The FWPD celebrates Black History Month by remembering Officer Lora Calland, the first female black officer hired by the Fort Wayne Police Department. She was commissioned in April 1952 and resigned in August 1954. She was later rehired as a records clerk in January 1959 and later transferred to the Investigative Division as a secretary in 1968. She retired from the department in 1981.
Former Senator Capehart of Indiana Dies at 82 by J. Y. Smith, September 5, 1979, at the Washington Post. Former Sen. Homer E. Capehart, a conservative and sometimes outspoken Republican who represented Indiana in the United States Senate from 1945 to 1962, died Monday night at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. He was 82.
Homer E Capehart / GOP Cornfield Conference historical marker at the Junction of CR 600 N & CR 150 W on SW side of the railroad tracks, 1.5 miles west of SR 57 on CR 600 N, about 6 miles NW of Washington. (Daviess County, Indiana) Erected 1999 Indiana Historical Bureau and Daviess County Visitors Bureau.
Capehart attained fame as the father of the jukebox industry from Homer E. Capehart at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Cardone, Bill
Opened Cardone's Italian restaurant 1952-1969 then Bill Cardone's Place on Old Decatur Road 1969-1978. From a newspaper article and disscussion August 2, 2017 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
Carnahan, Wiliam L.
Clara L. Carnahan, born in Fort Wayne in 1845, was the daughter of James Bayless Hanna, and the oldest grandchild of Samuel Hanna. She married William L. Carnahan in 1864, and they moved to Fort Wayne in 1872. While living in Fort Wayne, she was a communicant of Trinity Episcopal Church. She and William had four children; Louise, Robert H., Clara C., and Virginia C. Carnahan. Clara died in 1927.
William L. Carnahan was born in Lafayette, Indiana on March 5, 1837. Sometime after 1860, he became a member of the firm Carnahan Brothers & Co., wholesale dealers and manufacturers of shoes and boots in Lafayette. He worked as a traveling salesman with the company. In 1872, when he came to Fort Wayne, he founded the wholesale boot and shoe company of Carnahan, Skinner & Company where he worked as the supervisor of the clerical and sales departments. In 1875, the business became Carnahan, Hanna &Company, for which he was one of the principal and chief executives, and then Carnahan & Company in 1886. Carnahan & Company, located on Clinton Street, established an extensive trade business throughout four states. William continued as the executive head of the business until his death in 1897. He was a member of Company G, 67th Regiment, Infantry, Indiana volunteers, and was also a member of Trinity Episcopal Church. Copied from The Carnahan, 917 West Berry Street at West Central Properties.
For the past century, dollhouses have been used primarily for children’s play, but have also been collecting and crafting hobbies for many adults. Detailed dollhouses include representations of common household items and family possessions as well as inhabitants, both people and animals. This elegant, Victorian wooden dollhouse was a Christmas present in 1886 from William and Clara Carnahan to their daughters Clara and Virginia, who named the residents of the dollhouse the “Aldrich Family.” The house was constructed by Charles Muehlenbruck, a cabinet maker who was an employee at Carnahan, Hanna & Company, which was Mr. Carnahan’s wholesale boot and shoe firm. Many of the furnishings were purchased by Mrs. Carnahan when she traveled with her husband to New York and Boston. This detailed home is divided into six rooms with a center entrance hall and stairway to the second floor. The kitchen is on the right; the dining room on the left. Upstairs, the upper hall is in the center with a parlor on the left and bedroom on right. The Aldrich doll family, made of bisque, continues to live in the home. Several decades after the dollhouse was presented to the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society, electricity was added to allow museum visitors to easily view the extraordinary detail and craftsmanship. Due to COVID-19 distancing requirements, the dollhouse was removed from display in November 2020 and placed in storage. In 2023, the lights and the wiring were refurbished by History Center staff and the base was rebuilt by Kimmel Fabrication Studio. This renovation project was funded through a grant from the James Foundation’s Grant-A-Day program. Come and see the new updates to the Carnahan Dollhouse as it is once again on display at the History Center. #sociallyhistory
For many visitors to the History Center, one of the highlights is the Carnahan Dollhouse. The dollhouse was refurbished through a grant from the James Foundation’s Grant-A-Day program. Enjoy this video of the newly renovated and returned to display Carnahan Dollhouse! #sociallyhistory
Elizabeth Jean Carroll was born in Detroit, Michigan. She also went by "Jeannie". Her father, Thomas F. Carroll, Jr., was an inventor, and her mother, Betty (née McKinney) Carroll, was a Allen County, Indiana politician. The oldest of four children, Carroll was raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana with her two sisters and one brother. She attended Indiana University. A Pi Beta Phi and a cheerleader, she was crowned Miss Indiana University in 1963, and in 1964, as a representative of the university, she won the Miss Cheerleader USA title. She appeared on To Tell The Truth in 1965.] She wrote for Saturday Night Live's twelfth season 1986 and 1987. Her "Ask E. Jean" column appeared in Elle magazine from 1993 until 2020, Copied from E. Jean Carroll on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. She is a high school senior on page 38 and cheerleader in two photos on page 159 of the 1961 The Totem yearbook. Thomas Francis “Tom” Carroll Jr. and Lillian Elizabeth “Betty” McKinney Carroll on Find A Grave. TOM CARROLL Obituary on Fort Wayne Newspapers Legacy.com obituary and Thomas F. Carroll Jr JANUARY 1, 1919 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 IN THE CARE OF Hockemeyer & Miller Funeral Home. Betty McKinney Carroll AUGUST 17, 1919 – OCTOBER 11, 2016 IN THE CARE OF Day & Deremiah-Frye Funeral Home.
Before her literary career, E. Jean Carroll was a Hoosier — a cheerleading beauty queen from Fort Wayne who graduated from Indiana University in the 1960s.
Tom Castaldi spent his working life in corporate America, primarily as Vice President for Public Relations and Governmental Liaison of The Essex Group, before he retired in 1998. He then started a second career as a public historian. ... he has written over ninety articles for various publications. Tom is the author of the three-volume Wabash and Erie Canal Notebooks, which are original works of primary research that he produced in conjunction with the Canal Society of Indiana. Copied from Legendary Locals of Fort Wayne, by Randolph L. Harter, Craig S. Leonard discussion August 25, 2015 on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group.
Several Tom Castaldi publications are on our pages particularly on the Wabash & Erie Canal page.
