Fort Wayne is a
cityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement, particularly a large urban settlement. Although there is no agreement on technical definitions distinguishing a city from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status...
in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
IndianaIndiana is a U.S. state, the 19
th admitted to the Union. It is located in the Great Lakes region, and with approximately 6.3 million residents, is ranked 16
th in population and 17
th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38
th in land area, and is the...
and the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
of
Allen CountyAllen County is the largest county in the state of Indiana, United States. As of 2008, the estimated population was 350,523. The county seat and largest city is Fort Wayne...
. As of 2008, the city had an estimated population of 251,591, ranking it the
73rd largest city in the nation. It is the
second largest city in Indiana, after Indianapolis. The municipality is located in northeastern Indiana, approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of the
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
border and 50 miles (80 km) south of the
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
border.
Fort Wayne is the principal city of the
Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area is a federally designated metropolitan area consisting of three counties in northeastern Indiana anchored by the city of Fort Wayne...
, a
metropolitan areaIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget has produced a formal definition of metropolitan areas. These are referred to as "Metropolitan Statistical Areas" and "Combined Statistical Areas" . An earlier version of the MSA was the "Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area" . MSAs are...
that encompasses Allen,
WellsWells County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2000, the population was 27,600. The county seat is Bluffton.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, and
WhitleyWhitley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2000, the population was 30,707. The county seat is Columbia City. The county has the highest county number aside from the additional prefixes at 92.-Geography:...
counties, for an estimated population of 411,154. In addition to those three counties, the Fort Wayne–Huntington–Auburn CSA, a
combined statistical areaThe United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
, includes
AdamsAdams County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2000, the population was 33,625. The county seat is Decatur. Adams County is denoted as county 1 on Indiana's County Listing.- History :...
,
DeKalbDeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Named for Revolutionary War figure Johann, Baron de Kalb , the county was created by the Indiana legislature in 1835 and organized in 1837. As of 2000, the population was 40,285...
,
HuntingtonHuntington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The county seat and largest city is Huntington.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, and
NobleNoble County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2000, the population was 46,275. The county seat is Albion.-Geography:...
counties, for a population of 570,779.
Under the direction of
American Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , also sometimes known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen united former British colonies in North America, and concluded in a global war between several European great powers...
statesman
General "Mad" Anthony WayneAnthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of "Mad Anthony".-Early...
, the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
built Fort Wayne last in a series of forts near the
Miami IndianThe Miami are a Native American tribe originally found in Indiana, southwest Michigan and Ohio, and now living also in Oklahoma.-Name:The name 'Miami' derives from the tribe's name for themselves in their own Algonquian language, Myaamia , which appears to have come from an older term meaning...
village of
KekiongaKekionga, also known as Kiskakon or Pacan's Village, was the capitol of the Miami tribe at the confluence of the Saint Joseph, Saint Marys and Maumee rivers on the western edge of the Great Black Swamp...
in 1794. Named in Wayne's honor, Fort Wayne established itself at the confluence of the
St. Joseph RiverThe St. Joseph River is a tributary of the Maumee River, approximately 100 mi long, in southern Michigan, northwestern Ohio, and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It drains a primarily rural farming region in the watershed of Lake Erie. Along with the St...
,
St. Marys RiverThe St. Marys River is a tributary of the Maumee River, approximately 100 mi long, in western Ohio and eastern Indiana in the United States. Prior to development, it was part of the Great Black Swamp...
, and
Maumee RiverThe Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for about 130 mi through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before...
as a
trading postA trading post is a place where the trading of goods takes place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, is known as a trade route....
for European settlers. The village was platted in 1823 and experienced tremendous growth after completion of the
Wabash and Erie CanalThe Wabash and Erie Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via a man-made waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico...
.
Today, Fort Wayne's economy is based on manufacturing, education, insurance, health care, logistics, and defense and security. The city has been an
All-America City AwardThe All-America City Award is given by the National Civic League annually to ten cities in the United States.The award is the oldest community recognition program in the nation and recognizes communities whose citizens work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve...
recipient in 1982, 1998, and 2009.
History
The Miami nation first established a settlement at the Maumee, St. Joseph, and St. Marys Rivers in the mid-17
th century called
KekiongaKekionga, also known as Kiskakon or Pacan's Village, was the capitol of the Miami tribe at the confluence of the Saint Joseph, Saint Marys and Maumee rivers on the western edge of the Great Black Swamp...
. The village was the traditional capital of the Miami nation and related Algonquian tribes. Historians believe that around 1676,
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
priests and missionaries visited the Miami on their way back from a mission at
Lake MichiganLake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. The second largest of the Great Lakes by volume The third largest of the Great Lakes by surface area , it is bounded, from west to east, by the U.S. states of Wisconsin,...
. In 1680,
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La SalleRené Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, or Robert de LaSalle was a French explorer. He explored the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico...
sent a letter to the Governor-General of Canada stating he had also stopped there. In the 1680s, French traders established a post at the location because it was the crucial
portagePortage refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter....
between the Great Lakes and the
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
. The Maumee River is approximately ten miles (16 kilometers) away from the Little River branch of the
Wabash RiverThe Wabash River is a -long river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery, Ohio across northern Indiana to Illinois where it forms the southern Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern...
, which flows, in turn, into the
Ohio RiverThe Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. It is approximately 981 miles long and is located in the eastern United States....
.
In 1696, Comte de Frontenac appointed
Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de VincennesJean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes, was a Canadian soldier, explorer, and friend to the Miami Nation.Vincennes was born in Quebec on January 19, 1668. His father, tanner François Bissot, was granted a seigniory for his tannery on the St. Lawrence River in 1672...
as commander of the French outpost in Miami country. The French built the first fort on the site,
Fort MiamisFort Wayne in modern Fort Wayne, Indiana, was established by Captain Jean François Hamtramck under orders from General "Mad" Anthony Wayne as part of the campaign against the Indians of the area. It was named after General Wayne, who was victorious at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Wayne may have...
, in 1697 as part of a group of forts built between Quebec, Canada, and
St. LouisSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
. In 1721, a few years after Bissot's death, Fort Miamis was replaced by
Fort St. Philippe des MiamisFort Wayne in modern Fort Wayne, Indiana, was established by Captain Jean François Hamtramck under orders from General "Mad" Anthony Wayne as part of the campaign against the Indians of the area. It was named after General Wayne, who was victorious at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Wayne may have...
. The first census, performed in 1744 on the order by the governor of Louisiana, revealed a population of approximately forty Frenchmen and one thousand Miami.
Increasing tension between France and the
United KingdomThe Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801...
developed over the territory. In 1760, after defeat by British forces in the
French and Indian WarThe French and Indian War, also known as the War of the Conquest or referred as part of the larger conflict known as the Seven Years' War, was a war fought in North America between 1754 and 1763...
, the area was ceded to the
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
. The fort was again renamed, this time to Fort Miami. In 1763, various Native American nations rebelled against British rule and retook the fort as part of
Pontiac's RebellionPontiac's Rebellion was a war launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of elements of Native American tribes primarily from the Great Lakes region, the Illinois Country, and Ohio Country who were dissatisfied with British policies in the Great Lakes region after the British victory in the French...
. The Miami regained control of Kekionga, a rule that lasted for more than thirty years.
In 1790, President
George WashingtonGeorge Washington was the commander of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the first President of the United States of America...
ordered the United States Army to secure Indiana. Three battles were fought in Kekionga against Little Turtle and the Miami Confederacy. Miami warriors annihilated the United States Army in the first two battles. Anthony Wayne led a third expedition, destroying the village while its warriors were away. When the tribe returned to their destroyed village, Little Turtle decided to negotiate peace. After General Wayne refused it, the tribe was advanced to Fallen Timbers where they were defeated on August 20, 1794. On October 22, 1794, the United States army captured the Wabash-Erie portage from the Miami Confederacy and built a new fort at the three rivers, Fort Wayne, in honor of General Wayne.
Incorporated as the City of Fort Wayne on February 22, 1840, the city prospered under the launch of the
Wabash and Erie CanalThe Wabash and Erie Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via a man-made waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico...
. Fort Wayne's nickname,
The Summit City, was coined due to its location at the zenith of the locks on the canal. The city lost national prominence in the demise of the Wabash and Erie Canal as the railroad system quickly took its place. Population growth occurred most in the 19
th century, with the arrival of
GermanThe German people are an ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent, and speaking the German language as a mother tongue. Within Germany, Germans are defined by citizenship , distinguished from people of German ancestry...
,
PolishThe Polish people, or Poles , are a Western Slavic ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Poles are sometimes defined as people who share a common Polish culture and are of Polish descent. Their religion is predominantly Roman Catholic...
, and
IrishThe Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians The Irish...
immigrants, bringing large numbers of Roman Catholics and Lutherans.
