See our Forts of Fort Wayne page. Reconstructed fort on Spy Run Avenue near downtown Fort Wayne across the St. Marys River from Headwaters Park. The History page on their web site: oldfortwayne.org briefly describes the various forts built near the three rivers. The bottom section titled The Reconstructed Fort states: This project began in 1964 when Historic Fort Wayne Inc. was established and started planning a reconstruction of the Fort, using Major Whistler’s 1814 drawings. After much fundraising, they purchased property in the late 1960’s and sought a fort builder. Lok-N-Logs Inc., a log home company in Sherburne, New York, took on the unusual project, constructing the Fort first in New York, then transporting it to Indiana, where it was reassembled. It officially opened shortly before July 4, 1976, to celebrate the nation’s Bicentennial, and remained open daily until the early 1990’s. Historic Fort Wayne Inc. disbanded in 1989, and the current Historic Fort Wayne, Inc. was formed in 2004 as a volunteer effort to preserve the Fort. Though they share a name, the two groups are not connected. Construction of the fort re-creation began in the summer of 1975. Work on the replica was not finished for its dedication June 5, 1976, but several hundred people turned out for the festivities. See the articles Historic Fort Wayne and Old Fort Wayne – Learn History In Person! by Louisa D. published June 8, 2015 on Visit Fort Wayne. See photos on Throwback Thursday: Old Fort published August 31, 2017 on The Journal Gazette newspaper. See their Facebook page - INFortWayne.com on YouTubeBicentennial Celebration at Historic Fort Wayne. 360 virtual photo tour on vpix.net.
Buildings of the Fort Wayne Campus by FW Alumni Center published June 16, 2014 on YouTube This video is review of the Buildings of the Fort Wayne Campus of Fort Wayne Bible Training School/Fort Wayne Bible Institute/Fort Wayne Bible College/Summit Christian College and Taylor University Fort Wayne-five names for one institution. The dates given with the images are when the buildings were occupied, not when building was started.
The Light Tower was the name of the yearbook of Fort Wayne Bible Training School (1928-1931), Fort Wayne Bible Institute (1932-1950) and Fort Wayne Bible College (1951-1972);The Vine was the name of the yearbook from 1973-1989, and Summit Christian College (1990-1992); Taylor University Fort Wayne continued naming the yearbook, The Vine (1993-2003); The Vine DVDs were produced in the years 2004, 2005, 2006; No yearbooks were produced in 1929, 1931, 1933, 1934, 2007 or 2008;The Horizon Line was the last yearbook, 2009; The 1956 dedicated to Professor Oliver E. Steiner in his memory; Elaine Perry, editor; Founded Theta Beta; Nurses Training course. Copied from the 1956 ebook below: Fort Wayne Bible College Light Tower Yearbook .
Over the past few weeks, the former Fort Wayne Bible Training School buildings were demolished at the corner of Rudisill and South Wayne. With its founding in the early 1900s, it was once stated that “Fort Wayne has every reason to be proud of this institution” as the school trained “men and women to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ to our world in need.” Today is the story of its founding.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the country was amid the Third Great Awakening, a historical period marked by religious activism in American history. This Awakening significantly influenced the development of colleges and universities across the country, including in Northeast Indiana. Many denominations began to build colleges and universities to train the next generation. What was once a world requiring frontier and pioneer skills was rapidly transforming due to the Second Industrial Revolution.
While the first commencement occurred in 1909, the Institute sent missionaries to far-off places such as India as early as 1906. Schultz Hall was built in 1905, with Bethany Hall in 1930 to support this rapidly growing school. By 1946 the campus expanded South with a $60,000 purchase of the additional property. While the names changed over time, in 1992, the then Summit Christian College became Taylor University, Fort Wayne. In 2009, the campus officially closed its doors.
The former box company built in 1904 was located on the northwest corner of Superior and Calhoun Streets. It produced cardboard art and business calendars, wood and glass souvenirs, leather goods, signs, and novelties. In 1910 the company bought out the Fort Wayne Engraving Company and moved its operations into the building. Graphic Packaging was the last owner to utilize the building before closing it in 2010. It is currently being converted into apartments called the Superior Lofts.
It's #waybackwednesday! Take a look at these Fort Wayne then and now photos, courtesy of the Daniel A. Baker collection from our Community Album. The first photo shows the Fort Wayne Box Co. circa 1913. It was later known as Wayne Box and Printing; Container Corp of America, Smurfit-Stone Container, Altivity Packaging, and Graphic Packaging. The second photo shows the former Fort Wayne Box Company undergoing renovation into apartments called Superior Lofts in 2017.