89.1 WBOI Tom Castaldi Host, The Heritage Trail Tom Castaldi, Allen County (Indiana) Historian and retired Essex Group Vice President, hosts "On the Heritage Trail". An audio walk through Fort Wayne's history, On the Heritage Trail, follows historical markers describing the significant sites on an actual walking trail created as a lasting legacy for the Fort Wayne Bicentennial Cerebration of 1994. Tom is an Indiana University School of Business alumnus, and is the author of the Wabash & Erie Canal Notebook series.
Author: Tom CastaldiAllen County Historian Tom Castaldi and retired Essex Vice President, is author of the Wabash & Erie Canal Notebook series; a contributing writer for Fort Wayne Monthly magazine; hosts “On the Heritage Trail,” which is broadcast Mondays on Northeast Indiana Public Radio WBOI, 89.1 FM; and “Historia Nostra” heard on Redeemer Radio 106.3 FM Fort Wayne and 95.7FM South Bend. From Indiana History Blog.
Louis Alphonse Centlivre (September 27, 1857-February 15, 1942). He was born in Dubuque, Iowa, and was the son of C.L. Centlivre, who founded the C.L. Centlivre Brewing Company with his brother, Frank. It was also known as the French Brewery and much later as the Old Crown Brewery. Copied from Historic Beer Birthday: Louis Centlivre by Jay Brooks posted September 27, 2022 on Brookstone Beer Bulletin, it has comments by Tom Centlivre dated September 28, 2017. June 25, 1895 Fort Wayne News article reported he thought he found oil indicating a vein of coal while drilling east of Fort Wayne from newspaper image posted October 24, 2017 on the original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.
Fort Wayne, 1963 - Dale's Drive In Restaurant owned by John Ceruti was a popular hang-out for Fort Wayne teens. In the 1950s and 1960s signs were influenced by a southern California style known as Googie or Populuxe and featured abstract shapes and futuristic space age symbols. (The Indiana Album: Johnson Brothers Sign Company Collection)
Kevan was born in 1986 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, before settling in Fort Wayne. He is the youngest of two siblings, his sister Connie also suffers from the same disease. Kevan, who only weighs 65 pounds, has a degree in counseling with a focus in prison ministry, spends his time raising awareness and breaking down barriers for other speciallyabled people. For more see We Carry KevanFacebook page, wecarrykevan.com and Instagram account.
Still carrying Kevan by Sam Bauman published May 31, 2017 on 21AliveNews.com. Despite being born with spinal muscular atrophy, Kevan Chandler, has now hiked through Europe, made national news, starred in a documentary, created a non-profit, and he isn't done yet.
1869 Feb 22 Born in Hoagland, Allen Co IN to J. M. Chapman
1870 Census Allen Co IN Madison Twp
1880 Census Allen Co IN Madison Twp age 10
1893 Aug 24 Married David Charles McKeeman Allen Co IN 1894 July 18 Marie Goldie born Fort Wayne, Allen Co IN
1894 Aug 28 Left Monroeville Methodist Church 1894 Sep 12 Joined Third Presbyterian Church, Fort Wayne, IN
1895 Sep 22 Gertrude Delight born Fort Wayne, Allen Co IN
1898 Sep 7 Virgil John born Fort Wayne, Allen Co IN
1900 Census Allen Co IN Wayne Twp
1901 July 7 Wilbur Burford born Allen Co IN
1910 Census Allen Co IN Wayne Twp
1914 Mar 12 Virginia Grace born Allen Co IN
1920 Census Allen County, IN Fort Wayne
1952 Jan 30 Died Fort Wayne, Allen Co IN
Descendants of Almina Susan CHAPMAN
Generation No. 1
1. ALMINA SUSAN2 CHAPMAN CHAPMAN1) was born 22 February 1869 in Hoagland, Allen County, Madison Township, Indiana, and died 30 January 1952 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. She married DAVID CHARLES MCKEEMAN 24 August 1893 in Indiana, son of DAVID MCKEEMAN and MARGARET MCCONAHEY.
Children of ALMINA CHAPMAN and DAVID MCKEEMAN are:
i. MARIE GOLDIE3 MCKEEMAN, b. 18 July 1894, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana; d. 06 October 1967, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana; m. (1) GEORGE WASHINGTON MONESMITH, 30 December 1914; m. (2)CHARLES ARNETT, 21 May 1960, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.
ii. GERTRUDE DELIGHT MCKEEMAN, b. 22 September 1895, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana; d. 15 December 1973, Bradenton, Manatee County, Florida; m. JAMES ESTON MOORE, 20 June 1915, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.
iii. VIRGIL JOHN MCKEEMAN, b. 07 September 1898, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana; d. 27 October 1971, Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana; m. VELMA ARNEY. iv. WILBUR BURFORD MCKEEMAN, b. 07 July 1901, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Wayne Township, Indiana; d. 13 December 1991, Jefferson, Missouri; m. CARRIE UNKNOWN. v. VIRGINIA GRACE MCKEEMAN, b. 12 March 1914, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana; d. Saint Louis, Missouri.
