Allen County, Indiana Genealogy

See Streets of Fort Wayne.

Notice the Penn House is mentioned four times.

See Map of Allen County, Indiana, 1860 at the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library. In 1860 Fort Wayne is south of the St. Marys and Maumee River with very few living north of the rivers or along the St. Joseph River.

1860 - Roads in Allen County

Article from Aug 17, 1860 Dawson's Fort Wayne Daily Times (Fort Wayne, Indiana) 1860, Roads, Allen county, Indiana

1860 - Roads in Allen County Dawson's Fort Wayne Daily Times, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Friday, August 17, 1860, Page 2. Slightly less blurring is the same article 1860 - Roads in Allen County Dawson's Fort Wayne Weekly Times, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Wednesday, August, 22, 1860, Page 1.

ROADS IN ALLEN COUNTY.

To the many, the most important highways in the county are unknown-even by the ordinary name of each ; hence for the want of a more fitting subject, we devote a short article to the Roads in Allen County.

First, the Piqua Road which properly conveniences at the South end of Calhoun street, South via. the Railroad Depot, about one and a half mile, then bears a little East(?) to the Plank Road which from that spot becomes the Piqua and Fort Wayne Plank ? Plank Road which enters Ft. Wayne on Lafayette street from the South and terminates at the toll gate on the Lima Plank Road two and a half miles North of this city via. Rudisill's Mills, St. Jo Tannery and Penn House. The Piqua Road passes from the point we left it, South through a part of Wayne Township, then passes one mile through the S. W. corner of Adams Township into Marion near the North West corner, then diagonally through that township, passing Middletown 12 miles out, and about 16 miles from this city enters Adams County. This Road follows the general course of the River St. Mary's on the East side and is the direct route to Monmouth, Decatur, Pleasant Mills, Willshire, Shanesville, Mercer and St. Marys, to Piqua, Ohio, and was originally the most distingished Road which lead to and from Fort Wayne. [ Former Indian agent John Johnston moved from early 1800s Fort Wayne to Piqua, Ohio ]

The Indianapolis Road is the route of the Blufton Plank Road, leaving Fort Wayne at the old Cemetery [ which one?], and Running with it six miles to Beck's School House; then to the right and South West through Wayne, across the Norh West corner of Pleasant and through Lafayette Township, leaving the county at Zanesville and passing into Wells- crossing the Wabash at Markle.

The Old Huntington Rood--the one long traveled by the Indians from this place and Chief Richardville's residence on the St. Marys four miles from this city--leaves the Bluffton Plank Road one fourth of a mile South of Beck's School House, passing through Wayne the South East corner of Aboite, and through Lafayette Township following on the -South side of the Prairie [ is this Eagle Marsh or Little River Wetlands? ], leaving Allen county a few miles South of Roanoke into Huntington Co.

The Old Winchester Road leaves the Bluffton Plank Road three and a half miles South of Fort Wayne and passing up the St. Marys River through Wayne, Pleasant and Marion township, on the South side of the St. Marys River, enters Adams also about 16 miles from this city. It was originally the mail route from Winchester to Fort Wayne via. Jay C. H., Limberlost, Decatur, Poughkeepsie P. O. [ Winchester, Randolph County, Indiana? ]

The Maumee Road leads out East, passing the Lutheran College, down the Maumee River South side, and is the same as the Van Wert Road as far as New Haven in Adams Township--six miles East, on the Wabash & Erie Canal, and at that point the Van Wert Road takes the Ridge [ of the Great Black Swamp? ], as it is called, and follows it diagonally through Jefferson, the South West corner of Jackson and North Eust corner of Monroe, and into the State of Ohio toward Van Wert, on the same Ridge.

The "Ridge Road, or Fort Wayne and Hicksville Fort Wayne at the Maumee Bridge and passes along that fertile ridge [ of the Great Black Swamp? ] between the Maumee and St. Joseph Rivers, out of Wayne into St. Joseph--through the North West corner of Milan, diagonally through Springfield--passing Cuba, and Maysille, and Hall's Corners, and into Scipio Township, near the North West corner, and thence out at the North East corner, into Ohio, in the direction of Hicksville.