Fort Wayne Building Loan Fund & Savings Association
First of many associations in late 19th century Fort Wayne. After 25 years loaning money to build around 2,000 homes in Fort Wayne for Pennsylvania Shop railroad employees was disbanded in 1905. See July 30, 1905 article in The Journal Gazette newspaper published July 30, 2017 on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.
#TBT from the #CrossroadArchives: In this clipping from the Fort Wayne News Sentinel in March 1945, Richard Sunderman, the new head of the Fort Wayne Childrens Home and his wife (known as the matron of the home), were officially installed. The text of the article is as follows:
"Pictured above at left are Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Sunderman, newly-chosen superintendent and matron of the Fort Wayne Children's Home of the Evangelical and Reformed Church, who were installed Sunday evening at St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Church.
"Others, starting from third from left, are Dr. John W. Myers, St. John's Church; Dr. Karl Koepke, Salem Church; the Rev. John W. Heistand, Wadsworth, O[hio], and the Rev. B. E. Reemsnyder, Grace Church; Dr. Koepke gave the charge to Mr. and Mrs. Sunderman. A reception followed the installation.
"Mr. and Mrs. Sunderman came to Fort Wayne from Wadsworth, O[hio]. Mr Sunderman is a graduate of the University of Michigan and for 20 years taught at Wadsworth High School and more recently was municipal director of recreation there.
"Mrs. Sunderman has been active in church women's work for the last 15 years. For several years she served as the president of Akron Region Women's Guild, as well as president of the guild in the Wadsworth Trinity Church. She was organist of Trinity Church for six years and is a member of the American Guild of Organists. She was active in the Federated Women's Clubs and served as a member of the of the Medina, O[hio] county YWCA.
"The Sundermans have two children, Elizabeth, 12, and Duane, 17, a senior at North Side High School. Both have been active in music groups and Duane is a member of the North Side High School Band."
A Genealogy.com question: Allen County Children's Home in the 1940's and 1950's By Jennifer Phillips December 20, 2003 at 09:17:22 I am looking for information on the Allen County Children's Home that was torn down. I am trying to get original records from the late 1940's and early 1950's. My father and his siblings were residents there until their father came and got them out. My father remembers them taking a photo of him and his siblings. This is the only photo that exists of my father and his brothers and sisters. Shortly after their father got them out of the children's home one of his sisters died. I would love to be able to get that photo for my Dad. I would truly appreciate any help.
On the Indiana Genealogical Society Blog a September 27, 2012 post Information Sought On Allen County Children's Home in Fort Wayne Author Dean Jensen is seeking information about the Allen County Children's Home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In particular, he wants to gain a sense of what the children's daily lives were like (schooling, play, jobs), as well as the layout of the grounds and what it looked like inside and out. Information from anyone who has knowledge of what the institution was like - including janitors, kitchen helpers and groundskeepers - would be appreciated, particularly from the years 1929-1932.
Did you know that our digital collections include Fort Wayne Civic Theater programs? The Fort Wayne Civic Theatre has located and archived over 600 program books from seasons dating back to 1933. The archive contains a nearly* complete history of program books from the 1943-1944 season forward, with thirty-five books from various seasons dating back to 1933. A complete list of productions by season can be found at fwcivic.org.
Established in 1927, the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre has performed over 700 productions and remains one of the region’s most popular downtown entertainment destinations.
Aka Indiana School for Feeble Minded Youth. Indiana’s second oldest mental health facility opened in 1879 at Knightstown. It was relocated to Fort Wayne in 1890. The first patient admitted that year was an eleven year old boy from Ossian, Wells County. It served mentally retarded children from throughout Indiana until 1939, when its service area was reduced to the northern half of the state. Its mission was expanded to include patients of all ages with other developmental disabilities. Before closure in 2007 the facility had admitted 12,162 patients. The center’s admission registers, card index, and a nearly complete set of medical records on microfilm, are at the Indiana State Archives. Copied from Other Indiana Hospitals for the Mentally Ill and Developmentally Disabled at the Indiana Archives. See also Fort Wayne State Hospital & Training Center aka Indiana School for Feeble Minded Youth Cemetery. The name change was discussed around the 1:22 minute mark and closed April 18, 2007 (1:46 minute mark) when the last resident left during Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels administration, 2005 to 2013, from the 1:43 minute mark of The Forgotten PBS documentary.
Sam is working on an extensive project to get the physical and digital records of the Fort Wayne State Developmental Center building sites converted and transferred to the Archives.
1892 Samuel Hanna sold 100 acres to the driving association formed by some of the city's wealthiest men. 1902 was Fort Wayne's first fair. Auto races were on a one-mile oval and by 1910 airplanes appeared. In 1913 the land was sold to developer Louis F. Curdes, developer of Forest Park Boulevard. It became Forest Hill through the 1940s. From Lost track fades from memory by Rosa Salter Rodriguez published July 07, 2013 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. See also Fort Wayne Driving Park by Mark Meyer posted February 11, 2013 on the History Center Notes & Queries blog.