1870 FEDERAL CENSUS ALLEN COUNTY, MADISON TWP, INDIANA 209 209 CHAPMAN,
J. M. 36 M W Farmer 3500 280 PA
Unis 24 F W Keeping house Ind
Wm C. 4 M w Ind
Charles 3 M W Ind
Almina S 1 F W Ind
CHAPMAN, John Sr 76 M W Farmer 1500 100 PA Mary A 17 F W Ind
1880 FEDERAL SOUNDEX ALLEN COUNTY, MADISON TWP, INDIANA C155 CHAPMAN, JOHN W. VOL 1 ED 113 SH 26 LN 39 W M 46 PA
ALLEN MADISON TWP
Eunice W 34 Ind
William E S 14 Ind
Charles L S 12 Ind
Almina D 10 Ind
Arminda S 7 Ind Delta E D 4 Ind
John F 85 PA Fouers,
Martha NR 17 Ind
1880 FEDERAL CENSUS ALLEN COUNTY, MADISON TWP, INDIANA 237 237
Chapman, John W W M 46 Farmer PA PA PA
Eunice W F 34 Wife Keeps house IN OH OH
William E W M 14 Son At school IN PA IN
Charles L W M 12 Son At school IN PA IN
Almina S W F 10 Daughter At school IN PA IN Arminda S W F 7 Daughter IN PA IN
Delila E W F 4 Daughter IN PA IN
John W M 85 Father Old age PA __ PA
Fonina M
Artha W F 17 Teacher school IN PA OH
1900 FEDERAL CENSUS ALLEN COUNTY, WAYNE TWP, IN V 3 ED 41 SH 12 LN 33
MCKEEMAN, DAVID Head W M Feb 1871 29 M IN IRE IRE Carpenter 6 Y Y Y
Elmina Wife W F Feb 1869 31 M 6 3 3 IN OH IN Y Y Y
Marie Daughter W F Sept 1895 4 S IN IN IN
Gertrude Daughter W F Sept 1895 4 S IN IN IN Virgil Son W M Sept 1898 1 S IN IN IN
1910 FEDERAL CENSUS (age 39) 1910 Census Allen County, Indiana McKeeman,
David C. Head M W 39 M 16 4 4 IN IRE IRE English Foreman RR shop
Almina S. 41 IN PA IN
Goldie M. 15 IN IN IN
Gertrude D. 14 IN IN IN
John V. 11 IN IN IN
Wilbur P. 8 IN IN IN
Monesmith, George W. 24 Boarder
CHURCH Records of Monroeville Methodist Church, Monroeville, IN Chapman, Almina, single, residence Robinson's Chapel, received from probation, reason: dismissed by letter 28 August 1894
CHURCH Third Presbyterian Church, Fort Wayne, IN Records 12 Sep 1894 Received 30 Jan 1952 Deceased
1920 FEDERAL CENSUS 1920 Federal Census Fort Wayne, Wayne Twp., Allen Co., IN Barr Street
MCKEEMAN, David C. Head 48 IN IRE IRE Fireman Penn. Shop (age 48)
Almina 50 IN PA IN Murrie 25 IN IN IN Housekeeper Gertrude 24 IN IN IN
Virgil J. 21 IN IN IN Clerk Penn RR
Wilbur 18 IN IN IN Clerk Virginia 5 IN IN IN
Velma 20 Daughter-in-law
OBITUARY Fort Wayne Journal Gazette 31 Jun 1952 Mrs. Almina Susan McKeeman Mrs. Almina Susan McKeeman, 82, died at 3 p.m. Wednesday at her home, 2811 South Barr Street, after an 18-month illness. She was a native of Allen County and had lived in Fort Wayne for 58 years. She belonged to the Third Presbyterian Church. Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Marie Monesmith, Mrs. Gertrude Moore, Fort Wayne, and Miss Virginia, at home; two sons, J. Virgil McKeeman, Woodburn, and Wilbur McKeeman, St. Louis; 21 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren. Her husband David C. McKeeman, died in 1945. Friends may call at the Chalfant-Perry Funeral Home after 7 p.m. today.
Born Robert Donald Wallenstein January 22, 1926 in Negaunee, Michigan. Died November 24, 2016 and survived by his wife Muriel, children Michael, Kurt, Karin and David and many grandchildren. When he came to Fort Wayne in June 1953, WOWO Program Manager Guy Harris thought Wallenstein was too long so Bob changed his last name to Chase, his wife Murph’s maiden name. On June 5th, 2009, Bob Chase ended a 56-year career with Newstalk 1190 WOWO with a special tribute broadcast. Hear from Bob's coworkers and friends and from Bob himself. Bob remained the voice of the Fort Wayne Komets.
Bob Chase's Retirement Broadcast June 5, 2009 AndyCLBP on YouTube
On June 5th, 2009, Bob Chase ended a 56-year career with Newstalk 1190 WOWO with a special tribute broadcast. Hear from Bob's coworkers and friends and from Bob himself. Bob will return as the voice of the Fort Wayne Komets, starting his 57th season in the fall.
Thoughts and prayers to the Chase family as Bob Chase passes away at the age of 90. #RIP Bob. http://bit.ly/2gpW75b
May 9, 2013
MAYOR PRESENTS BOB CHASE WITH "KEY TO THE FORT"The Key to the Fort goes to individuals who've made an extraordinary commitment to the community through a lifetime of stewardship and involvement.
The Key is a hand forged replica of the iron key that was at the Fort in the days of Anthony Wayne, circa 1790. The original key is at the History Center. See photos at City of Fort Wayne on Facebook.
Bob Chase laid to rest by Joe Carroll, posted Nov 30, 2016 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15. Bob Chase, who was the voice of the Fort Wayne Komets hockey team for 63 years, was laid to rest Wednesday at Riverview Cemetery in Churubusco after a private funeral ceremony at D.O. McComb Funeral Homes Pine Valley location.
Chase was Murph's maiden name. Kurt Wallenstein was born in 1955 followed by Karin in 1958 and David in 1962. Mike passed away in 2017, but the three other children were at Murph's bedside Tuesday. There are also nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Copied from Late K's announcer's wife, 'Murph,' dies 96-year-old spent 66 years married to Chase by Blake Sebring published April 01, 2020 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
An American R&B group from Fort Wayne, Indiana included both black and white members. One major hit was 1969's "Black Pearl", produced by Phil Spector. The song peaked at #13 on the pop chart. Sonny Charles (born Charles Hemphill, September 4, 1940)[1] is an American soul singer born to a sharecropping family at Blytheville, Arkansas. At the age of 10. he moved with his parents and six sisters to Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was the lead singer of the Checkmates, Ltd. in the 1960s and 1970s, and it is his vocals that are heard out front on their 1969 Phil Spector-produced hit, "Black Pearl". Charles launched a solo career in the early 1970s, and had a brief reunion with the Checkmates during the 1980s. Thereafter, from the mid- to late 1990s, he toured with another member of the Checkmates, Ltd., Marvin "Sweet Louie" Smith, under the Checkmates name. From September 4, 2023 Facebook post.
First and only woman winner of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire television show hosted by Meredith Vieiria May 8, 2003.
Showed Final Answer license plate during second 15-seconds of fame on the August 7, 2024 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire television show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.
A graduate of R. Nelson Snider High School, she was a Carver Middle School teacher "Miss Christy" of Tulsa, Oklahoma, mother of 2, worked 3 jobs to put herself through college. In a 2017 Facebook comment, Nancy credited a lifetime of paying attention to what is happening, reading everything she got her hands on, and taking part in a wide varitey of activities. She received a call on December 3, 2002, flew to New York City on the 8th and the show was taped on the 9th. No advance notice or prep time, just show up and hope they ask something you know! Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (U.S. game show) on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. May 8, 2003 Nancy Christy on Gameshows.Fandom.com.
