In Lancaster, PA, Moses Aaron and his wife gave birth to Israel Aaron, who would become one of the first graduates of the Hebrew Union College. Rabbi Aaron served as a rabbi in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at Congregation Achduth Vesholom starting in 1883, Becoming one of the first American ordained Rabbis in US History to serve as a pulpit Rabbi.
102, born January 1, 1915 in Cherry Valley, Arkansas, died February 21, 2017, pastor emeritus of Union Baptist Church, 2200 Smith St., where Adams served as pastor for nearly 50 years. He married Cordia Mae Jones in Ohio, they had four children: sons Joseph and John and daughters Gloria Jean Adams-Smith and Karen Adams. In 1950, Adams came to Fort Wayne to serve the people of Union Baptist Church, then located at 421 Breckenridge St. He brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to speak in Fort Wayne in June 1963. He led Fort Wayne’s NAACP chapter. Arrangements were by Carmichael Funeral Home. Copied from Clergy, Civil Rights legend the Rev. Dr. Clyde Adams crosses over at 102 by Frost editor published February 27, 2017 on Frost Illustrated now on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Posed and discussed February 27, 2017 on Frost Illustrated Facebook page. City civil rights legend Adams dies at age 102 by Rosa Salter Rodriquez published February 27, 2017 in The Journal Gazette newspaperand was in Longtime Fort Wayne pastor and civil rights leader the Rev. Clyde Adams has died by Kevin Kilbane published February 27, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
Born March 31, 2001 in Fort Wayne, the 16-year-old Concordia High School student was runner-up in national The Voice 13 television show. Addison had never been on a plane before flying out to audition for The Voice. Raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Addison started singing when she was only four years old. When she was nine, her father bought a record store that gave Addison the opportunity to explore many different genres and musical influences. She began songwriting when she was 11, and recently, her father built a stage inside the shop so she could perform. Copied from Addisen Agen Team Adam bio from The Voice at NBC.com.
Fort Wayne City mayor Tom Henry proclaimed January 17, 2018 as Addison Agen Day see his January 17, 2017 Facebook post.
Aichele, George F.
George F. Aichele is senior member of the firm of Aichele & Son, "which conducts in Fort Wayne a substantial and representative business in the manufacturing and handling of cemetery monuments of the best modern type, and the concern has acknowledged leadership in this line of enterprise in Allen county, with a large and well equipped establishment that has the best of facilities for the handling of all classes of monumental and other enduring memorial work on sacred grounds, consecrated to those who have passed forward to "that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns." Mr. Aichele was born in Wurtenberg, Germany, August 23, 1851, and was a child of three years when he came with his parents to the United States, the voyage across the Atlantic having been made on an old-time sailing vessel of the type then commonly in commission for such transportation service. The family home was established in Kendallville, and there the subject of this review acquired his early education in the public schools. In 1881 he established his home in Fort Wayne and found employment in connection with the line of business of which he is now a prominent representative. He learned the trade of marble and granite cutting in a most thorough way and he has here been established in his indepndent business as a manufacturer of and dealer in cemetery monuments, grave- stones, markers, etc., since 1894, the enterprise, built up on the best of service and honorable methods, being now conducted under the firm name of Aichele & Son. Mr. Aichele is a man of broad views and well fortified opinions, takes loyal interest in public affairs of local order and gives his political support to the Socialist party, though he has never had any desire for political activity or public office. In addition to his business he is the owner of valuable real estate in Fort Wayne, including his attractive home property. In the state of New York, in 1874, Mr. Aichele wedded Miss Marie Scheymentki, and they became the parents of three children : Wilhelmina D., Clarence, who is a barber and resident of Fort Wayne, and August C, who is associated with his father in business, as junior member of the firm of Aichele & Son.
John H. Aiken is another of the native sons of Allen county whose ability, ambition and character have brought to him established position as one of the successful and representative members of the bar of the county, and his precedence has been shown also by his able administration on the bench of the superior court of Allen county, a position of which he was the incumbent about two years. Since his retirement from this judicial office he has given his undivided attention to his substantial and important general law business, and he maintains his offices in the Swinney building. Fort Wayne. Judge Aiken was born in Lafayette township, this county, on the 19th of January, 1870, and is a son of John and Martha J. (Trainer) Aiken, the former of whom was born either in Pennsylvania or Eastern Ohio, and the latter was born in one of the eastern counties of the old Buckeye State. John Aiken came to Allen
county in 1860 and established his home in Lafayette township, where he owned and improved a good farm. After the lapse of a number of years he sold this property and, after passing an interval in the state of Tennessee, returned to Allen county and engaged in farming in Lake township. He was a Democrat in politics, served as county assessor, and was influential in community affairs. A man of the deepest Christian faith and practice, he served many years as a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church, and both he and his wife passed the closing years of their lives in Fort Wayne, the subject of this review being the youngest of their eight children. John H. Aiken passed the period of his childhood and early youth on the home farm and after profiting duly by the advantages of the public schools he took a course in the old Methodist College in Fort Wayne. In consonance with his well defined ambition to prepare himself for the legal profession, he entered the law department of the great University of Michigan, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1891 and from which he received his degree of Bachelor of Laws. In May of that year he was admitted to the Indiana bar and established himself in the practice of his profession in Fort Wayne. He was for a time associated with M. V. B. Spencer, and thereafter he conducted an independent practice until 1905, when he formed a partnership with Homer C. Underwood. This alliance continued until 1908, when Judge Aiken removed to Warsaw, the judicial center of Kosciusko county, where for the ensuing three years he was associated in practice with Judge A. G. Wood. He then returned to Fort Wayne, and here his law business has since been of an individual order. As a skilled trial lawyer he has appeared in connection with much important litigation in the various courts of this section of the state, and from 1900 until November, 1902, he gave most effective service on the bench of the Superior court of the county, from which office he retired to give his undivided attention to his large and representative private law business. In 1896 he was appointed county attorney for the poor, and of this position he continued the incumbent four years. In politics Judge Aiken is a stalwart and well fortified advocate of the cause of the Democratic party, and he is actively affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, in which he has received the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, besides being identified with the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a Knight Templar. On the 1st of September, 1891, was recorded the marriage of Judge Aiken to Miss Lulu Bush, daughter of Dr. Morton W. Bush, of Chelsea, Michigan, and the one child of this union is Arthur L., who is now a resident of the city of Detroit, Michigan.