One-hundred and eight years ago today, Blanche Scott became the first American woman to make a solo public flight, doing so at the Fort Wayne Driving Park. In front of a crowd of over 10,000 spectators, Scott flew solo in public as part of the Curtiss Aviation team during an automobile and air meet at the Driving Park. This was not her first pioneering feat. She was the second woman to drive an automobile cross-country, and the first to do so travelling from East to West. In addition, some consider Scott to be the first American woman to pilot an airplane solo, a feat she achieved on September 6, 1910. While the Early Birds of Aviation recognize her flight as the first, the Aeronautical Society of America did not accredit her initial solo flight as entirely intentional, thus creating controversy regarding who was the first American woman to fly solo. She later joined the Red Devils, a nationally traveling aviation exhibition group, and became the first woman to ride in a jet plane in 1948. She was posthumously featured on commemorative airmail stamps and envelopes in December 1980. #sociallyhistory
The officers of the new company, the Fort Wayne Electric Works, organized in May, 1899, were: Henry C. Paul, president; S. D. Green, vice-president; M. F. Westover, secretary, and Fred S. Hunting, treasurer and sales manager, while Mr. Wood continued his services as factory manager and chief electrician. From Fort Wayne Electric Works on VintageMachinery.org. The Fort Wayne lamp works of the Edison Lamp Works of General Electric was opened in September 1906.
Several photos and a brief history on Fort Wayne on LampTech.com/uk.
Established in 1846 as The Fort Wayne Female College on grounds donated by Wm. Rockhill. In 1855 it consolidated with the Fort Wayne Collegiate Institute for Young Men and was called the M.E. (Methodist) College. In 1890 the college grounds were deeded to Taylor University, and in 1893 it moved to Upland, Indiana home of Taylor University. Erected by the M.E. College Association - 1936.
I located this 1876 map. It looks like Wayne Street ended at the Methodist College, so I wonder if Wayne was a two-way street at that time or one had to come around in front of the College and head east on Wayne. So fascinating!
Built in 1895, Engine House #8, 2211 Fairfield Ave., is an excellent example of Neoclassical architecture which was popular c.1891-c.1950. This style uses an eclectic mix of classical features like columned porticos, pediments and cornices with dentils, pilasters, keystones and quoins. This building was designed by architect John M.E. Riedel. He designed more than a few buildings of note in this community including the A.L. & Irene Riegel House, 620 Main St.; St. Paul Lutheran School, 1225 Barr St.; and Concordia Evangelical School, 1820 Alliger St. The Engine House has dentils in the entablature held up by pilasters over the engine house doors and in the entablature at the roof line. The bell tower is on the south side of the building. ARCH is proud to present this edition of Throwback Thursday, part of its work as the historic preservation organization serving the greater Fort Wayne area, made possible by ARCH members and donors. Thank you.
Mayor Tom Henry joined Fire Chief Eric Lahey, Fort Wayne Fire Department employees, and representatives from Witwer Construction and Shive-Hattery Architecture and Engineering, to dedicate Fire Station 14, located on the southeast corner of Reed Road and East State Boulevard.
“Today marks an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to provide excellent public safety services,” said Mayor Henry. “This modern and efficient facility will be a welcome addition to assist the women and men of the Fort Wayne Fire Department. Our firefighters do an outstanding job each day to protect residents, neighborhoods and businesses.”
Station 14 firefighters will move into their new building tomorrow. The $4 million investment features two full bays and a one-half bay. It has sleeping quarters to accommodate the firefighters’ 24-hour shifts, a large dining room and kitchen, and a workout room.
Numerous safety measures for cancer prevention were also included in the design of Station 14. There are clear markings separating the living space of the structure from the work space, in order to keep the living space free from contaminates. Positive pressure air locks were installed to keep exhaust fumes and airborne contaminates contained. And there is a decontamination shower on the work side, along with a separate area where soiled firefighting gear can be washed and dried.
Fire Station 14 was relocated from Reed Road, across from Snider High School. The new station provides easier access to major roadways and much needed space for firefighters, increasing their ability to provide lifesaving service to City residents.
The fire station also helps serve a growing area of the community with three schools nearby and provide for better access to areas the City of Fort Wayne serves in partnership with St. Joseph Township. All of the changes will not impact response times that are currently being met by the Fort Wayne Fire Department.
Witwer Construction Inc. was the general contractor and Shive-Hattery Architecture and Engineering was the architect for Fire Station 14.
