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92-571: 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 Mississinewas , it is believed to be one of only three treaty houses built east of the Mississippi River . It was designated a National Historic Landmark on March 2, 2012. Chief Richardville , the principal chief of the Miami from 1812 until his death in 1841, signed several treaties with

184-546: A United States fur trade factory was established in Fort Wayne. It was burned by the local Indians at the beginning of the War of 1812 . The first settlement started in 1815. In 1819, the military garrison abandoned the fort and moved to Detroit. In 1822, a federal land office opened to sell land ceded by local Native Americans by the Treaty of St. Mary's in 1818. Platted in 1823 at

276-711: A lacustrine plain formed by Glacial Lake Maumee . The Little River flows southwest of Fort Wayne, a tributary of the Wabash River , and remnant of the Maumee Torrent . Fort Wayne is situated on the Saint Lawrence River Divide , a continental divide separating the Great Lakes Basin from the Gulf of Mexico watershed. The most important geographical feature of the area is the short distance over land between

368-401: A park and boulevard plan conceived by urban planner Charles Mulford Robinson in 1909 and finalized by landscape architect George Kessler in 1912. The master plan proposed a network of parkways and boulevards connecting the city's three rivers and Spy Run Creek to dozens of neighborhoods and parks. Several parks were designed by noted landscape architect Arthur Asahel Shurcliff . Much of

460-504: A land grant on March 2, 1827, for the canal's construction. On January 5, 1828, the Indiana General Assembly accepted the grant and appointed three commissioners. These commissioners concluded that the canal would have to extend into Ohio and petitioned that state to appoint a commission of their own. The state legislature approved the plan and new commissioners appointed. After several legislative battles begun by proponents of

552-508: A male householder with no wife present, and 38.0% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age in the city was 34.5 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 12% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

644-438: A number of locations, particularly during heavy rainfall events. However, as of 2023, a several million dollar citywide sewage overflow tunnel project is set to be completed, among additional efforts, such as a $ 135 million investment from the city into rain gardens , to prevent further discharge into the rivers. There has been growing investment and development along the riverfront since at least 2019. Fort Wayne lies in

736-459: A small trading outpost. It was part of a group of forts and trading posts built between Quebec and St. Louis . The first census in 1744 recorded a population of approximately 40 Frenchmen and 1,000 Miamians. Increasing tension between France and Great Britain developed over control of the territory. In 1760, France ceded the area to Britain after its forces in North America surrendered during

828-551: A visit from then president of the United States, Ronald Reagan. In the 1990s, the city began a turnaround. Local leaders focused on crime reduction, economic diversification, and downtown redevelopment. By 1999, Fort Wayne's crime rate decreased to the lowest levels since 1974, and the city's economy recovered, with the unemployment rate hovering at 2.4 percent in 1998. Clearing blighted buildings downtown resulted in new public greenspaces, including Headwaters Park, which has become

920-571: A weak tornado formed on the city's west central side and moved northeast, striking the downtown area. On May 26, 2001, an EF1 tornado struck a shopping center on the city's northeast side, flipping cars and damaging roofs and windows on nearby residences and businesses. Three people were injured in the storm. The city experienced 91 mph (146 km/h) wind gusts in the June 2012 North American derecho , knocking out power to 78,000, uprooting approximately 500 trees, and costing $ 2.5 million. Fort Wayne

1012-407: Is 29 percent, double the state average of 14.5 percent and above the national average of 27.1 percent. The canopy is decreasing, notably from development and the emerald ash borer infestation . Fort Wayne has been designated a Tree City USA since 1990. Historically, Fort Wayne has been divided into four unofficial quadrants: northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest. Calhoun Street divides

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1104-621: Is 42 miles (68 km) long. Legally referred to as the Cross Cut Canal. This created a link to the Central Canal and a route to Evansville. Since no other section of the Cross Cut Canal was contemplated nor built, it is considered historically to be part of the Wabash and Erie Canal. The canal had to overcome the 78 feet (24 m) at the summit. Water was supplied by the Eel River Feeder,