Born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, on December 30, 1772, his father James Allen immigrated to Kentucky with his family in 1780, eventually settling near Bardstown near Louisville. Allen is the Allen County, Indiana namesake created on April 1, 1824, by an act of the Indiana General Assembly, which had passed the enabling act on December 17, 1823. During the War of 1812 his regiment came from Kentucky to the defense of Fort Wayne at the urging of William Henry Harrison. Allen went from Fort Wayne to River Raisin, Michigan, where he was killed January 22, 1813.
Who was Allen County named for? Colonel John Allen Carmen Doyle September 16, 2014.
This week county historian Tom Castaldi writes about Colonel John Allen, a Kentuckian who was instrumental in protecting Fort Wayne during the War of 1812.
County Organized 200 Years Ago:
On December 17, 1823, Allen County was organized by an act of the Indiana General Assembly. The new county was to be named in honor of Colonel John Allen, an attorney and Kentucky state senator who was killed in the War of 1812. . .
Allen Superior Court is located in Fort Wayne, #Indiana. Cases before the Court are heard by nine elected Judges and 11 appointed Magistrates. X-Twitter: https://x.com/allensuperiorct
INSession is a podcast produced by the Allen Superior Court to offer an inside look at the people and programs that make the Allen County Courts work. On SoundCloud.
The State of Indiana established Allen County on December 17, 1823. The first lots were sold on September 18, 1824, the same year in which canal activity began. John Smythe began a feeder canal survey circa 1827 which was completed by Samuel Hanna-Smythe and David Burr. From 1830 through 1840, drainage plans were drawn by Engineer David Quinn, A. F. Frink, John Ritchie, et al. The first county surveyor was Reuben J. Dawson in 1833. See list of names and time periods post as Allen County Surveyors by Allen County Government. A surveyor campaign card for John A. Bushman with photo was posted April 28, 2023 by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
Ali, Mohammad
On February 8, 2003, The Champ, The Greatest of All Time boxer Mohammad Ali appeared at a Komets hockey game at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum where he helped raise over $15,000 for two local children's charities fighting life-threatening diseases through The Three Rivers Literacy Alliance and Camp Watcha-Wanna-Do of Northern Indiana. A Komets and UHL record crowd of 10,503 roared as the former Heavyweight Boxing Champion and most recognizable person in the world was in their house. See Komets remember Muhammad Ali News Release published June 6, 2016 after Muhammad Ali passed away at 12:10am ET Saturday, June 4, at the age of 74 on Komets.com and Remembering Ali's night with Komets by Justin A. Cohen published June 6, 2016 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. See short video Muhammad Ali's night with Komets left lasting impression by Glenn Marini published June 7, 2016 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15.
Alsup, Elma E.
Born in 1897 in Humbolt, TN, died in 1985. Lived most of life in Fort Wayne, social worker, worked at Wheatly Center (now the Urban League), organizer of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, the Elma E. Alsup Club, the Lillian Jones Brown Club and the Girls Reserves. She was also an officer in the Indiana Association of Negro Musicians. Read more in In Celebration of Women's History Month: Fort Wayne Women remembered at Lindenwood Cemetery by Nancy McCammon-Hansen published March 12, 2014 in History Center Notes & Queries blog.
ObituaryIsabel "Lefty" M. Alvarez, age 88, of Fort Wayne passed away Monday, June 6, 2022. She was born October 31, 1933 in Havana, Cuba. Isabel was a pitcher and outfielder in 1951 and 1954 for the Fort Wayne Daisies, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). She also played for the Grand Rapids Chicks, Chicago Colleens, Battle Creek Bells, and Kalamazoo Lassies. Following her time on the diamond, Isabel worked over 30 years at GE. She is survived by her friend and caretaker, Billie (Mark) Uffelman of Fort Wayne; and her lifelong friend, Dona Schaefer of Ossian, IN Service is 5:00 pm, Saturday, June 18, 2022 at Fairhaven Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 6557 N. Clinton St. with calling two hours prior beginning at 3pm. Memorials may be made to All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. To sign the online guestbook, go to www.fairhavenfortwayne.com . Same obituary on Legacy.com.
Non-profit and non-partisan, the APP is the source of presidential documents on the internet. They are hosted at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The American Presidency Project is the only free online searchable database including all of:
Donald Trump's Twitter 2015-2021
The Messages and Papers of the Presidents: 1789-1929
The Public Papers of the Presidents: since 1929
The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents: 1977-2009
The Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents: post-2009
Their archives also contain data related to Midterm Elections, U.S. Party Platforms (from 1840), Statements of Administration Policy, White House Press Briefing Transcripts, Presidential Debate transcripts. Copied from American Presidency Project.
Amish
In 2012, Allen County had nearly 3,500 Amish adherents. According to the latest U.S. Religious Census, approximately 241,000 Amish adherents were spread across 28 states in 2010. Ohio had the highest number of Amish (59,103), followed by Pennsylvania (58,009) and Indiana (45,144). Copied from Indiana's Amish Population by Molly Manns published in November-December 2012 INcontext. About 19% of the Amish in America live in Indiana – more than 45,000 residents – according to the Indiana Business Research Center. LaGrange and Adams are the second and third largest counties, respectively, in terms of Amish population in the United States. Copied from 1 Amish death in LaGrange; education efforts in motion by Niki Kelly published April 12, 2020 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. There are several Amish communities in northeast Allen County with 5 know cemeteries. A couple new cemeteries started in late 20th century. The population has doubled in some Indiana communites according to Indiana at 200 (60): Amish Thriving in Northern Indiana by Andrea Neal published September 21, 2015 on Review by Indiana Policy.org. Indiana Amish on Amish America also has information.
Director of the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo for 26 years of his 44 years employment with the zoo. Zoo's keeper As Anderson starts final season, his legacy is already evident by Sherry Skufca published March 8, 2020 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Anderson, Murland E.
Built a 1950s era fallout shelter. See October 6, 1961 bombshelter warning!
Today in 1950: President Truman announces his decision to support development of the hydrogen bomb.