The turn of the 20
th century brought the most devastating
natural disasterA natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard that affects the environment, and leads to financial, environmental and/or human losses...
in the city's history. The Great Flood of 1913 resulted in the deaths of six residents and left 15,000 homeless, prompting
martial lawMartial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice.Martial law is sometimes imposed during wars or occupations in the absence of any other civil government. Examples of this form of military rule include Germany and Japan...
to be declared until order could be restored to Fort Wayne.
The costliest disaster in Fort Wayne's history, the Great Flood of 1982, exceeded $56 million in damages and prompted a visit from President
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California .Born in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s...
. In the days following the flood, 9,000 residents were forced to evacuate and over 2,000 residences and businesses were damaged by floodwaters. One brigade of
sandbagA sandbag is a sack made of hessian/burlap, polypropylene or other materials that is filled with sand or soil and used for such purposes as flood control, military fortification, shielding glass windows in war zones and ballast....
gers are credited with saving 1,860 homes in the Lakeside neighborhood as clay dikes along the Maumee River began showing signs of failure. The gallant efforts by thousands of volunteers earned Fort Wayne the distinction of
The City That Saved Itself. Since this flood, miles of levees and dikes were built or enhanced, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers widened the Maumee River, and Headwaters Park was established near the confluence of the rivers in downtown Fort Wayne, all implemented to alleviate future flooding.
In recent history, the focus of citizens has been the concern of bolstering business and beautification in the core of Fort Wayne. Within the last decade, the city has improved in this venture, with the renovations and expansions of the
Allen County Public LibraryThe Allen County Public Library has been part of the social and cultural fabric of Fort Wayne, Indiana and surrounding communities in Allen County since 1895. Then known as the Fort Wayne Public Library, it served residents with 3,606 volumes in a room in City Hall...
and
Grand Wayne Convention CenterThe Grand Wayne Center is a convention center located in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, Allen County, United States. As a result of a $42 million renovation and expansion between 2003 and 2005, the Grand Wayne now encompasses .-Facility:...
, as well as the addition of Headwaters Park. It was announced in 2006 that a $130 million development, containing a
new baseball stadiumParkview Field is a minor league baseball stadium located in the central business district of Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.-History:Parkview Field was built as the new home of the Midwest League's Fort Wayne TinCaps, Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, replacing Memorial Stadium...
, parking garage, condominiums, shops, and
Courtyard by MarriottCourtyard by Marriott is a brand of hotels owned by Marriott International. They have over 2,800 hotels worldwide, as of June 2007. Courtyard by Marriott is designed for business travelers. Its rooms feature large desks, couches, free high speed Internet access, and "big" breakfasts...
, was to begin construction in downtown Fort Wayne by 2008. This revitalization project is known as
Harrison SquareHarrison Square is a mixed-use downtown revitalization project in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The project includes a ballpark that will be primarily used for baseball and will be the home field of the Fort Wayne TinCaps minor league baseball team...
.
Geography
Fort Wayne is located at (41.07253, -85.13937). For a regional
summitIn topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
, Fort Wayne lies on fairly flat land, with the exception of few hills and depressions throughout the region. Marshes and wetlands are prevalent in portions of southwest Fort Wayne and Allen County, as well as some
quarriesA quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel...
. West of the city lies the Tipton Till Plain while land east of the plain is the former Black Swamp. The
St. Marys RiverThe St. Marys River is a tributary of the Maumee River, approximately 100 mi long, in western Ohio and eastern Indiana in the United States. Prior to development, it was part of the Great Black Swamp...
cuts through the southeast section of Allen County, flowing northward, while the
St. Joseph RiverThe St. Joseph River is a tributary of the Maumee River, approximately 100 mi long, in southern Michigan, northwestern Ohio, and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It drains a primarily rural farming region in the watershed of Lake Erie. Along with the St...
cuts through the northeast section of the county, flowing southward. Both rivers converge roughly in the center of the county to form the
Maumee RiverThe Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for about 130 mi through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before...
, which flows northeastward, eventually emptying into
Lake ErieLake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the thirteenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
.
Climate
According to the
Köppen climate classificationThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by the Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself notably in 1918 and 1936...
, Fort Wayne lies in the
humid continental climateThe humid continental climate is a climate found over large areas of landmasses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between polar and tropical air masses. The humid continental climate is marked by variable weather patterns and a large seasonal...
zone, experiencing four distinct seasons. Typically, summers are hot and humid, and winters are generally cold with frequent snowfall. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.
The
National Weather ServiceThe National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
reports the highest recorded temperature in the city at on July 14, 1936 and June 29, 1988, and the lowest recorded temperature at on January 12, 1918. The wettest month on record was July 1986, with of precipitation recorded. The greatest 24-hour rainfall was on August 1, 1926. The average annual precipitation is , recorded at Fort Wayne International. During the winter season, snowfall accumulation averages per year. Lake effect snow is not rare to the region, but usually appears in the form of light snow flurries. The snowiest month on record was in January 1982. The greatest 24-hour snowfall was on March 10, 1964.
Severe weather is not uncommon, particularly in the spring and summer months. The most severe tornado, an F2 on the
Fujita scaleThe Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
, struck portions of northern Fort Wayne on May 26, 2001, causing extensive damage to businesses along the Coliseum Boulevard corridor and a subdivision, but resulting in only three minor injuries. The city was paralyzed in the days following the
Great Blizzard of 1978The Great Blizzard of 1978 was a historic blizzard which struck the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes from January 25–27, 1978. The 28.28 inches barometric pressure measurement recorded in Cleveland, Ohio remains the lowest non-tropical atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the mainland United...
, with snow accumulations in upwards of and drifts at in some places, driven by 55 mile-per-hour wind gusts.
Cityscape
Architecture
- Allen County Courthouse, Beaux-Arts
Beaux-Arts architecture denotes the academic neoclassical architectural style that was taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The style "Beaux Arts" is above all the cumulative product of two and a half centuries of instruction under the authority, first of the Académie royale...
government building, Brentwood S. TolanBrentwood S. Tolan was an American architect.Born in Delphos, Ohio to Thomas J. and Harriet Skinner Tolan. With little formal art training, he apprenticed under his father, a marble craftsman-turned architect, starting in 1872 at age 17...
, 1897-1902
- Canal House, warehouse, 1852
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is the primary cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, headed by Most Rev. John M. D'Arcy. The parish was established in 1836, making it the oldest in Fort Wayne. The church was erected in...
, GothicGothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
-style church, 1860
- Center School
Center School, a one-room schoolhouse in the Southwest Allen County School District, Fort Wayne, Indiana, was originally built in 1893 as the first public school in the district. It was retired from the school system in 1946 but reopened as a site for history classes in 1969...
, restored schoolhouse, 1893
- Commerce Building (now Star Financial Bank Building), Beaux-Arts commercial high-rise, Charles R. Weatherhogg, 1923
- Concordia Senior College
Concordia Senior College was a liberal arts college located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod...
(now Concordia Theological SeminaryThe Concordia Theological Seminary is an institution of theological higher education of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod , located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, dedicated primarily to the preparation of pastors for the congregations and missions of the LCMS...
), ModernModern architecture is art with similar characteristics, primarily the simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. The first variants were conceived early in the 20th century...
-style, Eero SaarinenEero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect and product designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project : simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism.- Biography :Eero Saarinen, who was born in Hvitträsk,...
, 1953
- Crooks House, Postmodern-style residence, Michael Graves
Michael Graves is an American architect. Identified as one of The New York Five, Graves has become a household name with his designs for domestic products sold at Target stores in the United States....
, 1976
- Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel
The Embassy Theatre is a 2,477-seat performing arts theater in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was built in 1928 as a movie palace and today it is the home of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra.-History:...
, theater and hotel, Alvin M. StraussAlvin M. Strauss was an Indiana architect and designer of many landmark buildings in Indiana and Ohio during the early twentieth century. He was born in Kendallville, Indiana to German immigrants and later apprenticed under prominent architects in Chicago and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Strauss founded...
, 1928
- Engine House #3, fire station, 1893
- Forest Park Boulevard Historic District
The Forest Park Boulevard Historic District is a historic district in Fort Wayne, Indiana.According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources:-References:...
, Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival, neighborhood, 1910-1954
- Fort Wayne City Hall
The Fort Wayne Old City Hall Building in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana operates as a museum known as The History Center, and serves as headquarters for the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society since 1980. The sandstone building was built in 1893...
, Richardsonian RomanesqueRichardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston...