1196-508: Is a center for the defense industry which employs 1-2% of the population. Fort Wayne was an All-America City Award recipient in 1983, 1998, 2009, and 2021. The city also received an Outstanding Achievement City Livability Award by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 1999. This area here on the river confluence was occupied by successive cultures of indigenous peoples for as long as 10,000 years. The Miami tribe would eventually establish its settlement of Kekionga at this confluence of

1288-460: Is another home owned by Richardville (lived in by Chief LaFontaine)– a white, two-story Greek Revival filled with period furniture and portraits of the owners. This is also the site where treaties were signed. Today, this house forms the centerpiece of the historic Forks of the Wabash park. Poinsatte, Charles R. (1969). Fort Wayne during the Canal era, 1828-1855: a study of a western community in

1380-480: Is included in an Indiana State Museum Exhibit. Wabash and Erie Canal, America's longest at approximately 460 miles (740 km), linked Lake Erie at Toledo, Ohio with Ohio River at Evansville 1853." After the lock was moved to the Indiana State Museum in 1992, a historical marker was placed at its location (just east of the interchange of I-469 and US-24) . At the same time that the lock was discovered, it

1472-445: Is not uncommon to the region, but usually appears in the form of light snow flurries. The National Weather Service reports the highest recorded temperature in the city at 106 °F (41 °C), most recently on June 28, 2012, and the lowest recorded temperature at −24 °F (−31 °C) on January 12, 1918. The wettest month on record was June 2015, with 11.98 in (304 mm) of precipitation. The greatest 24-hour rainfall

1564-406: Is signed as being crossed by Interstate 64 at the milepost 32 crossing over Pigeon Creek. Travel along the canal was accomplished by canal packets. There were freight and passenger packets. The passenger packet consisted of a series of rooms along the length. Towards the front was the main saloon. Here meals were taken. This room was converted into a men's dorm for sleeping. The ladies saloon

1656-512: Is the principal city of the Fort Wayne metropolitan area , consisting of Allen and Whitley counties in Indiana. It had an estimated population of 423,038 as of 2021. In addition to the two core counties, the greater Fort Wayne combined statistical area includes Adams , DeKalb , Huntington , Noble , Steuben , and Wells counties, with an estimated population of 649,105 in 2021. According to

1748-436: The 2010 census , there were 253,691 people and 113,541 households. The racial makeup of the city is 73.62% White , 15.41% Black or African American , 0.37% Native American or Alaska Native , 3.3% Asian (1.4% Burmese , 0.4% Indian , 0.3% Vietnamese , 0.2% Chinese , 0.2% Filipino , 0.1% Korean , 0.1% Laotian , 0.1% Thai ), 0.06% Pacific Islander , 3.72% from other races , and 3.52% from two or more races . 7.96% of

1840-452: The 2020 census , making it the second-most populous city in Indiana after Indianapolis , and the 83rd-most populous city in the United States. It is the principal city of the Fort Wayne metropolitan area , consisting of Allen and Whitley counties which had an estimated population of 423,038 as of 2021. Fort Wayne is the cultural and economic center of northeastern Indiana. Fort Wayne

1932-546: The American Revolutionary War . In 1780, French Canadian soldiers coming to assist the U.S. with the revolution were slaughtered in several nearby locations in what is known as La Balme's Defeat . At the end of the Revolutionary War, in the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Britain ceded this area to the new United States, though they continued to maintain an influence on trading activity and the forts of Miami, with

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2024-605: The Appalachian Mountains , and refused to meet for negotiations over a possible treaty to instead cede land for white settlement. The growing violence led to the Northwest Indian War . In 1790, President George Washington ordered the U.S. Army to subdue and pacify the tribes. The first expedition, led by General Josiah Harmar reached Kekionga and exercised scorched earth tactics on the village and crops. Miami war chief Little Turtle , who had been long tracking

2116-500: The Arts United Center (1973) was inspired by a violin and its case. Other notable buildings include Indiana Michigan Power Center (1982), the tallest building in the city and tallest building in Indiana outside of Indianapolis, at 442 feet (135 m). The 1970s characterized an era in Fort Wayne that saw substantial changes to the downtown area in accommodation of increasing suburbanization and urban sprawl that began in

