchant in Fort Wayne. He arrived here in the late 19th century and quickly made a name for himself as a prominent businessman and one of the proprietors of Wah Kee, a laundry and imported goods shop. While he was not the first Chinese man to reside in the city, he was certainly one of the most successful and well-liked, and he boasted a number of friends in the community.

In 1897, Jim Wah’s parents wrote to inform him that they had chosen a woman for him to marry. Jim explained to his Fort Wayne friends that his upcoming marriage was arranged by his and his bride-to-be’s parents. He left Fort Wayne for China in December 1897 with intent to marry. After spending a few years with his new wife in China, the couple arrived in Fort Wayne. Jim resumed his work and Wong See would “…enjoy the distinction of being the first Chinese woman in Fort Wayne.” Rumor spread that the pair had a baby as well, but this was proven incorrect upon their arrival. “Mr. and Mrs. Long Jim” made their home in the apartment above the laundry on West Wayne.

Wong See’s name was only mentioned in one article. Her age was given as 23 years, making her assumed birth year 1879. The papers spoke of her beauty and claimed that Jim was incredibly proud to have introduced his wife to Fort Wayne. Wong See did not speak English upon her arrival, but her intelligence and eagerness to learn proved that this would soon change. She settled into life in Fort Wayne, attended church, sported American fashions, and became a familiar face in the city.

Unfortunately, after her arrival there is almost no further mention of Wong See’s life. She and her husband moved to New Castle, Indiana around 1904, where hardly two years later Jim passed away after a sudden illness. After her husband’s death, Wong See’s name vanished from the historical record. Further research is being done to find out what became of Fort Wayne’s first Chinese woman resident, but as of now, her fate remains elusive. #sociallyhistory

Setser, Cliff

83, began racing in 1948, driving everything from dirt cars to asphalt and late models. Fort Wayne Racing Legend Cliff Setser Dies At 83 (NBC33 VIDEO) by Kent Hormann - NBC33 published June 9, 2014 on Indiana NewsCenter.

Seyfert, Charles

See Legendary Locals of Fort Wayne, by Randolph L. Harter, Craig S. Leonard discussion August 10, 2015 on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group.

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. Copied from Seyferts Company History at www.Troyer Farms.com of Waterford, Pennsylvania. This almost word for word an article written by Dawn Lisa Putt wrote for the Kokomo Tribune on page 9, 1989.

Shaffer, Paul

November 8, 2015, born on a farm near Rockford, Ohio, began work at Fort Wayne National in 1952 rising to chairman and CEO. He was survived by his wife, Dorothy; daughter, Paula K. McCallister; and daughter, Patti L. Shaffer. See his November 12, 2015 obituary. Longtime leader of city bank dies Paul Shaffer, 89,active on boards, civic ventures by Frank Gray published November 12, 2015 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Shambaugh, Max P.

June 16, 1922-August 2, 2015, from his August 2, 2015 D.O. McComb and Sons obituaryobituary. He joined his father Roscoe in the Shambaugh and Son construction business for almost 50 years. He was joined in 1976 by his son Mark whereupon they further grew the business into a nationally recognized firm and the third largest of their type in the US. He was a son of Roscoe and Goldie Shambaugh and had two brothers, Bob and Gene, also deceased. Wife Sylvia, children Mark P Shambaugh, along with wife Sandie Shambaugh (Ruich), Cynthia Armbruster (Shambaugh) and husband Greg Armbruster and Rebecca Shambaugh; grandchildren Morgen , Madison, Sierra Shambaugh, and Nicole and Bryce Armbruster. Former councilman, businessman dies at home by Rebecca S. Green published August 4, 2015 on The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Share, Chuck

85, died June 7, 2012, Fort Wayne Pistons basketball player.

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Sheik - Shiek - Schick, William

Some information is at Ancestry.com in their collection of family trees. The name changes frequently. One birth certificate says Shiek, but most of the family records have been Sheik. Most recently found information is under Schick which may be the correct spelling from Germany.

The Sheik family migrated from Germany about 1833 to Hocking County, Ohio and then moved to Paulding County, Ohio. Bertha Kline wife of William Sheik was the granddaughter of John Tanner who sold them his farm in Paulding County, Ohio and then he moved into Haviland, Ohio when he retired from farming. Upon the death of William Sheik, the farm was sold and Bertha moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Elmer Short and family migrated to Van Wert County, Ohio from Foosland, Illinois where my father was born. Grandfather Elmer Short son of John Short and Maria Phillip Alexander began in Salem, Washington County, Indiana and migrated to Leroy, Illinois. My grandfather Elmer Short married Iva Wolf and they lived in Foosland, Illinois. Upon the death of my grandmother, Iva, my grandfather remarried and the family moved to Van Wert County, Ohio to farm. I'm not sure if the original farm land remains in the family, but a descendent of the family is still farming there. I have found that the Short family name was originally Schwartz and that they came to America from Germany aboard the "Friendship" in 1727. Have not been able to confirm when the name changed.

Some information was sent to Decatur, Illinois ... mostly on the Short Family and is on file there only.

William Shiek was my grandfather on my mothers side and Elmer Short was my grandfather on my fathers side of the family tree. The Shiek family farmed in Paulding County, Ohio and the Short family farmed in VanWert Count, Ohio.

Submitted prior to 2009, by Debi Short Baney debi@locl.net

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Shelton, Parker

Karate Fighter and Instructor Died September 28, 2012. Since the 1960s, the Pineville, Kentucky, native ran karate and judo schools around the city. From 1972 to 1974 he was the nation's No. 1-ranked karate fighter, traveling to Europe, Japan and Korea. Read his story Champion won’t quit in the fight for his life on FortWayne.com September 11, 2012. Also, Longtime pals Terry Pembroke, Parker Shelton fighting cancer together For nearly half a century, they've taken on all comers by Blake Sebring of The News-Sentinel newspaper September 25, 2012. Fort Wayne martial arts grand master Parker Shelton passes World-renowned karate and judo master was 72 by Blake Sebring of The News-Sentinel on September 28, 2012. See his obituary.

Shields, Jim

Founded WaterFurnace in 1983, then sold in 2014 to Swedish company NIBE Industrier AB. A 26-year member of Memorial Coliseum's board of trustees, Shields stuck up for local taxpayers. Was inducted into the Greater Fort Wayne Business Hall of Fame in 2009 as a laureate. See Jim Shields, businessman and philanthropist, dies at 93 by Sherry Slater published August 2, 2017 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Shine, Steven R.

Discussed in Legendary Locals of Fort Wayne, by Randolph L. Harter, Craig S. Leonard August 5, 2015 on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group.

Shoaff, John

clipping image

1916, October 25, Many Changes in Few Years John Shoaff is Rip Van Winkle of Photography in Fort Wayne. Clipped from Fort Wayne Weekly Sentinel. 25 Oct 1916, Wednesday, page 1. Clipped by bozbooks on 28 Jul 2016. 

Shondell, Troy

Born Gary Wayne Schelton, May 14, 1939, Fort Wayne, Indiana, he died January 7, 2016 at a nursing facility in Picayune, Mississippi. From his Gary Wayne Schelton Legacy.com obituary. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Schelton, Sr. and Virginia Curley Schelton; and his brother, Robert Schelton, Jr., his wife, Trina McClendon Schelton; his children, Laura Schelton, Lucinda (Rob) Horel, Brad (Amy) Schelton, and Gary (Heidi) Schelton; his step children, Tammy (Dale) Purvis, Teresa (Jay) Shugart, Ty (Sandy) Gill, and Jamin (Mandy) Seal; 23 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren; and his sister, Beverly Hudson. Copied from his Gary Wayne Schelton obituary at the McDonald Funeral Home of Picayune, Mississippi. A 1957 graduate of Elmhurst High School, a teenage rockabilly and country music artist, his 1961 song "Kissin' at the Drive-In" became popular at drive-in movie theaters. His first song was record by Little Anthony and the Imperials. Troy sold over 3 million records including a million sales of his gold record "This Time" from Troy Shondell on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Singer Troy Shondell, Singer of 'This Time,' Dies at Age 76 by the Associated Press published January 8, 2016 on Abcnews.go.com. Photo and discussion March 29, 2017, December 6, 2018, April 4, 2019 and Shondell keyword search on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook. Troy Shondell - Dream Lover by John1948ThirteenA published on Oct 21, 2009 YouTube. Various photos were posted May 25, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.

Shriner, Herb

A comedian, he was born in Toledo, Ohio on May 28, 1918, he died April 23, 1970 in an auto wreck and is buried in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was the son of Edith Rockwell and Peter Schriner, a tomb stone engraver. His mother left his father and they moved to the Fort Wayne area as a toddler. He learned to play the harmonica as a grade-schooler, played the harmonica in a music store window when he was a high school junior, formed a quintet, then expanded it to an octet and the eight made frequent local appearances. He then left the group and performed on his own. One night his lip gave out and he was stuck with time to fill so he told homespun stories. The comedy routines became more popular than his harmonica playing and he began entertaining audiences with tales of a fictional Hoosier hometown. In 1940, NBC picked up on his talents and booked him for occasional radio appearances. He became host of the television series, "Two for the Money" from 1952 to 1956, and host of "The Herb Shriner Show" from 1949 to 1956. He also appeared on several episodes of other television programs mentioned in the articles below:

1. Herb Shriner and Wife Killed in Crash in Florida references his Indiana drawl published April 25, 1970 in a Special to the New York Times
2. Discussed September 30, 2018 in post by Indiana Historical Bureau on Facebookwith link to this article in Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History, Winter 2004, Volume 16, Number 1, pages 16-27.
3. Herb Shriner on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
4. Herb Shriner made 'Indiana' his own by Jim Willard published November 13, 2014.
5. Find A Grave page.

