Allen County, Indiana Genealogy

Wells Street - once known as the Fort Dearborn (Chicago) Trail, was an important link for trade in the Northwest Territory. It was named for William Wells, the local hero who was raised by the Miamis and married Little Turtle’s daughter, Sweet Breeze. He would later side with the Americans and die in a rescue attempt of Fort Dearborn’s evacuees. In 1913, Wells Street from Superior to State became part of the original 3,400 mile long Lincoln Highway. The route changed when the larger Harrison Street Bridge was completed in 1915, bypassing Wells St. south of Putnam and its smaller iron bridge.

Lots of interesting photos for Wells Street Bridge are in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library. Some are shown on this page.

Wells Street Bridge - Spanning Spy Run Creek at Wells Street, Fort Wayne, Allen County, IN from the Library of Congress Historic American Buildings Survey, Engineering Record, Landscapes Survey. Now featured prominently in the Riverfront development project.

Significance: The Wells Street Bridge (Allen County Bridge No. 542) over the Spy Run Creek is an 88-foot long, single-span, reinforced concrete arch. The bridge appears to use the Melan system of reinforcing, a system largely abandoned by 1914. The Wells Street Bridge (Allen County Bridge No. 542) is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places based on its engineering significance at the local level.

Proposed Van Buren Street Bridge across the St. Marys River photos including a February 18, 1958 The News-Sentinel newspaperarticle discussing the purchase and removal of several property buildings for a bridge that was never built were posted February 18, 2024 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.

Nearly identical photo with more showing on top and bottom of image but less on the sides is in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.

FORT WAYNE BRIDGES. THE WELLS STREET BRIDGE SPANNING THE ST. MARY'S RIVER AS SEEN FROM CASS STREET, LOOKING SOUTH in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.

Street View photo looking north from Superior Street at Promenade Park from Google Maps

Street View photo looking south from Google Maps

Historic places matter to ARCH Inc., so in 1978 we created a “Most Endangered List” to keep track of significant...

Posted by ARCH, Inc. on Tuesday, July 18, 2023

July 18, 2023 post by ARCH, Inc. on Facebook:

Historic places matter to ARCH Inc., so in 1978 we created a “Most Endangered List” to keep track of significant structures most likely to be lost. The Wells Street bridge was on the list, and ARCH’s advocacy helped not only save it but also successfully nominate it for the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge became part of the park system and was restored to become a pedestrian-only part of the City’s Greenway trail system. The Wells Street bridge is a double-intersection Whipple through-truss design. It was built between 1883-1884. Until 1887, trolley tracks had been confined to city streets, but the Allen County Commissioners relented that year and the Wells Street Bridge became the first to have trolley tracks. This bridge truly has historical significance in this community, and we are proud that we played a part in saving it. ARCH can advocate effectively for historic places because it has the support of its members and donors. Join us at archfw.org.

 

1. Wells Street Bridge National Register of Historic Places Registration Form 8 page document at SHARD at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
2. Wells Street Bridge 88001575 National Register of Historic Places 9/15/1988 download pdf at the NPGallery Digital Asset Management System at the National Park Service.

 

On the National Register of Historic Places, the metal bridge has ornate decorated Whipple truss style and is now a cornerstone of the new Promenade Park that opened in August 2019. Allen County has several Whipple truss bridges, although this is the last one in Fort Wayne. Completed in 1884 by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company, it was an “artistic and technological marvel,” according to Todd Pelfrey, executive director of the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society. Wells Street Bridge - the only remaining iron truss bridge in Fort Wayne was built in 1884 by the Canton Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio. In 1991 ARCH added it to the Most Endangered List. In 1998 Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation acquired the bridge as part of the Rivergreenway trail system. It is now listed on the National register of Historic Places. Condensed from The Oldest Iron Bridge by Tom Castaldi published September 11, 2014 on History Center Notes & Queries blog.

Fort Wayne Parks Director Steve McDaniel, Manager of Project Administration David Weadock and Mayor Tom Henry celebrate...

Posted by Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation on Tuesday, May 31, 2022

May 31, 2023 post by Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation on Facebook:

Fort Wayne Parks Director Steve McDaniel, Manager of Project Administration David Weadock and Mayor Tom Henry celebrate the successful restoration of decorative components on the knee portals of the Wells Street Bridge. This project was completed in part by a federal grant. See more details here: 2022 What's Happening in the Parks: Dec. 26-Jan. 1

City of Fort Wayne Government

MartinRiley architects-engineers, Strebig Construction, Inc.