-style government building, John F. Wing and Marshall S. Mahurin, 1893
- Hanselmann House, Postmodern-style residence, Michael Graves, 1967
- Hugh McCulloch House, residence, 1834
- J.B. Franke House, Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
-style residence, Francis Barry ByrneFrancis Barry Byrne was initially a member of the group of architects known as the Prairie School. After the demise of the Prairie School about 1914-16, Byrne continued as a successful architect by developing his own personal style.-Biography:Francis Barry Byrne was born and raised in Chicago...
, 1914
- John H. Bass Mansion (Brookside), residence, 1903
- Lincoln Bank Tower
The Lincoln Tower in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States, is an Art-Deco highrise building. Construction started in late 1929 with the building's opening in 1930. For decades, it was the tallest building in the state...
, Art-Deco highrise, Alvin M. Strauss, 1930
- McCulloch-Weatherhogg House, Victorian Gothic-style residence, 1881
- Oakdale Historic District, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, and decorative arts style popular from the last years of the 19th century through the early years of the 20th century...
, and American FoursquareThe American Foursquare or American Four Square is an American house style popular from the mid-1890s to the late 1930s. A reaction to the ornate and mass produced elements of the Victorian and other Revival styles popular throughout the last half of the 19th century, the American Foursquare was...
, neighborhood, 1873-1950
- Pennsylvania Railroad Station, Craftsman-style train station, 1914
- Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville House
The Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville House was built near Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1827. Subsidized by the U.S. federal government through the 1826 Treaty of Mississinwas, it is believed to be only one of three treaty houses built east of the Mississippi River.-History:Chief Richardville, the...
, Greek RevivalThe Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
residence, 1827
- Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod located at the intersection of Barr and Madison Streets in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It belongs to the Indiana District of the LCMS, and has a long history. The congregation has existed since 1837...
, Gothic-style church, John F. Wing and Marshall S. Mahurin, 1889
- Snyderman House
The Snyderman House was a single family residence in Fort Wayne, Indiana designed and built for Sanford and Joy Snyderman in 1972 by architect Michael Graves. It was celebrated among architects as a seminal example of Grave's early work...
, Postmodern-style residence, Michael Graves, 1972
- South Wayne Historic District, Craftsman, Colonial Revival, and American Foursquare, neighborhood, 1893-1940
- The Landing Historic District, Italianate, Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
, and RomanesqueRomanesque Revival is a style of building employed in the late 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque style of architecture. Popular features of these revival buildings are round arches, semi-circular arches on windows, and belt courses...
commercial lowrises, 1868-1943
- Thomas W. Swinney House, Federalist
Federal-style architecture is the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, particularly from 1785 to 1815. In the early Republic the founding generation consciously chose to associate the nation with the ancient democracies of Greece and the republican values...
-style residence, 1844
- Trinity English Lutheran Church, church, 1923
- Wermuth House, residence, Eero Saarinen, 1942
- West Central Historic District, Greek Revival and Gothic Revival, neighborhood, 1840-1934
- Williams-Woodland Park Historic District
The Williams-Woodland Park Local Historic District was established in 1985 and was placed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 1991....
, Queen Anne-Reigning monarchs:* Anne of Great Britain , Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland; after 1707 Queen of Great Britain-Queens consort:* Anne of Austria , queen of Louis XIII of France* Anne of Bohemia , queen of Henry of Carinthia...
and Colonial Revival, neighborhood, 1875-1940
Government
| Elected officials of Fort Wayne |
| Official |
Position |
Political Party |
| Tom Henry Tom Henry is an American politician, former Fort Wayne City Councilman, and current Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has an MBA from the University of Saint Francis and is the President and CEO of the Gallant Group, a small insurance company in Fort Wayne...
|
Mayor |
Democrat |
| City Council Members |
| Marty Bender |
At-Large |
Republican |
| Liz Brown |
At-Large |
Republican |
| John Shoaff |
At-Large |
Democrat |
| Tom Smith |
First District |
Republican |
| Karen Goldner |
Second District |
Democrat |
| Tom Didier |
Third District |
Republican |
Mitch HarperMitchell V. "Mitch" Harper is an American politician from Fort Wayne, Indiana.He was elected as a Fort Wayne City Council member from the 4th District on November 6, 2007 with a nearly 60% margin....
|
Fourth District |
Republican |
| Tim Pape |
Fifth District |
Democrat |
| Glynn A. Hines |
Sixth District |
Democrat |
Fort Wayne has a
mayor-council governmentThe Mayor-Council government system, sometimes called the Mayor-Commission government system, is one of two variations of government used for the most part in modern representative municipal governments in the United States. It is also used in some other countries...
. Fort Wayne City Council is a nine-member legislative group that serve four-year terms. Six of the members represent specific districts; three are elected city-wide as at-large council members. The council elected on November 6, 2007 will serve until December 31, 2011. Fort Wayne's mayor is Democrat
Tom HenryTom Henry is an American politician, former Fort Wayne City Councilman, and current Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has an MBA from the University of Saint Francis and is the President and CEO of the Gallant Group, a small insurance company in Fort Wayne...
, who was sworn into office on January 1, 2008, succeeding Democrat
Graham RichardGraham Richard is an American politician and entrepreneur, and the 34th and former mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, serving from 2001–2007. He was succeeded by Democrat Tom Henry.-Current Work:...
, who had served since 2000. Greg Purcell holds the position of Deputy Mayor. Democrat
Sandra KennedySandra Kennedy is an American Democratic politician. , she serves as the city clerk of Fort Wayne, Indiana, a job she had held since January 1, 1983.-Political career:...
has been Fort Wayne's city clerk since 1983.
Under the
UnigovUnigov is the name adopted by the city of Indianapolis to describe its consolidated city-county government, adopted in 1970 by act of the Indiana state legislature.- Background :...
provision of Indiana Law, City-County consolidation would have been automatic when Fort Wayne's population exceeded 250,000 and became a first class city in Indiana. Fort Wayne nearly met the state requirements for first class city designation in 2006 when the populous portions of Aboite Township were annexed. However, a 2004 legislative change raised the population requirements from 250,000 to 600,000, which ensured Indianapolis' status as the only first class city in Indiana.
Sister cities
Fort Wayne has three sister cities as designated by
Sister Cities InternationalSister Cities International is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and fostering sister cities, especially between cities in the United States and cities in other countries....
:
GeraGera, the third-largest city in the German state of Thuringia , lies in east Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster , approximately 60 kilometres to the south of the city of Leipzig and 80 kilometers to the east of Erfurt...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
(since 1992) Płock,
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(since 1990) Takaokais a city located in Toyama, Japan.As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 170,164 and the density of 1,130.28 persons per km². The total area is 150.55 km². Takaoka is the second largest city in Toyama prefecture....
,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(since 1977)
Demographics
The first census was performed in 1744 on the order by the governor of Louisiana, revealed a population of approximately forty Frenchmen and one thousand Miami.
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 205,727 people, 83,333 households, and 50,666 families residing in the city. There are 90,915 housing units at an average density of 1,151.5/sq mi (444.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 75.45% White, 17.38% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.91% from other races, and 2.26% from two or more races. 5.78% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 83,333 households out of which 31.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% are
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 14.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% are non-families. 32.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.41 and the average family size is 3.08.
In the city the population is spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years of age. For every 100 females there are 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $36,518, and the median income for a family is $45,040. Males have a median income of $34,704 versus $25,062 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city is $18,517. 12.5% of the population and 9.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.5% of those under the age of 18 and 7.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Fort Wayne is cited as having the highest
BurmeseBurmese Americans, or Myanmarese Americans, are Americans of Burmese descent. The term encompasses people of all ethnic backgrounds with ancestry in the present-day Myanmar...
refugee population in the United States, with estimates near 5,000.
Religion
Besides its Summit City nickname, Fort Wayne is also informally referred to as the
City of ChurchesCity of Churches is a name given to various cities with many churches.This phrase has commonly been used to describe the following cities:* Memphis, Tennessee* Adelaide, South Australia* Brooklyn, New York* Danville, Virginia* Fort Wayne, Indiana...
, a nickname that stretches back to the late-1800s when the city was the hub of regional Catholic, Lutheran, and Episcopal faiths.
The Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church was constituted in
Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran ChurchSaint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod located at the intersection of Barr and Madison Streets in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It belongs to the Indiana District of the LCMS, and has a long history. The congregation has existed since 1837...
, then known as Saint Pauls Evangelisch-Lutheranische Gemeinde, once founded in 1837 as Fort Wayne's first Lutheran church. The
Episcopal ChurchThe Episcopal Church , also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America , is the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States, Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
moved into Fort Wayne in 1839, attracting settlers from
New EnglandNew England is a region of the United States. It is located at the northeastern corner of the US, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the state of New York, consisting of the modern U.S...
and
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, along with English, Irish, and Canadian immigrants. Trinity Episcopal Church, in downtown Fort Wayne, is the center for the
Episcopal Diocese of Northern IndianaThe Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, originally called the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan City, is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the northern one-third of Indiana. It is in Province 5 and its cathedral, the Cathedral of St...
