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Allen County, Indiana Places
H Names
Haffner Paint Company
Quality paint, great service and knowledgeable sales people! 93 anniversary on January 1, 2013
Hagerman Group
William Hagerman arrived from Germany in the 1890s. The Hagerman Group is a four-generation business since 1908 with offices in downtown Fort Wayne, as well as the Indianapolis and Louisville areas. William Hagerman and brother-in-law Fredrick Buesching co-founded The Buesching-Hagerman Company in Fort Wayne. At inception, the family business provided masonry services throughout Indiana. In 1929, The Hagerman Group helped build Fort Wayne’s Lincoln Tower, the tallest building in Indiana until 1954. The company served as the general contractor for both the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, as well as Parkview Field, and its latest endeavor in 2018 is the opening phase of the Riverfront Park project being developed downtown on both sides of the St. Mary’s River. This information was copied from their website History page which has a nice timeline with more information and FOCUS 2018: The Hagerman Group has been on full display (and proud of that) for 110 years and counting Tom Davis June 17, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
#ThrowbackThursday! This building, built by Hagerman in the 1930s, stood on the corner of Washington and Calhoun in Fort...
#ThrowbackThursday! This building, built by Hagerman in the 1930s, stood on the corner of Washington and Calhoun in Fort Wayne, IN (the Hilton connected to the Grand Wayne Center is there today). With a 116-year history, we have countless photographs of historic buildings that we built throughout Indiana. #BuildingABetterFuture#AConstructionSolutionsProvider
Hall Community Arts Center
Was dedicated in memory of William and Sarah Niezer Hall in 1992. The building was originally built in 1916 as the Western Newspaper Union Building, which printed weekly newspapers and sold newspaper supplies. Major General Anthony Wayne’s fort was constructed on this and adjacent properties in 1794. Read the rest of the story in The Hall Community Arts Center May 2, 2013 by Tom Castaldi on the History Center Notes & Queries blog.
We're throwing it back to a simpler time for #ThrowbackThursday... specifically back in 1949!
Who remembers our old "Hall's Hot Dog Stand" off of Bluffton Road? As the predecessor of our old "Food Factory" right next door to Hall's Original, this location was one of our first experiments of a Drive-Thru restaurant. We had one employee in a stand taking orders from cars with a walkie-talkie to the kitchen. Customers would then drive up to the kitchen window to pay for and receive their food!
Who remembers ordering a round of hot dogs and root beers at this old historic drive-thru?
Today is "National Memory Day" and today we're remembering our original location - No, not our Bluffton Road Drive-In, but our original Meat Market on South Wayne Avenue! [ next to Shawnee Branch Library ] Originally owned by Rank Hall, Don Hall's Father, before Don took over the family business in the early/mid 1900's! The store is not still standing to this day, but luckily it is the foundation of the new outdoor patio of Antonuccio's Italian Market! Next time you visit the market for a freshly made deli sandwich, you can walk outside, enjoy the patio, and reflect on the history on some of Fort Wayne's earliest restaurants!
Do you have any stories of the old Meat Market, or any other of the Hall's early locations? Comment below, we'd love to hear your memories!
#ThrowbackThursday to our first ever Hall's location: the ol' Hall's South Wayne Meat Market! This is where it all the magic started back in the early 1900's, run by Don's father, Rank Hall.
Don inherited the meat market around the mid 1940's and had a dream of an original Drive-In restaurant just around the corner on Bluffton Road. In 1946, that dream came true and became Hall's Original.
It's a beautiful day for a Curbside meal only at the Hollywood!
Say "Action" to one of the last of the few remaining Drive-In restaurants in the entire state! Bring the whole family out for a meal they won't forget - Just park your car underneath the awning, flash your lights, and one of our rockstar servers will come out and take your order!
Enjoy a classic Big Buster Platter with extra fries - don't forget the milkshake!
Find us on the corner of Lima and Coliseum in Fort Wayne Indiana, - 4416 Lima Road Fort Wayne, IN 46808.
Whenever this popular restuarant appears on social media a lively conversation remembers the good old days and wonder when and why its not yet open as of 2024.
It sure feels good to get back in the swing of things. 🦢 It's official, Triangle Park is coming back and better than...
It sure feels good to get back in the swing of things. 🦢 It's official, Triangle Park is coming back and better than ever before! Our peaceful little pond-side restaurant is currently undergoing some major upgrades, some fresh paint, a kitchen renovation, and all-new branding! We missed you all, and we couldn't be more excited to bring this historic place back to life.
Follow this page to stay updated on our official opening date!
