Plans for a proposed National Airmail Museum at Fort Wayne’s Smith Field are in a holding pattern, but the project’s course appears certain to change if funding is secured.
Bob Wearley, president of the museum’s board of directors, said last week that the board has suspended fundraising efforts for six months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“There more than likely won’t be any money available for I don’t know how long to make this happen,” Wearley said, referring to the economic damage caused by the virus.
The National Airmail Museum will cost $4.4 million to develop, according to a feasibility study. Although Congress in 2018 approved the museum’s designation at a Smith Field hangar, the legislation introduced by Rep. Jim Banks, R-3rd, prohibits the use of federal funds for the nonprofit venture.
The nine-member museum board spent $50,000 on the feasibility study conducted by Tessellate, a design studio in New York City. Along with estimating potential operating costs, visitor volume and revenue, Tessellate recommended alterations to its original museum blueprint – even expanding the name – to emphasize interactive exhibits.
The place would be known as Aviation Adventure at the National Airmail Museum and feature a “drone zone,” virtual reality flight simulators, a hands-on mechanical area, a maker space and a theater.
The museum also would house static displays such as vintage aircraft and pilot artifacts, plus the headquarters of the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 2, a gift shop and a 1940s-themed café.
Telling the story
Commercial airmail service started at the north-side airport in 1930, when it was called Paul Baer Municipal Airport. Baer and Art Smith were celebrated pilots from Fort Wayne who died while delivering mail – Smith in a 1926 plane crash near Montpelier, Ohio, and Baer in a 1930 plane crash in China. George Hill flew Smith Field’s first airmail route and became the airfield’s first fatality when he crashed a plane there in 1932.
“We want to tell a story about what these early airmail pilots went through to bring commercial aviation to what it is today. And that’s a story that’s not told in any museum in the country,” said Wearley, an Air Force veteran and retired commercial pilot who once worked for billionaire Howard Hughes.
He said museum board member Eric Olson came up with the tagline “The Greatest Stories Never Told” for the feasibility study.
The airmail story is “all these cowboys up in airplanes basically inventing piloting as we know it today,” said Joseph Karadin, co-founder and executive creative director for Tessellate.
“Fort Wayne has an amazing aviation heritage, and that should never get left off the table. … But we wanted to also create a participatory and interactive environment as well,” Karadin said. “The best way to learn the scientific principles and the STEM-based principles is to do it through hands-on interactive exhibits.”
He said the museum experience in the past 15 years “has moved from watching stories into participating in those stories.”
Or as Wearley recalled a museum board member musing, “Who wants to look at dusty old airplanes?”
“We’ve got to be more interactive with families so they will want to come back,” Wearley said.
62,000 visitors
Studying the demographics of the Fort Wayne “resident market” – defined as a 45-minute drive from the city – convinced Karadin and his team to revise their original approach. Their study concluded there is “strong potential market support” because of the area’s large population of school-age children, education levels and families with “time and disposable income for the leisure activities that are both educational and entertaining.”
The Tessellate study estimates the museum will attract 62,000 visitors a year.
They will generate $525,000 a year in admission, gift shop and food and beverage revenue. But the museum will cost $793,000 a year to operate, including $414,000 for a payroll for 7.8 full-time equivalent employees, so fundraising and giving programs would be required.
“Your typical museum does not make money,”
Karadin said. “A lot of museums rely on annual grant money, they rely on local donations and consistent fundraising revenue streams.”
Karadin said he understands the Midwest museum and entertainment market. He is from Akron, and his business partner, Emily Conrad, is from the Columbus, Ohio, area. Tessellate’s clients have included Earlham College in Richmond, where Conrad studied, and the Funk Music Hall of Fame, a Dayton venue that closed in 2019 but whose organizers reportedly seek a new home.
Other clients have included the American Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of Mathematics, both in New York.
Tessellate’s feasibility study states that Aviation Adventure at the National Airmail Museum “has the potential to operate successfully over time, if assumptions regarding quality of facility development, operations and fundraising are met.”