. Fort Wayne is the principal city of the
Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South BendThe Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is a Roman Catholic diocese in north-central and northeastern Indiana. Most Reverend John M. D'Arcy is the sitting bishop and has served in that position since 1985. The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend encompasses 14 Indiana counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb,...
which covers northeastern and north central Indiana. The principal cathedral of the diocese is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, also located downtown.
As of May 2006, three national
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
denominations were headquartered in Fort Wayne: the
Fundamental Baptist Fellowship AssociationThe Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association is an association of independent fundamentalist African-American Baptist churches.In 1962 Reverend Richard C. Mattox, of Cleveland, Ohio, led conservative-fundamentalist black ministers and congregations to form the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship...
,
Missionary Church, Inc.The Missionary Church is an evangelical Christian denomination of Anabaptist heritage.-Faith and practice:The Missionary Church is a Trinitarian body that believes the Bible is the inspired Word of God and authoritative in all matters of faith; that "salvation is the result of genuine repentance of...
, and the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches. Fort Wayne's Jewish population is served by Congregation Achduth Vesholom, the oldest Jewish congregation in Indiana and second oldest Reform congregation west of the
Allegheny MountainsThe Allegheny Mountain Range — informally, the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
, founded in 1848. There is also an increasing religious minority found among Fort Wayne's immigrant communities, including
HinduismHinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as ', a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as...
,
IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
, and
BuddhismBuddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
.
Economy
A major manufacturing center in the Midwest by the mid-20
th century, Fort Wayne included such employers as
General ElectricThe General Electric Company, or GE , is a multinational American technology and services conglomerate incorporated in the State of New York. In 2009, Forbes ranked GE as the world's largest company...
,
MagnavoxMagnavox is an American electronics company founded by Edwin Pridham and Peter L. Jensen. They invented a moving-coil loudspeaker in 1915 at their lab in Napa, California and they named their brainchild "Magnavox". The company was formed in 1917 under the same name to market the invention.Magnavox...
, Westinghouse, and
International HarvesterInternational Harvester Company was an agricultural machinery, construction equipment, vehicle, commercial truck, and household and commercial products manufacturer. In 1902, J.P...
. Also vital employers,
Phelps DodgePhelps Dodge Corporation was an American mining company founded in 1834 by Anson Greene Phelps and William E. Dodge. On March 19, 2007, it was acquired by Freeport-McMoRan and now operates under the name Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.-History:...
,
Rea Magnet WireRea Magnet Wire Company, Inc. is one of the world's largest manufacturers of magnet and nonferrous wire products. Rea produces copper, aluminum and brass-insulated magnet wire and bare wire used in the manufacture of motors, transformers and coils...
, and Essex Wire comprised the largest concentration of copper wire production globally during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. As the century came to close, advancements in technology and the reduction of manufacturing jobs nationally led Fort Wayne to be counted among other cities in the
Rust BeltThe Rust Belt, also known as the Manufacturing Belt, is an area in parts of the Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic States, and portions of the Upper Midwest. The region can be broadly defined as the region beginning west of the BosWash corridor and running west to Minnesota, particularly the...
.
However, the city's economy has diversified with time to include education, insurance, health care, and defense and security. The service and hospitality sector has also grown recently, with 5.4 million tourists spending more than $415 million in Fort Wayne in 2006. In 2009,
ForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, Forbes magazine, is published fortnightly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published fortnightly, and Business Week...
ranked the Fort Wayne metropolitan area 67
th on its list of 200 metropolitan areas in its annual "Best Places For Business And Careers" report. Individually, the city was ranked 5
th in cost of living and 12
th in cost of doing business.
Fort Wayne is headquarters for such corporations as Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, DeBrand Chocolatier, K&K Insurance Group,
Medical ProtectiveMedical Protective is an American liability insurance company for physicians and dentists. Medical Protective traces its roots back to a predecessor company, the Physicians’ Guarantee Company. Alpheus P. Buchman, MD of Fort Wayne, Indiana and a group of physicians formed the Physicians' Guarantee...
,
North American Van LinesNorth American Van Lines, or NAVL, is a large, United States based trucking company originally formed in Cleveland, Ohio and later based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which specializes in home and office removals.-History:...
(
SirvaSIRVA, Inc. , based in Westmont, Illinois, is a privately owned moving industry holding company which resulted from the merger of Allied Van Lines with North American Van Lines...
),
Rea Magnet WireRea Magnet Wire Company, Inc. is one of the world's largest manufacturers of magnet and nonferrous wire products. Rea produces copper, aluminum and brass-insulated magnet wire and bare wire used in the manufacture of motors, transformers and coils...
, STAR Financial Group,
Steel DynamicsSteel Dynamics is the fifth largest producer of carbon steel products in United States.Steel Dynamics was founded in 1993, with corporate headquarters located in Fort Wayne, Indiana.- External links :...
(
Fortune 500The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
),
Sweetwater SoundSweetwater Sound, Inc. is one of the United States' largest dealers in musical equipment for musicians, recording studios, schools, houses of worship, concert sound companies and broadcasters...
, and
Vera BradleyVera Bradley Designs, Inc. is an American design company best known for its soft, brightly patterned bags. The Fort Wayne, Indiana company produces a variety of products, including quilted cotton luggage, handbags and accessories...
.
Fort Wayne's ten largest non-government employers:
- Lutheran Health Network
Community Health Systems Inc. is a Fortune 500 company based in Franklin, Tennessee. It is the largest non-urban provider of general hospital healthcare services in the United States in terms of number of acute care facilities. As of May 2009, it operates 120 hospitals in 28 states...
(3,756)
- Parkview Health System (3,191)
- General Motors Truck Group
General Motors Company, often known as simply GM, is a United States based automaker with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. GM was the world's 18th largest corporate entity and third largest automaker as ranked by 2008 revenues on the Fortune Global 500. Ranked by global unit sales for 2008, it...
(2,484)
- ITT Communications Systems
ITT Corporation is a global diversified manufacturing company with 2008 revenues of $11.7 billion. ITT participates in global markets including water and fluids management, defense and security, and motion and flow control...
(1,900)
- Lincoln Financial Group (1,750)
- BFGoodrich
BFGoodrich is a brand of tires sold by Michelin. The rights to the name was sold by the company now known as Goodrich Corporation in 1988.-External links:*...
(1,406)
- Navistar International
Navistar International Corporation is a manufacturer of International brand commercial trucks, MaxxForce brand diesel engines, IC Corporation brand school buses, Workhorse brand chassis for motor homes and step vans, and is a private label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the...
(1,400)
- Verizon (1,200)
- Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne is the largest university in northeast Indiana, offering nearly 200 IU and Purdue degrees and certificates. Since 1968, IPFW has conferred nearly 8,500 master’s degrees, 25,000 bachelor’s degrees, more than 19,000 associate degrees, and nearly 2,000...
(1,120)
- Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in defense systems and defense and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
(1,100)
Festivals
- BBQ RibFest is a four-day event held in mid-June at Headwaters Park, showcasing barbecue rib cooks and vendors, as well as musical performances from across the nation.
- Fort-4-Fitness debuted in 2008 as a way to motivate residents to take steps in creating healthier lifestyles. The festival includes a certified half-marathon, 4-mile run/walk, health fair, and healthy food expo. Over 6,200 people participated in the festival's inaugural run.
- Germanfest, first celebrated in 1981, commemorates Fort Wayne's largest ethnic group with such events as the Germanfest Bake Off and National Weiner Dog Finals. German cuisine, dance, and fashion are showcased in the eight-day celebration, held in the first week of June at Headwaters Park.
- Greek Fest is a four-day event held at the end of June at Headwaters Park. The festival, which originated in 1986, celebrates Fort Wayne's local Greek population and heritage.
- HolidayFest begins the day after Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving may refer to:*Thanksgiving , the holiday on the fourth Thursday in November.*Thanksgiving , the holiday on the second Monday in October.*Thanksgiving...
with the lighting of the Wolf & Dessauer Department Store Santa and Reindeer light display, the Wells FargoWells Fargo & Co. is a diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the US by assets and the third largest bank by market cap. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home mortgage servicing, and debit card...
Holiday Tree, and the Indiana Michigan Power Christmas Wreath. Other events through the season include the Festival of Gingerbread at The History CenterThe Fort Wayne Old City Hall Building in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana operates as a museum known as The History Center, and serves as headquarters for the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society since 1980. The sandstone building was built in 1893...
, the Festival of Trees at the Embassy TheatreThe Embassy Theatre is a 2,477-seat performing arts theater in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was built in 1928 as a movie palace and today it is the home of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra.-History:...