This fallout shelter was in a family's front yard in Fort Wayne, Indiana. When it was first installed around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, it popped to the yard's surface and had to be re-interred. More info: Family Fallout Shelter
Today in 1953: President Truman tells the world that that the US has developed a hydrogen bomb. This 1950s double-hulled steel shelter was installed beneath the front yard of Mr. and Mrs. Murland E. Anderson of Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
Radio personality Jack Hammer talked with me about what his experience was like broadcasting live from that bomb shelter in Fort Wayne back in 1992. That bomb shelter is now in the Smithsonian.
1978 graduate Wayne High School, campaign worker for U.S. Rep. Ed Roush and Win Moses, governor Evan Bayh selected Andrew, 34, as chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party in 1995, President Bill Clinton chose Andrew to head the national party in 1999. Wife Anne Slaughter Andrew was ambassador to Costa Rica during Barack Obama’s first term as president. Two children: daughter Meredith, 20 and son Will, parents Sylvia and Jerald, a Fort Wayne physician who helped start the city’s EMS service who died in 2009. His parents divorced in the early 1970s, and he lived on a Poe farm with his mother and siblings. From A world of influence
Andrew continues to leave mark on national, international events by Brian Francisco Washington editor published July 6, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Born Oct. 10, 1925, in Fort Wayne to Helen Margaret Nussbaum and Oscar Ankenbruck, died August 21, 2017 in South Haven, Michigan. He was the last surviving of their six children. John is survived by five daughters, Lisa Ankenbruck, of Palisades Park, MI; Judy Ankenbruck, Ft. Wayne, IN; Anna Ankenbruck, South Haven, MI; Eve (John) Finnessy, Granger, IN; and Carrie (Jim) Dohnal, Roselle, IL; six grandchildren – Maya Ankenbruck, Austin, Maggie, and Elissa Finnessy, and Joshua and Rachel Dohnal, and one great grandchild - Conner, as well as a special niece – Carol Meaney-Halperin of South Bend, Indiana, and many nieces and nephews. His wife, LaVerne (Alfoldy) Ankenbruck; son, Phillip John, and grandson, Aaron Jerome Greengard preceded him in death. John graduated from Central Catholic High School, Ft. Wayne, in 1944. He entered the US Navy Air Corps during World War II. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1949. He married his wife, LaVerne, in 1956 and they and their family lived most of their lives in Fort Wayne. Ankenbruck was a writer and columnist for The News-Sentinel, eventually becoming the editorial page editor. He was a founding editor of Today's Catholic, the Fort Wayne-South Bend Catholic Diocese's newspaper, in 1985. He was also a historian and the author of several Fort Wayne area history books including 1972's Five Forts, 1974's The Voice of the Turtle, and 1975's Twentieth Century History of Fort Wayne. Copied from John Ankenbruck, historian, former N-S editorial and Today's Catholic editor, dies by Lisa Esquivel Long published August 23, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper and JOHN ANKENBRUCK Obituaryat Fort Wayne Newspapers Legacy.com obituary. See list of his books on Amazon.com. John Ankenbruck: Catholic gentleman, Fort Wayne legend published August 25, 2017on Today's Catholic. Discussed February 26, 2024 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook
Appleseed, Johnny - aka John Chapman
Early Pioneer and colorful character of the Indiana frontier in the early 1800's has his own Johnny Appleseed page.
The Archer family is one conspicuous in the history of the early settlement and mention is made of their achievements under the head of Washington township and elsewhere. Benjamin Archer, the progenitor of the family in Allen county, though an elderly man when he came here, was full of energy, and his usefulness was recognized by the people in his election to the associate judgeship upon the organization of the county. He found time, however, to manage his brick yard in Washington township, and he and his family made the brick for and erected the first brick buildings in Fort Wayne, one upon the first lot west of Morgan &each's hardware, the other now owned and occupied by John Schweiters. They also furnished the brick and built the first courthouse, and the first Masonic temple, on the site now occupied by Sol Bash & Co. They also aided in the construction of the feeder division of the canal and the feeder dam. Judge Archer was of Scotch-Irish descent, of the Protestant faith, a whig in politics, of intellectual and moral sturdiness, and many mourned his loss when he died at Fort Wayne in 1833. The Masons, to which order he belonged, buried him in the old grave yard where the county jail now stands. His remains and those of his wife, who was a native of one of the Carolinas, and some grandchildren were afterward removed to the Broadway cemetery, but now nothing remains to mark their resting place. Of the few now living who attended that funeral one is Peter Kiser, and another Judge Archer's son-in-law, Edward Campbell, who lives at Albion, Noble county, and is now about ninety years of age. Judge Archer left three sons, David, John S. and Benjamin, and three daughters, Susan, Elizabeth and Sarah. John S. was a brother-in-law of the Hon. Hugh Hanna, and left one son James S., who married Catherine King, of a family which recently left a valuable estate in the heart of the city. They had three sons and one daughter, now the wife of C. E. Archer. Benjamin Archer, jr., married a Miss Petit. David, the eldest son, married Anna Chrisenbury, a native of Kentucky, and his eldest son, Samuel, married Matilda Whiteside. These were the parents of John H. Archer, now a prominent citizen of Fort Wayne. The Whiteside family were also notable in the early days. The family came from Ireland to Virginia before the war of the revolution, during which the grandfather of Matilda Whiteside made clothing for Washington's men and received a great quantity of continental money in return, which he afterward burned as worthless. His son James and his son Samuel removed to Baltimore, where James married Mrs. Ward,
a very handsome and intelligent lady who was related to the Baltimores of Maryland. They came west and settled at Chillicothe, and came thence to Fort Wayne in 1825, accompanied by all the children of Mr. Whiteside. Of the children by his first wife, Madison, John, Harvey, and Jane, and the children by his second wife Mrs. Ward, Jeremiah, Matilda, Malinda and Harriet, all are dead except Jane who is living with a daughter in Kansas. James Whiteside settled near the Archers, and the marriage of the children of the two families above referred to soon occurred. Then Samuel and Matilda Archer moved upon their land, three eighty-acre tracts of canal lands, three miles north of Fort Wayne. They had eight children, six sons and two daughters, five of whom are living: David R. is engaged in real estate business in Omaha; Mary J. is a resident of Fort Wavne, and Anna, of Piqua, Ohio; John H., the eldest son, was born on the farm March 23, 1837, and passed his early life there, receiving such education as was possible to gain by attending a country school three months out of a year. His father died in 1S52, en route to California. June 10, 1860, Mr. Archer was married to Anna M. Hopple, born of German parentage in Northampton county, Penn., and they have had five children, all residents of Fort Wayne: Charles E., born March 28, 1861; Joseph F., born January 23, 1864; W. Sherman, born October 19, 1866; Olive Edith, born August 24, 1868, and Mary L., born November 19, 1870. Charles E. and Sherman form the firm of Archer Bros., printers, who have been doing business as the Gazette Job Printing company, and are now located in a handsome office of their own on Clinton street, near the new government building. In 1872 Mr. Archer purchased fifty acres of land in the northern suburbs of the city of Fort Wayne, at a cost of $20,000, and had it platted as Archer's addition. The remarkable advantages of this tract as a residence portion of the city has made it a popular site for many comfortable homes. Mr. Archer has a vivid memory and can recall many historic scenes and characters back to the time almost of his infancy. He is one of the leading citizens of the metropolis he has witnessed the growth of, and his unfailing energy has contributed much to the progress of events. The sixth generation in Allen county of this family are now counted in the census. The family are nearly all republicans in politics, and are independent, manly and honorable in all the relations of life.