But this project, like everything else, will have to wait out the coronavirus and the economic devastation it has caused. Wearley remains optimistic; he said he never doubted he would land a 400-passenger jetliner in Tokyo while sitting on the runway in Los Angeles.
“It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark, for crying out loud. … When you get a roadblock, you figure out how to overcome it,” Wearley said.
Completed in 1930 on Clinton Street, besides National Guard activities it held many concerts and other public activities. It was torn down in 1997 to make way for the new Headwaters Park. Hoped to keep it to use for the new park winter activities but needed too many costly repairs to save. Aerial photo taken in July 1997 and discussion March 30, 2018 by
Randy Harter, Fort Wayne historian and authoron You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
It's been called the most significant road in Indiana history. The National Road, which begins in Cumberland, Md., was a major route through the wilderness that thousands of early settlers used to reach Indiana. The pioneer road, which was completed in rough and rugged form through Indiana in 1834, bisects the Hoosier state east-west from Richmond to Terre Haute. Suggested by none other than George Washington, the National Road was the country's first federal highway project and initially ended in Vandalia, Il., an early state capital of Illinois. Other state capitals – including Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio, were built on the National Road or in anticipation of its construction. The construction of the road was arduous, an aspect that Nelson will explore with his guest, Ball State University history professor Ron Morris, vice president of the Society of Indiana Pioneers. An expert on in-migration to Indiana, Ron has traveled extensively on the National Road. Beginning in the 1920s, much of the road was designated as U.S. 40, an era that Hoosier History Live explored during a show in 2013. For this show, we will focus on the earliest era of the road, particularly the challenges involved with its construction. During the pioneer era, workers were confronted by tall, towering trees, deep forests and meandering rivers and streams. Copied introduction to The National Road: pioneer highway into Indiana January 29, 2022 on the Archives of Hoosier History Live podcast on Saturdays, noon to 1 p.m. ET on WICR 88.7 FM.
Photograph showing a carriage stuck in the middle of an unpaved street. The description reads: "Eleven miles west of Zanesville, 1913, November." Beginning construction in 1806, the National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first federally-funded interstate highway. Crossing six states from Cumberland, Maryland, to Vandalia, Illinois, over 220 miles of the 600-mile road pass through Ohio. National Road in Zanesville photograph
First published as The Sentinel on July 6, 1833 as a weekly paper, it ceased publication April 23, 2020. The News-Sentinel, Allen County’s oldest continuously operating business, celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2008. In 1918 it merged with the The Fort Wayne Daily News to become The News-Sentinel an afternoon newspaper. Two years later, in 1920, Oscar Foellinger became the owner and publisher. He ran the paper until his death in 1936, after which his daughter, Helene, took over, becoming the youngest publisher in the United States. In 1950, Helene Foellinger formed a joint-operating agreement with rival morning newspaper The Journal Gazette. This agreement entitled both papers to share advertising sales, circulation and printing services, but kept each newspaper separately managed with different editorial staffs. That arrangement continues today under the business name Fort Wayne Newspapers. A new building, with a new printing press and offices for both papers, was put up in 1958 at its present location of 600 W. Main St. Knight-Ridder Newspapers purchased The News-Sentinel in 1980. In 1983, the newspaper received a Pulitzer Prize for best local coverage for its reporting of the flood of 1982. Before going out of business, Knight-Ridder sold The News-Sentinel and its other newspaper properties to McClatchy Newspapers in 2006. McClatchy quickly sold The News-Sentinel to Ogden Newspapers of Wheeling, W. Va., that same year and named Michael J. Christman publisher of The News-Sentinel and CEO of Fort Wayne Newspapers. In 2007, Fort Wayne Newspapers completed a building to house a new printing press – a $35 million project. The press, which can print 90,000 papers an hour, is one of the fastest in the country. Copied from their About Us page on news-sentinel.com. They celebrated their 175th anniversary in 2008. Their last print edition was October 7, 2017 and is currently only available online at their website: www.news-sentinel.com. See Steeped in history The News-Sentinel celebrates 175 years of reporting the news by Chelsea Brune published July 7, 2008 on
The News-Sentinel newspaper. See their OUR 175TH YEAR 1833-2008 page with links to newspaper front pages. Has pages like 1922-1923 Timeline.