2208-588: The Battle of Fallen Timbers . The fort throughout this period was described as a, "Defiant mixture of Indian warriors and lawless renegades of the frontier, such as the Girties. It was also the home of a heterogeneous population of English and French traders and their families, French 'engages", and Miami, Delaware and Shawnee tribes." In 1772, the British regained influence over the village after Sir William Johnson suggested to

2300-577: The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception , Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church and Trinity Episcopal Church . Fort Wayne's Reform Judaism population is served by Congregation Achduth Vesholom , the oldest Jewish congregation in Indiana, founded in 1848. In 2013, construction began on the first Burmese Muslim mosque to be built worldwide since the mid-1970s. As of December 2012, four national Christian denominations were headquartered in

2392-667: The Ewing Tavern , the village became an important frontier outpost and was incorporated as the Town of Fort Wayne in 1829, with a population of 300. The Wabash and Erie Canal 's opening improved travel conditions to the Great Lakes and Mississippi River , exposing Fort Wayne to expanded economic opportunities. The population topped 2,000 when the town was incorporated as the City of Fort Wayne on February 22, 1840. Pioneer newspaperman George W. Wood

2484-422: The Fort Wayne metropolitan area had a gross domestic product (GDP) of $ 25.7 billion. The top four industries were manufacturing ($ 8.1B), health care ($ 2.54B), retail trade ($ 1.4B), and finance and insurance ($ 1.3B) Government, if it had been a private industry, would have tied for third, generating $ 1.4 billion. Wabash and Erie Canal The canal known as the Wabash & Erie in the 1850s and thereafter,

2576-667: The Masonic Temple (1926) and North Side High School (1927). Beaux-Arts , an architectural style closely related to Neoclassical, gained popularity during the City Beautiful movement of the 1890s and early 1900s, which is reflected in the Allen County Courthouse (1902). The Pennsylvania Railroad Station , also known as Baker Street Station (1914), was designed in American Craftsman style. At 312 feet (95 m),

2668-583: The Maumee , St. Joseph , and St. Marys rivers in the late stages of the Beaver Wars in the 1690s. It was the capital of the Miami nation and related Algonquian tribes. In 1696, Comte de Frontenac appointed Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes , who began visiting Kekionga in 1702, and would later build the original Fort Miami here in the wilderness and pays d'en Haut of New France around 1706; Initially,

2760-651: The Ohio River into the area, leading to conflict with an alliance of native tribes known as the Western Confederacy . It was headquartered at Kekionga, where the Miami had permitted two refugee tribes dislodged by white homesteaders, the Delaware and the Shawnee, to resettle. The confederacy—which included other Great Lakes and Algonquin tribes as well—began sending war parties to raid settlers, hoping to drive them back across

2852-649: The Seven Years' War , known on the North American front as the French and Indian War . Managing to hold down the fort for only a mere couple of years, the British lost control of it in 1763 when various Native American nations rebelled against British rule and retook the fort as part of Pontiac's Rebellion . From this point forward in 1763, no active fort existed at Kekionga for the next three decades until American General Anthony Wayne established Fort Wayne in 1794, following

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2944-728: The U.S. Army by Native Americans in history. This defeat left the US army crippled and borders open to attacks from the British and allied native tribes. General Anthony Wayne was recalled from civilian life to lead a third expedition, defeating the confederacy's warriors at the Battle of Fallen Timbers , near modern-day Toledo, Ohio on August 20, 1794. Wayne's men then marched up the Maumee River , systematically burning evacuated native towns, crops, and winter food stores, until they reached its headwaters, where Kekionga remained in ruins. Wayne then confronted

3036-474: The United States government as it negotiated with the Miami tribe for its eventual removal from Indiana as a recognized nation. Lands were reserved for Richardville's personal use, and $ 600 was provided for the building of a home. The Richardville House's architecture reflects both Greek Revival and Federal styles. When completed, using both the government's and his own funds, Richardville's Fort Wayne home