Hamilton Hunter Builders
Office at 915 S. Lafayette St, Hamilton W. Hunter founded the business in 1938 as a real estate sales and appraisal business ... has evolved from a real estate business to a home builder to a general contractor focusing on commercial construction, but it’s stayed a family business for 80 years. Business continued by his son, Hamilton Hunter Jr., who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, joined his father in the business in 1951 after returning from the war and graduating from Purdue University with a civil engineering degree. Third-generation owner Holly Hunter, the first and only woman president and board member in the more than 100-year history of the Building Contractors Association of Northeast Indiana. The company is noted for its masonry and specialty masonry projects, she said. Those include the large, Jefferson Boulevard entrance to Parkview Field and the brick addition to North Side High School, she said. Copied from FOCUS 2018: Hamilton Hunter Builders continues family tradition of ownership and craftsmanship by Kevin Kilbane which includes a list of completed company projects published June 17, 2018 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
For Throwback Thursday we share this from the H & D Scrapbook, being an article from The Journal Gazette on July 6, 2003. Hofer and Davis, Inc. provided the boundary and topographical surveys for this project, working with the City of Fort Wayne, The Board of Library Trustees, The Fort Wayne Urban League and CANI to pull off a sweet development!
Photos of unique archetecture of Hanselmann House (1967-1971) by architect Michael Graves on WTTW PBS. Renamed the Cube House which has a Facebook page.
MODERNIST HOMES: Hanselmann House by Michael Graves (Fort Wayne)
Renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born June 8, 1867, and his designs shaped and influenced architectural movements in the twentieth century. This week, the Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology (DHPA) is highlighting some of his and those influenced by him in buildings found in Indiana.
Born in 1934, Indianapolis architect Michael Graves would go on to be a prominent Postmodernist architect. His work, especially his earlier Modernist works including his first residential commission, the Hanselmann House in Fort Wayne, was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright.
This house was constructed in 1967 and designed for two of Graves’ high school friends. [ See the Snyderman House ] Though this home looks quite different from the examples of Wright’s work highlighted earlier this week, its continuous windows and use of natural light show Wright’s influence on Graves. It is surveyed as an Outstanding-rated resource (IHSSI 003-021-10167) in the Allen County survey.
To learn more, visit the Indiana State Historic and Architectural Research Database (SHAARD) at on.IN.gov/shaard.
Hanson Aggregates Ardmore Quarry
6100 Ardmore Avenue. The County Commissioners first sold the gravel pit to Charles Fairfield in 1862. The business lasted until the Great Depression and then went into receivership. The local bank that held the mortgage offered to let Bill May run it for a year. If he could show a profit during the year of 1932 then he would be allowed to buy it on a long-term contract. Bill found ways to save through efficiency and quality control and managed to take over the fledgling business. ... The limestone quarry was sold to France Stone of Toledo in 1968 and then to Hanson Aggregates. Today the quarry is 321 feet deep, with plans to go even deeper. Copied from a tour described in HANSON AGGREGATES’ QUARRY IS SPECTACTULAR published November 21, 2007 in The Waynedale News.com.
Amazing view of a limestone quarry in action right here in Fort Wayne. The Hanson Observation Tower is open to the public and safely enclosed with fencing.
Check out one of Fort Wayne's hidden gems. Hanson Aggregates in Fort Wayne, Ind., maintains an observation tower that allows anyone to view the operations inside the Ardmore Quarry. See more videos from our Focus edition at http://www.journalgazette.net/videos/
Check out one of Fort Wayne's hidden gems. Hanson Aggregates in Fort Wayne, Ind., maintains an observation tower that allows anyone to view the operations inside the Ardmore Quarry.
Drive-in restaurants located on Fairfield and Packard Avenue, Anthony and Pontiac, and 7720 Bluffton Road, from the late 1940s through at least the 1960s. Home of the Big Guy hamburger, milkshakes, pork tenderloin sandwiches, and ice cream.
We have scores of Fast-Food restaurant trademarks in our collection. These come from the Happy Humpty drive-in restaurant, located in Fort Wayne from the late 1940s through at least the 1960s. We have examples of their cups, customer review cards, and birthday club sign-up cards. These trademarks expired when the Happy Humpty restaurant become the Lucky Steer sometime in the early 1980s. Did you ever visit the Happy Humpty in Fort Wayne? We'd love to hear your stories in the comments.
Learn more about our collections: Search Archives Holdings
Mystery Solved! These probably adorned the sign for the Happy Humpty Restaurant at Fairfield and Packard in Fort Wayne. (It was a chain, so we can't be certain.)
Mystery signs, circa 1960s - Two egg-shaped cartoon characters eating sandwiches at the Johnson Brothers Sign Company in South Whitley. Does anyone remember a restaurant decorated with these signs? Johnson Brothers made a lot of signs for northeastern Indiana businesses.
Today, we continue our list of the top endangered properties in the Historic 07 District. The purpose of this list is to raise awareness of these incredible properties.