, the Reindeer Romp 5K and the Headwaters Park Ice Rink.
- Johnny Appleseed Festival
The Johnny Appleseed Festival is a name given to any number of festivals held in the United States in honor of John Chapman usually in September or October....
is a two-day festival held in the third week of September at Johnny Appleseed ParkJohnny Appleseed Park, including what was formerly known as Archer Park, is a public park in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is named after the popular-culture nickname of John Chapman, better known as "Johnny Appleseed," a famous American pioneer, who was buried on the site. Chapman's gravesite is...
, where John ChapmanJohnny Appleseed , born John Chapman, was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois...
is believed to be buried. Traditionally, the festival features food, crafts, and historical demonstrations recalling the era of Johnny Appleseed.
- National Soccer Festival is staged at IPFW's Hefner Soccer Complex
Hefner Soccer Complex is a large group of soccer fields located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is named for David J. Hefner, deceased son of local entrepreneur and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne donor, William J. Hefner and his wife, Bonnie L...
where event-goers celebrate the sport of soccer on the collegiate level, with such activities as golf outings, live entertainment, and food vendors. In 2008, twelve universities participated in the event.
- Three Rivers Festival is the paramount of northeast Indiana festivals, annually attracting an estimated 400,000 event-goers. The festival's run annually spans nine days in mid-July, featuring over 200 events, including a community parade through downtown, a midway, food alley, hot dog eating contest, bed race, arts fair, and fireworks spectacular.
Performing arts
The John and Ruth Rhinehart Music Center opened in 2007 on the
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort WayneIndiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne is the largest university in northeast Indiana, offering nearly 200 IU and Purdue degrees and certificates. Since 1968, IPFW has conferred nearly 8,500 master’s degrees, 25,000 bachelor’s degrees, more than 19,000 associate degrees, and nearly 2,000...
campus to hold community concerts and university events. The auditorium includes 1,600 seats. Located downtown, Cinema Center features independent, foreign, classic, and documentary films.
Arts United Center, located adjacent to the
Fort Wayne Museum of ArtThe Fort Wayne Museum of Art is a Contemporary art museum located in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, Allen County, United States, neighboring the Arts United Center...
, houses the Fort Wayne Civic Theater and Fort Wayne Youtheatre, with seating for 663. The Scottish Rite Center contains a 2,086-seat auditorium and a Valencia Ballroom. Foellinger Outdoor Theatre, in Franke Park near the zoo, offers seasonal acts and movies during warmer months. The Firehouse Theater, in remodeled Enginehouse #10, contains 73 seats and presents original works and classics adapted for stage.
The
Embassy TheatreThe Embassy Theatre is a 2,477-seat performing arts theater in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was built in 1928 as a movie palace and today it is the home of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra.-History:...
, located across from the Grand Wayne Center, presents shows ranging from concert tours, Broadway musicals, dance, community events, and lectures, serving over 200,000 patrons annually. The Embassy is also home to the
Fort Wayne Philharmonic OrchestraThe Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra is a professional orchestra based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The new Music Director is Andrew Constantine, whose contract began July 1, 2009. The orchestra's Artistic Advisor is Jaime Laredo, a native of Bolivia. The Associate Conductor is Bradley Thachuk, a...
. The Grand Wayne Center, though used mainly for exhibitions and conventions, also plays host to dance or choir productions, such as the annual FAME Festival (The Foundation for Art and Music in Elementary Education), which showcases local school choirs and dancers.
Museums
The African/African-American Historical Museum, which opened near downtown in 2000, contains two floors and ten exhibits relating to slavery in the United States, the
Underground RailroadThe Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th century Black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists who aided the...
, African-American inventors, and the history of the local African-American community. The Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum, located inside the Lieutenant Paul Baer Terminal at Fort Wayne International Airport, highlights aviation history in Fort Wayne, as well as memorabilia relating to historical aviation figures such as Fort Wayne's own
Art SmithArt Smith was an American pilot. He grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana; in 1910, his parents mortgaged their home for $1,800 so that he could build a plane, on which he spent six months; however, he crashed it on his first flight, destroying everything but the motor...
and
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
Ace, Paul Baer.
The Fort Wayne Firefighters Museum, located at Engine House #3 in downtown Fort Wayne, exhibits artifacts from the Fort Wayne Fire Department, dating back to 1839, as well as showcasing four early previously-used fire engines. The
Fort Wayne Museum of ArtThe Fort Wayne Museum of Art is a Contemporary art museum located in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, Allen County, United States, neighboring the Arts United Center...
, located in downtown Fort Wayne, contains of exhibition space, along with an auditorium. The FWMoA is currently undergoing a addition, allowing for more exhibition space and other amenities by spring 2010.
The Harold W. McMillen Center for Health Education utilizes interactive programs to enable youth to make decisions that promote physical, emotional, and social well-being. The History Center, located in
Fort Wayne's Old City HallThe Fort Wayne Old City Hall Building in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana operates as a museum known as The History Center, and serves as headquarters for the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society since 1980. The sandstone building was built in 1893...
, manages a collection of more than 23,000 artifacts recalling the history of Fort Wayne and Allen County; the center is overseen by the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society, which also maintains the
Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville HouseThe Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville House was built near Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1827. Subsidized by the U.S. federal government through the 1826 Treaty of Mississinwas, it is believed to be only one of three treaty houses built east of the Mississippi River.-History:Chief Richardville, the...
. The Jack D. Diehm Wildlife Museum of Natural History showcases stuffed and mounted North American wildlife animals in habitat settings. Science Central is a "hands-on" science center, located in Lawton Park just north of downtown Fort Wayne, offering children interactive exhibits.
Sports
Fort Wayne is currently home to seven minor league sports franchises. These include
Fort Wayne FeverFort Wayne Fever is an American soccer team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
of soccer's Premier Development League,
Fort Wayne FlashThe Fort Wayne Flash is a full-contact women's outdoor football team of the Women's Football Alliance based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The team started its exhibition season in 2006 and officially became part of the National Women's Football Association and began playing league games in 2007. Home...
of the
Women's Football AllianceThe Women's Football Alliance is a full-contact Women's American football league which began play in the spring of 2009. So far, 36 teams will play in its inaugural season; some transferring from other leagues such as the Women's Professional Football League, Independent Women's Football League...
,
Fort Wayne FreedomThe Fort Wayne Freedom is a team in the Continental Indoor Football League, beginning play in the 2008 season. Like the original Freedom, they will retain a red, white, and blue color scheme, and play in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum....
of the Continental Indoor Football League,
Fort Wayne KometsThe Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey franchise currently playing in the International Hockey League. The Komets played in the previous incarnation of the International Hockey League from 1952 until 1999, when they joined the United Hockey League...
of the International Hockey League,
Fort Wayne Mad AntsThe Fort Wayne Mad Ants are a team of the NBA Development League, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is the home venue for the team. The team is the first minor league basketball franchise to play in Fort Wayne since the Fort Wayne Fury...
of the
NBA Development LeagueThe NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
, and Fort Wayne TinCaps of baseball's
Midwest LeagueThe Midwest League is a Class A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort Cardinals – began operating...
. Intercollegiate sports in the city include
IPFWIPFW athletes compete as a NCAA Division I school in the The Summit League and the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.Former Indiana University basketball standout, Dane Fife, was named the IPFW men's basketball coach in the summer of 2005...
in the NCAA's
Division IDivision I is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States....
Summit League as well as
NAIAThe National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA permits membership to colleges and universities...
schools Indiana Tech and
University of Saint FrancisThe University of Saint Francis is a liberal arts university located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, the university promotes Catholic and Franciscan values...
.
The city has formerly been home to three professional sports franchises. These include the NBA's Fort Wayne Pistons (now in Detroit), the
Fort Wayne DaisiesThe Fort Wayne Daisies were a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, playing out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. They debuted in 1945, replacing the Minneapolis Millerettes. They went 62-47 in their first season and finished 4 and a half games behind the first place Rockford Peaches...
of the
All-American Girls Professional Baseball LeagueThe All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a women's professional baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954.-History:...
, and the
Fort Wayne KekiongasThe Fort Wayne Kekiongas were a professional baseball team, notable for having won the first professional game of baseball ever played, on May 4, 1871....
of the
National Association of Professional Base Ball PlayersThe National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , or simply the National Association , was founded in 1871 and continued through the 1875 season...
(an early predecessor to the current MLB).
Fort Wayne has been home to a few sports firsts; the first professional baseball game was played May 4, 1871 between the Fort Wayne Kekiongas and the
Cleveland Forest CitysThe Forest Citys were a short lived professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio in the early 1870s. The actual name of the team, as shown in standings, was Forest City, not "Cleveland". The name "Forest Citys" was used in the same generic style of the day in which the team from Chicago,...