April 23, 2020 various news sources announced the last day of publication of The News-Sentinel in the print edition of The Journal Gazette newspaper saying their online website would be suspended but still remains online as of September 2022. Fort Wayne Newspapers is adjusting staffing and features in response to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, said President and CEO Scott Stanford. ... Among the changes is that Fort Wayne Newspapers is suspending publication of the News-Sentinel page for now. The page will be evaluated for return as market conditions improve, Stanford said. Longtime News-Sentinel reporter and columnist Kevin Leininger has been furloughed as a result of the suspension. Other employees also have been furloughed and some positions eliminated as Fort Wayne Newspapers makes modest but appropriate adjustments to staff in response to the challenging economic environment, Stanford said. “The global pandemic and resulting shutdown of the northeast Indiana economy has placed downward pressure on many businesses,” Stanford said. “It is our hope that, as businesses are able to reopen, the economy begins to improve and business returns to more normal levels, we will be able to bring back furloughed employees and restore features like the News-Sentinel page.” Copied from Fort Wayne Newspapers adjusts staff, features published April 23, 2020 on www.news-sentinel.com. Fort Wayne Newspapers President and CEO Scott Stanford told WANE 15 on Thursday that the company was forced to adjust staffing and features in response to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, and the News-Sentinel would be shelved. Stanford said the page would be “evaluated for return as market conditions improve.” Kevin Leininger, the paper’s lone reporter and columnist, has been furloughed as a result of the suspension, Stanford said. Fort Wayne Newspapers also furloughed employees in its advertising, production and niche products divisions last week, and eliminated positions within its circulation department, he said. ... In August 2018, it laid off nearly its entire staff, and retained a single reporter to retain its joint operating agreement with the Journal Gazette. From Publication of Fort Wayne News-Sentinel suspended amid virus pandemic published April 23, 2020 in CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15.
Search Fort Wayne News-Sentinel Archives on newsbank.com is a pay site that appears with a keyword search to find screen shots and text articles from 1901-2017 actually 1918-2017, 1990-2020, and Journal Gazette 1992-Current including a Browse by date feature. One work around would be use the search feature to find articles, then look up the microfilm in the
The Genealogy Center at the
Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Cityscapes is a series of online articles from
The News-Sentinel newspaperarchives. There are lots of subcategories under various categories. I am still trying to find all the pages that link to other articles. Here are the ones I found so far:
Summit City History Notes The early history of Fort Wayne (Originally published as a special Mini-Page edition for young people) by Richard Battin dated October 19, 1993 is a page of paragraphs that act as if linked to longer articles but the links no longer work. There are other pages by Richard Battin labeled Summit City History Notes but I have found no easy way to find them so far other than internet searches or using the links above.
This Day in History has 10 or more article links per page showing a dozen or more photos from their archive taken over the years on specific dates. Page links to around 100 pages of various articles posted mostly in 2016-2018.
Allen County photo album, 1852-1954 : from the archives of The News-Sentinel and our readers , 2008, Authors: Jon Swerens, Brian Tombaugh, Laura Weston-Elchert, Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. Summary:"A book of beautiful and historic photographs of Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana, from the archives of the News-Sentinel and our readers"--Publisher. At WorldCat. Newspaper articles: Photos of everyday life give the 'Allen County Photo Album' a real community feel a sampling from The News-Sentinel's photo book on 100 years in the Fort in honor of its 175th anniversary published November 28, 2008 and Allen County Photo Album book arrives November 11, 2008 in
The News-Sentinel newspaper.
The 1960s were a time of great change in America, and you can revisit that history in the upcoming book “Allen County Photo Album 1960-1969,” which features about 200 photos from the archives of The News-Sentinel newspaper.