At the corner of Fairfield and Packard sits a unique building, and perhaps an even more unique sign. Built in 1928, the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In building still stands, but it is unfortunately in disrepair. The site was initially the Indian Refining Company. Indian Refining patented the first "wax-free" oil under the Havoline brand. To boost sales and advertise the product, they offered to fuel the first plane to fly coast to coast. As of 1937, the site was owned by the Shewmaker Bros as a gasoline and oil service station. Then, by the mid-1940s, the site was vacant.
Soon after, the station was converted into a restaurant by Guy Scheib. “The restaurant, run by Scheib and his sons, was an overnight success in post-WWII Indiana, and they quickly began expanding, changing the name to Happy Humpty along the way, as the Humpty Dumpty trademark was unavailable.” Scheib went on to open other restaurants, as well. For example, “Lucky Steer was launched in partnership with Royce Shafer. At the peak of operations, there were around 23 company-owned restaurants in the two brand chain.”
At some point, Scheib was no longer involved with the business, and the restaurants closed in the 1980s. Scheib lived in Woodhurst but eventually relocated to Florida, where he passed away in 1999. The split in ownership developed another chain, CJ HighMarks, in Ohio by a former employee and District Manager, John Irmscher. There is still one Lucky Steer in existence today, which was purchased by Dwight Axe and his wife Carmen in 1983. The couple met as teenagers in the restaurant. That last restaurant still serves customers to this day in Wapakoneta, OH.
A January 30, 2024 comment to sharing this post October 14, 2020 by the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana on Facebook expressed interest in restoring this restaurant. Another Message asked how to find the current land owner. The Allen County Recorder's Office website states: The Allen County Recorder’s primary function is to maintain permanent public records of the transactions that convey property from one owner to the next.https://www.allencountyrecorder.us/ Their website is the place to start whether for genealogy research or any reason to find current and previous historical land owners of Allen County, Indiana property. See our Land Records page for more information.
The "Harlan Centennial, 1853-1953," compiled by the Harlan Community Association, offers a comprehensive reflection on the history and development of Harlan, Indiana. This commemorative book was published in 1953 to mark the 100th anniversary of Harlan's founding. The centennial celebration was a significant community effort, with extensive participation from local residents and detailed planning by various committees. The book includes messages from key figures, a detailed program of the centennial events, and historical narratives highlighting Harlan's growth, notable personalities, and community milestones. It serves not only as a record of the centennial festivities but also as a valuable document preserving the heritage and collective memory of Harlan’s first century. Also available at History of Harlan Indiana, 1853-1953 on AccessGenealogy.com
Harrison Square is a mixed-use downtown revitalization project in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Includes Parkview Field baseball park, home field to the Fort Wayne TinCaps minor league baseball team. New retail, office, and apartments, a Courtyard by Marriott to serve Grand Wayne Convention Center and Embassy Theatre patrons, and an adjoining park with amphitheater and fountain. See Harrison Square at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
We all know and love the beautiful 5-story brick building at the corner of Wayne and Harrison, known as Harrison Place.
But do you know its history?
Harrison Place was built in 1900, and was originally home to the C.T. Pidgeon Millinery Company and the Fort Wayne Drug Company.
The millinery company employed over 100 seamstresses to make women's hats. Advertisements for this company were seen everywhere, and one slogan included, "Why not have a hat that is becoming?"
The millinery company lasted until the mid-1920s, when its spot became the Patterson-Fletcher Department Store. This department store was special, one of only a few department stores downtown. In fact, it was so popular that in 1930, a group of cracksmen blew open the safe and robbed the place.
Also in the 1930s, the Fort Wayne Drug Company, which remained next door, was sued over Lincoln Tea because it did not have "curative and therapeutic" properties as claimed.
The 1930s were exciting times!
The Patterson-Fletcher department store and the Fort Wayne Drug Company eventually moved out of Harrison Place around the same time in the mid-70s. Later, Pappas Law Offices and a variety of other businesses occupied the space.
After that, Shindigz Party Supply Company moved its headquarters into the fourth floor in 2019, but the company unfortunately closed its doors in 2021.
535 Green St., in New Haven, Hartman Brothers enters digital age Family business keeps up with leaps in heating, air technology by Rod King published December 30, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
Oldest mechanical contractor in Indiana, A. Hattersley & Sons has persevered through the U.S. Civil War, both World Wars, several depressions, and the addition of twenty-seven states to the Union. The company has endured many challenges, and has successfully adapted to each of these by evolving its social conditions and technical standards for over 160 years. In 1856, Alfred Hattersley, an English immigrant, purchased the plumbing, gas-fitting firm of B. W. Oakley & Son. He relocated the operation onto Main Street, near the present Allen County Courthouse. For photos and more history see Our Story on ahattersley.com.