Fort Wayne Gas Works
In the era of gas lighting, Fort Wayne Gas Works, located on the site of today’s Hall’s Gas House restaurant on Superior Street between Barr and Lafayette streets, was the central public utilities operation in Fort Wayne. Copied from Under the Gas Lights by Tom Castaldi published May 23, 2013 on the History Center Notes & Queries blog. For more see Old Gas House.
The Fort Wayne Experiment discussed on pages 36-37 in The prefabrication of houses
by Albert Farwell Bemis Foundation; Kelly, Burnham Publication date 1951
During the Great Depression in the late 1930s prefabricated plywood-panel homes were built with WPA labor at the rate of one-a-day! One reference is labeled "Fifty Plywood-Panel Houses Built at Rate of One a Day," Architectural Record, LXXXV (March, 1939), 38–40 (this contains excellent photographs of the housing, examples of which appear on pages 362 and 363) from Fort Wayne and the Great Depression: The New Deal Years, 1933–1940 Iwan Morgan on Indiana Magazine of History, Volume 80, Issue 4, pp 348-378. There are photos on page 362 and 363 of their pdf download file or view the pdf here. These homes were discussed May 3, 2017 onthe original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebookand was in a Comment far down in the long discussion on Sears Home Kit homes January 25, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook. Similar Tiny Houses also known as Tin Village barracks were built after World War II for returning war veterans.
Fort Wayne Manhole Covers
Manhole Covers of Ft. Wayne - a 128 page book by Kathryn Moore published in 1988 available on Google books was a FunFactFriday Facebook post on September 8, 2017 by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage)
On March 10, 1876, at the Aveline house, the Fort Wayne College of Medicine was organized by Drs. C. B. Stemen and H. A. Clark, teachers in a medical college at Cincinnati, and Drs. B. S. Woodworth, I. M. Rosenthal and W. H. Myers, of Fort Wayne. The building, later occupied by W. F. Geller, at the southwest corner of Broadway and Washington boulevard, was fitted up as the college home. The original faculty consisted of Drs. Stemen, Woodworth,
Page 500
Clark, Rosenthal, Myers, J. H. Ford, M. M. Latta, H. D. Wood, A. M. Hunt, R. W. Thrift, H. Van Sweringen, S. H. Swan, A. E. Van Buskirk and E. Melchers. Two well-attended sessions followed the opening of the institution.
At the end of the second session, a controversy between factions of the faculty of the college resulted in a reorganization which endured for one year, after which period two institutions — the Fort Wayne College of Medicine and the Fort Wayne Medical college — came into being simultaneously. Each claimed the other to be an intruder and not legally established. During the three years of the existence of the latter institution, which was located at the southeast corner of Calhoun and Baker streets, the controversy continued, and wordy conflicts provided frequent and varied forms of entertainment for the non-professional portion of the population.
Added to the earlier internal troubles of the medical school was the hostile attitude of many people of the town, who failed to appreciate the advanced methods of the school in the teaching of certain branches through the means of dissecting human bodies. Dr. W. H. Myers, on the occasion of the graduation of the class of 1878, described the experience of the school as a purification "by passing through the refining quarantine of prejudice."
The grand jury, of which I. D. G. Nelson was the foreman, condemned the dissecting room of the college on the ground that it was "used for the purpose of depositing, concealing and dissecting human bodies, a portion of which, at least, are stolen from cemeteries or graveyards in this vicinity, in violation of law, common decency and the proprieties of life." The report added that the alleged practice "has produced and is producing great excitement, anxiety and indignation, especially among those who have families or have recently lost friends."
GRAVE ROBBERIES
The report refers to several cases of the removal of bodies from Lindenwood and other cemeteries, which had resulted in the arrest of six physicians and one student. The investigation of the cases was replete with sensational features. In one instance, when the body of a Roanoke (Indiana) man was found within the college walls, a prominent member of the faculty declared that he believed that professional grave robbers in the employ of the enemies of the institution had placed the body there "with a view to bringing our college into disrepute." The physician added the information that within a brief period thirty graves had been robbed.
In 1877, ghouls removed the body of a prominent citizen from a grave in Lindenwood cemetery; the cemetery association offered a reward of $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the culprits.
It is of interest to note that the Fort Wayne College of Medicine survived the attacks made upon it and became recognized as one of the leading institutions in the middle west. During its later years and until the college was made a part of Purdue University, it occupied home of the late Judge Hugh McCulloch, on West Superior street, now the headquarters of the Fort Wayne Turnverein Vorwaerts. In later years the medical department of Purdue
"Resurrection men" or "resurrectionists" were men or women who stole corpses from graves in order to sell them to medical schools for dissection. In the 1870s, Allen County experienced a surge of body snatching after the formation of two medical schools in the area.
