Seasonal stories & historical reading
History of Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Journey back in time to Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Explore the history, people, photographs, newspapers, postcards, and genealogy connected to Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA.
ABOUT THE PLACE
About Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana, USA
The first professional baseball game was played in Fort Wayne on May 4, 1871.
Ft. Wayne, Indiana's 2nd Largest city, had its beginnings in 1794, after the Battle of Fallen Timbers, when General "Mad Anthony" Wayne built Ft. Wayne on the site of a Miami Indian village.
The first professional baseball game was played in Fort Wayne on May 4, 1871.
Ft. Wayne, Indiana's 2nd Largest city, had its beginnings in 1794, after the Battle of Fallen Timbers, when General "Mad Anthony" Wayne built Ft. Wayne on the site of a Miami Indian village.
Source50states.com
Have family roots in Fort Wayne?Add your family to this place
MAP
Use the map to explore this place and its surroundings.
VINTAGE FORT WAYNE
Fort Wayne Nostalgia: Vintage Photos, Ads, and Postcards
Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Postcard
City Hall
Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Advertisement
The Fort Wayne Improved Western Washer
Horton Manufacturing Co.
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Horton Manufacturing Co.
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Postcard
Hotel Keenan
Fort Wayne's largest and finest fireproof hotel All outside rooms with bath and circulating ice water. Air-conditioned. Dining Room, Egyptian Coffee Shop and beautiful new Cocktail Lounge. Finest of foods at moderate prices Official AAA Hotel Garage in connection
Demolished 18 October 1974
Fort Wayne's largest and finest fireproof hotel All outside rooms with bath and circulating ice water. Air-conditioned. Dining Room, Egyptian Coffee Shop and beautiful new Cocktail Lounge. Finest of foods at moderate prices Official AAA Hotel Garage in connection
Demolished 18 October 1974
Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Postcard
Aerial View of Downtown Fort Wayne
Genealogy gifts & optional resources
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
Genealogy Gifts & Resources Related to FORT WAYNE
Hoosier Hilarity: Indiana Basketball and Cornfield Mug
Step into the heart of the Hoosier state with our Indiana-inspired ceramic mug, proudly proclaiming, 'I'm from Indiana! That explains a lot about my love for basketball rivalries that divide families and cornfield mazes that reunite them.' Perfect for anyone with Indiana roots or a love for the state's quirky culture, this mug is a tribute to the joys and jests of life in the Midwest.
INDIANA - Hoosier Hilarity: Basketball and Cornfield Mug
Step into the heart of the Hoosier state with our Indiana-inspired ceramic mug, proudly proclaiming, "I'm from Indiana! That explains a lot about my love for basketball rivalries that divide families and cornfield mazes that reunite them." Perfect for anyone with Indiana roots or a love for the state's quirky culture, this mug is a tribute to the joys and jests of life in the Midwest.
LOCAL HISTORY
Discover Fort Wayne: History, News, Travel, and Stories
Explore the events, newspaper stories, people, and moments that shaped Fort Wayne through the years.
1794 - Ft. Wayne, Indiana's 2nd Largest city, had its beginnings in 1794, after the Battle of Fallen Timbers, when General "Mad Anthony" Wayne built Ft. Wayne on the site of a Miami Indian village.
1845 - Johnnie Appleseed is buried at Fort Wayne, Indiana.
1854 - Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, a flourishing town, capital of Allen county, Indiana, is situated at the confluence of the St. Joseph's and St. Mary's rivers, which form the Maumee, and on the Wabash and Eric canal, 122 miles E. N. E. from Lafayette, and 112 miles N. E. from Indianapolis. Fort Wayne is a town of rapid growth, and is one of the most important places in the state. It is the western terminus of the Ohio and Indiana railroad, which connects with the Ohio and Pennsylvania railroad at Crestline, and is to be extended westward to Chicago. When this road is finished, Fort Wayne will be connected with Philadelphia by a continuous line of railways more than 600 miles in length. Another railroad is in course of construction to Muncie. Several plank-roads lead from this place to different parts of the state and of Ohio. It has 8 churches, a bank, a Methodist female college, and 2 newspaper offices. The surrounding region is highly productive, and a large portion of the land is under cultivation. On...
Read more
1871 - 32 Churches
Fort Wayne, Ind., has thirty-two churches.