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Lillian Florence Shuler

Born August 2, 1911 in Fort Wayne to Charles Shuler and Eva Nellie Holden. See Jane Hunter Hodgson Project page for more information.

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William Reed Shuler

Born Decemeber 2, 1915 in Fort Wayne to Charles Wesley Shuler and Eva Nellie Holden Hunter Shuler. See Jane Hunter Hodgson Project page for more information.

Shupe, Anson

Born January 21, 1948 in Buffalo, New York to Anson D. Shupe and Elizabeth Frances (Joslin) Shupe, died May 4, 2015 in Bloomington, Indiana. Was chair of the sociology department at IPFW, Anson Shupe, IPFW prof, dies Wrote 30 books, many on religion by Frank Gray published May 8, 2015 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. See Dr. Anson "Andy" Shupe May 4, 2015 obituaryat Allen Funeral Home and Crematory.

Siemer, John - Engineer John

89, died September 18, 2011. Was on day time television WKJG Channel 33 five days a week for 17 years, from 1953-1971, hosting The Cartoon Express later renamed The Engineer John Show. ‘Engineer John,' 87, recalls pioneering days of television – unscripted and live December 22, 2009 by Emma Downs of The Journal Gazette. Local TV Icon Engineer John Passes On by Scott Sarvay and Jeff Neumeyer September 20, 2011 of Indiana NewsCenter. Find-A-Grave has his Klaehn, Fahl, Melton Funeral Home obituary with family photos and photo, Local children's show host dies September 20, 2011 by Dominic Adams of the Journal Gazette. Photo and discussion December 24, 2012 onthe original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook. Photo and discussion January 7, 2014 on Vintage Fort Wayne closed group on Facebookthen posted January 26, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook. Discussed July 27, 2015 on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group. Photo posted August 22, 2016 by The History Centeron Facebook. Photo and discussion September 10, 2016, December 18, 2016, February 2, 2017, May 31, 2017, August 8, 2017, October 12, 2017 and Name Search on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

Sievers, Bob

1917- Mr WOWO for over 50 years, died September 3, 2007, hosted the early morning Little Red Barn program on WOWO radio followed by his own show from 7 to 10am. The Bob Sievers Show on the 50,000-watt station was one of the highest rated morning programs in the country for a number of years. He retired from WOWO in 1987, see his Bob Sievers biography at Indiana Broadcast Pioneers. Was a Legendary Locals of Fort Wayne, by Randolph L. Harter, Craig S. Leonard discussion August 27, 2015 on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group.

Sihler, Wilhelm

Professor Wilhelm Sihler: Founding Father of Lutheranism in America and First President of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana Lewis W. Spitz Concordia Theological Quarterly April 1999 Volume 63:2, pages 83-96.

Simon, Cosette

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Simon was a key city official and businesswoman, serving as city controller under Mayor Win Moses and as an executive with Lincoln National Corp. It was in her role as controller that she made history as the city’s first – and, so far, only – female mayor, albeit for only 11 days as interim mayor. Read the rest of the story Where are they now? Success follows former area newsmakers to their new locales Editorial page staff of The Journal Gazette January 6, 2013. Discussed July 24, 2015 in You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group.

Sims, Al

Al Sims, the coach with the most wins and championships in the Fort Wayne Komets' 61-year history, is retiring. ... Sims, who turned 60 on April 18, won five playoff championships in 10 years with the Komets and 503 games, including playoffs. Read more in Komets' coach Sims announces retirement He won five titles in 10 years in Fort Wayne May 13, 2013 by Blake Sebring of The News-Sentinel newspaper.

Sims, Lewis

Fort Wayne's first African-American bus driver. Read more on Driving social change: Fort Wayne’s pioneering African American bus drivers by Betsy Kachmar published February 24, 2016 in Frost Illustrated now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machineand CitiLink celebrates multigenerational tradition The wheels of history by Betsy Kachmar, assistant general manager for Citilink, published February 28, 2016 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Sims, Stephen

Allen County Superior Court judge and Allen County prosecutor from Sims leaves expansive legacy March 24, 2013 The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Sinks, John

John R. Sinks Jr., a Fort Wayne teacher and guidance counselor for 38 years and a state legislator for 32 years, died Dec. 8 in Pennsylvania, where his son’s family lives. He was 83. Sinks taught government at Elmhurst High School until his retirement in 1993, and he served 32 consecutive years in the Indiana House and Senate until his retirement in 1996. “He had a profound effect on a lot of people,” John Sinks III said. “My whole life I’ve run into people he’s impacted.” ... Born in Fort Wayne, the elder Sinks graduated from North Side High School and served in the Air Force during the Korean War. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and later earned a master’s degree in education from Ball State University. Read the rest of the story John Sinks dies; served 32 years in House, Senate by Dan Stockman of The Journal Gazette newspaper December 15, 2012 .

Sitko, Emil

Central High School Class of 1942. Several Fort Wayne athletes were champions in the All-American Football Conference (1946-1949) with the Cleveland Browns discussed April 26, 2018 with his biography posted by The History Centeron Facebook.

Slattery, Marmaduke M. M.

Page 323 shows M. M. M. Slattery in Western electrician Publication date 1887 on Archive.org

M. M.M.Slattery. Marmaduke M.M.Slattery,whose portrait is herewith presented, died at his residence at Fort Wayne, Ind., Wednesday afternoon, December 15th. The deceased had been in poor health for two years, but had been able to attend to his business most of the time. He contracted a severe cold on Thanksgiving day and two days after was compelled to take to his bed. He failed rapidly, but on Wednesday he rallied and sat up for a time. During the afternoon he had a severe hemorrhage of the lungs and died in a few hours. On Saturday, December 17th, the funeral services were held at Fort Wayne and were attended by a large concourse of people. The employes of the Fort Wayne Electric company attended in a body, and several local organizations of which Mr. Slattery had been a member were represented. There were many floral offerings. There were few men in the electrical fraternity better known than "Duke" Slattery, as he was generally styled. He had a bright, engaging manner and was everywhere welcomed. He was an exceptionally entertaining after-dinner speaker and possessed considerable literary ability. In scientific circles Mr. Slattery held a prominent position as the inventor of a successful electric lighting system. Most of his work in this line was done in the West, but he was well known in electrical circles throughout the United States and in fact had gained some distinction before coming to this country. Mr. Slattery was born in the city of Limerick, Ireland, in 1851. He attended the schools of that city and prepared for college. He was graduated at Marlboro college, Marlboro, Eng., in 1873, and received his B. A. degree. After leaving college he was associated with St. George Lane-Fox in experimental work and was thoroughly equipped as an electrical engineer when he came to this country in January, 1S80. He entered the service of the United States Electric Lighting company at New York and did valuable work in the engineering department of that company. He was prominent in the organization of the Sun Electric company of Boston. In 1887 he moved to Fort Wayne, Ind., where he developed his alternating current system of electric lighting, which was his most notable achievement. At the lime of bis death he was connected with the Fort Wayne Electric company, which manufactured his apparatus During the last few years he devoted considerable attention to the development of the storage battery and made many valuable improvements in that line. In Masonic circles Mr. Slattery was a prominent figure. He was a member of the Indiana consistory of Scottish Rite Masons and had received the thirty-second degree. He was also a Mystic Shriner and expresident of the Shrine club of Fort Wayne. At the time of his death he was valiant grand master of ceremonies in Darius Council, Princes of Jerusalem. In the Fort Wayne lodge of Elks the deceased also too't an active interest. Mr. Slattery was a member of the Chicago Electric club and the Society of Aits of Boston.

Slattery Alternating Current Dynamo Vol. V December 21, 1889 No. 25 Western electrician Publication date 1887 on Archive.org