In the late 19th century, donating your body to science was a practice very few people did. This left medical colleges to find alternative avenues for securing corpses for students to dissect. The Fort Wayne Medical College and the Fort Wayne College of Medicine both opened in the 1870's, leading to a sharp increase in body snatching and public outcry against the practice. Eventually, seven people associated with Fort Wayne Medical College were arrested in connection with these illegal activities. Finally, in 1879, the General Assembly of Indiana passed the Anatomical Act of 1879 which provided a lawful means by which medical schools could obtain bodies.
A January 21, 2023 post on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook stated: 1876: This brick building, corner of Washington St. & Broadway, housed the Remmel Bros., west-end druggists, on the ground floor; and the Medical College of Fort Wayne on the 2nd and 3rd floors. "It may not come as a surprise to many of you that body-snatching was carried on to a high degree during the 1870's and 1880's. At that time Fort Wayne gave great prominence of being an important medical center. The dissecting room was on the 3rd floor front." - (excerpts from) Fred J. Reynolds' Quest Club Paper, via ACPL: http://contentdm.acpl.lib.in.us/.../p16089.../id/19704/rec/2 . One January 21, 2023 says only a pillar from building still exits.
Here's an interesting one, this device, known as a "cemetery gun," served as a very real deterrent to would be grave robbers during the golden age of body snatching. The weapon would be positioned on the deceased's grave, cocked, primed, and loaded, ready to fire upon unsuspecting thieves if they crossed any of it's three tripwires. Understandably, cemetery guns were outlawed in England in 1827. Another popular safeguard of the day was the "Grave Torpedo," an explosive device which would be buried and attached to the coffin. Any disturbance caused it to explode, killing the offending individual...
Happy #Halloween! In the mood for a spooky story? Check out our #IndianaHistoryBlog on the Hoosier undertaker Rufus Cantrell.
Rufus Cantrell was a lot of things: A driver. A porter. A clerk. An undertaker. In 1902, he added a new title to that list: The King of Ghouls. Along with approximately 7 other men, Cantrell ran one of the most successful body-snatching syndicates in Indianapolis. The thieves sold the corpses to medical schools willing to overlook the method of procurement. While a macabre and fascinating story, the grave robbing caused unimaginable pain trauma to the victims’ families.
Though the Fort Wayne Museum of Art had been around for many years, it moved to its current home in 1984 after a two-year, $4 million construction project that created a 39,000-square-foot building. The museum moved to its new structure on Main Street from the B. Paul Mossman mansion, 1202 W. Wayne St., which is now the home of Castle Gallery Fine Art. The new building had about five times more floor space and a 108-seat auditorium. Copied from 1982 to 1984: Fort Wayne Museum of Art construction, opening Corey McMaken June 23, 2019 Updated Jun 6, 2022 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Financial security and prosperity have long been sought by the people that call Fort Wayne home. From 1794 until 1835, our city did not have an established banking institution, primarily relying on banks in the more populous Ohio River Valley and Eastern States. With the creation of the State Bank of Indiana in 1833, this all changed and the Fort Wayne branch of the bank was officially established on August 25, 1835, exactly 187 years ago today. The list of principals who organized the bank reads like a “who’s who” of prominent men of the era: Allen Hamilton (president), Hugh McCulloch (cashier) and directors William Rockhill, Asa Fairfield, Jesse Vermilyea, Francis Comparet and William G. Ewing, among others. This branch operated until the charter of the bank was revoked in 1859 and the state allowed the creation of the privately held Second Bank of Indiana, which took over local operations. This bank operated in Fort Wayne until 1865 when it merged with another local bank, which in 1885 changed its named to Old National Bank. In 1863, First National Bank was the first bank in Indiana to receive a charter under the new national banking system, through several events Fort Wayne’s first banks and this second would join together and be important institutions in our community. In 1905, First National consolidated with White National Bank and in 1917 with Hamilton National Bank. Now known as First and Hamilton National Bank, the institution merged with Old National and became Old-First National Bank. In 1933, Old-First National closed in March, but was reorganized and reopened in October as the new Fort Wayne National Bank. Fort Wayne National operated as an independent banking institution until its acquisition by National City Bank in 1998. Through its most recent incarnation, it continues to serve the citizens of Fort Wayne & Allen County as PNC. ts most recent incarnation, it continues to serve the citizens of Fort Wayne & Allen County as PNC. #sociallyhistory
Throwback Thursday from the H & D Scrapbook. On November 2, 1966 ground was broken for the 26 story Fort Wayne National Bank Building, by the way.... Hofer and Davis, Inc. provided the boundary and topographic survey for FWNB!