3128-617: The Wabash River . Here, the canal crossed 5 miles to the Little Wabash River and headed downstream through Indiana. Since this was the highest point on the canal (i.e., the summit), Fort Wayne became known as the "Summit City." Located along this section is the Vermilyea Inn Historic District . Roanoke – Lock 4 (originally Lock 1) was built between 1834-1835 and is found between the intersections of U.S. 24 & 2nd Street and U.S. 24 & 1st Street. Parts of

3220-513: The humid continental climate zone ( Köppen : Dfa ), experiencing four distinct seasons. The city is located in USDA hardiness zones 5b and 6a. Typically, summers are hot, humid, and wet. Winters are generally cold with moderate snowfall. The average annual precipitation is 38.34 in (974 mm), recorded at Fort Wayne International Airport. During the winter season, snowfall accumulation averages 33.5 in (85 cm) per year. Lake-effect snow

3312-446: The last glacial period . The most distinguishable topographical feature is Cedar Creek Canyon , just north of the city proper near Huntertown . The Fort Wayne Moraine follows two of the city's three rivers: the St. Marys and St. Joseph . The two rivers converge to form the Maumee , which eventually empties into Lake Erie . Land east of the moraine includes the former Great Black Swamp ,

3404-603: The $ 130 million Harrison Square development was launched, creating Parkview Field . Suburban growth continued, with the opening of Fort Wayne's first lifestyle center , Jefferson Pointe , and the half-billion dollar Parkview Regional Medical Center in 2012. Fort Wayne is in the East North Central region of the Midwestern United States , in northeastern Indiana , 18 miles (29 km) west of Ohio and 50 miles (80 km) south of Michigan . According to

3496-751: The 1960s. According to the Fort Wayne Home Builders Association estimates, more than 80 percent of new home construction occurred outside the city proper in the 1970s. Like many cities in the Rust Belt , deindustrialization in the 1980s brought urban blight , increased crime, and a decrease in blue-collar manufacturing jobs. Downtown and surrounding neighborhoods continued declining as residents and businesses sprawled further into rural Allen County. A 1982 flood forced an evacuation of 9,000 residents, damaging 2,000 buildings, and costing $ 56.1 million (1982 USD, $ 137 million 2015 USD), prompting

3588-517: The 2010 census, Fort Wayne has a total area of 110.834 square miles (287.06 km ), of which 110.62 square miles (286.50 km ) (or 99.81%) is land and 0.214 square miles (0.55 km ) (or 0.19%) is water. For a regional summit , the city is situated on flat land characterized by little topographical relief, a result of the Wisconsin glaciation episode . Receding glaciers eroded the land, depositing an evenly distributed layer of sediment during

3680-507: The American pioneer settlers who continued to develop the area as a transportation and communications center. Chief Little Turtle of the Miami Nation expressed its importance eloquently at the treaty of Greenville in 1795 when he called it "that glorious gate...through which all the words of our chiefs had to pass through from north to south and from east to west". Fort Wayne's urban tree canopy

3772-683: The Art Deco-style Lincoln Bank Tower was Fort Wayne's first high-rise and Indiana's tallest building from 1930 to 1962. The E. Ross Adair Federal Building and United States Courthouse (1932) is another example of Art Deco architecture. Williams–Woodland Park Historic District includes examples of Queen Anne and Colonial Revival residential homes, while the Forest Park Boulevard Historic District includes Tudor Revival homes. Modern and Postmodern architecture can be found in buildings constructed during

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3864-497: The Birch Creek Reservoir and Splunge Creek Reservoir. Work started in 1836 but abandoned in 1839. The project was completed in 1850, serving the Wabash and Erie Canal system until 1861. The Cross Cut Canal is considered to be part of the Wabash & Erie Canal System. Eel River Feeder Dam is 180 feet (55 m) long and 16.5 feet (5.0 m) high. It was completed in 1839. It was constructed to carry enough water from

3956-433: The British at Fort Miami, where the British debated an attack. Later, Wayne selected the site for construction of Fort Wayne , he ordered a fort that could withstand heavy British artillery, especially a 24-pound cannon, along with attacks from their army or native allies. The following year, Wayne negotiated a peace accord, the Treaty of Greenville with tribal leaders, in which they agreed to stop fighting, end support of