“It was exciting, it was nerve-wracking, it was life-changing. And I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.”
Nancy Christy describes what it was like becoming America’s first woman to win the top prize on ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ as a contestant in 2003.
Nancy Christy describes what it was like becoming America’s first woman to win the top prize on ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ as a contestant in 2003. More #MillionaireSecrets revealed - tonight on our special starting at 10|9c on ABC. https://t.co/QzkNW0Sp5lpic.twitter.com/bjiJLabfpC
We've been missing her first 9 questions… until now! Here's Nancy Christy's COMPLETE run to the million. I also want to credit Sashinator0 for her last 6 questions, as I do not have that show, and I strongly encourage all of you to check out his channel if you haven't already as there's a lot more WWTBAM content there. He hasn't posted in a long time, but it bugs me when uploaders re-post shows and don't give a shoutout to the original poster, so I wanted to take the opportunity to do that here. Besides, it'd be really nice to have her complete appearance in one video, and I'd ask him, but he hasn't been on YT in years (plus, its not like someone else wouldn't have done it anyway at some point)
Civilian Conservation Corps - CCC
Camp Anthony Wayne Project D-2 Co. 1590 1933-1942
5642 Hugenard Road - Street View photo from Google maps shows location of former CCC Camp Anthony Wayne Project D-2 Co. 1590 1933-1942
Camp Anthony Wayne: Project D-2, Co. # 1590, Date 8/8/1935, Railroad Ft Wayne, Post Office Ft Wayne, Location Camp Anthony Wayne 3.5 mi NW is listed on CCC Camps Indiana at Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy Passing the Legacy to Future GenerationsCCCLegacy.org.
Did you know that at one time, there was a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp built on the George Hiser farm on Huguenard Road? A plaque mounted on a rock pillar marks where the Fort Wayne D-2, Company 1590 camp was located. This camp worked on drainage projects, such as clearing vegetation from streams and dredging ditches. The CCC program was created in 1933, to help those unemployed during the Great Depression. The program ended in 1942. Men working in these camps were given a monthly salary, room and board, medical care and provided a uniform. CCC workers built roads, bridges, public works buildings and helped create national and state parks amenities.
During the Great Depression the need for relief became apparent throughout the United States. One federal program to get people back to work was the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC was a voluntary public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal that provided manual labor jobs related to the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands owned by federal, state, and local governments. Through the course of its nine years in operation, 3 million young men participated in the CCC, which provided them with shelter, clothing, and food, together with a wage of $30 per month, $25 of which had to be sent home to their families. In total, 2,900 camps were established across the nation, with 56 of them being in Indiana. On August 8, 1935, exactly 85 years ago today, Camp Anthony Wayne was established by the CCC in Fort Wayne. The camp officially known as CCC Camp D-2, Co. 1590, was located on Hillegas Road (today 5642 Huguenard Road) between US 30 and Washington Center Road. The camp existed until the elimination of the CCC program in 1942. The original pillars at the entrance of the camp still stand on Huguenard Road. Today the History Center honors the men who participated in CCC program here in Allen County.
April 5, 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6101 which established the Civilian Conservation Corps to provide jobs for young men during the Great Depression while implementing a general natural resource conservation program. See photos at The Library of Congress . It was disbanded in 1942 as the country geared up for World War II. See Civilian Conservation Corps on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. See The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Indiana State Parks published October 12, 2017 by Christopher Marshall for Indiana State Library. They posted for further information, check out these websites about the CCC program in Indiana:
Employment records for the CCC can be found at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. Also, visit the Indiana State Library, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources for more information. Copied from THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS IN INDIANA by Joy Neighbors, (South Central District) THE WPA AND THE CCC IN INDIANA page 10 of Indiana Genealogist Vol. 32 No 02 June 2022 by the Indiana Genenealogical Society.
Civilian Conservation Corps Newsletters at the Indiana State Library Digital Collection. About this collection Indiana State LibraryThe Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a prominent and popular part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, was a voluntary public work relief program, operating from 1933 to 1942 for unemployed, single men, between the ages of 17 to 28. The CCC created manual labor jobs in the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands owned by federal, state, and local governments. The CCC led to a public awareness and appreciation of the outdoors and natural resources, as well as the continued need for a comprehensive national program for the protection and development of the nation’s natural resources. In Indiana, the CCC helped create and develop many of our state parks for community usage. By 1942, the need for work relief declined and Congress voted to end the program. This collection includes materials about the CCC in Indiana as well as newsletters from the following camps around the state:The Mud Turtle (Co. 1590, Fort Wayne, Allen Co.) - 34 issues, and Smile’s Weekly (Co. 1590, Fort Wayne, Allen Co.) - one issue.
CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS (CCC) HISTORY: CCC men worked hard, but there was also time for play. Ball games, wrestling matches, boxing matches, swimming, movies, plays, concerts, dances and parties were a common part of life in camp. The boys went to town as often as they could to court women and buy items. These hard working men were paid $30 a month. $25 of the $30 was sent home to support the family, while the remaining $5 was used for their own discretion. They were able to purchase items pictured below such as cigarettes, razors, gum, tobacco, or matches. From a October 11, 2024 post on Facebook. The New Deal and Indiana State ParksThe Civilian Conservation Corps and History and Culture at Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
1933- 1942 The Roster of Civilian Conservation Corps, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana (1938) is found in the Indiana Genealobical Society members only section. The Indiana Genealogical Society states The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a New Deal employment program that operated from 1933 to 1942. The aim, besides work relief, was to promote tree planting, park construction, flood control, forest fire prevention and similar environmental tasks. The United States and Indiana had numerous CCC companies. announced in their November 16, 2012 blog IGS Adds Civilian Conservation Corps Rosters for Northeastern Indiana To Members-Only.
March 31, 2023 post by Indiana State Parks on Facebook: 90 years ago today, the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) was established when congress passed the Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) Act on March 31, 1933 as part of the New Deal. This program gave work to young men across the country while improving our national and state parks. The CCC left an incredible impact on Indiana State Parks, literally shaping and forming many of the parks you see today. Learn more about the CCC at on.in.gov/INStateParkHistory.