HISTORY JOURNAL Fort Wayne National Bank building (now PNC Center) opened in 1970 and surpassed Lincoln Bank Tower as the tallest building in Fort Wayne. It held that title until 1982. Construction on the building is seen in these photos. See more: Bank building became city's tallest in 1970
It's pretty incredible what a few passionate citizens can accomplish. 45 years ago this weekend, our organization was officially formed with the goal of restoring and operating a historic steam locomotive on display in Downtown Fort Wayne. In two years, the engine would be removed from Lawton Park and by 1979, it would become the living, breathing time machine we all know and love today. Not bad for a bunch of dreamers. [Depot is shown in a September 1974 photo when the old New York Central line railroad tracks were still in front of the station! It was the first passenger station in Fort Wayne and briefly known as "Union Station."]
For "Throwback Thursday" we share this picture of the old Depot. It is located across the street from last weeks LAKE SHORE HOTEL at the corner of Wells and Cass Streets. It is still in existence and used by Fort Wayne Outfitters, owned by Hall's Drive-Ins, Inc. right across from Promenade Park. BTW...Hofer and Davis, Inc. surveyed the depot for Bud Hall from Hall's Drive-Ins, Inc.
Fort Wayne Paper Box Company
Northwest corner of Superior and Calhoun. Founded as Fort Wayne Paper Box Company by Andrew Burry and Joel Welty in 1897 and incorporated the next year (1898) as Wayne Paper Box & Printing, it would later become Wayne Paper Box Corp. The company made a variety of paper products including folding corrugated boxes, gift boxes, mailing tubes, stationary, calendars and even postcards (many of which depicted Fort Wayne scenes). The building was constructed in two phases with the first phase at the corner in 1904 and the section to the west of that in 1923. Reborn as Superior Lofts.
A mill for the manufacture of "print" paper, and a better quality of paper for book printing, was established by the Fort Wayne Paper Company, composed of Messrs. Freeman, Bard and Dublinski. A. G. Barnett became interested in the venture in 1867. The plant was destroyed by fire in 1871 and was not rebuilt. The mill was located about five miles north of Fort Wayne on the right bank of the St. Joseph river. It was operated by water power.
However, in 1835 the inevitable "first saw mill" was built by Klinger and Comparet, on Becket's Run from which stream the power was derived. Six years afterwards, in 1841, Henry Rudisill built the first steam saw mill on the St. Joseph river, and after that, indefatigable mill builder that he was, added a second story to the building and conducted a carding mill there. At the death of Mr. Rudisill the property passed to his son-in-law, N. B. Freeman, who continued the business until 1866, when with two partners he built a dam and erected a paper mill about four miles up the river, and devoted his energies to the newer enterprise. The paper mill was completely destroyed by fire in 1871, but in spite of very heavy loss, it was immediately rebuilt on a larger scale and continued its successful career. In all these ventures, the settlers bore a part, for they were laborers in the building and operation of these mills, and without their participation in many occupations other than clearing and farming, many fine things had gone undone.
The Fort Wayne Paper Mill As you drive east from North Clinton on Washington Center Road, on the right you will pass the Paper Mill Bluffs housing addition and the Paper Mill Office Park. At first blush you may think it’s another one of those corny names that builders give housing additions a’la the “Falls At Beaver Creek”. Hummmm?
But you are actually headed down the hill towards where the old Fort Wayne Paper Mill operated on the St. Joe River from 1866 until 1889. The paper mill sat the equivalent of about a couple city blocks up the river to the north of the current 1963 concrete Paper Mill Bridge on Washington Center/St. Joe Center Roads. While I’ve not run across any images of the paper mill or its dam, we know from newspaper accounts that there were two buildings along the river that were each two stories high, one was 25’ x 80’ and the other 40’ x 60’, as well as a residence being there. One of these large buildings would have been connected to the water wheel in the river that powered the mill’s machinery. The paper produced at the mill was made, initially at least (as most paper mills did of that era) from linen and cotton rags. The company ran advertisements in the local papers that they had a buying office for rags and a sales office for paper at 51 East Columbia Street. With the new street numbering system the city had put in place in 1902 that would put their offices in the block where Freimann Square is today. In the mill’s first year of operation the Fort Wayne Daily Gazette touted that it was now being printed on Fort Wayne Paper Mill paper, and so no longer had to get their paper from Cleveland or Dayton; however it appears the most of the paper manufactured at the mill was brown Kraft type butcher wrapping paper which they supplied to local stores and markets from their offices on Columbia Street. The mill appears to have been a success and in April of 1880 communicated to the Fort Wayne Daily News that they had set a new record of producing 2542 lbs. of paper in a single day.