4048-456: The British, and ceded most of what is now Ohio along with certain tracts further west, including the area around Fort Wayne encompassing Kekionga and the land portage. Wayne promised the remainder would remain Indian lands, which is why the territory west of Ohio was named Indiana. Wayne would die one year later and a Spanish spy James Wilkinson would assume his role as General. In subsequent years,

4140-643: The Miami and Erie Canal crossed the Maumee River and turned south up the Auglaize River . At Junction, Ohio , a split occurred. Southward, the Miami and Erie Canal continued to the divide with the Great Miami and eventually the Ohio River at Cincinnati. Meanwhile, the Wabash & Erie Canal continued west along the Maumee River to the portage at Fort Wayne, Indiana. Gronauer Lock No 2 "Wabash and Erie Canal lock

4232-662: The Three Rivers system, which eventually flows to the Atlantic, and the Wabash system, which eventually flows to the Gulf of Mexico. This came to be the "portage" or carrying place, over which travelers could transport their cargoes from one system to the next. This natural crossroads attracted the Native Americans for thousands of years. It later attracted the European explorers and traders and

4324-584: The Wabash Canal made its last docking in 1874 in Huntington, Indiana ; other sections shut down years earlier. In 1887, Paulding County, Ohio , residents put the final nail in the canal system's coffin: unhappy with mosquitoes breeding in the stagnant waters of Six Mile Reservoir, they cut the dike and drained it in the Reservoir war . There were several other "reservoir wars" during the canal's colorful history over

4416-801: The West fork of the White and Patoka Rivers until reaching the Ohio River in Evansville , using Pigeon Creek . The Miami and Erie Canal runs from Toledo to Cincinnati . The route as far as the Napoleon Bend was used by the Wabash & Erie Canal to reach Lake Erie . The joint route includes the following towns and cities. Toledo, Bend View Metro park (towpath), Side Cut Metro park (towpath & 3 of 6 locks). Providence (operating canal section). Maumee, Waterville, Providence/Grand Rapids (locks and other canal features), Independence. Defiance At Defiance ,

4508-476: The arch culvert can still be seen in the creek Huntington – intersection of North Jefferson Street and East Washington on North Jefferson Street Canal Landing on Washington Street – The Huntington Landing started 120 feet (37 m) west on Washington St and continued to the lock at Cherry St. The Wabash & Erie canal was 4 feet (1.2 m) deep and 100 feet (30 m) wide as this point. Other locks were at First St. and Byron St. The Canal

4600-537: The banks of the canal in Delphi, Indiana. The interpretive center includes a model canal with a miniature reservoir, aqueduct, lock, and gristmill. The model canal boat Gen. Grant shows the type of boats that carried freight on the canal during its final years of full-scale operation from the 1860s to 1874. The visitor center was opened in 2003. The interpretive center is operated by the Wabash & Erie Canal Association ,

4692-481: The canal was not economically viable. Even when canal boats were operated at extremely slow speeds, the banks rapidly eroded, and the canal had to be constantly dredged to be operable. Terre Haute , Indiana, housed the headquarters of the canal from 1847 through 1876, when the canal lands were sold at an auction conducted by resident trustee Thomas Dowling at the Vigo County Courthouse . The last canalboat on

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4784-514: The city during the early 1950s, of which resulted in the demolition of several prominent and historical buildings and homes around the downtown area. This included several hotels, such as the historic thirteen-floor Hotel Anthony. Most of which, were demolished for surface-level parking lots . One example was the Ewing Homestead, built by William Ewing in 1838, it once stood at the northwest corner of Berry Street: This three-story brick mansion

4876-410: The city include Queen Anne , Richardsonian Romanesque , Neoclassical , Colonial Revival , Dutch Colonial Revival , Tudor Revival , Prairie , American Craftsman , American Foursquare , and Art Deco . Richardsonian Romanesque buildings include Fort Wayne City Hall (1893) and John H. Bass Mansion (1902), each designed by Wing & Mahurin . Notable examples of Neoclassical architecture include