Researchers may overlook the Civilian Conservation Corps Indian Division (CCC-ID) as it was largely overshadowed by the much larger regular CCC, but it was a landmark program during the 1930s. It employed thousands of Native Americans and brought material aid and conservation efforts to their reservations. The records of those Native American enrollees, what they worked on, and how they lived can be found in the holdings of the National Archives.
Born March 14, 1941 in Fort Wayne the son of Anne Elizabeth (née Wheatley) and First Lieutenant James Robert Clapper. His maternal grandfather, James McNeal Wheatley, was an Episcopalian minister. He served as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) from 1992 until 1995, director of National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) from September 2001 until June 2006, and was Director of National Intelligence August 2010 until the end of President Barack Obama's term in January 2017. He was succeeded by former Indiana Senator Dan Coats during the Donald Trump administration. For more see his James Clapperpage on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
It’s #FirefighterFriday! Each Friday in January, we will be featuring photos and historical bios from our firefighter collection (Collection courtesy of Donald A. Weber).
Jarvis M. Clark was born about 1866 to Johnson Clark and Polly Skinner.
He married Jennie Warner on September 9, 1886 in De Kalb County. The couple had three children: James, Edna and Louis.
The family moved to Fort Wayne and Jarvis was employed as a firefighter at the No. 1 engine house. He was known by his nickname, “Pop” and worked there as a driver/tillerman. Later, he also worked at No. 7 as a driver. He is pictured here driving No. 7's LaFrance Steamer.
In 1915, Jarvis made the news in a rather interesting way. It was reported that “Jarvis Clark received a mother and baby Gila monster from a friend in the southwest”. He brought them to the fire station for everyone to take a look. The newspaper noted that “the parent monster was about two feet long”.
The following year, illness spread through the Clark family. It was reported by the Ft. Wayne News that his son “has been very ill for the past five weeks with a complication of scarlet fever and diphtheria. Clark’s grandson who is also in the home is suffering from an attack of scarlet fever and chickenpox. And Mrs. Clark was overcome by the nervous strain of caring for the sick boys.” Clark was unable to hire a nurse to care for his sick family, so he sent a telegram to his married daughter in Chicago and asked her to come at once to render aid to the family.
Jarvis retired in 1937. He passed away on September 24, 1944 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Garrett, Indiana and is buried at Oak Park Cemetery in Noble County.
Explore our Ft. Wayne Firefighter collection here: https://www.genealogycenter.info/fwacdb.php (1915, September 7). Jarvis Clark Has a Gila Monster. Fort Wayne Sentinel, p. 2 (1916, December 19). Sickness Sweeps Home. Fort Wayne Sentinel, p. 10.
Photo caption: Driver Jarvis Clark on Watkins Street, No.7's LaFrance Steamer
Clarke, Beresford L.
Homestead High School senior was named the 2015 U.S. Presidential Scholar for the state of Indiana, an honor bestowed on only one male and female graduating senior each year from each state, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. from Homestead High School student wins rare honor by James Duffy published May 5, 2015 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
1. Francis Marion COATS b. Oct. 3, 1856 in Winchester, Randolph Co. Indiana d. Feb. 13, 1936 in Indiana. Interment Feb. 17, 1936 at Lindenwood Cemetery, Lot 279, Section M., Ft. Wayne, Allen Co. Indiana.
He was a barber in Peru, Indiana.
+Anna L. "Annie" BREWER b. Aug. 30, 1859 in Annville, Lebanon Co., PA d. Oct. 22, 1928 in Indiana. Interment Oct 25, 1928 with Francis. Married Feb 11, 1881 at Winchester, Randolph Co., Indiana.
2. Blanch COATS b. Apr. 29, 1882 in Indiana d. young in Indiana 2. Dempsey Gidion "Gid" COATS b. Nov. 6, 1887 in Carlos, Indiana d. Aug. 23, 1960 in Northampton Co., PA. He never married and has no known descendants. As a U.S. Marine, he served in the Cuban Campaign 1906-1910. From 1910- 1918 he was in the National Guard, including guard duty at the prison at Ft. Leavenworth, KS. He was a farmer for 25 years. He moved to PA to live with his sister, Fern, and died there.
2. Gertrude May COATS b. May 21, 1890 in Peru, Indiana d. Mar. 6, 1973 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Interment Lindenwood Cemetery, Lot 112, Section 3, Ft. Wayne, Indiana. She worked for International Harvester Co., Ft. Wayne.
+ Harry Allen Kemp b. Oct. 27, 1887 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana d. Jan 23, 1944 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Married Oct. 6, 1915 in Indiana. He was a metal worker for C. L. Schust Co. Parents are Martin Kemp and Emma Lipes.
3. Thomas Calvin Kemp b. Sept. 15, 1918 in Indiana 3. Donald Harry Kemp b. Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He attended Purdue University and became a teacher.
+June Marie COVAULT b. Ft. Wayne, Indiana, daughter of Orville COVAULT and Celeste BLAISING. Married in St. Mary's Chapel/Camp Grant, Illinois.
4. Kathryn Sue "Katie" KEMP b. Ft. Wayne, Indiana +Albert George DAY b. Louisville, KY. Married in Ft. Wayne, Indiana 4. Diane Marie KEMP b. Indiana. She is an elementary school teacher in Colorado Springs, CO.
+Robert DEMERS
+Robert POLONSKY
+Kenneth ANDREWS married in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
4. Philip Allen KEMP
+Manjula SHANKAR
4. Gloria Jean KEMP b. Ft. Wayne, Indiana
4. Michael Donald KEMP
+Alicia BAUTISTA
3. William Marion KEMP b. Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He was an inspector at Salibury Axel Works, Ft. Wayne.
+Gratia Celeste WARNER
4. Patrick William KEMP
+Susan FIRESTINE
4. Jeffery Warner KEMP
+ Jane JAY
4. David Drewry KEMP
+Debra WILLIAMSON
2. Lydia Fern COATS b. Aug. 19, 1894 in Indiana, d. July 31, 1966 in Northampton Co. PA.
+Everett LUCAS (div. Feb 28, 1920)
+Franklin Alfred DYER b. Feb 12, 1883 in MA d. May 7, 1966 in Northampton Co. PA. Married Aug 19, 1926 at Elkton, MD.
3. John Alden DYER b. Wilson Boro (Easton), PA
+Beverly Ann HUNT b. Mt. Bethel, PA. Married Bangor, PA.