1. Listed in the ACGSI - Allen County Estate Index.
2. He is mentioned in Light of the world by Kevin Leininger --Dec. 19, 1982 from the archives of The News-Sentinel. Fort Wayne's first electric streetcar was developed in 1891 by Jenney chief engineer Marmaduke Slattery. Slattery's trolley was considered too expensive and unreliable, though, and the transit system returned to horses - for a year, at least. The city's streetcar system was finally electrified by Fort Wayne Electric in July 1892 at a cost of $100,000.
3. He is mentioned in Electrifying Christmas by Tom Castaldi, local historianposted May 24, 2016 on History Center Notes & Queries blog. During 1890s, Marmaduke Marcellus Slattery, an inventor working for Jenney Electric Company was experimenting with battery powered trolleys. Although a forward-thinking fellow tinkering with a technology whose time was yet to come, his experience was a little like Noah’s last dove sent from the Ark that full of energy never came back from somewhere in the “out there.” However, when Slattery sent his trial trolley out on a test run full of hope and vim, the battery drained of energy and the car failed to return.
4. He is mentioned in Transfer Corner by Tom Castaldi, local historianon ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage). By 1890, efforts to electrifying the street railways became important. Marmaduke Marcellus Slattery, an inventor at the Jenney Electric Light Co. who was highly interested in battery technology, focused on the possibility of powering trolleys by battery. He gave up the effort after a failed experiment; he managed to propel a trolley along the “Belt Line” but it did not quite make the entire run of it.
5. A Slattery Induction Meter along with lots of Fort Wayne meters are shown on the Meter Gallerypage and discussed under Fort Wayne Electric (1881-1915) at watthourmeters.com. Slattery Induction Meter (Single Phase) (1889-1892) Not much is known right now about this meter, but it was a lamp-hour meter to go with the electric system developed by Marmaduke Marcelus Michael Slattery (whew!) for the Fort Wayne Electric Company. This meter was designed and sold prior to Thomas Duncan's arrival at Fort Wayne, and was discontinued after Slattery passed away in 1892 (all the equipment he had developed was quickly discontinued in favor of better equipment developed by J. J. Wood and others at Fort Wayne). Photo: GE at Ft. Wayne: 110 Years.
6. In Western electrician an Electrical engineering publication. On page 38 July 20, 1889 The new factories of the Fort Wayne Jenney Electric Light company at Fort Wayne. Ind., will be formally opened the latter part of July. The structures are commodious and possess admirable facilities for electric manufacturing. The opening ceremony will take the form of a reception, to which the company's friends in Fort Wayne will be invited. Music and dancing will be the order of the evening. Mr. McDonald will have his phonograph on exhibition, and Mr. Slattery will give the guests an opportunity to test his electric tricycle.
7. M. M. M. Slattery's Electric Tricycle. M. M M. Slattery, of the Fort Wayne Jenney Electric Light company, now glides through the streets of Fort Wayne on an electric tricycle. The machine was built to order, and is so con- structed that it will stand rough usage. Current is supplied by 13 cells of storage battery which are placed in a box located under the saddle. A compact little motor gears on the axle of the rear wheels. The pedals are rlemoved so that the rider cannot work even if he should so desire. The machine with motor and cells, weighs ,525 pounds. The storage batteries are charged for a nine hours' run. Copied from page 27 Western electrician Publication Vol. V July 20, 1889 No. 3 on Archive.org.
8. Current affairs of the trike rider Other innovators in the infant field of electrical technology were attracted to Fort Wayne. The first to come was Marmaduke Marcellus Slattery, a wizard in generator and battery inventions. In the late 1880s, he regaled the folks of Fort Wayne with his motorized tricycle powered about town by "Slattery's Battery." In the field of electrical power, however, Slattery was better known as the father of the theory of alternating current (AC). Copied from CITYSCAPES City was home for many inventionsby Michael Hawfield from the archives of The News-Sentinel. Most references credit Nikolas Tesla as the father of alternating current. The War of the Currents: AC vs. DC Power November 18, 2014 at Department of Energy.
9. Item 7 Slattery electric tricycle at Getty Images is the same as the photo of Slattery electric tricycle, 1889 on autopuzzles.com which has not been confirmed as to original source.
10. Around the 50-second mark of the video Episode 174: Electricity by Granite Ridge Builders on YouTube mentioned Marmaduke Slattery as inventing an electric car showing an image labeled 1880 on a tricycle. Other sites show he was testing an electric trolley later in the 1880s. Their image looks like The electric tricycle of Gustave Trouvé on Paleo Energetique.
11. Every Hoosier is Justly Proud motorized vehicles in a non-searchable pdf at IN.gov.
12. Marmaduke M. M. Slattery on lamptech.uk said his obituary was on page 607 of the December 21, 1892 The Electrical Engineer. OBITUARY. The news is received of the death of Marmaduke M. M. Slattery, whose name is known generally throughout America in connection with the Fort Wayne system of lighting. He was born in Limecick, Ireland, in 1851, and was educated at Marlborough College, obtaining a B.A. degree in 1873. He was associated in the early days with Mr. Lane Fox in experimental work, and went to America at the time of the electric lighting boom in 1880. He joined one of the prominent New York companies, but afterwards went to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he developed the very successful alternating-current system which was associated with his name. Mr. Slattery had lately given much attention to storage battery work. He was greatly liked among the electrical fraternity, and, possessing considerable literary ability, was a well-known member of the Boston Society of Arts.
13. Marmaduke M. M. Slattery on Find A Grave.
14. Slattery, Marmaduke M. M. is listed several times in Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents By United States. Patent Office · 1888 as patentee under Index of Patents Issued as Woburn, Mass., assignor to Sun Electric Company of Maine on page 294 for both Fort Wayne and Woburn, Mass. on Google books. Same title Annual report of the Commissioner of Patents for the year .. 1888 on page 288 and Index on page 460 on Archive.org. Similar information on pages 111, 294, and 313 in 1887 Patents on Google books and pages 111, 294, 313, 472, 520, and 529 in 1887 book on Archive.org.
15. M. M. M. SLATTERY. ELECTRIC METER FOR ALTERNATE OURRENTS N0. 404,801. Patented June 4, 1889. at Google Patents.

Slavery

See our African-Americans People page and Underground Railroad section.

Whipped slave image on page 427 of the July 4, 1863 Harper's Weekly on Archive.org
This image titled: Gordon Under Medical Inspection was discussed in a December 2, 2022 post by The Library of Congress on Facebook stating: "Emancipation," starring Will Smith, arrives in theaters today. The film was inspired by a story published in Harper's Weekly magazine in 1863, the same year the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. The article featured illustrations (based on photographs) of a man identified as Gordon, who was said to have reached a Union Army encampment in Baton Rouge in March 1863 after escaping the custody of his enslaver in Mississippi and running for days on end. "In order to foil the scent of the bloodhounds who were chasing him he took from his plantation onions, which he carried in his pockets," the article states. "After crossing each creek or swamp he rubbed his body freely with these onions, and thus, no doubt frequently threw the dogs off the scent." The most widely circulated of these images, which shows the scarring on Gordon's back from being whipped, helped illustrate the brutality of slavery to the masses, which historians say fueled a growing public opposition to it. The article goes on to say that Gordon (sometimes referred to as Peter, Smith's character's name in the new film) later joined the Union Army himself. The film follows Peter's journey from his escape to his enlistment. There are many more Civil War-era photos & documents to explore in the Library's Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs (http://go.loc.gov/SPmN50LTQtw) & President Lincoln papers (http://go.loc.gov/1ULz50LTQtx).

Whipped Slave on SonoftheSouth was a helpful site finding this issue of Harper's Weekly.

1. December 10, 1802 - William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark expedition (and brother of George Rogers Clark), filed a document that released Ben McGee from enslavement.
2. December 28, 1802 elected representatives of the four counties that made up the Indiana Territory sent a petition to Congress at the behest of Territorial Governor William Henry Harrison. They requested changes to governing ordinances that they hoped would attract more settlers to the territory, setting it on the path to self-government and statehood. However, one of these requested enticements to white settlers was the temporary legalization of slavery. From a December 28, 2022 post by Indiana Historical Bureau on Facebook linking to the Mary Clark court ruling that ended indentured servitude in Indiana.
3. See May 12, 1820 Polly Strong Slavery marker
4. Indiana at 200 (22): Slavery Existed in ‘Free’ Indiana by Andrea Neal published April 7, 2014 on Indiana Policy.org.
5. A December 29, 2022 post by the Lincoln Collection on Facebook stated: From 1831 to 1865, William Lloyd Garrison, a white social reformer, produced the most widely circulated anti-slavery newspaper of the time titled “The Liberator.” A weekly publication of articles by both white and black abolitionists, male or female. This diversity of authorship and the newspaper’s radical ideas about immediate and uncompensated emancipation earned it very little popularity with white readers, attracting threats on Garrison’s life, as well as, a $5,000 bounty on his head in the state of Georgia. Garrison, who long condemned the U.S. government and constitution for upholding slavery, came to support Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and published his last issue of The Liberator in 1865 after the war had finished and the Thirteenth Amendment had finally been ratified. In his final issue, Garrison announced to his readers, “…my vocation as an abolitionist is ended.”
   1. The Liberator and Garrison at Lincoln Collection at the Allen County Public Library.
   2. THE LIBERATOR 56 pages in the NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE at the Smithsonian.com.
   3. Selections from The Liberator, William Lloyd Garrison’s Abolitionist Newspaper has a Site Directory by year and subject at TheLiberatorFiles.
   4. William Lloyd Garrison 1805 - 1879 Part 4 at Africans in America at WGBH-PBS.
6. Almost a Free State The Indiana Constitution of 1816 and the Problem of Slavery by Paul Finkleman published in the March 2015 Indiana Magazine of History. See Almost a Free State: The Indiana Constitution of 1816 and the Problem of Slavery Finkelman, P. (2015) from Almost a Free State: The Indiana Constitution of 1816 and the Problem of Slavery. Indiana Magazine of History. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/imh/article/view/23391 in Volume 111, Issue 1, March 2015 at Indiana Magazine of History journal in the archives at Indiana University Scholarworks.
7. The Indiana General Assembly (1815-1825): Statehood, Slavery, and Constitution-Drafting by Justin Clark published August 23, 2017 on the Indiana Historical Bureau blog shows lots of images and links to sources.
8. FUGITIVE SLAVES IN INDIANA: A STUDY IN NEWSPAPERS by Justin Clark published September 27, 2017 on Hoosier State Chronicles Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Programblog shows lots of images and links to sources including a map of underground railroad routes in Indiana to Michigan.
9. Indiana Historical Bureau: Slavery in Indiana Territory at IN.gov.
10. Indiana Historical Bureau: Indiana and Fugitive Slave Laws at IN.gov.
11. Indiana Historical Bureau: The Underground Railroad at IN.gov.
12. History of slavery in Indiana at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