1. Wells Street Bridge at City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation.
2. HISTORIC 19TH CENTURY WELLS STREET BRIDGE PROJECT COMPLETED May 31, 2022 at City of Fort Wayne.
3. June 6 - Fort Wayne's Historic Wells Street Bridge project completed Karah Wilson June 6, 2022 Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly.
4. Old Wells Street Bridge Allen County Bridge 541 at HistoricBridgeshas a few photos.

5. Wells Street Bridge – March 1913

   By Randy Harter
   Fort Wayne Reader
   2018-09-11

   

   Labeled Bloomingdale Bridge, Fort Wayne, IN FWFV00062A in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library. The same image is labeled 1913 flood, Columbia Street Bridge, looking west from Lakeside Neighborhood, Fort Wayne, IN. Another photo is 1913 flood, possibly Wells Street, Fort Wayne, IN.

   In this wonderful image taken during the 1913 Flood, the St. Mary’s River flows under the Wells Street Bridge as it is completing the last of its 99 miles before joining the St. Joseph River to form the Maumee. This still beautiful iron passenger and pedestrian bridge is the last that remains in our river-rich city once dotted with them. Built in 1884 by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio, it is one of the few remaining Pin-Connected Whipple Through-Truss bridges left in Indiana.

   However, this was far from the first conveyance over the St. Mary’s at this location. In 1831, with the growth in population of Fort Wayne outside the central core, the city licensed Zenus Henderson to operate a ferry over the St. Mary’s at Wells Street (the location of which at that time was referred to as Lee’s Ford). The city also set the fees that could be charged:
   Footman — 6 cents
   Man and horse — 12 cents
   Horse or cow — 6 cents
   Hog or sheep — 3 cents
   Oxen — 25 cents
   Wagon and two or more horses — 50 cents

   However, the ferryman was allowed to charge double the standard fee “if required to be broken of his rest in the night” to give a lift to a late traveler.

   At some point after that time the first wood bridge over the St. Mary’s was built, which itself was then replaced by a combination iron and wood bridge in 1859 built by Mosley and Company of Cincinnati, Ohio at a cost of $3,200.

   However, this new bridge collapsed early the next year in 1860 “while under the burden of a large herd of cattle,” many of which drowned. By mid-summer of 1860 a new 16-foot wide wooden bridge, built partially of salvaged materials from the previous one, had been quickly constructed in its place. In March of 1884, it was reported that after officials made a visit to the “shaky…nearly rotted away” Wells Street Bridge, construction of a new bridge would finally get underway. The old wooden bridge was removed in July of that year, but as a result of the hue and cry of those using this crossing daily, a temporary smaller wooden bridge was quickly erected until the new iron bridge could be built. As it was the time of year when the river was at its lowest, this temporary wooden bridge was completed just a week later on July 22, 1884.

   The new iron 180’ single span Wells Street Bridge, built 18” higher from the riverbed then the old one, opened for traffic a little over three months later on November 4, 1884. In 1887 when city trolleys were still open-air and pulled by draft horses, this bridge was the first in the city to have rails laid across it.

   In 1982, after nearly 100 years of use, the bridge was closed to vehicular traffic with the opening of the new concrete Ewing Street Bridge to the west. The old bridge was owned by Allen County who determined that it would cost about $20,000 to have it removed. Fortunately, the Commissioners floated a proposal to then Mayor Win Moses that if the city was interested in the bridge, the county would give it to them along with the $20,000.

   Within a week the city accepted the offer and plans were made to refurbish the bridge for pedestrian use and eventually incorporate it into the parks Rivergreenway Trails who have since made it available to rent for everything from outdoor yoga classes to weddings.

   In 1988 the Wells Street Bridge was nominated and accepted onto the National Register of Historic Places. At the moment our beautiful 134 year-old Wells Street Bridge is closed due to the construction of Phase One of the Riverfront Project where it will be integrated into Promenade Park, slated to reopen in 2019.