. It was rained-out in the top of the ninth inning, with the Kekiongas ahead 2-0. On June 2, 1883, Fort Wayne hosted the Quincy Professionals for one of the first lighted baseball games ever recorded. Fort Wayne has been credited for being the birthplace of the
NBAThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
when Fort Wayne Pistons owner
Fred ZollnerFred Zollner was called "Mr. Pro Basketball" as the founder and longtime owner of the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons and a key figure in the merger of National Basketball League and Basketball Association of America into the National Basketball Association in 1949.Zollner, an industrialist, was born...
brokered the merger of the
BAAThe Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association .-History:...
and the
NBLThe National Basketball League was a professional basketball league in the United States, founded in 1937. The league merged with the Basketball Association of America in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ....
in 1949 from his kitchen table. Also, on March 10, 1961,
Wilt ChamberlainWilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain , nicknamed Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards, was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; and also played for the Harlem Globetrotters...
became the first player in the NBA to reach 3,000 points in a single season while competing at Memorial Coliseum.
Fort Wayne was ranked as the "Best Place in the Country for Minor League Sports" in a 2007 issue of
Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal, dropping to second place in 2009.
| Professional Sports in Fort Wayne |
| Team | Sport | League | Established | Venue | Championships |
|---|
Fort Wayne FeverFort Wayne Fever is an American soccer team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
|
Soccer |
Premier Development League |
2003 |
Hefner Stadium |
0 |
Fort Wayne FeverFort Wayne Fever is an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2004. The team is a member of the United Soccer Leagues W-League, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada...
|
Women's Soccer |
W-League The USL W-League is currently the second highest level of professional women's soccer in the United States pyramid.The W-League and is recognized as North America’s main women’s developmental organization. The W-League is also an open league, giving college players the opportunity to play alongside...
|
2004 |
Hefner Stadium |
0 |
| Fort Wayne Flash The Fort Wayne Flash is a full-contact women's outdoor football team of the Women's Football Alliance based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The team started its exhibition season in 2006 and officially became part of the National Women's Football Association and began playing league games in 2007. Home...
|
Women's Football Women's football can mean one of the following:* Women's Australian rules football* Women's American football* Women's association football* Women's rugby union* Women's rugby league* Ladies' Gaelic football...
|
Women's Football Alliance The Women's Football Alliance is a full-contact Women's American football league which began play in the spring of 2009. So far, 36 teams will play in its inaugural season; some transferring from other leagues such as the Women's Professional Football League, Independent Women's Football League...
|
2007 |
Woodlan Junior / Senior High School |
0 |
Fort Wayne FreedomThe Fort Wayne Freedom is a team in the Continental Indoor Football League, beginning play in the 2008 season. Like the original Freedom, they will retain a red, white, and blue color scheme, and play in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum....
|
Indoor football Indoor football is a variation of American football with rules modified to make it suitable for play within indoor arenas.-Early history:The first documented indoor football games were those played at Madison Square Garden in 1902 and 1903 known as the "World Series of Pro Football." They were the...
|
Continental Indoor Football League |
2003 |
Allen County War Memorial ColiseumThe Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is a 13,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Fort Wayne, Indiana, initially built in 1952 for nearly $3 million in Fort Wayne's Johnny Appleseed Park. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was originally designed to seat 8,000 for hockey or 10,240 for basketball...
|
0 |
| Fort Wayne Komets The Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey franchise currently playing in the International Hockey League. The Komets played in the previous incarnation of the International Hockey League from 1952 until 1999, when they joined the United Hockey League...
|
HockeyHockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball, or a hard, round, rubber or heavy plastic disc called a puck, into the opponent's net or goal, using a hockey stick.-Field hockey:...
|
International Hockey League |
1952 |
Allen County War Memorial ColiseumThe Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is a 13,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Fort Wayne, Indiana, initially built in 1952 for nearly $3 million in Fort Wayne's Johnny Appleseed Park. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was originally designed to seat 8,000 for hockey or 10,240 for basketball...
|
6 (IHL), 1 (UHL) |
| Fort Wayne Mad Ants The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are a team of the NBA Development League, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is the home venue for the team. The team is the first minor league basketball franchise to play in Fort Wayne since the Fort Wayne Fury...
|
BasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a 10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
|
NBA Development League The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
|
2007 |
Allen County War Memorial ColiseumThe Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is a 13,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Fort Wayne, Indiana, initially built in 1952 for nearly $3 million in Fort Wayne's Johnny Appleseed Park. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was originally designed to seat 8,000 for hockey or 10,240 for basketball...
|
0 |
| Fort Wayne TinCaps |
BaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
|
Midwest League The Midwest League is a Class A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort Cardinals – began operating...
|
1993 |
Parkview Field Parkview Field is a minor league baseball stadium located in the central business district of Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.-History:Parkview Field was built as the new home of the Midwest League's Fort Wayne TinCaps, Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, replacing Memorial Stadium...
|
1 |
Media
The city's two major newspapers are
The Journal Gazette and
Pulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by Hungarian-American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City....
-winning
The News-SentinelThe News-Sentinel is a Pulitzer Prize-winning daily newspaper in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The afternoon News-Sentinel is politically independent.-Early history:...
. Both independent dailies have separate editorial departments, but under a joint operating agreement, printing, advertising, and circulation are handled by Fort Wayne Newspapers, Inc. The city is also served by several free weekly and monthly alternative and neighborhood newspapers, including
Aboite & AboutThe Aboite & About is one of five community publications published by the KPC Media Group, Inc. in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Aboite & About is a freely circulated, monthly newspaper which is direct mailed to zip codes 46804, 46814 in Fort Wayne and 46783 in Roanoke, Indiana with a circulation of over...
,
Dupont Valley TimesThe Dupont Valley Times is one of five community publications published by KPC Media Group, Inc. in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is a freely circulated, monthly newspaper which is direct mailed to zip codes 46818, 46825, 46845 in Fort Wayne, 45748 in Huntertown and 46765 in Leo-Cedarville with a...
,
Frost Illustrated,
Ink,
The Macedonian Tribune (the oldest and largest
Macedonian languageMacedonian is the official language of Republic of Macedonia and is a part of the Eastern group of South Slavic languages. Macedonian is closely related to and shares a high degree of mutual intelligibility with the Bulgarian language and to a certain extent with Serbian and Croatian...
publication produced outside of the
BalkansThe Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
),
St. Joe TimesThe St. Joe Times is one of five community publications published by KPC Media Group, Inc. in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is a freely circulated, monthly newspaper which is direct mailed to zip code 46835 in Northeast Fort Wayne, with a circulation of approximately 15,000 addresses. It contains...
,
whatzup Entertainment Newspaper, and
The Waynedale News.
The Fort Wayne radio market is the
103rd-largestArbitron is a radio audience research company in the United States which collects listener data on radio audiences similar to that collected by Nielsen Media Research on television audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became bi-coastal by merging with L.A....
in the nation. Beginning broadcasting in 1925, Fort Wayne's second radio station,
WOWOLocated in Fort Wayne, Indiana, WOWO is an independent news/talk radio station transmitting on 1190 kHz at 50,000 watts during the daylight hours and 9,800 watts during the nighttime hours...
, is now an independent news/talk radio station, featuring local and network news talkshows. Two
National Public RadioNational Public Radio is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to 797 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, signed into law...
stations, WBNI and
WBOIWBOI is an FM radio station located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The station operates on the FM radio frequency of 89.1 MHz. It is a National Public Radio member station in Fort Wayne, Indiana, owned and operated by Northeast Indiana Public Radio, a non-profit organization. The station has studios and...
, are based in the city. Fort Wayne is the 107
th-largest
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
media marketA media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
in the nation. Broadcast network affiliates include
WANE-TVWANE-TV is a television station in Fort Wayne, Indiana broadcasting as a CBS affiliate under the name NewsChannel 15. WANE-TV also broadcasts in high-definition on digital channel 31. Its transmitter is located in Fort Wayne...
(
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
),
WFFT-TVWFFT-TV is a television station in Fort Wayne, Indiana which broadcasts as a Fox affiliate on channel 55, remapped from RF channel 36. Its transmitter is located on Hillegas Road in Fort Wayne.-History:...
(
FoxThe Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...
),
WISE-TVWISE-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Northern Indiana that is licensed to Fort Wayne. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 18 from a transmitter on West State Boulevard. The station can also be seen on Verizon FiOS channel 4 and Comcast channel 13...
(
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
),
WPTAWPTA is the ABC-affiliated television station for Northern Indiana that is licensed to Fort Wayne. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 24 from a transmitter at its studios on Butler Road. Owned by Malara Broadcasting, the station is operated under a local marketing...