The Leo Road -East-leaves Fort Wayne at the Maumee Bridge, and passes up the East side of the St. Joseph River to Leo--through St. Joseph Township into Cedar Creek. The St. Joseph Road leads out of town from the Gas Works via. Rudisill's Mills to the Penn House, and there leaving to the right, through Washington Township, part of St. Joseph by the Feeder Dam, crossing Cedar Creek at Cedarville, then to Leo, and out of the county about two miles South East of Spencerville, De Kalb county. This is the old mail route from Fort Wayne to Denmark, O. [ west of Lima, Ohio ]

The Coldwater Road leaves the St Joseph Road near two miles North East of the Penn House, passes North through Washington part of St. Joseph, into Perry, crossing Cedar Creek at Vandolah's Mill, and so North.

The Auburn Road leaves the St. Joseph near the Penn House and goes through Washington and Perry via. Perry Center College, crossing Cedar Creek at Stoner's Mills in Perry Township, and so on North.

The Lima Road, formerly the Mongoquinong, is the Plank Road leaving Fort Wayne at Lees' Ford Bridge, then North via. Huntertown into Noble county, passing Avilla, Lisbon, Kendallville, Milford, &c

The Goshen Road leaves the Lima Road one mile North of this city--then passes to the left, through Washington, Lake and Eel River via. Heller's Corners, to Wolf Lake, on to Goshen.

The Yellow River Road is now the Columia City Plank Road, leavng the city at the Stone Mills, passing through a corner of Washington into Lake via. Tharpe's Mills--a village called Pierson.

The Old Columbia City Road leaves the Plank, three miles West, and about the same intersection(?) as does the Plank Road

The Illinois Road leaves the Columbia City Plank Road at the crossing of the canal and passes a due west course through Wayne and Aboit Townships.

The Huntington Road leave the Illinois Road just west of Lindenwood Cemetery and follows the general course of the W. & E. canal westward.

These constitue(?) the leading roads of Allen County, all of which centre or diverge from Fort Wayne; and it will be seen, that with these highways, the railways and the W. & E. canal, that Fort Wayne is cutrepot(?) of a large trade, and we may add the centre of a most fertile region of country, and yet to be distinguished over any other city in the State, except the Capitol.