4968-493: The city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female. Fort Wayne has one of the largest Burmese American population in the U.S., estimated at 8,000. Burmese refugee settlement and "secondary migrants" doubled the city's Asian population between 2000 and 2010. Fort Wayne is sometimes referred to as the "City of Churches", an unofficial moniker dating to the late-19th century when the city was the regional hub of Catholic , Lutheran , and Episcopal faiths. Today, there are 360 churches in

5060-682: The city's first skyscraper and Indiana's tallest building at the time, the Lincoln Bank Tower . By 1935, the New Deal 's WPA put over 7,000 residents back to work through local infrastructure improvements, including the construction of new parks, bridges, viaducts, and a $ 5.2 million sewage treatment facility. The post-World War II economic boom helped the city prosper once again. Between 1950 and 1955, more than 5,000 homes were built, many in large subdivisions in rural Allen County. In 1950, Fort Wayne's first bypass , Coliseum Boulevard , opened on

5152-501: The city, with one being the Richardville House (1827), a National Historic Landmark . Gothic and Gothic Revival architecture can be found in some of the city's most prominent churches, including Trinity English Lutheran Church (1846), Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (1860), Trinity Episcopal Church (1865), and Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church (1889). Popular early 20th century architectural styles found in

5244-426: The city. 54 percent of Fort Wayne residents identify as religious, where 16 percent are Catholic, 9 percent are Lutheran, 6.5 percent are Baptist , 5 percent are Methodist , and 16.5 percent adhere to other Christian faiths. 0.14 percent of residents are Jewish . Increasing religious minorities are found among the city's immigrant communities, including Buddhism , Hinduism , and Islam . Major churches include

5336-948: The city: the American Association of Lutheran Churches , the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association , the Missionary Church and the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches . Fort Wayne is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend , covering 14 counties in Northern Indiana , and the Indiana District of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod , encompassing all of Indiana and north central Kentucky . In 2017,

5428-498: The government that the fort be reoccupied. The mixed population of the Kekionga area had moved past antipathy with the British by this point, and accepted their friendship. In 1776, Officer Jacques LaSalle moved into the village to conduct strict supervision on behalf of the British government, ensuring that the natives remained loyal to the British, and to check passports with travelers coming down from Fort Detroit . The British continued to monitor Kekionga and Fort Miami throughout

5520-419: The government used Fort Wayne to hand out annual payments under the treaty. But in a recurring cycle, the tribes ran up debts to white traders who came there to sell them alcohol and manufactured goods, and the government pushed tribal leaders—including through bribes—to sell more reservation land to pay off those debts and, when the land was gone, then to agree to have the tribe removed to the Far West. In 1802,

5612-419: The headwaters at Fort Wayne, Indiana . From here, it follows the historic Indian portage to the Wabash River . Following the Wabash River, again on its north side, this is now the right bank. The canal heads downstream to Delphi. At this location, it crosses to the left bank (eastside). Continuing down the Wabash to Terre Haute , the canal turns southeast from the Wabash, using several other riverways, including

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5704-458: The left bank (southside). A dam was built across the Wabash River at Pitts to create a slack water area to allow the boats to cross the river without an aqueduct. The Wabash & Erie Canal Interpretive Center, a re-watered section of the canal, working canal boat, bridge, and mill site welcome visitors. Lafayette , Attica , Fountain County , Covington , Montezuma , Terre Haute Eel River Section Between Terre Haute and Worthington,

5796-410: The middle period of American history . Indiana Historical Bureau. OCLC   00069405 . Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana , United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is 18 miles (29 km) west of the Ohio border and 50 miles (80 km) south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of

5888-447: The new railway quite convenient for passengers and many businesses. The canal from Napoleon to Toledo was paved over to make U.S. Route 24 . The Wabash & Erie Canal travels 497 miles (800 km) from Toledo, Ohio , on Lake Erie to Evansville, Indiana , on the Ohio River . Its route takes it along the left bank or north side of the Maumee River from Toledo to the south side right bank near Defiance, Ohio, and eventually to

5980-407: The north side of the city, followed by the city's first arena, War Memorial Coliseum , bringing new opportunities for suburban expansion. The Coliseum was home to the NBA 's Fort Wayne Pistons from 1952 to 1957. The opening of enclosed shopping malls and the construction of Interstate 69 through rural areas north and west of the city proper further drove the exodus of retail from downtown through