Prior to our current 1963 concrete bridge (since widened) there was an iron bridge over the river per the attached pictures. However, as you can see from the aerial photographs it was not lined up with Washington Center/St. Joe Center Roads as ours is today. You can see that Washington Center Road had a one block jog north and then crossed the iron bridge and then angled back south to link up with St. Joe Center Road on the other side of the river. Before the iron bridge there had been a wooden suspension bridge at that location that had been built in 1872 and that then collapsed in 1882 necessitating the pictured iron bridge being built in 1883. Today as you drive back west across the new bridge if you look to your right you can see the old stone bridge abutment about a city block north on the west side of the river.
The paper mill dam, just north of the mill, ran all the way across the St. Joe River and it was frequently reported in the paper that it was once again needing repairs or had partially washed away. Additionally, in 1881 an entirely new dam had to be constructed across the river as the winter ice and high spring waters had so badly damaged the old one. I would imagine with equipment of that time that this would have been no mean feat. Yet, despite a new dam being built it also had a number of large breaks over the ensuing years including a 75’ gap torn in the dam in March of 1897. I was unable to find reference as to when the last of the dam finally disappeared.
In 1877 wealthy Fort Wayne industrialist William Fleming gained control of the eleven year old paper mill and operated it for twelve years before closing it in 1889 and selling all of the equipment to a new mill being built in Hartford City in which he was a major stockholder. Thus, the 23 year run of the Fort Wayne Paper Mill came to an end. However for a number of years after the demise of the mill, articles continued to appear in the local papers about social events and the great fishing around “picturesque” paper mill dam.
BridgeHunter page for Paper Mill Bridge states: Built ca.1882 by the Morse Bridge Company; removed sometime after a new bridge was built to the South in 1963. Also called: Upper St Joe Center Road Bridge.
As the Fourth of July Holiday approaches, the Philharmonic’s Musicians, Staff, and Youth Orchestra Students are thinking of you. While we are not able to gather together this year, we wanted to offer you this moving piece by Indianapolis based composer Jim Beckel Music - Composer. Using the composer’s at home recording we created a special patriotic video incorporating local area imagery obtained in cooperation with The History Center, The US National Archives, local photographers Ray Steup, John McGauley and Allen County Public Library Community Album. Narration is provided by Fort Wayne Philharmonic Youth Orchestras members. We hope you enjoy “I am the American Flag.”
As the Fourth of July Holiday approaches, the Philharmonic’s Musicians, Staff, and Youth Orchestra Students are thinking of you. While we are not able to gather together this year, we wanted to offer you this moving piece by Indianapolis based composer Jim Beckel Music - Composer. Using the composer’s at home recording we created a special patriotic video incorporating local area imagery obtained in cooperation with The History Center, The US National Archives, local photographers Ray Steup, John McGauley and Allen County Public Library Community Album. Narration is provided by Fort Wayne Philharmonic Youth Orchestras members.
We hope you enjoy “I am the American Flag.”
We're excited to announce plans for a new home downtown! 🌟 Today, we turn a new chapter as we prepare to embark on our...
We're excited to announce plans for a new home downtown! Today, we turn a new chapter as we prepare to embark on our 82nd season, marking a vibrant new era for our beloved orchestra.
We are thrilled to announce the purchase of our new home, 826 Ewing Street, right here in the heart of downtown. Our new home will be more than just a physical space—it will be a dynamic hub for the arts, nestled within the expanding arts corridor of our growing downtown landscape.
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic announced Monday they will be moving to a new home downtown. The plan is to repurpose a downtown building once owned by the University of St. Francis.
To learn more about the move, check out the full story by WBOI's Ella Abbott.
Ca. 1911, 114 W. Washington Blvd. was added to the National Historic Register in 1988 and to the Local Historic Register in 1989. See Fort Wayne Printing Building history with photos and timeline on midtowncrossing.net.
The Fort Wayne Speedway posted Sep 19, 2022 by WANE 15 News on YouTube The Fort Wayne Speedway built in 1928 was once one of the most vaunted tracks in the country, Ethan Dahlen. Nine deaths from danger of racing is one reason it closed from the book BIG TRACK LITTLE TRACK by J Daniel Heath (Author), Kenny Barr (Foreword) at Amazon.com. An informative historical account of two legendary speedways in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A five-eighths mile high banked "big track" that existed from 1930 until 1964 and a three-eighths mile "little track" that existed from 1951 until 1964. This book describes the events and people that made up the Fort Wayne Speedway and South Anthony Speedway. [September 2023] The Fort Wayne Speedway built in 1928 was once one of the most vaunted tracks in the country, Ethan Dahlen. From ‘Man killer’: Remembering Fort Wayne’s forgotten speedway by: Ethan Dahlen Posted: Sep 19, 2022, Updated: Sep 20, 2022 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15.