1. Native American trails were the first roads in northeastern Indiana. Many trails crossed northern Indiana before the land was surveyed and sold to settlers in the first half of the 19th century. The Fort Wayne to Goshen Road was one of the first roads in northeast Indiana, which became the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and then US 33 in 1926. The original Lincoln Highway route through eastern Indiana passed through the small communities of Zulu, Townely, Besancon (the 19th century French settlement), the canal town of New Haven, and Fort Wayne. The route then headed northwest to the city of Churubusco. Lincolndale Café was located on the western edge of Fort Wayne along Goshen Road. From this point the original route of the highway continued on north to Churubusco. The 1926 route turned west on Washington Center Road. The Lincoldale area was completely altered when Interstate 69 was built. Road construction has caused sections of the original Lincoln Highway route to become dead ends. Fort Wayne celebrated the Lincoln Highway with bonfires, long parades, arches built to welcome travelers, and the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) erected a flagpole at the city limits to show their patriotic efforts. Lincoln Highway Association’s promotional efforts included the building of concrete bridges. The Lincoln Highway Bridges in Fort Wayne opened in April 1916 over the St. Mary’s River at a cost of $200,000 as a part of Harrison Sreet. The granite plaques show that it is 742 miles to New York and 2,660 miles to San Francisco. Today the bridge is part of a greenway pedestrian and bike system. This is the first paragraph copied from the Lincoln Highway by Tom Castaldi, local historianat ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
2. The Original State Road System, as Shown in 1932 Richard M. Simpson, III, Cities/Towns, Government, Maps, Roads, State Highways 6 January 2021 on Indiana Transportation History.
3. 1920-1960: Allen County Roads by Richard M. Simpson, III, Auto Trails, 11 January 2021 on Indiana Transportation History. Has many Fort Wayne related topics especially railroads.
4. Maps of Suburban and Rural Additions, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1960 The following contains maps of rural additions which were not within the Corporation limits of the City of Fort Wayne in 1960. At the The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Many of these additions are now within corporate Fort Wayne city limits.
5. Road name changes are frustrating, but usually occur in modern times when named roads that originally did not connect, often due to rivers and creeks without bridges or other obstacles, are connected many years and decades later when many existing homes and businesses with long-time addresses are merged by connecting those roads.
6. Early roads were often named for the people living along or near the roads since an Indiana law of 1816-17 required males age 18-50 to donate up to 6 days labor annually to open and maintain public roads. Pioneer families created early roads by cutting down trees and laying the original road beds through the primeval forests that greeted the early pioneer families. Such stories are sometimes found in early county records.
7. Roads near the center of the township often have center in their names like Aboite Center Road, Lafayette Center Road, Maumee Center Road, Milan Center Road, Pleasant Center Road, and Springfield Center Road. Two pairs of center roads are north-south Adams Center Road changes to Marion Center Road, and east-west St. Joe Center Road changes to Washington Center Road once separated by the Saint Joseph River are now connected by a bridge as they cross township boundary lines.
8. Fort to Port U.S. 24 a 4 lane highway opened in November 15, 2012 replaces the 2 lane Old U.S. 24 that followed along the winding old Wabash and Erie Canal route across Indiana northeast into Ohio on the way to Toledo, Ohio. U.S. 24 (Fort to Port) Officially Opened November 14 at Inside INDOT.
   

   The new four-lane limited-access highway traverses northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio to connect Fort Wayne with the Port of Toledo. The corridor spans about 75 miles from Interstate 469 in New Haven to near Waterville, Ohio, south of Toledo. One of 50 state road projects finished this year because of Major Moves money from the long-term lease of the Indiana Toll Road. The route will provide direct connections to Interstates 80, 90, 75, 69 and 469 and join the under-construction Hoosier Heartland Corridor that will connect I-69 in Fort Wayne to I-65 in Lafayette. The new U.S. 24 will make it easier to travel to the Great Lakes region, officials said. - November 15, 2012 12:11 p.m. Fort to Port finally open for business Last Indiana section finished by Vivian Sade of The Journal Gazette newspaper, posted on NEI Northeast Indiana.

9. See our section on the Indiana Lincoln Highway
10. Indiana National Road Association
11. Lima Road, formerly known as Lima Plank Road. Was the first plank road in northern Indiana. It was named Lima Plank Road when it ran northwest from Fort Wayne to Lima, now Howe, LaGrange County, Indiana. In 1847, the road was built by Samuel Hanna. It was made of planks so that wagons could ride smoothly! A photo of one of the planks at The History Center in Fort Wayne was posted July 13, 2019 by Fort Wayne Road Commission - FWRC on Facebook.
12. The old Bostick Road Bridge, spanning the St. Marys River off of HWY 27, just south of I-469. The bridge was built in 1894 by the Canton Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio and closed in April 2004. Bostick Road Bridge Award The Highway Department's effort to restore and preserve the historic Bostick Road bridge was recognized by ARCH -- the Architecture and Community Heritage organization of Allen County and northeast Indiana. ARCH presented the Highway Department with its 2012 Good Stewardship Award for the ongoing preservation of an Allen County landmark. The rehabilitation of the single-span bridge included new steel members, bridge decking and bridge painting in order to provide for the preservation of this historical structure. Following the restoration, the bridge is now being utilized as a pedestrian way across the St Mary’s River. copied from page 9 of the 2012 Allen County Annual Report. More information can be found in Historic Bostick Road Bridge dismantled by Kevin Leininger in the archives of The News-Sentinel newspaper. IF BRIDGES COULD TALK William L. G. Etzler, P.E. Executive Director Allen County Highway Department in a 4-page document on Purdue.edu, Bostick Road Bridge Turner Bridge, Allen County Bridge 268 on HistoricBridges.org, and Bostick Road Bridge on Bridgehunter.com: Historic Bridges of the United States.