Born March 23, 1837 on a farm in Washington Township then 3 miles north of the Fort Wayne city limits at that time. He became a successful business man. In a newspaper interview he said he helped clear the woods from eighteen farms, helped rear nineteen children, five of his own, fourteen were orphans; built forty-two houses, laid out 400 lots in several additions in Fort Wayne. His great-grandfather Judge Benjamin Archer came to Fort Wayne a village in a wilderness in 1824 from Dayton, Ohio. He said Bloomingdale was only two houses, the only bridge on St. Marys river was a toll bridge at Calhoun Street and it was wilderness up to the Jail Flats with howling wolf packs around his house less than three miles from town. He say bear tracks going to school, but never saw a bear. His brother while riding horseback saw a female bear with two cubs near Maysville. He say lots of deer on Goshen Road then just a winding trail through the woods. Heard the July 4, 1843 General Lewis Cass speech opening the Wabash & Erie Canal at his speech in a grove of trees near the present Swinney Park. He knew the Hamiltons, Ewings, McCulloch's, and all the early pioneers. His father brought the first steam boiler from Dayton then set up the first steam saw mill that became the Jacob Rudisill farm a short distance north of Centlivre's brewery. He lists lots of names including someone named Goodale the first to grow watermelons for sale in Allen County. His family made the first bricks for brick buildings in Fort Wayne. He remembers when an occasional Indian strolled into town. He is one of the few persons still living who ever saw Johnny Appleseed who was often at their house and stated Johnny Appleseed died at the Rudisill farm and the only person still living then to attend the funeral was Hiram Porter. Johnny died in the arms of Jerry Williams. See the full article: Lived Here 70 Years Interesting Life of John H. Archer Member of Pioneer Family Talks of Early Days in Allen County in The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette Fort Wayne, Indiana 24 Mar 1907, Sunday, Page 1 and continued on Page 2 on Newspapers.com.
Armstrong, Paul "Curly"
Born November 1, 1918, died June 6, 1983, he was a 5'11" star guard/forward at Central High School where he reached two state championship games in 1936 and 1937 while leading his team to a 50-6 record. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Armstrong was leading scorer for Indiana University's first national championship in 1939-40 averaging 8.9 points a game, scoring 10 points in the championship against Kansas 60-42, earning All-Big Ten Conference honors during his junior year. He played, and briefly coached, for the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons professional basketball team when they won a world championship (today's Detroit Pistons). He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980 from Curly Armstrong on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
In 1951, the Zollner Pistons honor Curly Armstrong with the first night given to a Fort Wayne athlete.
Wherever Armstrong played basketball, and later softball, his teams won. He started at St. Paul's Lutheran Grade School where Armstrong began his lifelong friendship with Herm Schaefer.
The two grew up together on Madison Street and played together in grade school, high school at Central, college at Indiana University and later in the pros with the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons.
The two helped lead Central High School to back-to-back appearances in the state Final Four in 1936 and 1937. They lost to Frankfort in the 1936 championship game and to Huntingburg in the 1937 semifinals. Armstrong and Schaefer then helped Indiana win its first national title in 1940. Armstrong scored 10 points as IU beat Kansas 60-42.
In the pros, Armstrong was a 5-foot-11 guard. He signed with the Pistons in 1942 and averaged 8.3 points as a rookie. After his second season, he joined the Navy and played for the Great Lakes Navy team coached by Tony Hinkle.
Armstrong returned to the Pistons in 1946 and continued to average about eight points per game as the team won the world championship. During his 11-year career he averaged 7.4 points per game, and he also coached the Pistons to a 22-32 record in 1948-49.
Armstrong was also a strong player on the Pistons' softball team, helping them win three world championships.
A knee injury eventually led to Armstrong's retirement in 1951. In 1969, he bought the Curly Armstrong Village Inn on Bluffton Road and he died June 6, 1983, at age 64.
Also, in 2013, South Dakota State's Nate Wolters scores 53 points against IPFW to break the Memorial Coliseum scoring record.
Wolters made 17 of 28 shots overall, including 9 of 14 from three-point range, and 10 of 11 free throws to break Wilt Chamberlain's record of 51 points set March 8, 1963 against the Detroit Pistons. He out-scored IPFW by himself 38-37 in the second half, helping the Jackrabbits erase an 11-point deficit. It was also the most points scored in an NCAA Division I game in more than four years.
In 1940, Fort Wayne's Curly Armstrong and Herm Schaefer help IU win its first national championship.
Almost every Indiana University basketball fan knows the Hoosiers won their first NCAA Tournament title in 1940. Very few know the Hoosiers owe thanks for that title to Purdue.
Purdue actually won the Big Ten title in 1940, but coach Ward ``Piggy’’ Lambert didn’t believe in post-season play, so Indiana represented the conference in the tournament.
The Hoosiers had also beaten the Boilermakers twice during the season.