Neighbors sections took news coverage to the neighborhood and town level The popular sections debuted in 1982. by Kevin Kilbane published October 07, 2017 in
The News-Sentinel newspaper.
News-Sentinel columnist reflects on newspaper's history Betty Stein has lived 100 of The News-Sentinel's 184 years in existence. By Sheryl Kreig published October 7, 2017 in
The News-Sentinel newspaperon now on page 6L of the Commemorative edition in item 5 above.
Staffing changes at The News-Sentinel won’t change its commitment to the community by News-Sentinel Staff Reports published August 13, 2018 in
The News-Sentinel newspaper. “The News-Sentinel has deep roots in the community and we are steadfast in our commitment to give residents a targeted website that covers the area’s news and events,” said Pete Van Baalen, the general manager for Fort Wayne Newspapers. “We understand the importance of providing residents with news they care about and a voice to the issues that concern them.” The News-Sentinel.com reaches more that 200,000 unique readers each month. The most popular features on the site will continue. The website will continue to be updated with original reporting and timely content.
Saving the First Draft of HistoryWhen news sites suddenly shut down and former URLs are sold to the highest bidder, saving a publisher's archive becomes a time-consuming and rigorous full-time job in the digital age. Archiving wasn’t perfect in the analog days, but preserving journalism in the digital age is increasingly complicated. Gabe Bullard, Nieman Reports.
March is Women's History Month. We're going to spend the last few days of the month celebrating Indiana's first female architects, Joel Ninde (pronounced Jo-elle; Ninde rhymes with mind) and Grace Crosby.
Here's what the 1996 "Fort Wayne Historic Sites and Structures Survey" has to say about Joel:
"Joel Ninde (1874-1916), a woman self-taught in architecture, designed and built over 300 houses by 1914. Working with her husband, attorney, and salesman Lee J. Ninde, through their Wildwood Builders Company, Ninde and her design partner Grace Crosby created Colonial Revival and Craftsman style houses with innovative features appealing to the housewife. The company also published The Wildwood Magazine, a nationally known publication on the subjects of architecture, city planning, and interior design, from 1913-1917. Joel Ninde died of a stroke in 1916 at age 42. Although examples of her work survive in various parts of the city, both the South Wayne Historic District and the Shawnee Drive Historic District contain significant concentrations. Her own home (pictured) is located at 902 W. Wildwood Avenue.
Joel Ninde and Grace Crosby were both architects who designed comfortable, convenient, and efficient homes at affordable prices. By 1910, Ninde’s designs were so popular that she and her husband, Lee J. Ninde, formed the Wildwood Builder’s Company. Grace Crosby joined the company soon after its founding. Crosby and Ninde formed the design department and supervised construction. This company designed and developed the neighborhoods of Wildwood Park, Lafayette Place, Brookview and others.
Ninde became known for her innovative ideas regarding city planning, and eventually became one of the publishers of The Wildwood Magazine, which grew into a forum for city planning throughout the country. Joel Ninde died in 1916 after suffering a stroke. Crosby continued to work for Wildwood Builders and other architectural firms until her retirement in 1930. #sociallyhistory
The home of Joel Ninde in the Historic South Wayne Neighborhood Association is for sale.
Approximately one year ago, we posted on this historic home. It was one of our most popular posts. For anyone interested in capturing a piece of history, architecturally, and it being the home of Ninde, who was among the earliest women to work in architecture, check the link below.
In fact, after Joel's death in 1916, the home was purchased by author Gene Stratton-Porter for her daughter. "Joel Roberts Ninde was among the earliest women to work in architecture, building a number of homes under the auspices of the Wildwood Building Company which gained a national reputation for practicality and innovation . . . Ninde managed to build quite a reputation as one of the early twentieth century’s most popular architects. In 1914, the Indianapolis Star wrote an article on Joel stating that she had designed and built over 300 houses." ARCH, Inc.