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Slocum, Frances

1773-1847; was captured by Delaware braves in Pennsylvania when she was 5 years old. She was raised by a Delaware couple who settled in the Miami village of Kekionga near present day Fort Wayne, Indiana. The local Frances Slocum Elementary School was named for her at 2529 Curdes Avenue from 1926-1981. The area around the school is known as the Frances Slocum Neighborhood. See Frances Slocum by Tom Castaldi published February 2, 2016 on History Center Notes & Queries blogand Frances Slocum - A Legend at WikiMarion.org a site devoted to the history of Marion, Indiana and surrounding areas, written by students at Marion High School for the Community History Project. Frances Slocum is described as (March 4, 1773 – March 9, 1847) (Ma-con-na-quah, "Young Bear" or "Little Bear") was an adopted member of the Miami people. Slocum was born into a Quaker family that migrated from Warwick, Rhode Island, in 1777 to the Wyoming Valley in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. On November 2, 1778, when Slocum was five years old, she was captured by three Delaware warriors at the Slocum family farm near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Slocum was raised among the Delaware in what is now Ohio and Indiana. With her marriage to Shepoconah (Deaf Man), who later became a Miami chief, Slocum joined the Miami and took the name Maconaquah. She settled with her Miami family at Deaf Man's village along the Mississinewa River near Peru, Indiana. Copied from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Smalley, Susan

An active member of the field of behavioral genetics, Smalley grew up in Fort Wayne before heading off to the University of Michigan and then studying at UCLA and the the University of California. Over time working at UCLA after graduation, Smalley focused in on ADHD, where her lab produced more than 40 publications on the disorder. After being diagnosed with early state melanoma in 2002, Smalley went on to to found the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center and is the co-author of "Fully Present: The Science, Art and Practice of Mindfulness." She resides in Los Angeles with husband, Kevin Wall, another former Fort Wayne resident. Copied from FORT WAYNE FIVE: Important medical figures published with photo April 9, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. She has a Susan Smalley, Ph. D. website: www.suesmalley.com. Susan Smalley at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Smith, Arthur Roy “Bird Boy”

Aviator or writer? The Legacy of Fort Wayne’s Birdboy by Daniel Beals uploaded May 14, 2022 on YouTube
from the article Aviator or writer? The Legacy of Fort Wayne’s Birdboy by Daniel Beals published November 17, 2020 on ABC WPTA21.com TV station.

Namesake for Smith Field airport. He is buried in Lindenwood Cemetery, his obituary and tombstone photo are as Arthur Roy “Bird Boy” Smith on Find-A-Grave.

Photo of the Art Smith monument dedication at Memorial Park on August 13, 1928 was posted December 13, 2018 by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook and shared December 13, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. See photos from 1928, 1929 World War I Memorial Dedication, and 1930 Reports of Board of Park Commissioners posted May 4, 2017 by Hofer and Davis, Inc Land Surveyors on Facebook.

1. An April 4, 1917 Fort Wayne News newspaper article about raising a million dollars for an aeroplane factory and aviation school near San Francisco was posted April 3, 2017 on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.
2. Art Smith Birdboy Of Fort Wayne on Smithsonian National Museum of American History blog.
3. Art Smith, Birdboy by JoAnne P. Miller at Hillsdale County Historical Society.
4. The Smash-Up Kid: Fort Wayne Aviator Art Smith online in Air Mail Pioneers was originally published starting on page 26 in the Fall 1998, Volume 10, Number 4 issue of TRACES OF INDIANA & MIDWESTERN HISTORY, a publication of the Indiana Historical Society by Rachel Sherwood Roberts. The "Birdboy of Fort Wayne" once claimed to be the world's greatest flyer. He is credited with being the originator of skywriting and is one of the pioneers of the US Air Mail Service. In he was killed in 1926 in a plane crash. Excerpt was posted December 8, 2011 on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.
5. Flying High in Fort Wayne published February 2, 2011 on History Center Notes & Queries blog.
6. Indiana Aviator Pioneers page by Fort Wayne Allen County Airport Authority.
7. Photos on Early Aviators and Early Days 1905-1915.
8. The Collected Writings of Art Smith, The Bird Boy of Fort Wayne edited by Michael Martone published March 4, 2013 on The Brooklyn Rail.
9. Photos discussion March 10, 2014 on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.
10. Art Smith – The Life and Times of “The Comet” with photos published May 5, 2014 on The Old Motor.com.
11. The Spirit of Flight photo of memorial in Memorial Park with some history published October 13, 2014 by Daniel Baker-Photographer on Facebook.
12. Legendary Locals of Fort Wayne, by Randolph L. Harter, Craig S. Leonard discussion August 21, 2015 on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group.
13. 'Birdboy' memorial binds city to aviation heritage by Kerry Hubartt published April 29, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.

Art Smith and the Panama-Pacific International Exposition by Historyans uploaded July 18, 2011 on this 1915 YouTube

Smith, George A., Jr.

Born in Meridian, Mississippi - April 29, 2013, 69, longtime campaigner for civil rights. Wife of 51 years, Louise; a daughter, Ramona (Darrell) King; a son, Anthony Smith; a sister, Sylvia Bright; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives. Read more in Civil rights activist George Smith dies May 03, 2013 by Frank Gray and Julie Crothers of The Journal Gazette newspaper.

Smith, Jaylon

A Parade All-American and Indiana’s 2012 Mr. Football at Bishop Luers high school February 2013 signed national letter of intent to play for Notre Dame.Helped the Bishop Luers Knights win a fourth straight Class 2A High School state championship while playing outside linebacker and running back. The Bishop Luers linebacker wins two big awards on the same day – the Euell A. Wilson Award for the top athlete in the Summit Athletic Conference and the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top high school linebacker. Then, later in the week, the Indianapolis Star names him Mr. Football. From Decemeber 8, 2012 Weekly Scorecard on journalgazette.net. In the 20-year history of the Indiana Mr. Football award, there had never been a winner from northeast Indiana. That all changed Thursday when the sponsoring Indianapolis Star announced Bishop Luers senior Jaylon Smith had been named the 2012 Mr. Football. The honor, presented annually since 1992, is given to the state’s outstanding high school senior. Read the rest of the story Luers star grabs history, Mr. Football by Greg Jones December 7, 2012 Journal Gazette High school sports editor. Since 1985, the top college linebacker in the nation has received the award. In the last few years, the Butkus Foundation took over the award and since then Butkus has gone to the winner’s hometown, and often their homes, for the presentation. Read the rest of the story Butkus a ‘wow’ moment for Luers star by Greg Jones of the Journal Gazette December 16, 2012.

Smith, Julietta

Civil War nurse, she survived Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Died Oct 8th 1927 86 years old - Lindenwood from GAR Post in Fort Wayne, IN on GenForum. Eleven newspaper images published March 14, 2013 onthe original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.

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Snider, R. Nelson

Zac Bow image

Zac Bow posted his biography October 9, 2019 on the Lost Muncie (Delaware County, Indiana) Facebook page and it was then shared August 9, 2019 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook: Snider was born in 1898 in a log cabin located in DeSoto and graduated from DeSoto high school in 1914 at the age of 16. During the 1914-1915 school year, Snider took courses at the Muncie National Institute and in the following fall, taught at the rural Delaware Township 6 school house near DeSoto (all of which occurred before the Snider turned 18). Following a one year stint at this schoolhouse, Snider enrolled at Indiana State Normal School in Terre Haute for an additional year of schooling and then returned to Delaware County to teach at DeSoto Elementary (he was promoted to a high school position after one year). After two years at DeSoto, Snider enrolled at the newly formed Indiana State Normal School-Eastern Division, where he would graduate in 1922 with his B.A. As an aside, Snider taught (and coached basketball) at Eaton High School during his time at ISNS. Upon graduation, Snider moved to Fort Wayne to become principal at Jefferson School (becoming the youngest principal in the city as a result), followed by a short stint as principal at James H. Smart School. Finally, in 1926 at the age of 28, Snider became the principal of Fort Wayne Southside High School, a position he famously held for 37 years (retiring in 1963). In 1964—a mere year after his retirement— the R. Nelson Snider (Ft. Wayne Snider High School) High School opened on the northeast side of the city. Snider's basketball profile from 1922 is shown above from page 79 with his photo from page 33 in the Indiana State Normal School Eastern Division (founded in 1918, became Ball State University in 1965) in the Orient yearbook on Archive.org. Questa Education Foundation was Established in 1937 by R. Nelson Snider, principal of South Side High School, and later incorporated as the Fort Wayne Educational Foundation, Questa Education Foundation continues the tradition of providing affordable student loans and generous scholarships to support students in northeast Indiana as they pursue their first associate or bachelor’s degree. Copied from Questa Education Foundation About page. Sunday October 2, 2022 a special Questa Education Foundation insert was published by The Journal Gazette newspaper for their 85th anniversary.

Page 1, 1966 The safari yearbook by R. Nelson Snider High School (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Publication date 1966, an Archive.org.
See more Safari yearbooks on Archive.org.

Snyderman, Dr. Nancy

Grew up in Fort Wayne and graduated from South Side High School. In early 1990s was a medical correspondent for ABC’s “Good Morning America, ” and a health columnist for “Good Housingkeeping" magazine, then became NBC News Chief Medical Editor and Correspondent, see Nancy Snyderman to be quarantinedby the Associated Press published October 2, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. Her father Doctor Sanford Snyderman, Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist, was discussed July 17, 2017 in You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook. Their family home was discussed as Snyderman House destroyed by fire July 30, 2001 on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia and shown in photographs on 1970s modernism: Michael Graves-designed property in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA on WowHaus.co.uk and discussed November 28, 2017 on Vintage Fort Wayne closed group on Facebook.