The Hoosiers were led that season by Marv Huffman, Jay McCreary, Bill and Bob Menke and Berne-native Bob Dro. Two of their starters were Central graduates Curly Armstrong and Herm Schaefer who had helped the Tigers to the 1936 and 1937 state finals. Armstrong and Schaefer ended up leading the 1939-40 Hoosiers in scoring as juniors, with Armstrong earning all-Big Ten honors.
During the national tournament, only eight teams were invited, and Indiana easily dispatched Springfield and Duquesne to face Kansas for the title. With Armstrong scoring 10 points, the Hoosiers ran the Jayhawks off the floor 60-42. Schaefer led IU in scoring during the tournament.
Though Armstrong was 5-foot-11, and Schaefer was 6-0, both players often played forward for coach Branch McCracken.
Armstrong’s career at Indiana ended the next season when he was declared academically ineligible for the second semester. Schaefer finished the season averaging 5.6 points,
Also, in 1990, the Indiana Kick play their final game.
Also, in 2000, Steve Smith of Saint Francis wins the national collegiate slam dunk contest.
In March of 1936, there were nearly 15,000 people packed into Butler (Hinkle) Fieldhouse. Thousands more were waiting outside, hoping to see one of the year's most anticipated games. With people being turned away, James Naismith (inventor of the game of basketball) arrived at his first exposure to Hoosier Hysteria. The game he said "gave me a thrill I shall not soon forget" was the state championship game between Frankfort High School and Fort Wayne Central. Read on for more.
While the Fort Wayne Central team lost, their star player, Paul "Curly" Armstrong, had his first but not last taste of being on a championship team. Curly, playing guard and forward, helped Central amass a 50-6 record. Fortunately, Curly and his teammate, Herm Schaefer, continued their careers at Indiana University, playing under the storied Branch McCracken.
That next time would occur almost four years later to the day in the 1940 NCAA Basketball Championship Game. The Indiana Hoosiers were playing against Phog Allen's Kansas Jayhawks at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. Armstrong and Schaefer had strong performances helping the Hoosiers win the school's first national championship in men's basketball.
After playing for the Hoosiers, Curly signed with the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons. His playing there was short-lived due to World War II when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. His talents did not go to waste, though, as he played on the Great Lakes Navy team under Tony Hinkle, helping the team to a 47-3 record and winning the National Service Title. Back from the War, Curly continued his career with the Pistons until a career-ending knee injury occurred in 1951.
Curly continued to be involved in basketball, coaching Wabash College and then supporting Zollner's Knot Hole Gang program, which allowed children to participate in swimming and skating and attend free Piston games. Soon though, Curly and his wife Mary would leave a final stamp in our neck of the woods when they founded Curly's Village Inn. While Curly passed in 1983, his wife owned and managed the Village Inn until 2012. What a fantastic legacy!
Curly's Village Inn
Indiana Basketball
Picture 1 - Curly Armstrong
Picture 2 - Herm Schaefer
Picture 3 - Hinkle
Picture 4 - Curly's Village Inn
Picture 5 - IU National Championship Banners
Armstrong, Robert E.
September 24, 1925 – August 21, 2008 was a former mayor, 1976-1980, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, former councilman of Allen County, Indiana and former athletic director of Snider High School. A graduate of Fort Wayne's Central High School (closed 1971) where he played on the State Championship Basketball Team in 1943.[2][3] He attended Indiana University where he received a B.S. in Education and Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1949 and a M.S. in Administration in 1954. From 1944-1945, Armstrong served in the United States Army Air Forces. He was training as a pilot to fight in World War II when the war ended, cutting his military service short. Bob Armstrong was married to wife, Nila on September 9, 1948. Nila was a kindergarten teacher in the Fort Wayne Community Schools and was actively involved in Bob's political endeavors. Nila Armstrong died June 29, 2012 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The couple had three sons, Daniel, Douglas, and David, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Mayor Armstrong defeated Democratic incumbent Mayor Ivan Lebamoff in 1975 in a tight 27,145 to 26,761 victory. See more on Robert E. Armstrong on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Arnold, Robert
See photo of Robert Arnold, 22, holds a spider monkey May 24, 1957. Arnold has just been appointed to head Franke Park, including the zoo, the News-Sentinel Outdoor Theater, Shoaff Lake and other park facilities. Posted in THIS DAY IN HISTORY: May 24 in photos published May 24, 2018 by The News-Sentinel newspaper.
Atz, Norman
90, died February 28, 2016 in Fort Wayne, survived by his wife of 67 years, Rose Marie Atz of Fort Wayne; sons, Jeffrey (Laurie) Atz of Fort Wayne and Terry (Linda) Atz of Kendallville, Ind.; nine grandchildren, Jonathan, Krista, Angel, Timothy, Christopher, Mark, Jennifer, Hope, and Elizabeth; and 19 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Brian Atz; parents, Ralph and Elsie Atz; and brother, Lauren Atz. Owned and operated Puritan Ice Cream in Kendallville and Atz’s ice cream shops in Fort Wayne for 70 years that closed in September 2014. For more see his March 1, 2016 Fort Wayne Newspapers obituary and at D.O. McComb and Sons obituary.
Avery, Jane
To all who had the honor of knowing her, Jane Avery will be sorely missed. She dedicated her life to helping others and feeding hungry people.
Jane was never bashful about asking others to support the Community Harvest mission of alleviating hunger in northeast Indiana.
Our thoughts and prayers go to her husband Bill and daughters
Elizabeth, Mo and Allison.
We love you Jane,
The Board of Directors and staff of Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, Inc.
Please share your fondest memories of Jane with us.
Born April 1, 1943 in Fort Wayne, to Paul and Ada (Welker) Ayres, died July 6, 2019, the car lover got the opportunity to start his own dealership in 1970 at age 27 as the youngest General Motors dealer in the country when he founded his dealership, Don Ayres Pontiac. He was awarded the Honda franchise three years later. Copied from Car dealer Don Ayres dies by Ashley Sloboda published July 8, 2019 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. He was survived by his wife of 39 years, Sandy Ayres; daughters Sara (Mike) Ayres Craig and Alison (Mark) Ayres Birkmeier both of Fort Wayne; stepsons Mark (Loree) Johnston of Waterloo and Jeff Johnston (Marie Bradbury) of Gahanna, OH; brother Paul Ayres of Monclova, OH; brother-in-law John Grodrian of Fort Wayne; ex-wife Kathleen (Johnson) Ayres of Fort Wayne; grandchildren Kristina and Christian Urberg and John and Paul Birkmeier, all of Fort Wayne; and step grandchildren Lindsay Johnston (Tom Tondiglia) of Cuyahoga Falls, OH, Hannahlee Johnston of Pittsburgh, PA and Elizabeth and Alana Craig, both of Fort Wayne copied from his Beams Funeral Home obituary.
