Allen County, Indiana People

Bert Joseph Griswold

September 8, 2023 post by the Genealogy Center on Facebook:

Check out these pen and ink drawings including the 1861 Allen County Courthouse, Colerick's Hall, and the Aveline Hotel in Fort Wayne! 🎨

These images come from the Bert J. Griswold Collection in our Community Album. Check out the collection here: Bert J. Griswold Collection of Fort Wayne History

Bert J. Griswold was born in 1873 in Osage, Iowa, and died in Fort Wayne in 1927. A gifted illustrator and cartoonist, he came to Fort Wayne in 1902, working for the Fort Wayne Daily News and the Fort Wayne Sentinel. He later left the newspaper to establish his own advertising agency. In the course of his work as a reporter and cartoonist, he developed a deep interest in the history of Fort Wayne and Allen County. He also became a prominent advocate for the City Beautiful Movement, which worked for the establishment of local parks and boulevard improvements. Griswold wrote short columns for the newspaper about area pioneers and historic buildings, and his efforts culminated in 1917 in the publication of the two-volume Pictorial History of Fort Wayne.

April 12, 2023 post by the Genealogy Center on Facebook:

It's #waybackwednesday! Take a look at this aerial view of the St. Mary's River and downtown Fort Wayne in 1924. This image comes from the Bert J. Griswold Collection in our Community Album. [showing what is now Headwaters Park at the confluence of the Three Rivers]

View this image and thousands more in our Community Album: Bert J. Griswold Collection of Fort Wayne History

Bert J. Griswold Collection of Fort Wayne History

Bert J. Griswold Collection of Fort Wayne History

GRISWOLD, BERT JOSEPH: 1873-1927. Bert Joseph (originally Joseph Elbert), son of James J. and Ruth Velerie Arnold Griswold, was born in Osage, Ia., on Oct. 13, 1873, and was educated in the public schools of Osage. He married Clara Louise Norton on Mar. 21, 1901. He began newspaper work on the Osage WEEKLY NEWS, later working on papers in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids, Ia. Coming to Indiana, he was on the staffs of the TERRE HAUTE TRIBUNE and the INDIANAPOLIS STAR and in 1902 settled in Fort Wayne, where he was a cartoonist for the DAILY NEWS. In 1911 he joined the FORT WAYNE SENTINEL and in 1914 formed his own advertising agency, the Progressive Advertising Company. Mr.Griswold was also one of the founders of the Fort Wayne Engraving Co. In addition to his newspaper and advertising work, he engaged in research and writing on the history of the Fort Wayne area. He died in Fort Wayne on Mar. 8, 1927. Copied from Indiana Authors and their books 1816-1980 at

Best known as the author of early 1900s history books about Fort Wayne and its citizens. Bert Grisworld was born Oct. 13, 1873, in Osage, Iowa, Griswold grew up to become a skilled artist and illustrator. He came to Fort Wayne in 1902 to work as a cartoonist for the Fort Wayne Daily News, and stayed there nine years, then held the same job for about three years at the Fort Wayne Sentinel. The two papers later merged to form today's The News-Sentinel. In 1914, Griswold left the Sentinel and started his own Progressive Advertising agency. He died in 1927 of double pneumonia at age 53. His wife, Louise Norton Griswold, whom he had married in 1901 in Iowa, died about two years later on Feb. 8, 1929. Both are buried in Lindenwood Cemetery in Fort Wayne. Copied from Bert Griswold described as a talented man with a warm heart He was a civic leader and strong advocate for Fort Wayne by Kevin Kilbane published February 10, 2017 and also see Griswold book marks 100 years of sharing Fort Wayne's history The cartoonist and amateur historian once worked for the newspapers that became The News-Sentinel. by Kevin Kilbane published February 10, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper now archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

  1. In 1914 he published a series of full page newspaper articles in The Fort Wayne Sentinel titled: A Pictorial History of Fort Wayne 1614 to 1914 A Concise Chronological Record of Three Hundred Eventful Years Compiled by B. J. Griswold.
  2. The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River Volume 1 764 pages, copy with index 760 pages both at Archive.org. Also on ebooksread.com and much easier to read The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Griswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph), 1873–1927 including images of each page at Indiana Authors at Indiana University.edu.
  3. The Pictorial History of Fort Wayne, Indiana: A Review of Two Centuries of Occupation of the Region About the Head of the Maumee River Volume 2 792 pages published in 1917 at Archive.org.
  4. Some Fort Wayne Phizes published 1904 at Archive.org.
  5. Griswold's birdseye view of the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana indexed for ready reference published in 1907 at Archive.org.
  6. The Griswold-Phelps Handbook and Guide to Fort Wayne, Indiana, for 1913-1914 published 1913 at Archive.org. The Griswold-Phelps handbook and guide to Fort Wayne, Indiana, for 1913-1914 is at The Library of Congress. Is a good book for finding locations and information on long gone area attractions.
  7. Crayon and character : truth made clear through eye and ear or ten-minute talks with colored chalks published in 1913 at Archive.org.
  8. Cover of the Builders of Greater Fort Wayne book
    The Genealogy Center
     Builders of Greater Fort Wayne, A Collection of Portraits of the Men of Today Who Are Carrying on the Work of the Fathers in the Making of "The Wonder City of Midwestern America" published in 1926 at Archive.org. The book has been indexed, photocopied and posted on the The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indianaweb site.
  9. Search for "Griswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph), 1873-1927" ebooks at Archive.org.
  10. Dozens of newspaper clippings by B. J. Griswold on Newspapers.com

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