Facebook: Nine Mile Restaurant. A sign in the bar says Nine Mile is the oldest bar in Indiana, established in 1837. From
Restaurant review: Nine Mile Restaurant still serves great food, history by Cindy Larson of the News-Sentinel February 5, 2013.
JOE STRACK & BARRY LIGGET - TAVERNERS
OUR ROOTS
Taverns were necessary for the convenience of pioneers and explorers, especially in those early days. Because settlers were few in number, the opportunity for administering to the wants of the hungry and way worn voyagers through the wilderness of Northern Indiana was meager. As a consequence, taverns were in great demand.
Hospitality has always been one of the prime elements of pioneer life, and the hospitality offered by the first settlers in Allen County was no exception.
The first roads with which Allen County was traversed were scarcely entitled to the name, being only traces adopted by the Indians from constant usage between notable points. The village of Kekionga (presently Fort Wayne), being a central point, was approached by numerous traces.
The principal of these was Fort Recovery, Ohio: the Piqua Road, U.S. 27 South – just outside our front door – now covers part of the Old Piqua Road from Monmouth, Indiana to downtown Fort Wayne.
In 1839, Miller and King opened a store at the site of the Nine Mile house and prospered.
The Millers and the Kings also ran a primitive tavern which had been established in 1837.
The name “Nine Mile” advertised its distance from the Allen County Courthouse.
You’ve gone the distance. Welcome to Nine Mile.
The above information was lifted without ceremony from
The History of Allen County, Indiana.
Kingman Brothers, Chicago, 1880. Reprinted in 1972.
Miller & King opened a well-selected stock of merchandise in 1839, at the present site of the Nine Mile House, where they enjoyed a prosperous trade.
Page 158
The first tavern was established in 1837 by John Kara. It was kept in a log building on the Piqua road, and was conducted by him for two or three years. It was then purchased by Miller and King and conducted as a store and tavern, {subsequently the house was purchased by John Trentman, who rented it to John Holmes. The latter gentleman built the Nine Mile House in 1850, to accommodate the increasing custom.
The 95-year-old former building, Earl Knight Filling Station, c. 1926 (September 3, 2017 Facebook post by The Story of Your House), was removed to build a round-a-bout at Five Points at the the intersection of Goshen Ave., Sherman Blvd. and Lillian Ave., formerly on the historic Lincoln Highway. The Five Points roundabout was part of a larger plan to polish up a major gateway into Fort Wayne. The city added curbs and gutters, storm sewers, decorative lighting, and landscaping and a sidewalk. Copied from Editorial Roundabout path toward better traffic published September 03, 2017 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
The Story of Your House has been told that a new roundabout is being planned at Goshen Road and Sherman Blvd. (Five Points) in Fort Wayne. North Side Bait & Tackle would be demolished. Stop in to sign the petition to save the building (Earl Knight Filling Station, c.1926)!
Photo posted August 24, 2017 and updated September 3, 2017 quoting City Engineer Shan Gunawardena said it was an option to physically move the building to another location on the intersection on The Story of Your House on Facebook.
Tackle shop caught in demolition net includes a map and discussion with city officials by KPC Media News Service published November 27, 2018 on INFortWayne.com and discussed November 27, 2018 on their Facebook page.
In March I reported about the historic service station at the Five Points intersection of Goshen Rd (Lincoln Highway) in Fort Wayne, IN that the city was giving away to anyone who would move it. Otherwise it would be demolished for a round-about. No one ever claimed it. Here's a circa 1934 photograph of the station courtesy of the Ron Carner Collection. Thanks to Creager Smith for sending this.
Two 1920s service stations at the Five Points intersection on the Lincoln Highway were discussed including the 1934 photo shown on right.
John Nuckol's Memorial Park - formerly Hayden Park
Located in the block at Jefferson Boulevard, Harmar Street, Maumee Avenue, and King Street, Street View photo at Google maps.
1.09 acres, since 1876. Nuckols Park was purchased in 1876 from Fred Hayden for $4500 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.