Azar, Alexander "Alex" Abraham
Alex Azar October 19, 2013 from The Journal Gazette on Vimeo. Alex Azar, founder of the Azar's chain of restaurant and hotels in Fort Wayne, Ind., talks about how he and his friends Eugene Tigges, Dick Snouffer and Dick Goshorn, and sometimes others, came to meet regularly at Manny's Place on Calhoun Street for coffee and to chew the fat. Journal Gazette video by Chad Ryan.
Alexander "Alex" Abraham Azar February 16, 1923 – December 17, 2020 Klaehn, Fahl & Melton Funeral Home obituary has a lot of family and business information. His father Abraham Azar arrived at Ellis Island in 1899 at age 20, from a small town in Damascus, Syria. A cousin told Alex he could get him a job in Bryan, Ohio. Later, with his brother David, he opened a grocery store on Calhoun Street in Fort Wayne. By late 1980s the business had grown to be worth more than $40 million with 50 restaurants in Indiana and Ohio, including Big Boy franchises and Marriott hotels. Son George bought the family business in the early 1990s. David died in 2006. Among various real estate holdings, Azar Inc. still encompasses a Big Boy restaurant in Waynedale, the Back 40 Junction restaurant in Decatur and a 300-room Marriott in Huntsville, Ala. Copied from Azars shifting family business from food to property by Paul Wyche published December 1, 2013 in The Journal Gazette newspaper archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
Alex Azar, the man behind some of Fort Wayne's most loved restaurants, died Dec. 17 at his home. He was 97. Born Alexander Abraham Azar to Syrian immigrant parents, the Fort Wayne native graduated from South Side High School before attending Indiana University, where he earned a business degree in three years. When he wasn't studying, he worked nights at an A&P grocery. After college, Azar went on to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II. Following his discharge, Azar put his college retail experience to use in 1945 when he opened a local grocery with his brother, David. Alex Azar managed produce, and David Azar was the butcher. Alex Azar remained restless, according to information provided to The Journal Gazette in his obituary. His older brother, Albert Azar, invited him to visit a thriving Big Boy restaurant in Cincinnati in 1953. Alex Azar was impressed and soon bought a Big Boy franchise from Frisch's. Within a year, he opened his first Azar's Big Boy Drive-In on West Jefferson Boulevard. Azar opened multiple Big Boy locations in northern Indiana and Colorado with the help of his brothers David and George. A natural-born entrepreneur, Alex Azar went on to launch Captain Alexander's Moonraker, Captain Alexander's Wharf and Roby's Roast Beef, which Marriott Corp. acquired and renamed Roy Rogers. Roy Rogers grew into a popular chain of fast food restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic states. Azar's business relationship with Marriott continued when he became the Marriott family's first franchisee in 1968, the year he opened the Fort Wayne Marriott Inn. He went on to open several more Marriott locations in the Midwest. Azar, a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, was married to his late wife, Norma, in 1946. He was also preceded in death by his parents and siblings. He is survived by his children, Laura (Jerome) Meers of Bonita Springs, Florida; Linda Azar of Reno, Nevada; and George (Lorena Pinzon) Azar of Fort Wayne; grandchildren Jason (Stephanie) Adams and Sumitra Azar. Copied from Local restaurateur Alex Azar, 97, dies Owned Big Boys, eatery that began Roy Rogers chain by Sherry Slatter published December 24, 2020 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Capt Alexander's Moonraker: A New Concept for Shoney's
THE IDEA OF fast-food chains getting into the gourmet arena seems to be catching on quickly. The Dobbs Houses were probably the first in Memphis to branch out from the pop-in pop-out concept when they opened the Mark IV (now Chesterfield's) on Poplar. Earlier this year the Krystal Co (remember their nickel hamburgers?) followed trend by opening The Loft on Mt Moriah.
LATEST TO JOIN the trend is Shoney’s South Inc., which early next month will open Captain Alexander's Moonraker in Germantown Village Square. The ironic thing about this new venture is that it will be located about 100 feet east of a Shoney’s outlet in the square thus giving patrons a chance to compare the differences between two completely different outlets owned by the same corporation.
CAPTAIN ALEXANDER’S Moonraker patterned after a successful restaurant in Fort Wayne Ind is the pilot for what Shoney’s South board chairman James H Prentiss hopes will become a national chain.
Design of the new restaurant is around a shipboard motif everything being geared to make the diners feel they are actually eating while afloat. It begins at the entrance where one will have to cross a bridge over running water before actually going inside. The running water meanders through the interior of the restaurant terminating in a seven-foot deep pool. “We are bringing in authentic artifacts from all over the country” said Bill Horwitz who will direct the Moonraker’s voyage into the competitive sea. “The floor will resembls actual decking on a ship and we hope to have cannons and all that.”
There will be one large area for exhibition cooking and some of the dining areas will be known as the Captain’s Cabins and the Wharf Room Live entertainment will boom from The Crow’s Nest elevated above the bar area. A real boat is being shipped (no pun intended) in and will serve as the salad bar. The menu will include such nautical foods as broiled halibut Alaskan king crab legs lobster and lobster tails as well as steaks sirloin and spaghetti. John Fleps a highly-experienced chef whose credits lie mostly in the North will be chef of the Moonraker. He’s currently in training at the Fort Wayne Moonraker which has no affiliation with the one going in at Germantown Village Square. Russ Meister who recently resigned as food and beverage manager of Holiday Inn-Poplar will be Horwitz’ assistant.
Fort Wayne newspapers after 1923 are not online, but similar restaurants were started in Fort Wayne at this time shown below in South Bend and Indianapolis, Indiana and Memphis, Tennessee.
More than 1,000 persons attended a party at Captain Alexander's Moonraker here Tuesday night.