Sollberger, John A.

There are two different photos labeled JOHN A. SOLLBERGER (1201) outside his salloon with his wife(?) and two children(?) and JOHN A. SOLLBERGER (1202) at the bar inside the saloon in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library with the description: John A. Sollberger in front of his tavern at 232 West Main Street in 1900 and 1901. The city directory lists his tavern at 916 West Main Street in 1902. His saloon probably never moved between 1901 and 1902 as local streets were renumbered in 1902 which is discussed on pages 6-7 of the 1902 City Directory and on our Streets of Fort Wayne page. See one photo and discussion May 10, 2019 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.

Solomon, Izler

A January 11, 2023 a post by Indiana Jewish Historical Society on Facebook stated:

"Izler Solomon (January 11, 1910 – December 6, 1987) was a Jewish American orchestra conductor, active mainly in the Midwest.

Career

Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Izler Solomon's first position as music director was from 1936 to 1941 with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. While there, he premiered more than 150 American works. Subsequently, he was music director of the Columbus Philharmonic Orchestra (1941–1949) and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (1956–1976). As a guest conductor, Solomon appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, and Indiana University Philharmonic Orchestra. His career was cut short by a stroke in 1976. He died in 1987 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

He made several respected recordings, including the world premiere of Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 2, with the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, and Jascha Heifetz as a soloist, in 1954."

Izler Solomon. (2022, January 11) on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Sorgen, Lester T.

Died April 25, 2017 of apparent heart attack. There were photos in Remembering fallen Fort Wayne firefighter by staff published May 1, 2017 on The News-Sentinel newspaper no longer online. Lester Sorgen announced off duty for the last time during funeral procession by Sam Buman published May 1, 2017 on ABC WPTA21.com TV stationnow on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

Souder, Mark

A Republican, Souder served the region in the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2010, serving eight terms. After winning a six-way GOP primary election in 1994, he defeated Democrat Jill Long amid a wave of other Republicans – known as the Class of ’94 – who were elected that year. Copied from Former Congressman Souder dies after cancer battle by Jim Chapman and Brett Stover published September 27, 2022, Mark Souder was not a predictable politician opinion by Sylvia A. Smith Sep 27, 2022, and Sagamore of the Wabash bestowed on Souder by Niki Kelly Mar 6, 2022, updated Jun 3, 2022 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. Locally, he will be remembered for his strong roots in Grabill, Indiana, his advocacy for federal funding for the Maplecrest Road bridge project, support for the National Park Service, and support for General Motors during the great recession. He saw early on the scourge of methamphetamine and worked to legislatively fight it. After his resignation, he did not seek personal gain but returned to a quiet life in Allen County. Copied from a longer post September 27, 2022 by Allen County INfo on Facebook. Mark Souder Google search results. Mark Souder on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Mark Souder obituary at Legacy.com and Fairhaven Funeral Home..

Spangler, Iva

Born on Valentine's Day February 14, 1898 on the family farm in Adams County, died in 1986. She was a teacher in a one-room schoolhousei in Decatur beofre moving to Fort Wayne to teach biology at Central High School and then biological sciences at Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne until 1976. In 1961 she wrote the Flowers of Pokagon: A Field Guide. Read a brief history Iva Spangler: Profile of an Early Park Naturalist by Terri Gorney on page 3 in the IMNature March-May 2018 Spring edition newsletter and page 7 in the Summer 2018 Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society newsletter.

Stahl, Charles Chick

See his Charles "Chick" Stahl Cleats at 200 @ 200 2016 Bicentennial items at The History Center. Born: January 10, 1873 Avilla; died: March 28, 1907 at West Baden Springs, IN. Charles Sylvester Stahl was born on January 10, 1873, in Avilla, Indiana, the sixth child of Reuben and Barbara (Stadtmiller) Stahl, Catholics of German descent. During his early childhood, his father supported the growing Stahl clan as a peddler, but in 1885 the family moved to Fort Wayne, where Reuben found work as a carpenter. In an 1898 interview, Charles reported that he had 23 siblings. “We had just enough in our family to make a couple nines – eighteen boys and half a dozen girls.” Copied from Chick Stahl a long article by Dennis Auger on Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).

He hit .354 as a rookie in 1897, had a lifetime batting average of .305, and helped lead Boston to the first World Series title in 1903. Fort Wayne’s Charles “Chick” Stahl could have been a Hall of Famer – if he didn’t die at the age of 34. Stahl was born in Avilla to a large Catholic family (wide-ranging accounts list him as one of nine children up to one of 24), but moved to Fort Wayne at the age of seven when his father, Reuben, relocated his carpentry business. After taking up baseball, Stahl signed his first professional contract in 1895 with Roanoke of the Virginia League. After advancing to Buffalo, Stahl got his shot at the majors in 1897 with the National League’s Boston Beaneaters, hitting .354 as a rookie. A star outfielder, Stahl played for the Beaneaters through 1900. Nicknamed “The Husky Hoosier” for his stocky 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame, Stahl was reportedly popular with fans for his strong play, earnest attitude, and good looks. While at spring training – which was held in Stahl’s home-state of Indiana at West Baden, Stahl committed suicide at the age of 34 by drinking carbolic acid. By many news accounts, his last words that day of March 28, 1907 were “It drove me to it.”While there was great speculation as to what Stahl’s final words referred to, his friend, David Murphy, committed suicide in Fort Wayne two days later also by drinking carbolic acid. A note left by Murphy reportedly wrote, “Bury me beside Chick.”Stahl, who was married just months before his suicide, left behind a wife named Julia who was murdered under suspicious circumstances in Boston a year and a half after Stahl’s death. Copied from a longer article with video Throwback Thursday: Chick Stahl is the Summit City’s forgotten star by Glenn Marini published April 16, 2020 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15. See also Chick Stahl on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Chick Stahl Great Talent 7 Tragedy on Celebrate Boston.com and the Chick Stahl Find A Gravepage for his burial site in Lindenwood Cemetery.

Stanczak, Ed

August 15, 1921 to May 30, 2004. Born to a family of Polish immigrants, was orphaned at an early age, the family was involved in the lucrative rum-running trade during the days of Prohibition running booze between Fort Wayne and Chicago. He played basketball at Central Catholic High School where they twice won the national Catholic high school basketball championship, with Ed named the MVP of the tournament. Eventually Ed joined a foundry in Fort Wayne that sponsored basketball and softball teams known as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons forerunner of the current Detroit Pistons franchise. In May 1950, Ed got a letter from coach Red Auerbach, asking him to play for the Boston Celtics, only four years old at the time. He played around 17 games in the 1951-’52 season before hanging up his sneakers. He returned to Fort Wayne, where he spent 32 years as a technical writer for the International Harvester agricultural equipment company. He and his wife then retired to the town of Alamo in south Texas, where he died in 2004. ... When you take a look at what he lived in ... He was raised in a garage and the only thing there was a coal stove. You had coal that you put there and that kept you warm. You did your cooking on it. They carried the water in from a well, went to the bathroom in an outhouse, and then you take a look at the world that he left in 2004. He saw the space shuttle, he saw the landings on the moon. Just amazing, Ed, Jr. said. Paraphrased from Former Celtic left treasure trove for surviving son March 18, 2009 by BJ Corbitt no longer online. Stats at Basketball-Reference.com.

Standish, Norman P.

Photographer, born in 1877 in Jackson, Michigan, reportedly opened a photo studio in downtown Fort Wayne in 1909, possibly at 115 1/2 W. Main St. or 113 W. Wayne St. Standish reportedly moved his studio the next year to 828 S. Calhoun St. and then in 1915 to 706 S. Calhoun St. he also opened and operated a photo studio near the carousel at Robison Park. Locally known for his 1913 Flood photos found in 1975 at his former home on Delaware Avenue as a well-preserved collection of glass-plate photo negatives in the attic. Read more at Fort Wayne photographer's legacy: A visual record of 1913 flood March 21, 2013 by Kevin Kilbane of The News-Sentinel newspaper.

Stavreti, Chris

Inducted into the Indiana Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1991. Considered by many to be the godfather of local high school baseball, legendary coach Chris Stavreti passed away on Friday. Stavreti was 73 years old. Last year, Stavreti was diagnosed with A.L.S, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.  He was the head coach for the Northrop baseball program from 1972-1997. Prior to his time at Northrop he coached at East Noble high school. Stavreti was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1991. He retired with a career record of 559 wins and 255 losses. Stavreti led Northrop to the 1983 state title. That team included current Seattle Mariners manager Eric Wedge. - Read the rest of the story Legendary Coach Stavreti Passes Away by Glenn Marini on WANE.com November 16, 2012. See also Beloved Northrop coach Chris Stavreti dies, leaving rich legacy November 17, 2012 and read about Chris Stavreti Field the baseball field at Northrup High School May 3, 2002: Field of dreams now has a name by Ben Smith in the Journal Gazette newspaper.

