As the City of Fort Wayne expanded so did its school system. One of the important symbols of that system is the diploma. One of the first classes of young Fort Wayne citizens to receive diplomas was the Class of 1866. These seven women graduated from Fort Wayne High School, which opened in 1857. A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. This document can simply be referred to as a degree certificate or graduation certificate, or as a parchment. In the United States, the word “diploma” usually refers to the actual document, especially in the context of academic degrees earned at the college or university level. That is, Americans normally draw a distinction between a diploma as documentary evidence of the award of an academic degree, and the underlying degree itself (which is not called a diploma). Visit the History Center to see these and many more in our new temporary exhibit “Making the Grade: Diplomas of Allen County.” #sociallyhistory
1864-1922. The cover of the 1914 Caldron yearbook illustrates 50 years 1864 1914. HISTORICAL SKETCH Central High School Fort Wayne High School opened in 1864 on East Wayne Street as the only public high school in Fort Wayne. The school's student population steadily grew, and by the early 1900s, a new building was needed in order to serve this larger student body. In 1904, a new building for the school was opened at 1200 S. Barr Street, welcoming nearly 500 students. Along with the new building was a new name, Fort Wayne High and Manual Training High School. In 1922, the school changed its name to Central High School as it was no longer the only public high school in Fort Wayne. Enrollment at the school maintained its growth, hitting over 1200 students. Through the 1930s, additions to the building were made to accommodate the number of students. In 1930, the boys and girls gyms were built, and in 1939, an addition to the building on its Clinton Street side was completed. By the 1960s, student enrollment started to decline due to movement out of the city. By 1968, enrollment dropped to just under 1000 students. It was around this time that the Civil Rights community was heavily advocating for desegregation. Central High School was already integrated with a student population that was half black and half white. The other high schools in the area, however, were not. To aid in desegregating other area high schools, Central High School was closed, district lines were redrawn, and two new high schools were created. When Central High School closed in 1971, the building was repurposed as a vocational center, the Fort Wayne Regional Vocation High School. In 1990, it was renamed as the Anthis Career Center, and in 2015 became the Anthis Career Academy. Posted March 27, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. It was copied from Collection # M 1376 OM 0673 FORT WAYNE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS AND EPHEMERA, CA. 1929–1991 processed by Jessica Fischer May 2018 Manuscript and Visual Collections Department William Henry Smith Memorial Library Indiana Historical Society 450 West Ohio Street Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269 www.indianahistory.org. Indiana Album Harley Sheets Collection 1908 photo.
The first city directory in 1858 shows two existing school buildings on the No. 1 Eastern District north-east corner of Washington and Clay, and No. 2 Western District south-west corner of Jefferson and Griffith on page 13 of Williams' Fort Wayne directory, city guide, and business mirror : volume 1, 1858-'59 by Williams, C. S. (Calvin S.), Publication date 1858, an Archive.org. The first school was eventually known as Jefferson School with Griffith eventually becoming Fairfield Avenue.
The 1864 city directory shows essentially the same school information as in 1858 with a high school in No. 2 Western District on the south-west corner of Jefferson and Griffith.
Did you know our yearbook collection is searchable in our catalog? Start exploring here: https://acpl.lib.in.us/explore-genealogy/. Some are available to view digitally!
Minnie Aker was born in 1874 in Fort Wayne, Indiana Ambrose Aker and Amanda Gillam. Ambrose supported his family, working as a carpenter. Minnie graduated from the Central Grammar School in Fort Wayne in 1894.
On October 24, 1899, she married William G. McMaken. For the first few years of their marriage, the couple lived with William’s parents and he worked as a farmer. In 1904, she gave birth to a baby girl, Gladys.
In 1917, Minnie and her family moved to Canada. William worked as an Assistant Manager for the International Harvester Co. of Canada Ltd and was “well known throughout western Canada where he took an active interest in farm machinery”. Minnie’s husband died in 1935 at the age of 58. Minnie was a member of the U.S. Women's Club and of the North Hill United Church in Calgary.
Minnie died at the age of 82 in 1957 and is buried in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Find a Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : , memorial page for William Gettys McMaken (1877 - 1935), Find A Grave Memorial no. 135987113, citing Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta; memorial page is created and maintained by contributor 135987113, Calgary Helpers.
Find a Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 26 April 2023), memorial page for Minnie Isele Aker McMaken (1874 - 1957), Find A Grave Memorial no. 135953241, citing Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta; memorial page is created and maintained by contributor 135987113, Calgary Helpers.