South Bend's newest dinner house will open its doors to the public next Monday night.
Located at 300 E. Colfax, the Moonraker offers a nautical setting along the St. Joseph River. The restaurant's interior is spacious and elegant. It will accomodate 325 for dining; 240 for cocktails and dancing, and another 100 in the waiting area.
This is the fourth Captain Alexander's dinner house to be opened by Alex and Dave Azar.
Chef Jerry Wilson, a member of the American Culinary Association; the Academy of Chefs, and Les Amis D'Escoffier Society, created a variety of ice sculptures to enhance the service of cold and hot Hors d'oeuvres.
The menu ran the gamut, from caviar to quail eggs and fresh Chatham oysters on the half shell to mushroom caps stuffed with snails.
There was king crab; jumbo shrimp; stuffed artichoke bottoms with crab curry; oyster shells filled with shrimp mousse; roast rib eye; scallops wrapped in bacon; egg rolls, and smoked salmon.
And to top it off, Chef Wilson created a gourmet showpiece Bushe De Homard, a lobster tree with lobster medallions and coquilles, garnished with truffles.
The $1.5 million restaurant facility has distinctively different dining areas appointed with a mix of antique and new items.
Other Captain Alexander's dinner houses, the Moonraker and Wharf, are located in Fort Wayne, and a third is located in Memphis, Tenn. Plans call for another facility to be built in -Indianapolis.
OFFICIAL OPENING - With sons Dave, left. and Alex Azar right lending encouragement, their mother prepares to christen the new Captain Alexander's Moonraker Tuesday night during a preview party. Among those in attendance was Philip J. Faccenda, second from right, president of the South Bend-Mishawaka Area Chamber of Commerce. Tribune Staff Photo by Ron Ryback
If you race to restaurants and track the tables in town, Captain Alexander's Wharf is a winner.
The spectacular ship restaurant, moored on Castle Lake in Castleton, has a heritage of hamburger; but the fresh fish is the dining delight.
Alex and David Azar of Fort Wayne the grocery store brothers who parlayed a "Big Boy"* sandwich into a $30 million food and lodging business - are the brains and bundle behind the eating enterprise. They started with a single drive-in franchise in Fort Wayne in 1954 and now claim 27 Big Boy restaurants in Indiana and Colorado, five Charky's in the Fort Wayne area, Moonraker restaurants in Fort Wayne and South Bend, a Fort Wayne Wharf and the Fort Wayne Marriott Inn, housing their MacTavish's restaurant.
The $3 million Captain Alexander's Wharf brings together the best of the Northern Indiana Azar theme restaurants. Walk the plank into the ship and wend your way upward to Davy's Locker for a peak or a pause in the cocktaildisco room, vibrantly alive with shocking purples and blues. Victorian antiques meet pulsating disco lights in the offbeat multi-purpose setting, where luncheon buffets, cocktail-hour hors d'oeuvres and discreet disco are served in succession.
Downstairs, the bridge of the ship, constructed from a massive San Francisco church pulpit, is the pausing place to view the chandelier, shimmering with Czechoslovakian crystal. Originally hung in 1927 in a Detroit theater, the piece was purchased from a Los Angeles antique dealer and meticulously taken apart, transported and reassembled.
Carpeted stairs lead down from the bridge to two dining wings as well as to the Singapore Lounge in the hull of the Moonraker, the ship center of the sprawling restaurant.
Cocktails On Deck
When weather permits, cocktails will be served above, on the deck of the Moonraker overlooking the lake. Here you can see the authentic riggings of the three-masted ship that were assembled by professional sailors.
If you wish, select a Colorado brook trout or a Maine or Newfoundland lobster from the two tanks below the bridge, before proceeding into the dining areas. The two dining wings are dubbed Chinatown and Golden Gate, and here a profusion of turn-of-the-century San Francisco memorabilia creates the atmosphere. Both wings are divided into tiered and separated seating sections - with such names as Cable Car, Barbary Coast, Jade Shadows, Peking Meditation, Fisherman's Wharf and Telegraph Hill - to create an ambience of privacy, quite a feat in a restaurant with 433 dining seats. Lighted mural vignettes depict four San Francisco scenes.
Lee Harper, vice president of Azar's specialty restaurant division and the recognized figure of Captain Alexander, is presiding over the Wharf during its opening weeks. Starting in the restaurant business in 1929 as kitchen help in the Floridian Hotel in Miami Beach, Harper's career has included executive positions with John R. Thompson Co. one of the country's largest restaurant chains Hilton Hotels, S & W Fine Foods and Robert Wian Enterprises, the Big Boy founder. He met Alex Azar when Wian sold Big Boy to the Marriott Corp. and joined Azar 7 1/2 years ago. Swathed in sailor whites and chivalrous charm, he is visiting with guests during his supervisory stay.
The menu at Captain Alexander's Wharf emphasizes seafood, but there are also several steaks, veal tenderloin Oscar, duckling Bourguignonne, panfried chicken, a pork chop flamed in Calvados and varying nightly specials.
This diner chose the broiled fresh filet of red king salmon with Hollandaise, an entree seldom seen here. Expertly cooked to flaked but moist doneness and delicately seasoned to enhance that incomparable full flavor of really fresh fish, the dish was outstanding.
Same Day Service
"The Columbia River salmon could have been caught last evening flown in in the afternoon to be served the same night," says Harper. All of the fresh fish including Boston scrod, brook trout and lemon sole arrives - by plane, he says.
The steak au poivre (black pepper) is a choice quality New York strip with a delightful Chablis-Cognac-mustard sauce, but the peppers are pungent and too generously stud the steak.
The with-dinner salad bar is not extensive, but offers Caesar salad and a delicious crusty rye bread. A complimentary glass of house (Petri) wine accompanies dinners.
A la carte desserts include a rich custard creme brule with a partlymelted brown sugar topping. The koko moko rum pie is a dieter's downfall with a toasted coconut crust and a chocolate sauce with Grand Marnier and Kahlua. There are also a partypretty baked Alaska, chocolate mousse, ice creams and fruit with cheese.
Entrees range from $5.95 for fried chicken or spaghetti with clam sauce and $6.50 for Boston scrod to $12.75 for the pepper steak and $12.95 for lobster tail. Fresh whole lobsters, plain or stuffed, are priced according to the current market.