Stearns, John

One of three photographers who began The News-Sentinel's staff photo department in 1953, Longtime News-Sentinel photographer John Stearns dies at 86 by Bob Caylor published February 20, 2015 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. His wife, Janet, of Fort Wayne, sons David of Fort Wayne, John of Redmond, Wash.; and Steven of Dayton, Ohio; daughter Linda Johnson of Denver, Colo.; 13 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Steere, Allen Caruthers

A professor of rheumatology at Harvard, Steere is a leader in the study and identification of Lyme disease. Originally from Fort Wayne, Steere studied at Yale and, along with colleague Stephen Malawista, is credited with the discovery and naming of Lyme disease, a topic that he has published just under 200 scholarly articles about since 1977. While working at the Tufts School of Medicine in Massachusetts, Steere led the research effort for the vaccine Lymerix. Copied from FORT WAYNE FIVE: Important medical figures published with photo April 9, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. Allen Steere at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. His father was 102 year old Allen Caruthers Steere, Sr. August 13, 1908 – October 11, 2010 obituary at Klaehn, Fahl, Melton Funeral Home.

Steigerwald, Philemon A.

Channel 39 Past & Presents - History of Christmas in Fort Wayne published Oct 5, 2020 by Steigerwald Family Memories on YouTube
One of over 100 videos, this includes an interview with Phil

Born October 21, 1927, died January 15, 2004. He was owner/broker of Century 21 Fairfield, 5th District city councilman 1960s- 1970s, treasurer for the Allen County Republican Party, 40-year member and soloist at Plymouth Congregational Church and the 25 years at Achduth Vesholom Temple. He is perhaps best remembered as the locally famous Wolf & Dessauer Santa Claus from the 1950s through 1970s discussed on the Fort Wayne's Santa Claus on Child of the Fort blog. He first dressed up as Santa Claus in high school in 1942. He had three daughters, Marcia A. Steigerwald (R.J.Melton), Laura J. McCoy (Michael D.), Elizabeth L. Walker (Larry W.), all of Fort Wayne; a son, Philemon C. Steigerwald (Constance Martin) of Fort Wayne; grandchildren, Andrew M. McCoy, Matthew D. McCoy, Jonathan P. McCoy, Katherine L. Walker, Christine E. Walker, Emma P. Walker, Lauren L. Steigerwald, Amy N. Steigerwald, Meg. E. Steigerwald, Rebecca M. Martin, Charles P. Martin, all of Fort Wayne; a niece, Cheryl (John) Maxwell of Fort Wayne; a nephew, Mark (Chris) Wasson of Irving, Texas. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia L., in 1990. Copied from Philemon A. Steigerwald on his Fort Wayne Newspapers Legacy.com obituary.

1. See the Wolf & Dessauer section of our Places page.
2. He was in the South Side High School class of 1946, from the Famous Archer Alumni page now on Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
3. Santa Phil Steigerwald on the Notable Indiana Santas page of The Indiana Santa Claus Society web site. Used to have a separate page Phil Steigerwald Wolf and Dessauer’s Santa Fort Wayne, Indiana 1927 – 2004` with more photos now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
4. Page 94 in the book Legendary Locals of Fort Wayne, by Randolph L. Harter, Craig S. Leonard
5. Color photo of his suit is shown in Starting the Collection: Two Great Hoosiers! by Delia published December 17, 2015 at the The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
6. Christmas Lights - Wolf & Dessauer formerly at Wikispaces now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
7. His Parents wedding photo was in April 14, 1918 in The News-Sentinel newspaper in a March 6, 2014 discussion on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.
8. Discussed December 7, 2016 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook
9. July 22, 2015 discussion on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group.
10. Memories of Phil Steigerwald - Fort Wayne's Christmas Santa is a private Facebook group.
11. Philemon Steigerwald on Find A Grave.
12. KEVIN LEININGER: Longtime Fort Wayne Santa has been inducted into the Hall of Fame — and his name may surprise you posted December 6, 2018 on The News-Sentinel newspaper.
13. December 24, 2018 photos of his Santa Claus uniform, boots and more posted by The History Centeron Facebook stating: Visiting Santa Claus has been an ageless tradition for many residents of Fort Wayne. For local children in the 1950s through the 1970s, there was only one Santa worth visiting, and that was Phil Steigerwald. He began his professional “Santa” career in the early 1950s at the former Sears & Roebuck store on Rudisill Boulevard. By the mid-1950s, he had become the official Santa Claus at Wolf and Dessauer, W&D, the largest and most well-known department store in the area. The owners of W&D did Christmas big every year! Steigerwald’s performance as Santa Claus became very popular and as many as ten thousand children a week would visit him during the holiday season. Although Wolf and Dessauer was sold to L.S. Ayres in 1969, he served as Santa in the new store for several years. After leaving L.S. Ayres, Steigerwald continued to portray Santa at various functions, including the annual downtown lighting ceremony until 1985. Due to ill health, Steigerwald retired from his beloved Santa role in 1996. Today we share images of Fort Wayne’s favorite Santa, Phil Steigerwald; his full costume and other materials are on display at the museum through the end of the season. Happy Holidays from all of us at The History Center!

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Stein, Betty

Born December 10, 1916. A retired teacher, she was the first woman to serve as president of Congregation Achduth Vesholom, the city’s Reform Jewish congregation. She served as president of the Friends of the ACPL and president of the library’s building corporation. Her awards include the Sagamore of the Wabash, the Father Tom Light of Christ Award from St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the 2010 Tapestry Dedication Award and Fort Wayne Community Schools named its middle school speech contest trophy the Betty E. Stein Award. She received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Saint Francis in 2014.

1. At 100, longtime local educator, N-S columnist Betty Stein recalls a 'charmed life' Becoming a teacher was "one of the "most wonderful things" she has done by Kevin Kilbane originally published December 9, 2016 in The News-Sentinel newspaper now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
2. BETTY STEIN: Reminiscing leads to a column Fort Wayne — long ago posted November 28, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
3. BETTY STEIN COLUMN: “We have become friends – and I am far richer because of that” - her farewell column and announcement of her forthcoming book published September 28, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
4. Betty Stein, who wrote more than 2,000 “By the Way” columns for The News-Sentinel, has collected some of her best into a book and will sign them for her readers Friday, Dec. 7. Copied from Betty Stein’s familiar ‘By the Way’ columns are now a book; signing Friday published December 5, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
5. Today is Betty Stein’s 102nd birthday. So here is my birthday card to her. Betty is best known to News-Sentinel readers for her columns that appeared in the newspaper beginning in 1982, the year I became sports editor. But she became much more special to me when I became editor of the paper in 2007, because along with that responsibility came the distinct pleasures of editing her columns and interacting with her on a regular basis. Copied from KERRY HUBARTT COLUMN: “By the way,” Betty Stein, your many friends are richer for having known you published December 10, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
6. By The Way, the Columns of Betty E. Stein Paperback – October 30, 2018, by Betty E. Stein (Author), Blake Sebring (Author) on Amazon.com states: During the summer of 1982, in her role as assistant to the principal, Betty Stein gave The News-Sentinel’s Stewart Spencer a tour of Memorial Park Middle School. The paper’s incoming editor, Spencer was looking for his daughter’s new school."We just hit it off beautifully," Stein said. "He loved the school, and he liked me." Spencer suggested Betty write a guest column, and her first was published Nov. 12, 1982. She continued every other Tuesday until July 31, 2018, and including her Afterwards and Page Turner submissions, Betty wrote more than 2,000 columns in The News-Sentinel.As selected by Betty, here are more than 100 of her best columns, highlighting Fort Wayne and national history, felines, books, movies, music, teaching and, of course, quizzes. – all including Betty’s signature humor, 100-year perspective and self-deprecating style. Here’s your chance to reminisce about some of your favorite Betty Stein memories.

Stevens Family

Stevens family bible : now belonging to Linda Handlin, Fort Wayne, Indiana  at Archive.org.

Stiles, Albert Bernard

91, born August 13, 1922 in Florence, South Carolina, raised in Tampa, Florida, died January 2, 2014 in Carmel, Indiana. He was drafted during World War II and was sent to Baer Field ( Fort Wayne International Airport). He decided to stay and raise his family after marrying Maxine in 1944 and had two sons Reginald and Ronald. He started his entertainment career as a child performer in a five-member jug band. At age 12, he took a bus to New York City with a 9-year-old jug band partner, Nathaniel Reese. Without their parents' knowledge, they auditioned and played on CBS Radio's “Major Bowes Amateur Hour.” They won the show's talent contest. Read the rest of his story in Longtime entertainer, community leader Al Stiles has died published January 9, 2014 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. Al Stiles, 91, dies; performed at Apollo by Julie Crothers January 10, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. ALBERT STILES at The History Makers the Digital Repository for the Black Experience has a short video on the Digital Archive tab. ALBERT STILES OBITUARY Fort Wayne Newspapers Legacy.com obituary and over 30 comments to the Dignity Memorial Lindenwood Cemetery obituary.