June 2, 1883: In Fort Wayne, Indiana, the first baseball game was played under electric lights at night
1895 - Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, a city of Indiana, capital of Allen co., is on the Maumee River, at the confluence of its branches the St. Joseph and St. Mary's Rivers, and on the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad where it crosses the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago and Wabash Railroads, 148 miles E.S.E. of Chicago, 142 miles S.S.E. of Grand Rapids, 92 miles N. of Richmond, and 94 miles W.S.W. of Toledo, O. It is the S. terminus of the Fort Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw Railroad, and the N. terminus of the Fort Wayne, Muncie & Cincinnati Railroad. Its trade is also facilitated by the Wabash & Erie Canal. It contains a court-house, 27 £, 2 or 3 national banks, a high school, the Concordia College (Lutheran), which was founded in 1850, and the Fort Wayne College (Methodist Episcopal), which was organized in 1846. It is the seat of a Catholic bishop, and has a Catholic hospital, a convent, and 2 academies. Four daily and 5 weekly newspapers are published here; 2 of the weekly papers are in German. This city has...
Read more
1895 - HORSE SCARED BY THE ELEPHANTS. RUNAWAY IN FORT WAYNE WHICH CAUSED INJURIES TO MANY PERSONS INCIDENT TO A CIRCUS PARADE.
Fort Wayne, May 22. - A serious runaway accident occurred here this morning during the Ringling Brothers' circus parade. About twenty persons, mostly women and children, were injured and two will die.
Those most seriously hurt are:
JESSE DEVAUX, back sprained and possibly broken.
MRS. ALFRED DEVAUX, bruised, stunned, and injured internally.
MRS. JOHN KRAMER, leg injured.
MISS KATE LAMAY, injured about head and back.
MRS. ELIZA LAMAY, skull fractured in two places; will die.
MRS. SARAH LAMAY'S two babies, HARRY and FLOYD, cut and bruised.
MRS. BENJAMIN MEISER, rupture of ligament of leg.
MRS. AUGUST SCHOENHERR, feet and legs cut.
HARRY WEHNERT, three years old; skull fractured; will die.
MRS. FREDERICK WEHNERT, scalp wound and cuts on face and body.
The runaway horse, hitched to a carriage, stood quietly until over half the procession had passed. When the herd of elephants arrived, the animal jumped high in the air, breaking the birdie, and then made a wild plunge upon ...
Read more
Those most seriously hurt are:
JESSE DEVAUX, back sprained and possibly broken.
MRS. ALFRED DEVAUX, bruised, stunned, and injured internally.
MRS. JOHN KRAMER, leg injured.
MISS KATE LAMAY, injured about head and back.
MRS. ELIZA LAMAY, skull fractured in two places; will die.
MRS. SARAH LAMAY'S two babies, HARRY and FLOYD, cut and bruised.
MRS. BENJAMIN MEISER, rupture of ligament of leg.
MRS. AUGUST SCHOENHERR, feet and legs cut.
HARRY WEHNERT, three years old; skull fractured; will die.
MRS. FREDERICK WEHNERT, scalp wound and cuts on face and body.
The runaway horse, hitched to a carriage, stood quietly until over half the procession had passed. When the herd of elephants arrived, the animal jumped high in the air, breaking the birdie, and then made a wild plunge upon ...
1897 - A BAD FIRE. PROPERTY VALUED AT $150,000 IS DESTROYED AT FORT WAYNE.
Fort Wayne, Ind., March 1. - At seven o'clock Sunday morning a passer-by saw smoke issuing from MORGAN & Co.'s retail and wholesale hardware store on Columbia street. An alarm was sounded and for ten hours six engines and the entire fire department fought the biggest fire that has occurred here for several years. The large building and big stock of MORGAN & Co. are a complete loss and four other merchants property is wholly or partially destroyed.
The losses are:
O. P. MORGAN and MRS. FRED BEACH, building, $15,000; loss on stock, $75,000, with $47,000 insurance.
J. C. MEYER, building, and JULIUS NATHAN & Co., wholesale liquor dealers, $12,000.
MRS. MARY WILLIAMS, building, and NATHAN KIRSCHHEIMER & Co., wholesale dealers in paper, $20,000.
MISS MARGARET HAMILTON, building, and ROMARY, GOEGLEIN & Co., dealers in hardware, $14,000.
JUDGE JOHN MORRIS, building, and A. H. STAUB, stoves and hardware, $5,000.
The total loss is estimated at $150,000, insurance $90,000.
Four...
Read more
The losses are:
O. P. MORGAN and MRS. FRED BEACH, building, $15,000; loss on stock, $75,000, with $47,000 insurance.
J. C. MEYER, building, and JULIUS NATHAN & Co., wholesale liquor dealers, $12,000.
MRS. MARY WILLIAMS, building, and NATHAN KIRSCHHEIMER & Co., wholesale dealers in paper, $20,000.
MISS MARGARET HAMILTON, building, and ROMARY, GOEGLEIN & Co., dealers in hardware, $14,000.