Hayden Park 1876 - 1986 - John Nuckol's Memorial Park
Located in the block at Jefferson Boulevard, Harmar Street, Maumee Avenue, and King Street, Aerial View photo at Google maps
1.09 acres, since 1876. Nuckols Park was purchased in 1876 from Fred Hayden for $4,500 and was known as Hayden Park until 1986. The famous statue of General Anthony Wayne resided in Nuckols Park until it was relocated to its current Freimann Square location in 1973. Now, the park features a memorial of its namesake, John Nuckols, the first African-American city councilman. The “East Central” monument now resides in Nuckols Park. This monument was previously located right across the street. A bend in E. Jefferson Blvd. was straightened and the monument was carefully relocated to the corner of Maumee Ave and Jefferson Blvd. Copied from Nuckols Memorial Park at City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation.
This familiar statue of General Anthony Wayne astride his horse was first located here in Hayden Park on Maumee Avenue at Hayden Street upon its completion by Chicago sculptor George E. Ganiere and dedication in 1918. At that time, travelers coming to Fort Wayne from the east on the Lincoln Highway would have seen the statue as they approached the city where Maumee Avenue and East Washington Boulevard “pinch” together at this small one-and-a-half acre park. These grounds were purchased from Fred Hayden in 1876 and carried his name until the park was renamed Nuckols Memorial Park in 1986 for John Nuckols, the city’s first African-American city councilman who served on council for over 22 years. The statue of Anthony Wayne was removed from its granite plinth and relocated to a smaller base at the newly constructed Freimann Square in 1973. The brass bas-relief plaques of Little Turtle and Tecumseh on either side of the original base were salvaged and now hang in the downtown Allen County Public Libraryjust outside the genealogy department. Hayden/Nuckols park will soon be slightly enlarged as Maumee Avenue is currently undergoing realignment adjacent to the park and Indiana Tech.
The Joy of Growing Up in a Home Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Growing up in a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Indiana meant living inside the famed architect’s imagination—an influence that stays with me still. by Thomas French published September 2016 in Indianapolis Monthly.
It was demolished in 1968-69 after standing 124 years from pages 40-45 of The Columbia Street Story by Roy M. Bates and Kenneth B. Keller published in 1975 by the Fort Wayne Public Library at Archive.org.
Our "Plat of the Week" is HEINY'S FIRST ADDITION. It is in Plat Book 12 page 43 in the Office of the Recorder of Allen County. It was prepared by A.K. Hofer and recorded on August 4, 1926. It is on the corner of Cass and State, 1 block East of Wells.
Since 1913 on High Street, by Saint Mary's in the Nebraska Neighborhood. Started by Leonidas Heller who began cutting hair in the 1870s, taught his son, Perry, the trade in the 1890s, who in turn taught his two sons, Max and Bert, to barber in the 1920s. Bert's son Larry. Larry Heller is last of the line – and still going strong after 63 years in business published April 29, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. Formerly Fort Wayne's 100 Year Old Barber Shop by Eric Olson, 21Country Featured Reporterpublished March 15, 2016. Larry had worked there 69 years as of February 8, 2019 and would turn 88 on February 25, 2019.
Heritage Trail
Heritage Trail - 4 downtown trails with maps of stops for historical locations created by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
929 E. Coliseum Blvd. has vintage and antique Fort Wayne collectibles, particularly advertising displays, from Old Fort Wayne is Highview Art & Collectibles' new niche by Bob Caylor published June 26, 2014 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
Hitzemann Tailors was founded in 1878 by Gottlieb Hitzemann who immigrated from Germany. Their home at 911 Wilt Street was mentioned in a 2005 West Central Home Tour. In the early 1920s, 1101-09 Broadway at W. Jefferson became the permanent location. The business was then passed to one of his 10 children, Frederick, and subsequently to grandson Chester Gottlieb, then to Richard and Donald, and finally to Donald’s son Gary until his untimely early death in the 90s. Around 1963, the family bought the Betty Brite dry cleaning franchise and had about 7 stores in Fort Wayne. All of the offspring took their turn working in this family legacy that endured for over 100 years. Paraphrased from a January 17, 2023 post with photos by a great great granddaughter on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. A March 17, 2017 comment on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook said Chester Hitzeman used to make the suits for Charles Nestel aka Commodore Foote and the Fairy Queen.