(
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
), and
WFWAWFWA is a public television station in Fort Wayne, Indiana, broadcasting locally on channel 39 as a PBS member station. Bruce Haines is the current president and general manager of WFWA.-History:...
(PBS). Religious broadcasters include
WINMWINM is a religious television station in Angola, Indiana, broadcasting locally on digital channel 12. It is a Tri-State Christian Television owned-and-operated station...
and
W07CLW07CL is a low-power television station in Auburn, Indiana, broadcasting locally on VHF channel 7 as a full-time affiliate of the Three Angels Broadcasting Network...
. The CW Network and My Network TV also are cable-only for many Fort Wayne market viewers as they are broadcast by digital sub-channels of WPTA-TV and WISE-TV, respectively, and not broadcast on an
NTSCNTSC, named for the National Television System Committee is the analog television system used in most of the Americas, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Burma, and some Pacific island nations and territories . is also the name of the U.S. standardization body that developed the broadcast standard...
channel.
Recreation
Fort Wayne's first park (and smallest), the 0.2 acre (800 m²) Old Fort Park, was established in 1863. The newest developed park includes Buckner Park, established in 2004. Franke Park is Fort Wayne's most extensive park, at 316.4 acres (1.3 km²), also the home of the
Fort Wayne Children's ZooThe Fort Wayne Children's Zoo is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Since opening in 1965, the 1,500 animal zoo has been located on 38 acres in Fort Wayne's Franke Park...
(ranked fifth best zoo in the nation by
Parents magazineParents, currently published by the Meredith Corporation, is the oldest parenting publication in the U.S.Its editorial focus is on the daily needs and concerns of contemporary moms with young children. The glossy monthly features information about child health, safety, behavior, discipline and...
in 2009). Downtown Fort Wayne is home to the
Foellinger-Freimann Botanical ConservatoryThe Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory is an enclosed conservatory in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Opened in 1983, the conservatory contains a seasonal showcase garden, a tropical oasis display, with a waterfall, Sonoran Desert display, and outdoor terrace and exploration...
and the Lawton Skatepark. As of 2007, Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation maintained 84 parks and dozens of smaller community parks and playgrounds, covering 2,805 acres (8.9 km²). Allen County Parks include Cook's Landing County Park, Fox Island County Park, Metea County Park, and Payton County Park, all four of which cover nearly 900 acres (3.6 km²). Northeast of Fort Wayne, near
GrabillGrabill is a town in Cedar Creek Township, Allen County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,113 at the 2000 census. The town was founded in 1907 around the Grabill family home. Today it is known for the presence of antique stores and Amish farms...
, is Hurshtown Reservoir, the largest body of water in Allen County, at .
Fort Wayne is also making efforts in restoring natural wetlands to the region. In southwest Allen County, the Little River Wetlands Project's Eagle Marsh contains 705 acres (2.85 km²) of protected wetlands, making it one of the largest wetland restorations in the state of Indiana. Nearby Arrowhead Marsh is also in the process of restoration. Many species of turtles, herons, and cranes have been reported of making a resurgence in the wetlands.
Trails
In recent decades, Fort Wayne has developed new paths and paved walking trails along the riverbanks, known as the Rivergreenway Trail System, not only to beautify the riverfronts, but to also promote healthier living habits for residents around the community. The Rivergreenway Trail System currently encompasses throughout Allen County. The Rivergreenway was designated as a
National Recreation TrailNational Recreation Trail is a designation given to existing trails that contribute to health, conservation, and recreation goals in the United States. About 1,000 trails in all 50 states, available for public use and ranging from less than a mile to in length, have been designated as NRTs on...
in 2009.
It was announced November 2007, that the
Indiana Department of TransportationThe Indiana Department of Transportation is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Indiana charged with maintaining and regulating transportation and transportation related infrastructure such as state owned airports, state highways and state owned canals or railroads.-Lists of roads:...
(INDOT) had awarded the City of Fort Wayne nearly $1 million to aid in construction that will soon begin on a new extension of the Rivergreenway, called the Pufferbelly Trail, that will eventually link the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo in Franke Park and the northern suburbs of Fort Wayne with the rest of the trail system. The final plan includes joining
Pokagon State ParkPokagon State Park is located in northeastern Indiana close to the village of Fremont and north of Angola. Named for the 19th century Potawatomi chief Leopold and his widely-known son, Simon Pokagon by Richard Lieber's suggestion, the 1,260 acre park has an inn, camping facilities, and a staff of...
near
Angola, IndianaAngola is a city in Pleasant Township, Steuben County, Indiana, United States. The population was 7,344 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Steuben County . Angola was founded by Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore. Angola is home to Trine University...
in the north, and
Ouabache State ParkOuabache is a state park in Indiana. It is located south of Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was originally the Wells County State Forest and Game Preserve, formed in the early 1930s...
in the south near
Bluffton, IndianaBluffton is a city in Harrison and Lancaster Townships, Wells County, Indiana, United States. The population was 9,536 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Wells County.-Geography:Bluffton is located at ....
.
In the spring of 2008,
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
affiliate WPTA-TV received $10,000 in seed money from the reality television series
Oprah's Big GiveOprah's Big Give is a reality television series that aired Sunday nights at 9:00 PM Eastern/8:00PM Central on ABC, and is hosted by Nate Berkus. The Big Give is produced by Harpo Productions, and created and produced by Oprah Winfrey, and also produced by Bert Van Munster and Elise Doganieri...
which was then received by Aboite New Trails, Fort Wayne Trails, Greenway Consortium, and Northwest Allen Trails, four organizations in Fort Wayne. The donations topped $1 million April 12, 2008 at a community celebration named
Oprah's Big Give: Fort Wayne Trails in Headwaters Park with
Indianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
Coach
Tony DungyAnthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
and players in attendance. On April 21, 2008, Fort Wayne was featured on a segment of
The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is a United States syndicated talk show, hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey, and is the highest-rated talk show in American television history...
in recognition for raising the most money of the ninety participating cities in the country. The final total rounded-out to $1.2 million.
In March 2009, Mayor Tom Henry announced plans for the placement of three bicycle lanes on streets throughout the city in response to a survey conducted in the fall of 2008 in which thousands answered regarding the need for such lanes in the community.
Education
Fort Wayne is home of
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort WayneIndiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne is the largest university in northeast Indiana, offering nearly 200 IU and Purdue degrees and certificates. Since 1968, IPFW has conferred nearly 8,500 master’s degrees, 25,000 bachelor’s degrees, more than 19,000 associate degrees, and nearly 2,000...
(IPFW), with an enrollment of 13,675, it is the fifth-largest
public universityA public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities...
campus in Indiana. The city also holds the main campus of the Northeast Region of Ivy Tech Community College, the second-largest public
community collegeA community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-United States:In the United States, community colleges, sometimes called junior colleges, technical colleges, or city colleges, are primarily two-year public institutions providing...
campus in Indiana.
Indiana UniversityIndiana University, founded in 1820 as the Indiana State Seminary and renamed the Indiana College in 1846, is a nine-campus university system in the state of Indiana...
maintains the third public higher educational facility in the city with the Fort Wayne Center for Medical Education, a branch of the IU School of Medicine.
Religious-affiliated schools in the city include the
University of Saint FrancisThe University of Saint Francis is a liberal arts university located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, the university promotes Catholic and Franciscan values...
(Roman Catholic),
Concordia Theological SeminaryThe Concordia Theological Seminary is an institution of theological higher education of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod , located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, dedicated primarily to the preparation of pastors for the congregations and missions of the LCMS...
(
LutheranThe Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod , founded in 1847 in Chicago, is the eighth largest Protestant denomination in the United States, and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It is a traditional, Confessional Lutheran denomination with German...
), and
Indiana Wesleyan UniversityIndiana Wesleyan University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located in Marion, Indiana that is affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination...
(
Wesleyan ChurchThe Wesleyan Church is a Holiness Methodist Christian denomination in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Namibia and Australia. The Church is part of the Holiness Movement and has roots in the teachings of John Wesley...
). Business and technical schools include
Indiana Institute of TechnologyThe Indiana Institute of Technology is a small, private college located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. The university specializes in career-oriented degree programs in business, engineering, computer science, education, criminal justice and more...
(IIT) as well as regional branches of Trine University, Brown Mackie College,
Harrison CollegeHarrison College, formerly known as Indiana Business College, is a career college based in Indianapolis, Indiana, with locations across Indiana, online and in Ohio...
,
ITT Technical InstituteITT Technical Institute is a private, for-profit, technical institute with 108 campuses in 38 states of the United States. ITT Tech is owned and operated by ITT Educational Services, Inc. , a publicly traded company. ITT Educational Services, Inc...
, and International Business College.