2. Russell Adrian Thorne (Arnie) COATS b. Oct. 14, 1897 in Peru, Indiana d. May 16, He never married. Interment with Francis and Annie.
Submitted before 1997 by: Joanne A. Fekete, Bethlehem, PA feketej@rcn.com
A graduate of South Side High School, he was in New York from 1943 to 1969. Broadway welcomed him with roles almost immediately. Most notably, Cocks acted for 31/2 years in the original “Life with Father,” still the longest-running play in Broadway history. In 1958, he married his wife, Jean Hansen, who predeceased him in 1994, and the couple had two children, Ann and Christopher, who survive. Cocks returned to Fort Wayne to take over Quimby Village, left to him by his father. In 1977, he began as director of Youtheatre, staying until 2010, when he became artist-in-residence. His contributions to the theater totaled 45 years. Copied from Local theater mainstay Harvey Cocks Jr. dies at 96 Part of Youtheatre for 45 years by Rosa Salter Rodriguez published April 1, 2022 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. His father was a show business promoter who worked for Paramount Studios and owned 49 percent of the Embassy Theatre, originally known as The Emboyd. He also had ownership in the Palace and the Paramount theaters. When he returned from New York, Harvey managed Quimby Village theater, which his father owned and built. It opened in May 1950, and was called the Clyde Theatre. His father was ill at the time he returned, and when his dad passed away he left him Quimby Village. Copied from Former Youtheatre director to lecture on his life in movies and showbiz by Ellie Bogue published May 17, 2014 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. Harvey Cocks 20 Questions by Bonnie Blackburn on Fort Wayne Magazine. Photo on a March 31, 2022 post by the Clyde Theatre on Facebook.
February 25, 2019 on Facebook during Black History month the Fort Wayne Police Department stated: Assistant Chief Coleman was the first black Assistant Chief on the department. He was commissioned on December 26, 1975 and was promoted to Sergeant in August 1980. He was promoted to Deputy Chief in August 1987 where he served as Deputy Chief of Operations. He was promoted to Assistant Chief in October 1997. He was a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He retired from the Fort Wayne Police Department in September 2000 and moved to Cleveland, OH where he was the Executive Director of Safety and Security for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. He later joined the staff of the University of North Carolina as the Assocaite Director of Support Services for the campus police department. Assistant Chief Coleman passed away in March 2016.
Was born in Fort Wayne on August 1, 1845, one of six sons born to David Hoge and Elizabeth Gillespie Walpole Colerick. April 11, 1904, Walpole Colerick married Clemence Carrier (1861-1947). The couple was wed only seven years before Colerick's death on January 11, 1911, at age 65. Clemence Colerick died in 1947 at age 86, both are buried in Lindenwood Cemetery. Father David H. Colerick was a prominent Indiana public official, serving two terms in the state legislature and later was a Fort Wayne judge. Colerick Street in southeast Fort Wayne is named for David H. Colerick according to the book Streets of Fort Wayne. The Colerick's were a family of lawyers with John G Walpole a practitioner in Fort Wayne, Robert L. and Thomas D. Walpole distinguished lawyers at Indianapolis. Older brother the Hon John Colerick was one of the most promising and brilliant of the younger men of the state when he died in March 1872. Thomas W. Colerick a younger brother died as a young man just when he was entering what promised to be a successful and brilliant career as a lawyer. Henry and Philemon B Colerick younger brothers were both practicing and successful lawyers in Fort Wayne. Henry served for many years as city attorney and Philemon as prosecuting attorney of the county. Additional information in Walpole Gillespie Colerick (1845-1911) published March 1, 2012 on The Strangest Names In American Political History A Site Dedicated to American Political Figures with Strange, Odd, Humorous and Unusual Names!
June 11, 1930 – June 12, 2007, parents were Joseph and Mary LaRosa Colone were Italian-American grocers and operated the Family Colone Grocery Store in Fort Wayne. Ann was the youngest female of ten children, which included siblings Dominic, Ferdinand, Ralph, Josephine, Anthony, Frankie, Virginia, Martha, and Franklin. Her family was Roman Catholic, and she attended Central Catholic School, where she graduated in 1947. Copied from Ann Colone on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Starred in The Ann Colone Show "of Fort Wayne, died Tuesday, June 12, 2007 at her home. Born on June 11, 1930 in Fort Wayne, she was the daughter of Joseph and Mary (LaRosa) Colone. She graduated from Central Catholic School in Fort Wayne in 1947 and was a member of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. Growing up, she worked at the Family Colone Grocery Store. She was active in local theater, and on civic and government boards. She also made hundreds of public appearances as a Fort Wayne radio and TV personality working at WGL and WANE TV. She was the first female disc jockey and first woman to have a live Monday thru Friday local TV show with celebrity guests and a studio audience. She is best known for her 18 years as host of the Ann Colone Show. Her list of celebrity interviews read like a "Who's Who" from Hollywood to Nashville, Broadway and the halls of Congress." read the long list of celebrities on her tributes obituary.
Ann Colone archived version on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine with photos from Ann Colone Remembers a PBS Fort Wayne WFWA TV39 Special | 54m 31s Ann Colone was a pioneering female broadcaster in Fort Wayne, Indiana whose career in local media spanned three decades as host of "The Ann Colone Show" and other projects. Aired: 10/23/03 Rating: NR. DVD As a host and interviewer, Ann Colone's personality, wit and adventuresome spirit helped make her a viewer favorite during the 50s, 60s and 70s. As performers, political figures and celebrities of every stripe made their way across America, they inevitably stopped in Fort Wayne, or nearby. And, if they could be, they were interviewed by Ann Colone.... Using interviews with Ann, her colleagues and highlights, gleaned from Ann's personal photographic, film and video archives, you'll be transported back to those anticipated afternoons and the memories they created--memories of celebriteis, events and the wonders of the world brought into thousands of homes each weekday, by Ann Colone. at Allen County Public Library.
Of the many famous guests on the Ann Colone show, the Rolling Stones rank right at the top. Seated left to right at Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, Ann Colone, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts. Brian Jones was not in the photo.
PLATINUM PERSPECTIVE: Who remembers the Ann Colone Show on WANE? Here's a clip where Ann and Bob Hope discussed him performing at the Coliseum. Check out our look back at the iconic local talk show: https://trib.al/ei7gbA7
Bob Hope on Ann Colone Show PLATINUM PERSPECTIVE: Who remembers the Ann Colone Show on WANE? Here's a clip where Ann and Bob Hope discussed him performing at the Coliseum.