Did you know Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s, was a resident of Fort Wayne? In 1947, Dave’s family moved to Fort Wayne. At fifteen, he worked at the local Hobby House restaurant. When his family moved, Dave decided to stay and drop out of school. He lived at the YMCA and worked full-time. In 1950, Dave joined the Army. After his service, Dave returned to Hobby House and helped owner Phil Clauss grow his chain into Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises. He also met his wife, who worked at Hobby House. Dave became a colleague of Clauss and Colonel Sanders through the 1950s. In 1962, Clauss offered Dave an opportunity to revive his franchises in Columbus, Ohio. He did so successfully and became a millionaire when they were sold. This money helped him to found his own chain, Wendy’s. Today Wendy’s has over 6,500 locations. Featured are photos of the Fort Wayne Hobby House locations. The location of the Jefferson Hobby House is now fittingly the home of a Wendy’s. #sociallyhistory
Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors
Was on West Wayne Street, founded by A.K. Hofer in 1915, a third generation land surveying firm has surveyed many of the big projects in Fort Wayne such as the Lincoln Tower, the City County Building, the main Allen County Public Library, IPFW, Headwaters Park, Glenbrook Mall, all Parkview hospitals and campus’s, and neighborhoods like Wildwood Park and Foster Park. Read more and watch the video Survey Company Turns 100: Helped Build Much of Fort Wayne by Eric Olsen published March 3, 2015 on 21Country at 21AliveNews.com. See lots of old photos on their Facebook page. On April 6, 2018 they annouced their merger with ForeSight Consulting, LLC. and address change to 1910 St. Joe Center Road, Suite 51 on their Facebook page.
Hoffman Meat Market
Was located at 1026 Maumee Avenue, operated by Henry H. (1867-1941) and Emelie (1875-1947) Hoffman who also lived in the building. A photo with a calendar in the background turned to August 1926 loaned by Nancy Poinsette DeLullo was posted October 24, 2014 by Indiana Album on Facebook.
Holiday Theatre I & II
949 Northcrest Shopping Center, "Opened in 1969 as the single screen Holiday, a second auditorium was carefully added in 1970 so that the building right up its demolition looked like a purpose built-twin. It was located on the grounds of the Northcrest Shopping Center. ... The theater survived into the 1990s and was eventually acquired by the Regal chain which closed it in 1997 or 1998, having built a rather nondescript six-plex (named the Holiday 6) just a few hundred feet away. The Holiday I & II sat vacant and forlorn for about five years, and the building was finally demolished in 2003." Read the rest from Cinema Treasures. See comments on Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana. See local Theaters such as the Broadway Theatre, Clyde Theatre, Embassy Theatre, Holiday Theater, Jefferson Theatre, Lyric Theatre, Majestic Theatre, Palace Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Rialto Theatre, and Strand Theatre. Theatre versus Theater trivia. Some say the spelling Theatre refers to a focus on live performances while Theater refers to the physical place. Others say it is the British spelling versus American spelling.
This is the Holter's Roost building on the left! The brick house on the right side of the Packard is still standing and visible in a Street View photo!
6623 Lincoln Highway East - Indiana State Road 930, Street View photo from Google maps is actually the backside of the building.
Listed as item: 14.9 The Castle Automart is on your right but partly obscured today and is a landmark building constructed in 1913, the same year that the original Lincoln Highway opened. It was initially known as Holter’s Roost, named after William Holterman, who owned a chicken and chicken feed empire on the Lincoln Highway here. The area was known as Holterman’s Crossing and trolley service ran just north of here on Maumee Ave. on page 5 in the 18-page document: INDIANA’S LINCOLN HIGHWAY BYWAY A Turn-by-Turn Road Guide For the 1913 Route West From Ohio to Illinois at LincolnHighway.org archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Listed as item: 18.6 The Castle Automart on your left is a landmark building erected in 1913, the same year as the beginning of the official Lincoln Highway. It was originally known as Holter’s Roost, named after William Holterman, who owned a chicken and chicken feed empire on the Lincoln Highway here. The area was commonly called Holterman’s Crossing and the trolley service stopped just north of here along Maumee Ave. Note: On the north side of this building is the third short remnant of Maumee Ave which dead ends after going back to the left (west) for about 2 blocks. Turn around and rejoin IN 930 eastbound. on page 14 of the document: INDIANA’S LINCOLN HIGHWAY BYWAY A Turn-by-Turn Road Guide For the 1928 Route East From Illinois to Ohio at LincolnHighway.org archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
One hundred and five years ago, [October 31, 1913] New Haven, Fort Wayne, and Churubusco, Indiana celebrated Halloween like never before and probably ever since. The dedication of the Lincoln Highway in this area included bands, motorcycles, and two motorcar parades from New Haven and Churubusco that met in Fort Wayne.
The marketing of the Lincoln Highway was contagious. Ladies, you are going to need a hat!
The building [castle-like Holderman Home] in the one photo, with ghosts and goblins present, still stands at an intersection of the original route of the Lincoln Highway (Old Maumee Rd.) and State Road 930. Today, it is a used car lot today but at the time of the dedication, it was known as Holter's Roost because of the "aristocrat" chickens raised there.
The view with the SUV in the forefront is the same view as the newspaper image. The porch overhand was added later. Recent road construction has created a dead end on Old Maumee requiring travelers to remain on SR 930 before getting back on the old LH.
The dedication image is from the Fort Wayne Sentinel, November 1, 1913. The ad is from the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Oct. 31, 1913.