Stith, Hana Lee (Bryant)

Born August 25, 1928 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She was a graduate of Central High School and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Saint Francis. She became active in the NAACP in 1946 before she graduated from Central. In 1960 she was among the first black teachers hired by Fort Wayne Community Schools, she retired in 1996. She served on the Executive Board of the local chapter of the NAACP and with the Fort Wayne Urban League. With her late husband, Harold, she co-founded founded the African/African American Historical Society in 1998 and the African/African American Historical Museum a year later, it officially opened February 1, 2000. She served as the museum's CEO, Manager and Director until 2013. Hana Stith interview biography published July 30, 2002 on former The History Makers website now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

1. Tapestry to honor 2 for dedication Stith founded museum; Ruffolo on many boards by Rosa Salter Rodriguez published February 26, 2016 in The Journal Gazette newspaper now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
2. Hana Stith, longtime educator, historian, dies at 90 Named JG's Citizen of the Year in 2006 by Rosa Salter Rodriguez published September 05, 2018 in The Journal Gazette newspaper now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. See previous Citizens of the Year.
3. Fort Wayne African-American trailblazer Hana Stith dies with video by Rachel Russell and Terra Brantley published September 5, 2018 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15.
4. Fort Wayne civil-rights legend Hana Stith dead at age 90 published September 5, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
5. She left her daughter Robin S. Stith of Columbus; granddaughter, Hanani Taylor of Los Angeles, brother, Danny Jones; sister in law, Minnie Bryant; brother in law, Warren Stith of New York City; devoted nieces, Danita Jones and Karen Bryant; devoted nephew, Stanley (Beth) Robinson; special cousins, Joanna Patterson Finch and Rosalyn Stith (Columbus, OH); special and caring friends, Theronia Starks, Condra Ridley, Patsy Brewer, Lola Curry, Marsha Woods, Patricia Woods Causey, Audrey Woods and a host of other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Stith; parents, Miles and Viola Mew Bryant; sister, Wilma Ferguson and brother, Samuel (Bubby) Bryant. Laid to Rest in Covington Memorial Gardens. Copied from her September 5, 2018 obituary at the Ellis Funeral Home no longer online.
6. HANA STITH OBITUARY September 12, 2018 at Fort Wayne Newspapers Legacy.com obituary.

Stockbridge, Charles

Was nationally known as an ornithologist. He was born January 16, 1856, to parents who had come on the newly opened Wabash and Erie Canal. His father owned one of the first bookstores in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Charles worked in the bookstore before becoming a letter carrier in Fort Wayne for many years. He lived at 2323 Webster St. and was married 55 years to Ada Ashley. First paragraph copied from a longer Charles Stockbridge page of the Stockbridge Audubon Society website. 1856-1934, son of one of the first bookstore owners in Fort Wayne, longtime letter carrier and nationally known bird expert. President of the Fort Wayne Audubon Society, birding organization, active in taxidermy, his large collection of mounted birds was donated to Earlham College in Richmond. The local Audubon group changed its name to the Stockbridge Audubon Society in his honor. He is buried in Lindenwood Cemetery. Fort Wayne woman discovers interesting stories while researching area's early conservationists by Kevin Kilbane published February 15, 2014 in The News-Sentinel newspaper is posted on the Fort Wayne Audubon Society News page.

Stockbridge, Nathaniel

Page 367, The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River by Griswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph), 1873-1927; Taylor, Samuel R., Mrs, Publication date 1917 on
NATHANIEL, P. STOCKBRIDGE. Mr. Stockbridge was a native of Maine. He came to Fort Wayne in 1843, and for a period of ten years managed the hardware store of H. Durrie & Company, which was the beginning of the Morgan & Beach store of later years. In 1853, he purchased the book and stationery store of D. W. Burroughs, the pioneer establishment of its kind in Fort Wayne, and the business was developed into one of the largest retail and wholesale enterprises of the time. The portrait is from a photograph loaned by Charles A. Stockbridge, a son.

Stone, Bernie

Stone Custom Drum, LLC www.stonecustomdrum.com, 2701 South Coliseum Boulevard, Fort Wayne, Indiana. An independent drum craftsman, building everything from Civil War re-enactment drums to complete “one-off” custom drums. Bernie operates his sole-proprietorship business out of a building at the old Fort Wayne headquarters of International Harvester.

Stoner, Richard Dick

Dick Stoner Magicomedian by Stoners FunStore posted March 22, 2014 on YouTube
Dick Stoner performing closeup magic Nashville Network for the Statler Brothers Show. Watch his playing card magic tricks.

Magician and entertainer, his father Albert H. Stoner was an amateur magician who passed away in 1995, his mother Lydia L. Stoner, 101, passed away February 23, 2006 from her Feb. 25, 2006 Fort Wayne Newspapers Legacy.com obituary. He opened Stoner's Magic Shop in 1949, and traveled the world doing trade and stage shows, appeared on National TV on The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, with Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton which led to continuing roles on both The Nashville Network and The Statler Brothers Show. Stoner’s Funstore Offers Year Round Thrills published November 11, 2016 in the IPFW Communicator newspaper is no longer online. Dick's Bio - Dick Stoner already entertaining at 13! , Dick’s Videos and more on dickstoner.com.

He was selected to perform at Muhammad Ali's 50th birthday party shown on page 82 of Legendary Locals of Fort Wayne, by Randolph L. Harter, Craig S. Leonard .

A July 17, 2015 post by Randy Harter, Fort Wayne historian and authoron You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group stated: From the book: Legendary Locals of Fort Wayne..... Richard “Dick” Stoner Albert Stoner was an amateur magician and all the inspiration his son Dick needed when in 1948 he became a professional magician. Opening Stoner’s Magic Shop in 1949, he has been in the prestidigitation/comedic magic business ever since. He traveled the world doing trade and stage shows, and shared the limelight with notables like Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton, which led to continuing roles on both the Nashville Now and Statler Brothers shows. Nationally known, he was the entertainment for Muhammad Ali’s 50th birthday party. (Courtesy of Stoner’s Fun Store.)

Randy commented to the post stating: After getting out of the Army he started on TV as the local host for the Mickey Mouse Club, and then beginning in 1966, the Laurel and Hardy's Magic Castle with Dick Stoner on WANE-TV. Dick was always a natty dresser with a sport coat and matching tie and handkerchief in his pocket. He'd tell folks that "Handkerchiefs are expensive! Twenty dollars and up! But I buy mine for only $2.99 at Wal-Mart" as he pulls a pair of ladies underwear from his pocket. A lot of great stories that go with Dick, but unfortunately the book publishers format required the profiles to be kept short and let the images be the heroes.

January 7, 2023 post on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook: Fort Wayniacs!! I’m back- and once again need YOUR help on the upcoming biography on our local magician, my grandfather Dick Stoner!! In my research I’ve come across numerous magicians who were active in the Fort Wayne area and a part of Fort Wayne’s Magic Club in the 1940s-50s. I’m hoping that you all can help me identify living relatives of these magicians, and help me to get in contact with them. This is a lost, unique aspect to Fort Wayne History!! I’ll give a list of names of interest. First Photo: Back Row: Tom Rockhill - Ed A. Gallmeier. Front Row: Dick Stoner - Albert H. Stoner. Second Photo, from left to right: Ed Franke, Marvin Crouse, Dr Eugene Bulson, Ed Gallmeier, Mr Lampton. Other names I have come across are: Vernon Carr, John Andrews, Paul Hitzeman, Paul Richter, Grover Hollis, Charlie Doell, and Maxine Wedertz. I thank you all for your help with this project. I hope to have the book out sometime in 2024, and your support will make that possible!! -Colin Haines

December 23, 2022 post on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook: Hello, Fort Wayne Friends! I need YOUR help! I am Colin Haines, grandson of Dick Stoner. Founder and Proprietor of Stoner’s Funstore, Host of The Mickey Mouse Club & Laurel & Hardy’s Magic Castle, and Legendary Comedy Magician. I am currently writing a book on his life, and want to collect as many stories as I can. If you have any photos, memories, or stories, please don’t hesitate to send me a message and we can chat to include your story in the book!! Thanks to all- and have a very Merry Christmas. Stay safe out there today!!

March 16, 2023 post on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook with photo: The Fort Wayne Magicians Club - 1937. In the center of the Bottom row is Doctor Eugene Bulson, medical professional who also served as President of the club from 1929 until he died in 1954. Directly above the doctor is my Great Grandfather Albert Stoner (Father of Dick Stoner, and Co-Founder of Stoner’s Funstore.) ”Al” actually ran a small magic shop out of his basement in the late 40s before expanding operations at 712 S Harrison where Stoner’s still stands today. He worked for GE a number of years (which surprisingly had about 15 employees who were magicians!)

Stratton-Porter, Gene

One of Indiana's most famous women, she was a naturalist and author known for writing about Limberlost Swamp near Geneva. She was killed December 6, 1924 in a car accident in Los Angeles, California. See New research traces Fort Wayne ties of legendary naturalist, author Gene Stratton-Porter She had many more connections here than reported previously. By Kevin Kilbane published March 8, 2014 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. She owned 2415 Forest Park Blvd. from 1916 through the time of her death according to Recently revealed information shows Gene Stratton-Porter owned a home on Forest Park Boulevard Research hasn't indicated yet how much time she spent thereby Kevin Kilbane published March 31, 2014 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.

Strauss, Alvin M.

Selections from the recent work of A.M. Strauss, architect by Strauss, A. M. (Alvin Max), 1895-1958; Architectural Catalog Co. (New York, N.Y.) Publication date 1939, on Archive.org.

Born in Kendallville on April 8, 1895, died July 6, 1958 and buried in Kendallville. He opened his own architectural practice in 1918 and gave Northeast Indiana four decades of great architecture. His office was at 809 Calhoun Street. Alvin M. and nephew Herman Strauss were among the region’s most influential architects of the twentieth century. From the time A. M. Strauss founded a firm in 1918, to the time his nephew Herman retired in the 1990s, the firm completed nearly 2,500 projects. The Strauss firm created a large portion of the downtown landscape, and many of the churches, medical facilities, schools, theatres, office buildings, and stores in Fort Wayne. The Lincoln Bank Tower is probably the most-recognized of his works, but many public buildings and private homes came from his desk.

