A log cabin is now the home of Settlers, Inc on the west side of Fort Wayne. The Swinney house was built by Thomas and Lucy Swinney in 1844. At his death on January 20, 1875, Thomas’s will provided that when his direct line of issue expired, the homestead tract of 614 acres of land was to be used for a public park with the provision that his remaining children have lifetime occupancy of the house. The Swinney family occupied the Homestead until 1922. After that time, the Swinney’s house became the Museum of the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society. In 1980, after the Museum was relocated to the Old City Hall at Barr and Berry streets, Settlers leased and moved into the Swinney House and began teaching classes in a historical, elegant setting. As part of their mission they also initiated the restoration of the house which is owned by the City of Fort Wayne. Copied from the Settlers website: http://www.settlersinc.org/.
Swinney Park
East Swinney Park entrance on West Washington Boulevard Street View photo from Google map
West Swinney Park entrance at 1800 West Jefferson Boulevard Street View photo from Google map.
The Swinney letterbed has had its spring haircut, courtesy of the FWPR landscape and horticulture crew. See it in person in front of the Swinney Park Tennis Courts.
The Swinney letterbed has had its spring haircut, courtesy of the FWPR landscape and horticulture crew. See it in person in front of the Swinney Park Tennis Courts.
Congratulations to Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation, the winner of the ARCHie award in the institutional/government category, for its restoration of the Colonel Foster statue in Swinney Park.
HISTORY JOURNAL ▸ The bronze sculpture of David N. Foster at Swinney Park was dedicated 100 years ago this week. The statue, designed by Chicago sculptor Frederick Hibbard, was unveiled to a crowd of several thousand people on May 14, 1922. Read more: https://www.journalgazette.net/.../may-14-1922-dedication...
(The Journal Gazette's headline from May 15, 1922, is inset with this photo taken Monday. Some letters are obscured because of damage to the page before it was put on microfilm decades ago.)
A 19th-century pedestrian bridge west of downtown that has been closed for about a decade will be rehabilitated after Fort Wayne City Council approved the $1.2 million-plus project Tuesday.
Mechanic Street Bridge crosses St. Marys River, connecting Swinney Park to several neighborhoods to the north including Nebraska, Hamilton and North Highlands. The bridge was built in 1898 by King Bridge Co. with a Pratt truss design and lattice railings.
After being used for more than 100 years, the 180-foot-long bridge shows severe rusting and other signs of aging. A structural engineer report in 2014 led to the closure of the bridge due to safety risks.
As Fort Wayne continues to develop, it’s easy for history to be lost, but one landmark that shares its birth year with the start of the Spanish-American War won’t share the same fate.
As Fort Wayne continues to develop, it’s easy for history to be lost, but one landmark that shares its birth year with the start of the Spanish-American War won’t share the same fate.
In 1898, the city finished the Mechanic Street bridge. Until recently, it still carried pedestrians from Mechanic Street across the St. Marys River to Swinney Park, but the bridge has seen better days.
“Currently, the bridge is unpassable and closed for use,” reads a message to Fort Wayne City Council from Dave Weadock, manager of project administration with the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department.