Today’s Throwback Thursday building is for the birds; in this case it is chickens. The house on Old Maumee Road toward New Haven, has been referred to as the castle house. Holter’s Roost, named after William Holterman, was home to a chicken and chicken feed empire. At one time Holterman owned 50 acres on the historic Lincoln Highway. His farm had several buildings and enough acreage for his children to build on the land. A bridge that matched the stone from the house was located on the west side of the property. Stones for the house and bridge were gathered from the Maumee River. If you look on the north side of the house you will see “Holter’s Roost,” embedded in stone. Local architect, Henry Meyer, designed the c. 1915 house. It is a one-of-a-kind structure and is a testament to how one man can turn his hobby into a successful business.
This "home" is located on the east side of Fort Wayne, and Old Maumee Road (Lincoln Highway) ran very near it, right up til the time they needed a railroad overpass. It just so happened that Lincoln Highway was in the way, so it was dead-ended and rerouted. I don't know much about the history of this amazing home, but it's now the office for a used car lot.
Holter's Roost is shown for only a couple seconds around the 0:11 minute in the two-minute video Honest Eats by mtpubMay 6, 2016 on YouTube. Keith Elchert and Laura Weston-Elchert and M.T. Publishing Company, Inc. have joined forces to bring you Honest Eats – Celebrating the Rich Food History of Indiana’s Historic Lincoln Highway. The book spotlights businesses and their owners; their love of history and the highway helps fuel their passion for both food and nostalgia. Packed with more than 200 contemporary and vintage photographs, Honest Eats also highlights featured locations and places from out of the past. This hardbound 9" x 12" publication contains 144 full-color pages with a color dust jacket. Honest Eats – Celebrating the Rich Food History of Indiana’s Historic Lincoln Highway is available for only $39.95. This limited edition book is a must have for your collection, as well as a wonderful gift for family members, historical societies, and libraries. Order your copies now! www.mtpublishing.com. The page in the book shown in the Facebook comment mentions the architect was Henry Meyer who designed churches, hospitals, schools and commerical buildings around Fort Wayne.
Ray Yarman started on Reidmiller Street, until a fire destroyed it. Reopened on Covington Road corner of Freeman. Eventually moved to the Allen Dairy location on Northrop Road from his daughter Debra comment on February 25, 2017 discussion on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
The former Home Telephone building sits on the northeast corner of Barr and Berry Streets. It was designed by local architect Charles Weatherhogg, who was responsible for the Anthony and Keenan hotels, North Side High School, and the Journal-Gazette Building among others. Unlike many buildings downtown, this one was fortunately spared from the wrecking ball. However, it came at a price. It lost its ornamental facade and windows; a floor was added and then the entire building veneered over in orange/red brick. If one looks closely, they can see where some of the features of Weatherhogg's original building remain. Since then, the location has been the home of GTE (remember the brown microwave tower that was part of the downtown skyline?) and currently Frontier. (This image is one of eleven completed for the Downtown Improvement District last January. A big thank you to ARCH, INC. for allowing the use of the vintage photograph).
Description This pamphlet gives a description of Fort Wayne and its various organizations, industry, businesses, schools, and recreation. It also includes a map of Fort Wayne. [ 44 pages ]
Hoovervilles popped up around the country during the Great Depression. The largest in Fort Wayne was in the thumb of the 3 rivers now Headwaters Park. It was filled with tar paper shacks, traveling hobos, and misery, as homeless people tried to live through the great depression. By 1939 the last of the shanties had been torn down. Copied from Chapter Three Development in the 20th Century of the book Headwaters Park: Fort Wayne's Lasting Legacy by Geoff Paddock. The area was known as the Jail Flats when the first jail was built on the flat land there in 1825 until the last hanging in 1883. In 1884, a baseball park was built in the Flats with a grandstand to host a “world series” with Chicago playing Providence. A "Hooverville" was a shanty town built during the Great Depression by the homeless in the United States. They were named after Herbert Hoover, who was President of the United States during the onset of the Depression and was widely blamed for it. The term was coined by Charles Michelson, publicity chief of the Democratic National Committee. There were hundreds of Hoovervilles across the country during the 1930s and hundreds of thousands of people lived in these slums. Copied from Hooverville on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
William H. Myers, a widely respected Fort Wayne surgeon, was the major force behind the founding of Fort Wayne City Hospital in 1878 where it opened in the residence of William S. Edsall on southwest corner of Main and Webster Streets. Neighbors forced removal to southwest corner of Hanna and Lewis Streets. In 1893 it moved to former homestead of Oliver S. Hanna at the southwest corner of Barr Street and Washington Boulevard. In 1891 (officially 1900) renamed Hope Hospital after large donations from the Jesse Williams family. In 1917 at West Lewis and Harrison Streets opening in 1918 as Hope Methodist Hospital after Indianapolis Methodist Episcopal Hospital took control, then in 1922 renamed Methodist Hospital. August 12, 1951 ground breaking and opening in 1953 as Parkview Hospital. Last location is now the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory. Previous locations were at West Main and Webster Streets,
Fort Wayne (1878); Hanna and Lewis Streets (1878–83); Barr Street and Washington Boulevard (1883–1916); 119 West Lewis Street (1917–53); 2200 Randalia Drive (1953– ), copied from Parkview Hospital at IndianaHistory.org.