   (Image Courtesy Harter Postcard Collection ACPL)

   A tip of the hat to the Allen County Public Library for allowing free access to over 40 newspaper articles (beginning with Dawson’s Fort Wayne Weekly Times in 1859) regarding this river crossing, Craig Leonard author of the NRHP nomination, and to Burt Griswold’s ”The Pictorial History of Fort Wayne Indiana” (1917) for information on Zenus Henderson’s ferry.

   Randy Harter is a Fort Wayne historian, author of three books on local history, and the history/architecture guide for Fort Wayne Reader.

6.  

   Photos comparing March 25, 1913 photo on left to March 25, 2024 on the right of the Wells Street Bridge posted March 25, 2024 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.

7. 

   North side facing south. Notice the brick street leading to FORT WAYNE BRIDGES. WELLS STREET BRIDGE EARLY 1940'S in this photo in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.

8. 

   Facing south FORT WAYNE BRIDGES. WELLS STREET BRIDGE BEFORE REMOVAL OF TROLLEY TRACKS photo in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.

   

   Going north FORT WAYNE BRIDGES. INDIANA SERVICE CORPORATION TROLLY COACH WELLS STREET BRIDGE notice the electric apparatus on top in this photo in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.

9. 

   This photo is likely taken before 1943 on the north side of the St. Marys River facing south at almost the same location as the photo below of FORT WAYNE BRIDGES. WELLS STREET BRIDGE BEFORE REMOVAL OF TROLLEY TRACKS photo in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.

   We LIKE this #TBT of the Historic Wells Street Bridge in Downtown Fort Wayne. We are excited to be a part of the...

   Posted by Hoch Associates on Thursday, December 3, 2015

   December 3, 2015 post by Hoch Associates on Facebook:

   We LIKE this #TBT of the Historic Wells Street Bridge in Downtown Fort Wayne. We are excited to be a part of the Riverworks Design Team that has been selected for the Riverfront Fort Wayne development.

   Not sure what's cooler, the brick streets or the gas for 16 cents.

   This matches the 1943 photo shown below in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.

   

   FORT WAYNE BRIDGES. WELLS STREET BRIDGE AFTER THE REMOVAL OF THE TROLLEY TRACKS 1943 in the Allen County Public Library Digital Collections at the Allen County Public Library.

10. The historic Wells St. Bridge in Fort Wayne, Indiana by Dominique King posted November 11, 2014 on Midwest Guest blog.
11. Historic 19th Century Wells Street Bridge Project Completed May 31, 2022 Contact: April McCampbell on City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation

12. We LIKE this #tbt of West Superior Street in Downtown Fort Wayne where the highly anticipated Riverfront Fort Wayne will...

    Posted by Hoch Associates on Thursday, July 14, 2016

    July 14, 2016 post by Hoch Associates on Facebook:

    We LIKE this #tbt of West Superior Street in Downtown Fort Wayne where the highly anticipated Riverfront Fort Wayne will begin!

    This is the intersection of Wells and Superior (when you could drive and even ride the interurban across the Wells Street Bridge). As you can see the brick streets and tracks are long gone now, but we're excited to be a part of the Riverworks Design Team that will be reactivating this space. (Riverworks is Hoch Associates, Design Collaborative, Forum Studio, Inc., American Structurepoint, Inc., Engineering Resources Inc., One Lucky Guitar and Lynchpin Creative).

13. Category:Wells Street Bridge (Fort Wayne, Indiana) on Wikimedia Commons.org.
14. Wells Street Bridge (Fort Wayne, Indiana) on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

15. For "Throwback Thursday" we share another photo from John Ankenbruck's book, Twentieth Century HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE....

    Posted by Hofer and Davis,Inc. LAND SURVEYORS on Thursday, March 14, 2019

    Thursday, March 14, 2019 post by Hofer and Davis,Inc. LAND SURVEYORS on Facebook:

    For "Throwback Thursday" we share another photo from John Ankenbruck's book, Twentieth Century HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE. This is the Wells Street bridge in 1975, and still standing today, although you cannot drive over it.

16. Promenade Park is lit up for the holidays! Come take a stroll through the park and experience the glow reflected along the St. Marys River. www.riverfrontfw.org

    Posted by Riverfront Fort Wayne on Sunday, December 10, 2023

    December 10, 2023 post by Riverfront Fort Wayne on Facebook:

    Promenade Park is lit up for the holidays! Come take a stroll through the park and experience the glow reflected along the St. Marys River. www.riverfrontfw.org

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