6072-438: The opening of the city's first airport, Smith Field . The airport served as Fort Wayne's primary commercial airfield until Baer Field (now Fort Wayne International Airport ) was transferred to the city in 1947 after serving as a military base during World War II. Fort Wayne was hit by the Great Depression beginning in 1929, with most factories cutting their workforce. The stock market crash did not discourage plans to build

6164-424: The original plan was implemented by 1955. In 2010, the Fort Wayne Park and Boulevard System was listed on the National Register of Historic Places , consisting of 11 public parks, four parkways, and ten boulevards, covering 1,883 acres (762 ha). During the 19th century, Fort Wayne was dominated by Greek Revival , Gothic Revival , and Italianate architecture . Examples of Greek Revival architecture remain in

6256-445: The population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among the Hispanic population, 6.1% are Mexican , 0.4% Puerto Rican , and 0.3% Guatemalan . Non-Hispanic Whites were 70.3% of the population in 2010, down from 87.7% in 1970. There were 101,585 households, of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had

6348-441: The premier community gathering space and centerpiece in the city's $ 50 million flood control project. Fort Wayne celebrated its bicentennial in 1994. The city continued to concentrate on downtown redevelopment and investment in the 2000s. The decade saw the beginnings of its transformation, with renovations and expansions of the Allen County Public Library , Grand Wayne Convention Center , and Fort Wayne Museum of Art . In 2007,

6440-416: The primary objective being to slow American expansion into the Great Lakes region . The young United States formally organized the region in the Land Ordinance of 1785 and negotiated treaties allowing settlement, but the Western Confederacy of Native American nations were not party to these treaties and did not cede their ownership of those lands. American land speculators and pioneers began flooding down

6532-429: The railroad, the Indiana General Assembly approved the borrowing of $ 200,000 to begin construction. On February 22, 1832, ground was broken and construction began. Construction of the canal reached Logansport by 1837. The Panic of 1837 devastated Indiana's program of internal improvements , but did not stop construction entirely. The canal reached Lafayette by 1843, Terre Haute by 1848 and Evansville by 1853. During

6624-653: The river to enable navigation of boats on the proposed Crosscut Canal. The feeder dam was repaired and extended in 1850 to be 264 feet (80 m) long. Riley , Worthington From Newberry south, the W&;E Canal followed the route of the Central Canal. The Central Canal was planned from Logansport, through Indianapolis and south to Evansville. Only the section from Newberry south and a few miles in Indianapolis were built. Newberry, Edwardsport, Petersburg, Francisco ( Pigeon Creek section begins), Evansville, Indiana . The canal

6716-589: The same issue, including the Clay County Canal War in Indiana . The right-of-way through Fort Wayne was purchased by the New York, Chicago and Lake Erie Railway (the Nickel Plate Road ) which ran from Buffalo to Chicago. This allowed the railway to run straight through the heart of a major midwestern city without razing a single home. The canal right-of-way was also directly adjacent to downtown, which made

6808-403: The second half of the 20th century in Fort Wayne. The John D. Haynes House (1952) was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright , while the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary (1953) was designed by Eero Saarinen . Postmodern architect Michael Graves ' first commissions were built in the city, including Hanselmann House (1967) and Snyderman House (1972, now demolished). Louis Kahn 's design for

6900-408: The southwest and southeast, while the St. Joseph River divides the northwest and northeast quadrants. The Maumee River separates the northeast and southeast, while portions of the St. Marys River and Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad separate the northwest and southwest quadrants. Fort Wayne's early 20th century development was influenced by the City Beautiful movement and centered on

6992-537: The summer of 1991, the Gronauer Lock was uncovered at New Haven, Indiana , during the construction of I-469 . This is the only intact wooden timber lock discovered. Part of the Gronauer Lock is now on display at the Indiana State Museum . The high-line sections of the canal proved to be high maintenance and the cost of their repair is what eventually led to the collapse of the canal company. The worst offender