She interviewed groups like The Rolling Stones. She questioned famous individuals like Bob Hope, Paul McCartney, Joan Crawford, Lucille Ball, Dick Van Dyke, and so many more.
The man who photographed some of the show’s most memorable moments is Steve Perfect. Fresh off of graduating from IU, Perfect took a job on the studio floor at WANE in 1957. [ includes 3:35 minute interview video ]
He worked alongside Colone for years.
“It was a pleasure to work with her,” he said. “I thought it’s kind of nice to be a part and be able to do something like that.”
DooWhop musical group formed in 1957 by Sonny Charles, Robert Stevens, Marwin "Sweet Louie" Smith, Harvey Trees and Bill Van Buskirk with ocassional members Calvin Thomas and Jimmy Milton. See photos and on CHECK-MATES (Regency Records) on WhiteDooWhopCollector blog. Discussed May 30, 2016 onthe original Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana page on Facebook.
Cook, Shorty
Owner of the Music Manor on Fairfield Avenue. Shorty (Cookie) had a popular country group called "The Down Homers" dating back to the 40s and 50s. One of the "Down Homers" was a guy by the name of Bill Haley who later started the Comets an instant hit with the teens of that time, recording such songs as "Rock Around The Clock", "See You Later Alligator", "Shake, Rattle & Roll". See April 3, 2017 discussion with photos on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
Born December 24, 1939 in Fort Wayne, son of Arnold Edwin Corll and Mary Robinson, was killed August 8, 1973 in Texas. He was an American serial killer who, along with teenaged accomplices David Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr., from 1970 to 1973 committed the Houston Mass Murders. See Dean Corll on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopediaand his long crimeline on Dean Corll Biography on TheFamousPeople.com.
Summary: Clarence “Cap” Cornish was an Indiana pilot whose life spanned all but five years of the Century of Flight. Born in Canada in 1898, Cornish grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He began flying at the age of nineteen, piloting a “Jenny” aircraft during World War I, and continued to fly for the next seventy-eight years. In 1995, at the age of ninety-seven, he was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest actively flying pilot. The mid-1920s to the mid-1950s were Cornish’s most active years in aviation. During that period, sod runways gave way to asphalt and concrete; navigation evolved from the iron rail compass to radar; runways that once had been outlined at night with cans of oil topped off with flaming gasoline now shimmered with multicolored electric lights; instead of being crammed next to mailbags in open-air cockpits, passengers sat comfortably in streamlined, pressurized cabins. In the early phase of that era, Cornish performed aerobatics and won air races. He went on to run a full-service flying business, served as chief pilot for the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, managed the city’s municipal airport, helped monitor and maintain safe skies above the continental United States during World War II, and directed Indiana’s first Aeronautics Commission.
Cowan, Robert
North Side Class of 1941, drafted into the NFL in 1945. Several Fort Wayne athletes were champions in the All-American Football Conference (1946-1949) with the Cleveland Browns discussed April 26, 2018 with his biography posted by The History Centeron Facebook.
Cox, Lonnie and Barb
Founders of Fort Wayne's @shepherdvetsawarded a Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Mike Pence in June 2016 from June 23, 2016 Tweet.
Painting The Merchant, 1836, at the Colonial Williamsburg Rockefeller Folk Art Museum Label Text states: appears in other records as Resin B. Craft, Reasoner Crafft, and R. B. Crofft. Born in Ohio, he was first noted as a portraitist in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This 1836 likeness of an unidentified merchant, one of his earliest canvases, may well show a Fort Wayne citizen. Crafft also worked in Kentucky, Iowa, and Ohio, and portraits of a Mississippi couple suggest he worked there as well. Photo and discussion June 26, 2023 on Facebook stated: The artist was Reason B. Crafft, who painted portraits of Chiefs Richardville and Lafontaine and other leaders in this period.
Dr. John Crawford, died unexpectedly at age 73. He was born in New Orleans February 5, 1949 and moved to Fort Wayne in 1976. He joined Fort Wayne Radiology and worked with cancer patients until 1983. He served as medical director of radiation oncology services at Parkview Regional Oncology Center. Crawford married his wife Marcia in 1994 and had one son, Grant. Crawford served on the board of the Allen County Cancer Society and the Fort Wayne Healthy Cities Committee. The republican was first elected to an At-large seat in 1995. His fight to enact a local smoking ban contributed to his defeat for reelection in 2007. He regained a council seat in 2011 and held it until 2020 during his unsuccessful run for mayor in 2019. His five terms on the City Council helped make Parkview Field, Promenade Park, Electric Works happen. John Crawford put city's interests before politics by the Editorial Board published July 19, 2022 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. A look back at former City Councilman Dr. John Crawford’s political career by Mia Splendore, Alyssa Ivanson, posted: July 17, 2022 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15.
Statement from the Allen County Board of Commissioners on the passing of Dr. John Crawford: "We were saddened to learn...
Statement from the Allen County Board of Commissioners on the passing of Dr. John Crawford:
"We were saddened to learn of the passing of our friend Dr. John Crawford. Our heartfelt condolences and prayers for comfort go out to Marcia and the family during this difficult time. John was a true public servant and someone we had come to lean on for guidance as we made decisions impacting all of Fort Wayne and Allen County. John’s dedication and contributions to the community were second to none. His reasonable and practical approach to problem-solving will be sorely missed."
I’m deeply saddened by the sudden death of my friend Dr. John Crawford. He worked tirelessly for our city in his...
I’m deeply saddened by the sudden death of my friend Dr. John Crawford.
He worked tirelessly for our city in his position as City Councilman At-Large and stayed very involved even after he left office. I had the honor of working with him on several pieces of legislation. Cindy and I send our heartfelt condolences to his family on their loss.
Questa is excited to announce the establishment of the John N. Crawford Scholar Fund, created by Marcia Crawford and their son, Grant Crawford, to honor the incredible vision and dedication of the late Dr. John N. Crawford.
Dr. Crawford was a trailblazer in Northeast Indiana, recognizing the importance of retaining local college graduates to strengthen our community. His legacy lives on through this new endowed fund, providing financial aid to high-achieving students, helping them pursue their college dreams, and contributing to the region's growth.