Extensive Lunch Menu
The Wharf is open for dinner between 4:30 and 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday with service until midnight Friday and Saturday. An extensive luncheon menu with intriguing salads, a variety of sandwiches, omelets and quiches as well as seafood and beef specialties is available between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Sunday brunch is served between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and dinner 4:30 to 10 p.m.
Mixed drinks start at $1.75, and there's an adequate wine list with impressive first- growth Bordeaux, Chateau D'Yquem and Chambertin Burgundy. Concannon, Cuvaison, Ridge and Mondavi are some of the California vineyards.
The crew at Captain Alexander's Wharf knows how to buy, store and cook fresh seafood.
The restaurant at 6220 Castleway, West Drive, on Castle Lake features at least seven fresh seafood entrees on its dinner menu - including sole, scrod, flounder, salmon, Maine lobster and a "daily fisherman's catch." A recent sampling of fresh sea scallops, the captain's feature of the day, showed the crew knows how to treat the treasure from the sea.
The tender, succulent scallops had that wonderful sweet flavor, found only in really fresh seafood. Lightly floured and quickly sauteed in clarified butter with a little white wine, the scallops in the delicate dish were a delight.
"We cook fish at the highest heat possible to keep their moisture," explains Wharf manager Bill Clazmer.
But the procedure that produces a good feast of fish starts long before the catch reaches the chef. The restaurant contacts its markets at Boston, on the West Coast and in the Great Lakes region and orders fresh fish three times a week.
"It is ordered the day it is caught," Clazmer explains.
The fish is shipped by truck, or in case of the Maine lobster by plane. Thus the fresh fish is usually about three days from the sea by the time it is served to the captain's customers, he says.
"We check the fish for freshness when it arrives. If the eyes aren't bright and red, we send it back," the manager says. While some fish, such as salmon, are bought whole, others arrive in fillets. Bones and heads are used to make fish stock for sauces.
When it arrives at the Wharf, the fish is placed in a 20 by 16-foot cooler, especially designed for fresh seafood and thawed frozen seafood, such as the shrimp, crab legs and whitefish (cod) on the menu. The value of the daily inventory averages $15,000 to $16,000, Clazmer says.
"We put the fish on crushed ice in pans with holes in the bottom, so the fish doesn't sit in water. This keeps the fish from absorbing water and becoming mushy," he explains.
The captain's platter a combination dinner of deep-fried shrimp encrusted with almonds, breaded fillet of sole and broiled beef brochette - is the biggest seller at the Wharf, with the daily catch and feature specials vying for second. The Danish sole - an eggwashed fresh fillet of sole with mushrooms, crabmeat and mornay sauce - is also popular. No, the sole doesn't come from Denmark. The name was coined by the restaurant to identify its particular style of preparation.
What can you expect in future seafood specials? A broiled fillet of mako shark was served one day last TABLE talk week. Mackerel, halibut, ocean catfish and ocean whitefish (cusk) have been other daily catches. Fresh water, farm-raised catfish and Great Lakes whitefish, walleye pike, lake perch and trout will be some of the summer servings.
To enjoy the freshness of the fish fully, order sauces on the side, although a recent request was not honored.
The daily captain's feature is not always fish. Sauteed beef tenderloin is featured tonight and tomorrow, and scrod with top sirloin steak will be next week's feature. The week of July 27, fillet of sole with a shrimp- shrimp-mussel-hollandaise sauce will be served; starting Aug. 3, broiled red snapper fillet stuffed with crabmeat and mushrooms in wine sauce; beginning Aug. 10, veal Oscar.
There are also steaks, prime rib and chicken entrees on Captain Alexander's menu; and dinner prices range from $7.75 to $11.95. A trip to the salad bar, which includes Caesar salad and good breads, and baked potato, rice pilaf or vegetable of the day are included in the dinner price. A recent trip to the salad bar was spoiled by hot salad plates, and the accompaniment dishes were on the salty side.
A la carte appetizers include steamed clams, oysters Rockefeller, escargot, French onion soup and shrimp de jonghe. The sampled serving of shrimp was heavy on cheese and crumbs, but light on garlic.
Most a la carte desserts - including baked Alaska, chocolate mousse, cheesecake and koko moko rum (ice cream) pie are made by the restaurant; and the koko moko pie is the winner on this list.
Captain Alexander's Wharf is open for lunch Monday through Friday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and for dinner aiter 5 p.m. seven days a week. Sunday brunch is served from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.; and when possible, there is seating on the dock.
The Moonraker lounge has been relocated on the lower level; and there are now two banquet rooms, seating 45 and 200, on the upper level of the restaurant. Cocktails are served on the outdoor Moonraker deck; and starting Monday, there will be piano entertainment after 5 p.m. in the lounge. Mixed drinks start at $1.75.
Captain Alexander's Wharf restaurant in downtown South Bend is closed for remodeling.
Wharf restaurant will be remodeled
SOUTH BEND - The restaurant named Captain Alexander's Wharf closed Monday but its owners are not giving up on that prime river front location.
"We are going to remodel it," said Alexander Azar, chairman of Azar's Inc. of Fort Wayne, owner of the Wharf restaurant.
He admitted that the restaurant's nautical theme had not appealed to enough customers in recent years. "Everything has moved out to Grape Road and we have to figure out a way to get them back. We want to put a contemporary restaurant there," said Azar.
Numerous casual theme restaurants have been built on Mishawaka's Grape Road in recent years.
"We are thinking of a little less formal operation, little more of a fun spot," Azar said. "We property.
It's paid for."
He declined to reveal what theme the restaurant will, have when it opens in the fall. "We are just beginning the planning," Azar said.
He said the Wharf recently employed about 75 people, down considerably from what it had been in years past. "We used to have more than 100 employees but we had to reduce employment as sales fell off. We are just trying to figure out something that is more acceptable to the South Bend area," Azar said.
His company built the large restaurant, opening in early 1977, as Captain Alexander's Moonraker. The 15,000-square-foot facility is situated on the east bank of the St. Joseph River, just across from Century Center.
The restaurant was renamed Captain Alexander's Wharf in 1983, with fresh seafood as its specialty.
