This is Not a comprehensive research list of Allen County schools. Some information is collected from photos posted and discussions appearing on social media which can disappear without warning. Eventually web sites, addresses and phone numbers will be added as time permits.
Fun fact: In Indiana, school attendance wasn't mandatory for children ages 8-14 until 1897 – one year after Earl Geisler was born. 🏫
Geisler, the son of German immigrants, went to a German school and used this slate for classes each Saturday. He wasn't a fan of school. pic.twitter.com/aBSm0CXXew
— Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites (@IndianaMuseum) April 26, 2024
On December 15, 1871, the first edition of Edward Eggleston’s The Hoosier School-Master was published. The classic novel began as a serial publication on September 30th of that year in the periodical Hearth and Home, a New York City weekly edited by Eggleston. Early-20th-century critics lauded The Hoosier School-Master for its depiction of rural American life written with a Hoosier sentimentality.
The image below, showing an illustration from The Hoosier School-Master.
You may remember an “On this Day” from last month about the Egglestons. Edward Eggleston was born on December 10, 1827. A Vevay native, he was inspired to start writing by a high school teacher. Before he moved to New York, Edward worked as a minister and journalist around the Midwest. His first and one of his most well-known books was about his experiences in a one-room school in Indiana titled, “The Hoosier School-Master."
New Free Database - Indiana Schools & Colleges posted by: ACPL Genealogy Center Friday, May 25, 2018 discusses changes to their online databases. Some links are listed below and on our other school pages.
FamilySearch.org has many Fort Wayne area school yearbooks on their site but requires creating a Free user account. Many yearbooks were found on Facebook posts and linked on our Middle and High School pages. They disappeared in May 2018 and links will be removed eventually if those pages don't reappear.
The Indiana State Library has recently partnered with Reveal Digital on its project, “American Prison Newspapers, 1800s-present: Voices from the Inside,” to digitize Indiana newspapers from correctional facilities. One title that researchers can use is the Indiana Boys’ School Herald, from 1928-1970. The Boys’ School opened in Indianapolis in 1867 and its newspaper, the Herald, was published internally and provided staff and residents with updates on the facility.
This week, we’re shining a spotlight on Fort Wayne—a fantastic place to live! From top colleges like Purdue Fort Wayne and Indiana Tech to amazing amenities like parks, arts, and family-friendly events, Fort Wayne has it all.
Whether you’re building a home or looking to relocate, this episode shows why Fort Wayne is the perfect place to settle down.
Indiana Tech has completed its purchase of Building 36 on the Electric Works campus in Fort Wayne, a key step in establishing a home for Junction 36, the university’s new advanced manufacturing innovation center initiative. Indiana Tech first announced the Junction 36 initiative in August 2024 when it received a 5-year, $21 million grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. in support of the project. Funds from the Lilly Endowment grant helped underwrite the $1.5 million purchase cost of the building.
Building 36 is located on the west end of the Electric Works campus, at the corner of College and Wall Streets. Indiana Tech anticipates a timeframe of 18-24 months for turning the building into the home of Junction 36 and its associated services and facilities.
Junction 36 is comprised of three central components:
-Transformation of Building 36 on the Electric Works campus into a center for HardTech and advanced manufacturing innovation that will help grow local companies by connecting them to university-led research, development, and training.
-The Talent Connection, a program that will provide unique learning experiences that connect talent to the community in ways that create strong bonds and lead to enhanced talent attraction and retention. The program includes significantly expanded student service learning for Indiana Tech and other regional students, a new Fellows program focused on keeping top talent in the region and assigning Indiana Tech students as project partners and mentors for Amp Lab high school students.
-Public Workshop, a program to help diverse learners and entrepreneurs access support and overcome systemic barriers to advancing their education. Public Workshop will work to bring the benefits of the Indiana Tech initiative to wider regional audiences, helping more area residents and entrepreneurs reach their full potential by connecting them to a diverse set of resources.
Junction 36 Executive Director Nate Cheviron commented, “The purchase of Building 36 at Electric Works is an exciting step in our development of the Junction 36 initiative. With a wide range of partners, we’ve already begun laying the groundwork for a project that will enable us to drive innovation, collaboration, and economic growth in our region. Both at Electric Works and at our main campus, we’ll be helping industry and education converge to create lasting impact.”
“As Northeast Indiana’s innovation district, Electric Works is the right place to realize Indiana Tech’s vision of Junction 36. We are pleased to partner with President Einolf and the Indiana Tech team to leverage our investment and secure the support of the Lilly Endowment to impact innovation, education, and workforce development in the region,” said Jeff Kingsbury, chief customer officer for Ancora, the lead developer of Electric Works.