13. 1914 - Much Road Work Going On - Many Thoroughfares Are Blocked During June

    Article from Jun 15, 1914 The Fort Wayne News (Fort Wayne, Indiana) 1914, Road work, Leo road, Penn house

    1914 - Much Road Work Going On - Many Thoroughfares Are Blocked During June The Fort Wayne News, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Monday, June 15, 1914, Page 12. Darker version 1914 - Much Road Work Going On - Many Thoroughfares Are Blocked During June Fort Wayne Daily News, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Monday, June 15, 1914, Page 12.

    COURT HOUSE NEWS MUCH ROAD WORK GOING ON

    MANY THOROUGHFARES ARE BLOCKED DURING JUNE.

    No Divorces Are Granted Today for Change--Happenings in the Courts.

    Never in the history of Allen county has the road improvement work been so extensive as it is now. There is scarcely a main road out of Fort Wayne that is not being improved with crushed stone and concrete culverts, and many roads are completely blocked to traffic. The blockades and fresh stone make it a bit difficult for drivers of horses and motor cars to feel certain where they will end when they start out, but when the work is completed Allen county will have more miles of improved road and will come in for a larger slice of the automobile license fund at the next division.

    One of the blockades is on the Leo road. Just past the first fork after leaving the "Penn" house the road is blocked on account of crushed stone being rolled into the roadway. The road is open from the next cross-road to the third, and from there on it is again blocked to Robison park. Auto parties desiring to visit the park are compelled to go past the academy on the Auburn road or to take the St. Joe road past Germania park and cross at Porter's bridge above the park.

14. 1914 - Fixing Road - From Centlivre Park to Penn House--Will Be Best in County

    Article from Aug 26, 1914 Fort Wayne Daily News (Fort Wayne, Indiana) 1914, Wm penn house, Centlivre park

    1914 - Fixing Road - From Centlivre Park to Penn House--Will Be Best in County Fort Wayne Daily News, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Wednesday, August 26, 1914, Page 10.

    FIXING ROAD

    From Centilvre Park to Penn House--Will Be Best in County.

    County Superintendent of Roads Tonkel has commenced work on the Leo road from Centlivre park to the Penn house. The road is being scarified, and crushed stone and tarvia dumped onto it. This will be rolled, and the road is expected to be one of the best in the county when completed. The road was surfaced with tarvia some time ago, but the foundation was poor and the surface quickly took on a hilly effect that was decided uncomfortable for those who rode over it.

15. 1914 - Can Try Out The New Road - Commissioners Hurry Work on the Leo Road

    Article from Sep 15, 1914 Fort Wayne Daily News (Fort Wayne, Indiana) 1914, Penn house, Leo road

    1914 - Can Try Out The New Road - Commissioners Hurry Work on the Leo Road Fort Wayne Daily News, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Tuesday, September 15, 1914, Page 14.

    CAN TRY OUT THE NEW ROAD COMMISSIONERS HURRY WORK ON THE LEO STRETCH.

    Three Divorces Are Granted Today--Sheriff Seeks Suicide--The Court News.

    The county commissioners have hurried the work on resurfacing the Leo road from the end of the Spy Run pavement to the Penn house curve and as a result those who drive to the fair grounds this week will be given an opportunity to test out one of the best stretches of road in Allen county. The road is of crushed stone, rolled in tar, and presents one of smoothest surfaces that can be obtained.

    The work on Haven roads, No. 1 and No. progressing at a good rate. The concrete has been laid for the greater part of the way and has been covered with dirt, to allow for slow drying. The road will be opened to the public, shortly and when completed will one continuous concrete pavement from Fort Wayne to New Haven.