Public education is offered in the four districts of
East Allen County SchoolsThe East Allen County School corporation, known as EACS for short, is an Allen County area public school district, one of the largest in area in Indiana, encompassing southeast Fort Wayne, all of Grabill, Harlan, Hoagland, Leo-Cedarville, Monroeville, New Haven, Poe, and Woodburn. It operates seven...
,
Fort Wayne Community SchoolsThe Fort Wayne Community Schools corporation is the Fort Wayne, Indiana area public school district, and is the second largest in Indiana. It operates six high schools, eleven middle schools, and over thirty elementary schools, serving 31,815 students in 2003-2004. FWCS's current superintendent...
,
Northwest Allen County SchoolsNorthwest Allen County Schools is a public school district that serves Lake, Eel River, and Perry Townships in Allen County, Indiana.The school district was organized in 1959 by the consolidation of three previous school districts....
, and
Southwest Allen County SchoolsSouthwest Allen County Schools is a school district in Indiana serving both Aboite and Lafayette Township residents of Allen County, including those township area incorporated into Fort Wayne....
. By means of private education, the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South BendThe Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is a Roman Catholic diocese in north-central and northeastern Indiana. Most Reverend John M. D'Arcy is the sitting bishop and has served in that position since 1985. The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend encompasses 14 Indiana counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb,...
operate 13 schools within Allen County, while
Lutheran Schools of IndianaThe Indiana District is one of the 35 districts of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod , and encompasses the state of Indiana as well as most of western Kentucky; the remainder of Kentucky is divided between the Mid-South District and the Ohio District...
operate 14 schools within the county. Amish Parochial Schools of Indiana has schools through eighth grade in rural eastern Allen County.
Libraries
Fort Wayne and Allen County residents have been served by the
Allen County Public LibraryThe Allen County Public Library has been part of the social and cultural fabric of Fort Wayne, Indiana and surrounding communities in Allen County since 1895. Then known as the Fort Wayne Public Library, it served residents with 3,606 volumes in a room in City Hall...
(ACPL) and its thirteen branches since its founding in 1895 as the Fort Wayne Public Library. The entire library system began an $84.1 million overhaul of its branches in 2002, finishing work by 2007. The centerpiece, the Main Library Branch, now covers , featuring an art gallery, underground parking garage, bookstore, café, and community auditorium. According to data from 2005, 5.4 million materials were borrowed by patrons, and 2.5 million visits were made throughout the library system. The Fred J. Reynolds Historical Genealogy Department, located in the Main Library Branch, is the largest public
genealogyGenealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
department in the United States, home to more than 350,000 printed volumes and 513,000 items of microfilm and microfiche.
In 1997,
Places Rated Almanac recognized Fort Wayne as having the highest reading quotient of any place in
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
, due in part to the city's quality library system.
Airports
Fort Wayne International AirportFort Wayne International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located seven miles southwest of the central business district of Fort Wayne, in Allen County, Indiana, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Fort Wayne/Allen County Airport Authority.The airport contains one...
is the state's third busiest airport behind
Indianapolis International AirportIndianapolis International Airport is a public airport located seven miles southwest of the central business district of Indianapolis, a city in Marion County, Indiana, United States. It is owned and operated by the Indianapolis Airport Authority...
and
South Bend Regional AirportSouth Bend Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of South Bend, a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. This airport is publicly owned by St. Joseph County Airport Authority...
, serving almost 600,000 passengers in 2008. Fort Wayne International shares the distinction with
O'Hare International AirportO'Hare International Airport , also known simply as O'Hare Airport or O'Hare Field or O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop. It serves as the primary and largest hub for United Airlines and as a hub for...
and
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County AirportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , sometimes called Detroit Metro Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Detroit Metro Wayne Airport, Metro Airport, or simply DTW, is a major international airport in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport.Detroit is the...
as one of three Midwest commercial airports containing a runway. Fort Wayne International is also homebase for the
122d Fighter WingThe United States Air Force's 122d Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard fighter unit located at Fort Wayne International Airport in Fort Wayne, Indiana.-History:...
of the Indiana Air National Guard. Smith Field, in northern Fort Wayne, is used primarily for small aircraft and pilot education and training.
InterstatesThe Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System , is a network of limited-access highways in the United States that is named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who championed its formation...
Interstate 69Interstate 69 is an Interstate Highway in the United States. It exists in two parts: a completed highway from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, and a mostly-proposed extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas...
runs south to Indianapolis and north to Port Huron, MichiganPort Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 32,338 at the 2000 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
, straddling the west and north fringes of Fort Wayne
Interstate 469Interstate 469 , also known as the Ronald Reagan Expressway, is an Interstate Highway in the midwestern United States. It is a bypass of parent Interstate 69 that includes U.S. Highways 30, 33 and 24 around the urban parts of Fort Wayne, Indiana...
(Ronald Reagan Expressway) completes a beltway around Fort Wayne and New Haven's southern and eastern outskirts
Indiana State Roads
Airport Expressway, a four-lane divided highway, provides direct access to Fort Wayne International Airport from Interstate 69.
Mass transit
Fort Wayne's mass transit system is managed by the Fort Wayne Public Transportation Corporation.
Citilink provides bus service via twelve routes through the cities of Fort Wayne and
New HavenNew Haven is a city in Jefferson and Adams townships, Allen County, Indiana, United States. It is a suburb of Fort Wayne situated mostly along the southern banks of the Maumee River. The population was 12,406 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, along with
Citiloop, a trolley service offered downtown in the summer season. The system's annual ridership is 2.2 million.
Health care
Fort Wayne is served by six hospitals;
Parkview HospitalParkview Hospital, founded in 1878 as Fort Wayne City Hospital, is the flagship hospital of Parkview Health System in northeastern Indiana. It has also been called Hope Hospital and Methodist Hospital...
, Lutheran Hospital of Indiana, Saint Joseph Hospital, Dupont Hospital, Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Wayne, and Parkview North Hospital, encompassing over 1,300 patient beds. These six hospitals belong to either of the two health networks serving the region: Parkview Health System or Lutheran Health Network.
Utilities
Electricity is provided to Fort Wayne residents by
Indiana Michigan PowerAmerican Electric Power is a major investor-owner electric utility in various parts of the United States. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S...
, a subsidiary of
American Electric PowerAmerican Electric Power is a major investor-owner electric utility in various parts of the United States. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S...
, serving 575,000 customers in northeastern Indiana and southern Michigan.
Northern Indiana Public Service CompanyNiSource, Inc. , based in Merrillville, Indiana, is a Fortune 500 company engaged in natural gas transmission, storage and distribution, as well as electric generation, transmission and distribution...
(NIPSCO) provides area residents with
natural gasNatural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills...
. The City of Fort Wayne supplies residents with 72 million gallons of water per day via the Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant and Saint Joseph River. Hurshtown Reservoir, in northeast Allen County, contains 1.8 billion gallons of water to be rationed in the event of a major drought or disaster at the three rivers.
See also
- Glenbrook Square
Glenbrook Square is located at 4201 Coldwater Road, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.Built in 1966, and expanded in 1976, 1981, 1990, 1994, and 1998, Glenbrook Square annually receives over 15 million visitors, and is the only enclosed super-regional mall in northeast Indiana, as well as the second-largest...
- List of Fort Wayne, Indiana neighborhoods
- List of people from Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Northern Indiana
Northern Indiana is the region of Indiana including 26 counties bordering parts of Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. The area is generally sub-classified into other regions. The northwest is economically and culturally intertwined with Chicago, and is considered part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
- Siege of Fort Wayne
The Siege of Fort Wayne took place during the War of 1812, between United States and American Indian forces in the wake of the successful British campaigns of 1812.-Background:...
Further reading
- Beaty, John D., History of Fort Wayne & Allen County, Indiana, 1700-2005, M.T. Publishing Company, 2006, ISBN 1-932439-44-7
- Bushnell, Scott M., Historic Photos of Fort Wayne, Turner Publishing Company, 2007, ISBN 9781596523777
- Gramling, Chad, Baseball in Fort Wayne, Arcadia Publishing
Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of local history. It was founded in Dover, New Hampshire in 1993 by United Kingdom-based Tempus Publishing, but became independent in 2004....
, 2007, ISBN 9780738541297
- Griswold, Bert J., Fort Wayne, Gateway of the West, AMS Press, 1973, ISBN 0-404-07133-3
- Hawfield, Michael C., Fort Wayne Cityscapes: Highlights of a Community's History, Windsor Publications, 1988, ISBN 0-89781-244-1
- Paddock, Geoff, Headwaters Park: Fort Wayne's Lasting Legacy, Arcadia Publishing, 2002, ISBN 0-7385-1971-5
- Violette, Ralph, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Arcadia Publishing, 2000, ISBN 0752413090
External links