1. A. M. Strauss (1895-1958) biography and Project List (by Project Number), Strauss Associates, Inc., Architects/Engineers, Fort Wayne, Indiana Compiled by Herman S. Strauss, Architect, Fort Wayne, Indiana, September 1996, with minor editing by staff of the Drawings & Documents Archive, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, December 1998, 127 page document with 2,480 items created April 13, 2006 and posted by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
2. A.M. Strauss Firm Dissolved After 70 Years by Allan D. White Source: NMHS NEWSLETTER November 1989 on NManchesterHistory.org.
3. Alvin M. Strauss Born in Kendallville, Indiana in 1895, A.M. Strauss served as an apprentice in the offices of prominent architects in Chicago and Fort Wayne, Indiana. He established his own architectural practice in 1918 in Fort Wayne and became one of Indiana’s leading architects of the twentieth century. He worked in a number of popular styles, and many of his works are major public, commercial, or residential landmarks in cities throughout Indiana and northwest Ohio. Many of his works survive in Fort Wayne. Examples include small bungalows and mansions and public and commercial buildings such as the St. Vincent Villa, the Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel, and the Lincoln Bank Tower. Strauss died in 1958. (Source: Fort Wayne, Indiana Interim Report: Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory. Indiana: 1996.) Copied from WestCentralNeighborhood.org.
4. A dozen or so photos of well known local landmarks such as Freimann Square, Hotel Indiana and Emboyd Theatre, G. C. Murphy, Ciy-County Building, Clyde Theatre, Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Grand Leader Building, Paramount Theatre, Magnavox on Bueter Road, Achduth Vesholom Temple, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crescent Evangelical Church, were posted April 18, 2018 for a temporary exhibit at The History Center.
5. Murphy Building’s neon canopy lighted again after ceremony in architect A.M. Strauss’ former digs with photos was published February 23, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
6. Old building real find for businessman Famed architect designed it in 1920s by Rosa Salter Rodriguez published March 11, 2018 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
7. May 2, 2022 post with photo by Indiana Jewish Historical Society on Facebook.
8. 39 page document listing all the A. M. Strauss Architectural Records 1918-1922 DADA 032 in the A.M. Strauss Architectural Records Collection at the Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University, University Libraries, Muncie, Indiana.
9. January 6, 2023 a photo labled: North American Van Lines, New Haven Ave., circa 1947 "Streamline Art Deco offices. Founded in Cleveland in 1933, the moving and storage company moved to Fort Wayne in 1947." - The Indiana Album One comment says is Art Moderne. It still stands at New Haven Ave and Meyer Road. See Street View photo of northwest corner on Google maps. Many aerial photos and comments on this post on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.

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Suarez, John

71, died April 6, 2012 Fort Wayne Board of Public Works and former union leader.

Surbeck, John

Allen County Superior Court Judge 1st Hoosier to win Rehnquest Award. Allen County Superior Court Judge John Surbeck received a national award for judicial excellence Thursday for achievements he said were born of frustration. In a ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court attended by more than 250 people, Surbeck was presented the William H. Rehnquist Award by the National Center for State Courts. The award was given to Surbeck by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. The honor is named for Roberts’ predecessor, who died in 2005. Surbeck is the 17th recipient of the Rehnquist award and the first from Indiana. He was saluted for starting the Allen County Re-Entry Court in 2001 and promoting the program since then. The court allows for the early release of prison inmates in exchange for closer court supervision – including random drug tests and ankle bracelets that monitor an offender’s whereabouts – than is typical in traditional parole and probation programs. - Read the rest of the story Surbeck 1st Hoosier to win Rehnquist award by Brian Francisco Washington editor of the Journal Gazette newspaper November 16, 2012.

Surack, Chuck

In 1979 he founded Sweetwater, a retailer selling professional audio gear and music equipment, professional recording services in Sweetwater Studios and music instruction from the Academy of Music. He also owns several other companies.

1. Surack not too busy to volunteer Trusted staff help boss serve the community by Sherry Slater published July 12, 2015 in The News-Sentinel newspaper now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
2. A sweet honor for Surack Local businessman to get Mad Anthonys' Red Coat by Justin A. Cohen published August 5, 2015 in The Journal Gazette newspaper now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
3. Was a Legendary Locals of Fort Wayne, by Randolph L. Harter, Craig S. Leonard discussion August 16, 2015 on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group.
4. 2015 MAD ANTHONYS RED COAT DINNER HONORS CHUCK SURACK by Sydney Korte on dasfort.com now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
5. 2015 Citizen of the year: Chuck Surack published December 27, 2015 in The Journal Gazette newspaper now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. See previous Citizens of the Year.
6. 40 years ago, he built a recording studio in a VW bus. Today, he runs a $725 million music empire by Parija Kavilanz, CNN Business. Photographs by Brittany Greeson for CNN Updated 2:33 PM ET, Mon May 20, 2019 on CNN.com.

Swanigan, Caleb Biggie

June 21, 2022 post by Purdue Men's Basketball  on Facbook

Born April 18, 1997 in Indianapolis, a son of Tanya and Carl Swanigan, Sr.. Caleb was living in a troubled home in Utah when he came to Fort Wayne in 2011 with Roosevelt Barnes a retired professional football play and prominent sports agent. Roosevelt adopted the 13-year-old Caleb Biggie Swanigan who became a local high school basketball star who grew to 6'9'', then played two years at Purdue University before he entered the NBA draft in 2017. Caleb was drafted as No. 26 in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers. Caleb Swanigan ESPN player profile. See Purdue's Caleb Swanigan has changed his body and his life by Myron Medcalf published March 18, 2017 on ESPN.com and the video From Homelessness To Basketball Star published May 3, 2017 on Steve HarveyTV.com. Purdue's Caleb 'Biggie' Swanigan escaped brutal childhood, but story ends too soon Opinion by Gregg Doyel Indianapolis Star published June 21, 2022 on USAToday.com.

Swinney, Thomas W.

I, Thos. W. Swinney, donor of Fort Wayne's first park by Roberts, Bessie Keeran, 1886-1964

Thomas Swinney came to Fort Wayne shortly before 1824. Born in Piketon, Ohio in 1803, Swinney was a land speculator who developed a large part of west end Fort Wayne. Soon after his arrival in the pioneer town he married Lucy Taber, daughter of Paul Taber, also a land speculator. Taber’s principal holdings in Fort Wayne were on the east end of the town. The west end lands that Thomas Swinney held, including the present –day West Swinney Park, were often the center of large community gatherings. Copied from Swinney Home by Tom Castaldi, local historianpublished April 3, 2014 in the History Center Notes & Queries blog. The book above gives his birth as November 18, 1803 and says his father came to Fort Wayne in 1822. See Swinney Homestead.

Swiss Families

The Alfred B. Rondot collection at The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indianahas 35 volumes of handwritten information including obituaries copied from local newspapers published in 1977 of French and Swiss family information for Allen County residents digitized on the Internet Archive. Four volumes, 30, 31, 35, 36, labeled obituaries are on our Obituaries page.

Syrian Community

The Largest Syrian Colony Outside of New York at We Do History digital collect by the Indiana Historical Society

By 1900 there were vibrant Arabic-speaking communities across Indiana, including in Indianapolis, Terre Haute, and Michigan City. But Fort Wayne was special, at least according to its Syrian residents. Alixa Naff, who developed the Smithsonian Institution’s collection on Arab American history, wrote that Fort Wayne “was among the largest and most flourishing [Syrian] peddling settlements in the United States.”

The immigrants who settled in Fort Wayne, like other people from Greater Syria, which included modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine, were part of a mass immigration of perhaps half a million people—one out of every five Syrians—from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Americas before 1920. The reason they arrived in Fort Wayne was because it was a quickly growing community that offered economic opportunity, especially for those going into the peddling business.

Click here to read the full article in PDF format

Some of the best known family and business names in Fort Wayne – Azar, Bojrab, Bedree, Bonahoom and Tazian – belong to immigrants who made their way here from Syria. Some of those families have been part of the community since the early 1900s. Copied from Syrians a part of Fort Wayne history Linda Lipp llipp Jan 15, 2016 Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly.

New article in Traces, the magazine of @IndianaHistory, on the origins of the Syrian-Lebanese community in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

By 1900, hundreds of immigrants landed in this "peddling settlement," many from around Rashaya, Lebanon.

🧵... pic.twitter.com/QWokFp3lRa

— Edward Curtis (@EdwardECurtisIV) May 17, 2023

May 17, 2023 Tweet by Edward Curtis @EdwardECurtisIV on Twitter:

New article in Traces, the magazine of @IndianaHistory, on the origins of the Syrian-Lebanese community in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

By 1900, hundreds of immigrants landed in this "peddling settlement," many from around Rashaya, Lebanon.

"The Largest Syrian Colony Outside of New York" Syrian-Lebanese Immigration to Fort Wayne by Edward E. Curtis IV in Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History Spring 2023 Volume 35, Number 2

Sylvester, Curt

The Bloomington native was a Methodist minister for 35 years in Valparaiso, Goshen and Fort Wayne, retiring in 2003 as minister of St. Joseph United Methodist Church after 20 years at the northeast-side church. He taught speech and drama at schools in Walkerton, in northwest Indiana, before becoming a minister. Sylvester has been an AARP volunteer since 2006 after answering an invitation that appeared in the group’s magazine. He became a member of the AARP Indiana executive council in 2010, representing the state’s 3rd Congressional District, and is among 23 members of the national AARP Volunteer Leadership Institute. Copied from Sylvester, Curt Retired city pastor to lead state AARP by Brian Francisco the Washington editor published January 16, 2013 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.

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