Starting in 1913, the Horton Manufacturing Company began the production of its first mechanical ironing machine and, by 1939, the company purchased the patent for its highly popular mangle. The mangle portable ironer was heavily marketed to American housewives as a way of easing the fatigue of ironing as well as securing more leisure time. Advertising for the mangle followed gender stereotypes of the mid-20th century, such as branding the appliance “the wonderful wife saver,” “work relief for the ladies,” “an aid to beauty,” and other phrasings that appear insensitive today. Even with the success of the mangle and their other products, Horton could not survive the competitive consumer market for laundry appliances after WWII and ceased operations in 1952. #sociallyhistory
The Horton Manufacturing Company was founded in Bluffton, Indiana in 1871 by Dr. Theodore Horton to make the first mechanical washer for home use. By the early 1880s the small firm needed capital to meet demand for their products. With Fort Wayne investors, lead by John C. Peters, the company was incorporated and moved manufacturing to Fort Wayne in 1883. Over the years the company improved its designs and expanded distribution, making the claim by 1924 that it supplied half the washing machines to a worldwide market. Horton Manufacturing was located on Osage Street and employed between two and three hundred Fort Wayne residents. The company managed to survive the Depression and contributed to the war effort by producing 40 millimeter shell casings during World War II. It did not survive the competitive consumer market for laundry appliances after the war and ceased operations in 1952. #sociallyhistory
Like If You Used One of these! :p Horton Western Washing machine Ad from 1890
Globe Washing Machine, circa 1900 at the Henry Ford Museum. GLOBE NO 1 [rear] GLOBE [front] PATENTED/ HORTON/ GLOBE/ WASHER [sides] MADE ONLY BY THE /HORTON MFG. CO./ FORT WAYNE, IND. U.S.A
Was located at 118 Baker Street (between South Calhoun and South Harrison). It it was built in 1909 across the street from the Pennsylvania Railroad Station (Baker Street Station) and a block away from the Wabash RR Station.
In a 1908 photo on Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne. A druggist and amateur botanist, Huxford served as a Fort Wayne City Council member beginning in the 1830s and also served three one-year terms as Fort Wayne mayor from 1846 to 1848, the announcement said.
Today, we continue our list of the top endangered properties in the Historic 07 District. The purpose of this list is to raise awareness of these incredible properties.
At the corner of Fairfield and Packard sits a unique building, and perhaps an even more unique sign. Built in 1928, the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In building still stands, but it is unfortunately in disrepair. The site was initially the Indian Refining Company. Indian Refining patented the first "wax-free" oil under the Havoline brand. To boost sales and advertise the product, they offered to fuel the first plane to fly coast to coast. As of 1937, the site was owned by the Shewmaker Bros as a gasoline and oil service station. Then, by the mid-1940s, the site was vacant.
Soon after, the station was converted into a restaurant by Guy Scheib. “The restaurant, run by Scheib and his sons, was an overnight success in post-WWII Indiana, and they quickly began expanding, changing the name to Happy Humpty along the way, as the Humpty Dumpty trademark was unavailable.” Scheib went on to open other restaurants, as well. For example, “Lucky Steer was launched in partnership with Royce Shafer. At the peak of operations, there were around 23 company-owned restaurants in the two brand chain.”
At some point, Scheib was no longer involved with the business, and the restaurants closed in the 1980s. Scheib lived in Woodhurst but eventually relocated to Florida, where he passed away in 1999. The split in ownership developed another chain, CJ HighMarks, in Ohio by a former employee and District Manager, John Irmscher. There is still one Lucky Steer in existence today, which was purchased by Dwight Axe and his wife Carmen in 1983. The couple met as teenagers in the restaurant. That last restaurant still serves customers to this day in Wapakoneta, OH. Lucky Steer Restaurant. .
For "Throwback Thursday" we share this from the March 28, 1969 edition of The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. I researched this and Hofer and Davis, Inc. DID NOT do any of the surveying! John Dehner of John Dehner, Inc. and Spears-Dehner, Inc. was a valued client over the years, and must be why it is noted "save" by Carl A. Hofer.
Hutner Building
Built in 1990, 924 S. Calhoun Street. The present-day structure replaced an older unsalvageable building once home to Hutner’s Paris fine clothier. See Hutner Building history with photos and timeline on midtowncrossing.net.