Clarence Edward Cremer Jr.'s family never knew the full story about his death during World War II. Cremer, a Fort Wayne native, was a private in the U.S. Army when he was aboard the HMT Rohna the afternoon of Nov. 26, 1943 – the day after Thanksgiving. The British transport ship was part of a convoy of about 24 ships headed for the Suez Canal en route to India and China when it was sunk by the world's first guided missile dropped from a German plane. f the 2,388 passengers aboard, 1,149 were killed in the attack about 15 miles off the coast of Algeria. Cremer was among the 1,015 U.S. soldiers who perished. Although it's one of the worst losses of life at sea during the war, little was known about the sinking for decades. An Ultravision Films documentary about the tragedy has been in the works for about a year. Michael Walsh, co-producer and story consultant, said this week he expects the film, “Rohna: Classified,” to be finished in about 18 months. Rohnaclassified.com, a website about the documentary, says the U.S. War Department classified information about the attack, ordering the more than 900 survivors not to talk or write home about it under threats of court-martial. Most of the bodies of those who died were never recovered, and family members went to their graves never knowing what really happened to their loved ones who were on the Rohna. ... Cremer's body was never recovered, but his name is memorialized on a headstone at Lindenwood Cemetery and on a bronze plaque in Memorial Coliseum's Memorial Hall that has the names of other Allen County residents who died in World Wars I and II. Copied from City soldier's fate detailed Nazi attack sank ship in 1943; 1st use of guided missile.by Jim Chapman published July 4, 2020 in The Journal Gazette newspaper. Story was posted July 4, 2020 by ACGSI on Facebook.
May 12, 2019 a photo labeled March 23, 1889 four-generation photo by by Shoaff of Fort Wayne is ID'd as Donald Guild Crighton (1889-1950). He was the son of David Kennedy Crighton and Caroline Frances Guild (1868-1946, seen holding her son). Also posing are Caroline's stepmother Helen Frances Grinnell (b. 1840) and Melinda W. Emerson (b. 1816), Caroline's grandmother. was posted by Indiana Album on Facebook.
Grace Crosby was born in 1873 in Fort Wayne to George and Naomi Crosby. She may have studied mechanical drawing or similar coursework in high school, but she gained her professional knowledge through apprenticeships with Fort Wayne architects including Alfred Grindle. In 1909, she partnered with Joel Abbott Roberts Ninde at Wildwood Builders, where Joel was the designer and Grace was the architect. After Joel’s death in 1916, Grace continued working for Wildwood for another year or so. Then she worked for herself, Steel-Myers Department Store, and Bowser Pump designing gas pumps and filling stations. By 1920, she was working for Griffith & Goodrich, where she worked with Leroy Bradley. He eventually left to form his own firm, Bradley & Babcock, where Grace worked until she retired in 1930. Grace died in 1962. Copied from a May 7, 2022 Facbook post by Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA). She was among the earliest women to work as an architect in Indiana, beginning her career at a time when few women nationally had entered the field. Grace Crosby was born in 1874, a native of Fort Wayne and a graduate of Fort Wayne High School. Read more about Grace E. Crosby by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
Curdes, Louis Edward
Born on November 2nd, 1919 in Fort Wayne, Indiana to Esther Kover and Walter Louis Curdes, and died 5 February 1995. His grandfather was Louis Franz Curdes. He is buried in Lindenwood Cemetery. On February 10, 1945 he deliberately shot down an American C-47 transport plane that was about to mistakenly land on the Japanese held island of Batan. His future wife Valeria was a nurse onboard that he had recently taken out to dinner. She escaped harm and was later rescued in the ocean with the other passengers. After World War II ended, he joined the local Air National Guard unit at Baer Field and remained with them until 1948. In Allen County, Indiana on April 2 1946 he married Svetlana Valeria Shostakovich Brownell. She was the daughter of Valerian Shostakovich of Russia and Lukoff R Maltzeff of China. Copied from his Find A Grave page. He was a fighter pilot and flying ace of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross twice and a Purple Heart. He flew a North American P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft with the nickname "Bad Angel". Curdes was one of the only three American pilots to shoot down aircraft of the German, Italian and Japanese air forces, belonging to the three main countries that comprised the Axis Powers. He also has the unusual distinction of having downed a United States aircraft. In total, he shot down seven German Messerschmitt Bf 109s, an Italian Macchi C.202 fighter, a Japanese Mitsubishi Ki-46 reconnaissance aircraft and an American Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Copied from Louis Edward Curdes on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. His aircraft, a P-51, (the 'Bad Angel') is now in the Pima Air Museum in Tucson, AZ. See The Story of “Bad Angel”: Pima Air and Space Museum at the Southern Arizonia Guide. See The American WWII Ace Who Shot Down 7 German, 1 Italian, 1 Japanese, And 1 American Plane by Shahan Russell published December 10, 2017. Discussed January 16, 2018 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook. This WWII ace scored kills from every Axis country – and the US by Blake Stilwell published May 03, 2018 on WeAreTheMighty.com. Louis Curdes was One of the Only Pilots to Shoot Down German, Japanese and Italian Planes During WWII by Jesse Beckett, published Nov 4, 2021 on warhistory.com was posted and discussed April 30, 2022 and March 25, 2024 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. Louis Curdes Facebook page.
Curdes, Louis Franz
Born 22 May 1863 in Germany, died 27 June 1934 Fort Wayne, Indiana, burial in Lindenwood Cemetery. He was one of Fort Wayne Indiana's early realtors and builder of Forest Park addition. He entered in the real estate business in 1893. His first venture was in the sale of the former Williams Park, which now includes the tract bounded by Webster, Woodland, Hoagland, and Creighton. The Forest Park addition was opened in 1905, to promote lot sales. Mr. Curdes built Forest Park Boulevard with its wide center parkway. His efforts were successful. In a short time nearly every lot in the district was sold. Other developments by Mr. Curdes included Driving Park Edition and Klug Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Copied from his Find A Grave page.
Born April 4, 1868 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana, died November 22, 1939, 71, in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. Was mayor of Fort Wayne from 1918 to 1922. Following his services as mayor he joined Frank Shalfant in the undertaking business. The firm of Chalfant & Cutshall was operated from 1923 until 1934. The deceased was also invested in the Chalfant Can company. See more history on his William Sherman Cutshall on Find A Grave.
Honoring a Legacy of Education & Community 