JUDGE JOHN MORRIS, building, and A. H. STAUB, stoves and hardware, $5,000.
The total loss is estimated at $150,000, insurance $90,000.
Four...
Show more local history, news & stories
1907 - LOST THREE FINGERS
While his machine, a massive steam shear, was momentarily idle, Nogene Mire fell asleep and was awakened by the knives clipping off three of the fingers on his left hand. The accident happened at the Rolling mills last night and Dr. VanBuskirk was called to attend the sufferer.
1910 - October 23 - Blanche Stuart Scott becomes the first woman to fly solo in an airplane at a public event when she flies at an air meet in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1912 Scott becomes the first female test pilot.
1911 - FOUR DIE IN WRECK - EIGHTEEN HOUR FLYER LEAPS OFF RAILS NEAR FORT WAYNE.
30 PERSONS ARE INJURED.
SEVERAL VICTIMS OF CRASH ARE NOT EXPECTED TO SURVIVE.
SPEEDING AT 50 MILES AN HOUR, CHICAGO TO NEW YORK EXPRESS LEAVES TRACK AT SWITCH AND CRASHES INTO FREIGHT TRAIN.
THREE ENGINES PILED UP IN MASS OF TANGLED IRON - MEN, IN PANIC, THRUST WOMAN ASIDE TO ESCAPE.
Fort Wayne, Ind., Aug. 13. - Four persons were killed and 30 injured when the Pennsylvania 18-hour train, en route from Chicago to New York, jumped the track on the western outskirts of the city at 6:30 o'clock this evening while going at the rate of 50 miles an hour.
In leaving the rails the two engines pulling the passenger train sideswiped a freight engine and the three piled up in a mass of bent and twisted iron.
The baggage car, smoker, buffet, and two sleepers turned over in the ditch. Most of the injured were seated in the diner and smoker when the accident occurred.
The wreckage has not been cleared and the list of dead may be more than the number reported. The thirty or more...
Read more
SEVERAL VICTIMS OF CRASH ARE NOT EXPECTED TO SURVIVE.
SPEEDING AT 50 MILES AN HOUR, CHICAGO TO NEW YORK EXPRESS LEAVES TRACK AT SWITCH AND CRASHES INTO FREIGHT TRAIN.
THREE ENGINES PILED UP IN MASS OF TANGLED IRON - MEN, IN PANIC, THRUST WOMAN ASIDE TO ESCAPE.
Fort Wayne, Ind., Aug. 13. - Four persons were killed and 30 injured when the Pennsylvania 18-hour train, en route from Chicago to New York, jumped the track on the western outskirts of the city at 6:30 o'clock this evening while going at the rate of 50 miles an hour.
In leaving the rails the two engines pulling the passenger train sideswiped a freight engine and the three piled up in a mass of bent and twisted iron.
The baggage car, smoker, buffet, and two sleepers turned over in the ditch. Most of the injured were seated in the diner and smoker when the accident occurred.
The wreckage has not been cleared and the list of dead may be more than the number reported. The thirty or more...
1915 - ONE MAN IS KILLED. When Upper Section of Construction Tower Collapses This Morning
One man was injured so badly that the died within an hour at the St. Joseph's hospital and another was painfully hurt at 10 o'clock this morning when the upper thirty feet of the 156-foot construction tower, being used in the erection of the new storage warehouse at the Fort Wayne Electric works' plant, in Broadway, suddenly collapsed.
The Victims.
Frank Farrell, 1805 Wall street, aged 25 years. Died at St. Joseph's hospital at 11:10 o'clock.
Charles. M. Helwig, of Hammond, painfully, but not seriously hurt; his injuries consisting of bruises.
The cause of the accident has not been yet ascertained. The tower was built in the shape of an elevator shaft and was used to haul concrete to the upper floors of the building. It was built of six by six-inch wood and was tightly bolted together. Guy wires were also used to steady the tower.
Fell 115 Feet.
Farrell was stationed on a platform 115 feet above the ground. His job was to take pails of concrete as they came up the shaft...
Read more
The Victims.
Frank Farrell, 1805 Wall street, aged 25 years. Died at St. Joseph's hospital at 11:10 o'clock.
Charles. M. Helwig, of Hammond, painfully, but not seriously hurt; his injuries consisting of bruises.
The cause of the accident has not been yet ascertained. The tower was built in the shape of an elevator shaft and was used to haul concrete to the upper floors of the building. It was built of six by six-inch wood and was tightly bolted together. Guy wires were also used to steady the tower.
Fell 115 Feet.
Farrell was stationed on a platform 115 feet above the ground. His job was to take pails of concrete as they came up the shaft...
