In August 1921, John Bohn Franke (1866-1927), president of the Perfection Biscuit Company, purchased an 80-acre tract known as the Kraeger-Wallace woods to protect it from subdivision and development. The land was just north of the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Fort Wayne. The land included “picturesque Spy Run creek,” said to be “one of the most beautiful Spots in Fort Wayne,” and had been used for picnics and gatherings for several years. John B. Franke and his wife, Amelia A. (Schmidt) Franke (1865-1928), lived in the Forest Park neighborhood, east of the St. Joseph River. The Frankes’ Prairie Style house at 2131 Forest Park Boulevard, was designed by prominent Chicago architect Barry Byrne and built in 1914. During the 1920s, they became major philanthropists in the Fort Wayne community. In December 1921, Franke donated the 80-acre property to the City of Fort Wayne, stipulating that it “be forever used as a public park, free to all the people.” copied from Franke Park Master Plan at https://www.frankeparkplan.com/.
Bird Sanctuary in Franke Park, Fort Wayne, Ind. Date: [ca. 1930–1945] Digital Commonwealth Massachusetts Collections Online. The Franke Park History page states: In 1939 a small man-made lake was created. It was used for ice skating, ice skating derby, and the Fort Wayne figure skating club in the 1940’s. Around 1946, there were also donations for the pond of ducks and 3 swans. Two flew away and never returned and it was decided that the future swans would be donated to St. Francis College. [ ebay has the same postcard with mailed dates of 1944 and 1946. ] In 1952 a Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary opened to the public and Fred B. Shoaff donated 54.36 acres to become part of Franke Park.
In 1955 a “circus wagon” was donated to Fort Wayne Park Board by Pi Chapter, Psi lota Xi sorority. A tour of 23 playgrounds beginning with this first stop at the Indian Village School playground. Franke Park Wildlife Sanctuary sent a parrot, a monkey, a Mexican raccoon and a bobcat to the wagon.
(image credit: News-Sentinel)
Back by popular demand!!!!!!!!! The Hofer and Davis,Inc. LAND SURVEYORS "Riddle of the Month" The pond at Franke Park did not always look like it does today. Thanks to a large donation and vision by Fred B. Shoaff (see article below), A.K. Hofer was hired by the Board of Park Commissioners of the City of Fort Wayne to design plans and specifications for the construction, turning an almost useless swamp area into the pond as we know it today.
What year was the pond completed?
Former January 23, 2014 post by Hofer and Davis Land Surveyors on Facebook::
We had several guesses of 1938 and 1939, which is when a "small" pond was made for fishing and skating as found in the Parks Department website. The key to the answer of this "ROTM" is when was the "present day" pond completed. This is the letter to A.K. Hofer hiring him to prepare the plans and coordinate the construction bidding for the present day pond in 1946. The pond was completed in 1948 by May Construction Corporation, excavating 67,185 cubic yards of dirt, laying about 1/4 mile of drainage tile and installing a spillway and headwall for about 55,000 dollars!
Soap Box Derby at Franke Parke, 1978 Mar 27, 2020 Indiana Historical Society on YouTube
Description This film documents a soap box derby event that took place at Franke Park, Fort Wayne in 1978. This film is part of the WKJG-TV collection. WKJG-TV was formed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on November 21, 1953. WKJG was the first television station in Fort Wayne. The station was originally owned by William Kunkle, who owned several other television and radio stations. WKJG-TV, an NBC affiliate, had several other owners during its existence, including Thirty Three Inc., Joseph R. Cloutier Co., and the Corporation for General Trade. In 2003 the new owners, New Vision Television, changed the call letters to WISE-TV. WISE-TV, channel 33, remains an NBC affiliate.
Title Soap Box Derby at Franke Parke
Owning Institution Indiana Historical Society
Use Statement This image may be printed or downloaded by individuals, schools or libraries for study, research or classroom teaching without permission. For other uses contact: mailto:visualcollections@indianahistory.org
Required Credit Line Use must be accompanied with the attribution: Indiana Historical Society.
Item ID P0504_REEL12_SOAP_BOX_DERBY.mp4
Subject Fort Wayne (Ind.)