    1914 - Clinton Street - Repaired From Bridge to the Leo Road - paved to Penn house curve

    Article from Sep 17, 1914 Fort Wayne Daily News (Fort Wayne, Indiana) 1914, Penn house, Clinton street, Paving

    1914 - Clinton Street - Repaired From Bridge to the Leo Road - paved to Penn house curve Fort Wayne Daily News, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Thursday, September 17, 1914, Page 12.

    CLINTON STREET

    Repaired From Bridge to the Leo Road.

    County Superintendent Tonkel and Deputy Henry Kramer announce the completion of the repairs to Clinton street from the old canal bridge to the Leo road. The Leo road has now been surfaced from end of the Spy Run pavement to the Penn house curve, completing a several mile, stretch of road that is better than a city pavement.

16. Curious what road projects are ahead this year? 🛣 http://Nextlevelroads.com shows current and upcoming projects through...

    Posted by Indiana Department of Transportation: Northeast on Monday, January 9, 2023

    January 8, 2022 post by Indiana Department of Transportation: Northeast on Facebook:
    Curious what road projects are ahead this year? NextLevel Roads.com shows current and upcoming projects through 2027. You can use the menu on the right to customize your search, zoom in to areas you more frequently travel, and click on the colored dots to learn more.
    
    NextLevel Roads states: Indiana is taking transportation and logistics to the next level. Transportation plays a major part in Indiana's success story. Now, with a sustainable, data-driven plan in place to fund roads and bridges, Hoosiers can rest assured that Indiana will remain the Crossroads of America for generations to come.

17. NLR map

    Some construction projects have gotten underway, but there are plenty more that haven't started yet. A great tool we have to see what's coming your way is our Next Level Roads map. Check it out today! nextlevelroads.com

    Posted by Indiana Department of Transportation: Northeast on Monday, March 6, 2023

    March 6, 2023 video post by the Indiana Department of Transportation: Northeast on Facebook:

    Some construction projects have gotten underway, but there are plenty more that haven't started yet. A great tool we have to see what's coming your way is our Next Level Roads map. Check it out today! nextlevelroads.com

18. April 21, 2023 post by Allen County INfo on Facebook:

    The Allen County Highway Department works diligently toward the multi-year goal of converting all gravel roads in the county to a chip-and-seal hard surface. However, there are still more than 50 miles of gravel roads in Allen County.

    Allen County residents who want the Allen County Highway Department to apply dust control material to their stone and gravel roads this spring can now mail in their application or drop it off in person to any of the three Highway Locations. Residents have until April 30 to sign up. That deadline is quickly approaching.

    Applications can be found at www.allencounty.us/highway-department. Print the completed form and submit it with a check or money order. Payments by credit card cannot be accepted at this time. Applicants can also call or come in person to any of the Highway Department Offices to submit a verbal application.

    Once again, this year, residents can choose one of two options — an application of either Dustay, which is an asphalt emulsion, or calcium chloride. The Highway Department charges $2.25 per linear foot for Dustay, while the cost for calcium chloride is $1.45 per linear foot. Either option requires a minimum 200-foot application.

    The department will schedule with the suppliers to begin placing the dust control materials after May 1, 2023, depending on weather and road conditions. The materials will be applied in two treatments and will span the full width of the road.

    For more information, call the Highway Department Main Office at 260-449-7369; the North Maintenance Facility at 260-449-4781; or the South Maintenance Facility at 260-449-4791.

19. Learn more about our mowing and vegetation management plan! While our contractors have a mowing schedule, concerns related to safety and visibility can be reported at indot4u.com. 🛣️

    Posted by Indiana Department of Transportation on Tuesday, May 28, 2024

    Tuesday, May 28, 2024 post by the Indiana Department of Transportation on Facebook:

    Learn more about our mowing and vegetation management plan! While our contractors have a mowing schedule, concerns related to safety and visibility can be reported at indot4u.com.