Was built in 1928 by Frank Funk on farmland along the dirt California Road north of where Glenbrook Square on Coliseum Boulevard is today.
1928 - FORT WAYNE SPEEDWAY with several photos on speedwayandroadracehistory.com states: Fort Wayne speedway was built in 1928 by Frank Funk within the local Fairgrounds, Funk also built Winchester Speedway and Dayton Speedway as well as others, The Fort Wayne track was described as high banked, fast and treacherous, The track was 5/8th of a mile in length.
In 1946 two further tracks were added inside the 5/8th mile oval, these tracks were concidered by some as the fastest dirt oval tracks around, The 1/2 mile track utilized both straights but had shorter corners, while the 1/4 mile Midget track utilized part of the front sraight only.
The track surface was not kind to the drivers with many dips and hollows across its width and length, The outer safety rails were very low and cars would often launch out of the arena.
The Fairgrounds closed in 1964 and the land was sold off to become Industrial land.
Still cool to see this at the Hall's in Fort Wayne off Lima Road. To think that track is about where the Hall's is at... alot of Memories way back then.
Hall's Hollywood Drive-In on Facebook:
4416 Lima Road, The fabulous 50's live on forever at Hall's Hollywood! Located right next to the Roller Dome North, www.facebook.com/HallsHollywood
Photos and more on Some History About Former Fort Wayne Speedway "A place called Fort Wayne Speedway operated on the north side of Fort Wayne just north of what is now Coliseum Boulevard and Glenbrook Square mall at KPC.news. It's now a place adjacent to a Putt Putt where little kids go to drive (very) small vehicles. The track was built in 1928 by Frank Funk, who also built other racetracks, including the former Jungle Park at Rockville and the Winchester Speedway, still operating. When the Fort Wayne Speedway was built in 1928, the area was farmland; it remained so for most of the track's existence. Coliseum Boulevard was California Road -- a dirt road then -- and neighboring farmers probably constituted what little traffic there was. From 1951 to 1964, another race track broke the silence on the south side of town. South Anthony Speedway ran two nights a week on a 3/8-mile asphalt oval. The homes in Victoria Park are in that spot now. Race tracks may come and go, but people's memories of them do not fade. The Fort Wayne Speedway especially is remembered for its track, which was said to be the highest-banked and fastest 5/8-mile track in the world."
Ft Wayne Big Track_Title01.flv by Kevin Allgire uploaded May 7, 2011 on YouTube This video is from The former Fort Wayne,Indiana Speedway and the former South Anthony Speedway(Fort Wayne,IN.). A Big Thank-You goes out to former racer and Founder of The Northeastern Indiana Racing Museum(Auburn,IN.) Paul Ladd for supplying this video so I could post it on Youtube. Also there's no sound.
The Top Ten of Fort Wayne Sports History Photo Story published July 20, 2014 by Chris Treft on YouTube
A top ten list of things Fort Wayne Sports History has produced all time. This is in the form of a photo story with all pictures taken by myself, Chris Treft. This project was completed for my photo journalism class at IPFW.
Fort Wayne, Ind. – The City of Fort Wayne and Fort Wayne Trails invite the public to attend a public open-house to view the concept for the Vann Family Crossing pedestrian bridge that will be constructed over Coliseum Boulevard/State Road 930. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 if additional funding is secured. The City is applying for a U.S. Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program grant. Community engagement is an important component of this federal grant, so the public’s participation is welcomed and appreciated.
Plans for the Pufferbelly Trail extension from Ice Way to Washington Center Road will also be presented. Work on the 1.7 mile extension will begin in August and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2025. The extension is a segment of the 81-mile Poka-Bache Connector trail from Pokagon State Park in Angola to Ouabache State Park in Bluffton.
Ship ID-3786 - was a 6245 gross ton (12,260 tons displacement) freighter, built in 1918 by Baltimore Drydock and Shipbuilding Co., Baltimore, Maryland; acquired by the Navy 27 December 1918 the last year of World War I; and commissioned as USS Fort Wayne (ID # 3786) the same day, Lieutenant Commander S. C. Fenn, USNRF, in command. After the war it became the SS Fort Wayne and scrapped in Japan in 1934. See photos and information on S.S. Fort Wayne (American Freighter, 1918) Served as USS Fort Wayne (ID # 3786) in 1918-1919 on the Naval Historical Center web site, and USS Fort Wayne (ID-3786) on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Today, we turn a new chapter as we prepare to embark on our 82nd season, marking a vibrant new era for our beloved orchestra.