1916
Fort Wayne, a city of Indiana, one of the oldest cities in the state and the capital of Allen co., is situated at the confluence of the St. Joseph's and St. Mary's rivers (which here unite to form the Maumee River), 148 miles E. by S. of Chicago, on the New York, Chicago and St. Louis, the Pennsylvania and other railroads. It has a government-building, court-house, and numerous public and educational institutions, among the latter being a school of medicine, the Concordia College (Lutheran), the Sacred Heart Academy, Fort Wayne Art School, Fort Wayne Conservatory of Music, St. Augustine's Academy, and the Westminster Seminary for young ladies. Chief among the industrial establishments of the city are great railroad-shops, manufactories of car-wheels, boilers, wagons, oil-tanks, electrical machinery, hosiery, clothing, furniture, etc. The city has a system of public parks, and within it- environs are several beautiful cemeteries. It has the St. Joseph's and Hope hospitals. Pop. in...
Read more
1917 - DIES OF BURNS. Mrs. Loraine Succumbs to Terrible Injuries Sustained Thursday.
Mrs. John Loraine, 462 Elizabeth street, is dead following four days of terrible suffering, as a result of burns, sustained Thursday morning when in attempting to revive a fire she mistook a can of gasoline for kerosene, poured it on the smouldering embers in a cook stove, causing an explosion, which inflicted deep burns over her entire body, which resulted in here death at St. Joseph's hospital shortly before 4 o'clock Sunday morning.
The decedent was rushed to the hospital following the accident and it was at once seen that there was no hope for her. She, however, lingered, until death relieved her sufferings early yesterday morning. Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday morning at 8:30 o'clock at the family home, and at 9 o'clock at St. Peter's Catholic church, followed by interment at Parker cemetery.
The decedent was rushed to the hospital following the accident and it was at once seen that there was no hope for her. She, however, lingered, until death relieved her sufferings early yesterday morning. Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday morning at 8:30 o'clock at the family home, and at 9 o'clock at St. Peter's Catholic church, followed by interment at Parker cemetery.
1925 - March 31 – Radio station WOWO in Ft. Wayne, Indiana begins broadcasting.
1954 - September 26 - WANE TV channel 15 in Fort Wayne, IN (CBS) begins broadcasting
Fort Wayne has something for everyone. Here's a list to get you started:
Fort Wayne Children's Zoo: One of the top-ranked zoos in the country, the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo is a must-visit. It's not just for kids; adults will enjoy it too.
Fort Wayne Museum of Art: Explore a wide range of art, from traditional to contemporary, at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. It features both permanent collections and rotating exhibits.
Fort Wayne Museum of History: Dive into the history of Fort Wayne and the surrounding region. The museum has fascinating exhibits that cover everything from Native American history to the city's industrial past.
Headwaters Park: This is a beautiful park in downtown Fort Wayne. Depending on the time of year, you might find festivals, concerts, or ice skating in the winter.
Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory: If you're a plant lover, this is the place to be. The conservatory features a wide variety of plants and seasonal displays.
The Old Fort: Step back in time at the reconstructed Old Fort. It's a great place to learn ...
Read more
Fort Wayne Museum of Art: Explore a wide range of art, from traditional to contemporary, at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. It features both permanent collections and rotating exhibits.
Fort Wayne Museum of History: Dive into the history of Fort Wayne and the surrounding region. The museum has fascinating exhibits that cover everything from Native American history to the city's industrial past.
Headwaters Park: This is a beautiful park in downtown Fort Wayne. Depending on the time of year, you might find festivals, concerts, or ice skating in the winter.
Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory: If you're a plant lover, this is the place to be. The conservatory features a wide variety of plants and seasonal displays.
The Old Fort: Step back in time at the reconstructed Old Fort. It's a great place to learn ...
GENEALOGY IN FORT WAYNE
Discover YOUR Roots: Fort Wayne Ancestry
Explore ancestors connected to Fort Wayne through births, deaths, marriages, cemeteries, and local genealogy resources.
BIRTHS & DEATHS
Ancestors Who Were Born or Died in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
We currently have information about 16 ancestors who were born or died in Fort Wayne.
View ancestors by year of birthCONTINUE YOUR RESEARCH
Search Fort Wayne Genealogy
Search by place or by ancestor name to keep exploring families connected to Fort Wayne.
SEARCH BY PLACE
Find Family by Place
Not the place you were looking for? Start another place search and choose a location from the suggestions.
SEARCH BY ANCESTOR
Find Family by Name
You can enter part of a name if you are unsure of the full name or exact spelling.
Updated: 10/15/2023 3:19:43 PM
COMMUNITY
Discussion & Local Contributions
Share corrections, memories, local history, or family connections that may help other researchers.