Huxford House
520 Tennessee Avenue Street View photo from Google Maps.
Five dates back to October 2007 show overgrown July 2011 through the most recent
Dr. Merchant Huxford House is a Greek Revial style built in the 1850s possibly with timbers still showing signs of whitewash from the last Fort Wayne built in 1815! Huxford was semi-retired when he built the house, dying in 1878. His property once included the land from what is now Lawton Park east to the St. Joseph River. He helped found the local Episcopal Church, the Allen County Agricultural Society and the Allen County Horticulture Society. See our 1852 Old Fort section.
ARCH, Inc. photos of the Dr. Merchant W. Huxford House "Greek Revival c. 1854 Support beams in the basement are believed to be timbers from the original fort and still show signs of old whitewash."
March 9, 2013Dr. Merchant W. Huxford House photo album on ARCH Facebook: Greek Revival c. 1854 Support beams in the basement are believed to be timbers from the original fort and still show signs of old whitewash.Greek Revival c. 1854 Support beams in the basement are believed to be timbers from the original fort and still show signs of old whitewash.
ARCH is happy to share the news that we received a $20,000 Commercial Facade Grant from the City of Fort Wayne - Municipal Government for exterior work at the Dr. Merchant Huxford House, 520 Tennessee Avenue.
The Huxford House is significant because it was constructed by Fort Wayne's first pharmacist and full-time mayor. It contains timbers reclaimed from the original Fort Wayne structure.
The Commercial Facade Grant Program has been very successful. Since 2009, nearly $1 million in public grants have brought about more than $3 million private investment, mainly in older buildings.
Other 2014 grant recipients include the following:
The 1925 S. Calhoun Building, 1925 & 1927 S. Calhoun St.
The 2228 S. Calhoun Building, 2228 S. Calhoun St.
Anthony Wayne Village Shopping Center, 4301-4355 S. Anthony Blvd.
Coe Heating and Air Conditioning, Lower Huntington Road.
Broadway Joe’s, 2514 Broadway
Colony Shops of Waynedale, 6415-6441 Bluffton Road Curly’s Village Inn, 4205 Bluffton Rd.
“New to You” Building, 1542 Sherman Blvd.
Rialto Theater, 2614 S. Calhoun St.
Anthony Medical Building, 5717 S. Anthony Blvd.
TekVenture (former Allen County Sweeper Company), 1800 Broadway Waynedale News Building, 2505 Lower Huntington Rd.
Exterior rehab begins at the c. 1845 Dr. Merchant W. Huxford House. Demo of shed and bad addition, tuck pointing and masonry repair, new sills and lintels. Stay tuned for more throughout the next few weeks. Thanks to City of Fort Wayne, Indiana Landmarks [ September 13, 2013 post ] and individual donors who made this possible!!
The guys from Preston Allen Homes have been working hard at the Merchant Huxford house and have made a lot of progress!
Large, hand-hewn beams used during construction of the Dr. Merchant W. Huxford House reportedly may have come from the blockhouse of the last Fort Wayne, which was built in 1816 and demolished about the time the Huxford House was constructed.
ARCH has designed the interior for use by a small, nonprofit organization or for professional offices, he said.
The first floor will contain one large meeting space, a smaller meeting space and an office kitchen, he said. With the large room’s several big windows, the space will have an open, appealing feel.
The second floor will be remodeled to include two large offices and two small offices, he said. It also will have a full bathroom in case the home’s buyer wants to use the second floor for living space.
The attic area will be converted into a 20-foot-by-40-foot work space, Galbraith said.
ARCH has kept an eye on the building for 30 years, he said, including putting it at various times on the organization’s Endangered Structures list. So he doesn’t mind taking a little extra time to restore it properly.
The Dr. Merchant Huxford House is one of our favorite restoration stories here at ARCH! What are your favorites? Post your pictures in the comments below! #preservation#history#archfw#community
History suitable for use ARCH plans new life for 1854 home by Rosa Salter Rodriguez May 11, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
The Fort Wayne City Council gave preliminary approval Tuesday night [July 15, 2014] to designating the historic Dr. Merchant W. Huxford House as a local historic district. Fort Wayne City Council gives preliminary approval to designating circa 1854 home as local historic district News-Sentinel staff reports was published July 16, 2014 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
Here are the results: Out of the 34 samples taken, White Oak was the most common wood in the house. Some of the tree ring samples dated back to 1544, but most dated to the 1700s. The newest rings on the samples dated back to 1790-1851. Unfortunately, the analysis couldn't conclusively confirm that the timber used in the Merchant Huxford House came from the old fort. But given the dates, it is possible.
FACT 
Advertisements for this company were seen everywhere, and one slogan included, "Why not have a hat that is becoming?"
This department store was special, one of only a few department stores downtown. In fact, it was so popular that in 1930, a group of cracksmen blew open the safe and robbed the place. 
moved its headquarters into the fourth floor in 2019, but the company unfortunately closed its doors in 2021. 
You could conduct business on one of Fort Wayne's busiest intersections, home to 