Sports & recreation facilities
Sports
Soap box derbies
Racetracks
Races
Racing
Creator WKJG-TV
Date 1978-07-15
Time Period 1970s (1970-1979)
Geographic Location Indiana--Allen County--Ft. Wayne
Source Collection Name WKJG-TV COLLECTION
Source Collection Number P0504
Digital Collection Name Indiana Historical Society Moving Image Collection
Digital Collection Number dc127
Format of Original 16 MM
Digital Format MP4
Film Length 22 Min. 58 Sec.
File Size 833 MB
Type Moving Image
Language English
Audio Yes - Intermittent
Notes This collection was digitized with grant funding made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Indiana State Library.
Copyright Notice Digital Image 2020 Indiana Historical Society. All Rights Reserved.
Phase 1 consists of adding a new entrance to the park off Goshen Avenue and adding a new central pavilion that could hold up to 400 people. Franke Park master plan unveiled by Ethan Dahlen, posted Apr 11, 2023.
Mayor Tom Henry, Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Director Steve McDaniel, community leaders, funding partners, Indiana Department of Natural Resources (INDR) and Great Lakes Commission representatives celebrated the beginning of phase one of the Franke Park Renaissance Master Plan with a ground-breaking ceremony.
The groundbreaking follows five years of planning and fundraising with an Advisory Group of major park stakeholders and robust public input. Phase one will include the following highlights:
• New winding, tree-lined entrance from Goshen Road.
• New bridge over Spy Run Creek.
• New enclosed, state-of-the-art, rentable pavilion with capacity for 400 people with parking.
• Paved multi-use trail, thoughtful vehicular circulation and connection to residential neighborhoods in SW corner of the park.
• Improvements to the mountain bike and hiking trails.
This project coincides with Phase Two of the Spy Run Creek Streambank Restoration with design and construction support from the INDR and funding support from the Great Lakes Commission through the Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program, provided by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.
In 1964, the Jack D. Diehm Museum of Natural History was donated and constructed in Franke Park. Belen and Violet Diehm created the museum to honor their son, Jack, who died in 1959 at the age of 21 due to an automobile accident. The museum educated and entertained the citizens of Fort Wayne until 1975, when the original museum was destroyed by arson. In 1981, a new Diehm Museum opened to public after six years of fundraising. The new displays featured murals created by artists with the Fort Wayne Artists Guild. The museum offered a variety of mounted fish, fowl and other mammals which provided an excellent educational space for nature study. In 2011, after educating the people of Fort Wayne for over 40 years, the Diehm Museum was officially closed. #sociallyhistory
Such a great video to introduce the awesome Franke Park MTB trails - a real gem in our community! The 11th annual Trees...
[ Even though it won't play here it is worth watching on Facebook! ]
Such a great video to introduce the awesome Franke Park MTB trails - a real gem in our community! The 11th annual Trees Trail Challenge features a MTB race (beginner to expert), taking place November 3rd on these trails. Circle it on your calendar
How will you enjoy the weather this weekend? Here's a look at the Mountain Bike Trail at Franke Park for some inspiration produced by a local trail user. To see the MTB trail, click Map of Franke Parke Trails [ Trails maintained by Three Rivers Velo Sport ]
🌿 Franke Park Pavilion: Almost Complete! 🛠️ We’re thrilled to announce that we’re in the final stages of building the...
We’re thrilled to announce that we’re in the final stages of building the beautiful new pavilion at Franke Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana! This space is designed for community gatherings, events, and relaxation, blending modern design with the park’s natural beauty. Stay tuned for the grand opening!
Today Mayor Sharon Tucker, Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Director Steve McDaniel, community leaders, funding partners...
Today Mayor Sharon Tucker, Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Director Steve McDaniel, community leaders, funding partners along with Indiana Department of Natural Resources (INDR) and Great Lakes Commission representatives celebrated the grand new entrance to Franke Park with a ribbon cutting.
Franke Park Pavilion: Almost Complete!
This space is designed for community gatherings, events, and relaxation, blending modern design with the park’s natural beauty. Stay tuned for the grand opening!