7084-404: The turn of the 20th century, the population of Fort Wayne nearly reached 50,000, attributed to a large influx of German and Irish immigrants . Fort Wayne's "urban working class" thrived in industrial and railroad-related jobs. The city's economy was substantially based on manufacturing, ushering in an era of innovation with several notable inventions and developments coming out of the city over

7176-401: The whereabouts of Harmar though the aid of various agents such as Simon Girty , would quickly drive Harmar and the US troops away. The confederacy warriors attacked the second invading force, led in 1791 by General Arthur St. Clair , before it could get that far and wiped it out, in a massacre known as St. Clair's Defeat at modern-day Fort Recovery, Ohio . It's known as the greatest defeat of

7268-459: The years, such as gasoline pumps (1885), the refrigerator (1913), and in 1972, the first home video game console . The Great Flood of 1913 caused seven deaths, left 15,000 homeless, and damaged over 5,500 buildings in the worst natural disaster in the city's history. As the automobile's prevalence grew, Fort Wayne became a fixture on the Lincoln Highway . Aviation arrived in 1919 with

7360-490: Was platted in 1823 following its revitalization after the War of 1812 and its siege . It underwent tremendous growth after completion of the Wabash and Erie Canal and advent of the railroad. Once a booming manufacturing town located in what became known as the Rust Belt , Fort Wayne's economy in the 21st century is based upon distribution, transportation and logistics; healthcare, professional and business services; leisure and hospitality, and financial services. The city

7452-508: Was 4.93 in (125 mm) on August 1, 1926. The snowiest month on record was January 2014, with 30.3 in (77 cm) of snowfall. The greatest calendar-day snowfall was 18.0 in (46 cm) on February 28, 1900. Severe weather is not uncommon in Fort Wayne, particularly in the spring and summer months; the city experiences an average of 39 thunderstorm days and about 10 severe weather days annually. The city has endured several tornadoes throughout its history. On July 19, 1950,

7544-407: Was actually a combination of four canals: the Miami and Erie Canal from the Maumee River near Toledo, Ohio , to Junction, Ohio , the original Wabash and Erie Canal from Junction to Terre Haute, Indiana , the Cross Cut Canal from Terre Haute, Indiana, to Worthington, Indiana (Point Commerce), and the Central Canal from Worthington to Evansville, Indiana . The United States Congress provided

7636-453: Was also revealed that a property located on the opposite side of the interchange was used by the keeper of the lock. In light of INDOT 's plans to renovate the I-469 and US-24 interchange, the historical marker has been removed from the location, and most all of the buildings on the lock-keeper's property have been demolished. Fort Wayne is located at an old portage between the Maumee River and

7728-651: Was built in 1794 by the United States Army under the direction of American Revolutionary War general Anthony Wayne , the last in a series of forts built near the Miami village of Kekionga . Named in Wayne's honor, the European-American settlement developed at the confluence of the St. Joseph , St. Marys , and Maumee rivers, known originally as Fort Miami , a trading post constructed by Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes around 1706. The modern city

7820-480: Was built of stone on this site by General John Tipton in 1835. Standing on the bank of the Wabash and Erie Canal, it was a commercial, political and social center. From 1862 to 1872 it housed one of the first public schools and was destroyed in 1873. Forks of the Wabash Park (Museum), Richvalley , Peru , Logansport , Delphi , In Delphi, the canal crossed the Wabash from the right bank (northside) to

7912-436: Was completed from Fort Wayne to Huntington on July 3, 1835, and from Toledo to Evansville, 459 miles (739 km), in 1854. The Canal preceded the railroad to Huntington by 20 years, spurring early settlement. The Canal was abandoned in 1873. Rook House – at the intersection of East Park Drive (U.S. 224) and Warren on East Park Drive. located on the south wall of the building. The first permanent hotel of Huntington

8004-512: Was discovered here June 1991 during excavation for highway construction. It was built 1838–1840 by Henry Lotz and named for lock keeper Joseph Gronauer. The rare, well-preserved timber-frame design lock measured 115 by 40 feet (35 by 12 m); lock chamber was 90 by 15 feet (27.4 by 4.6 m); two-thirds of the total structure was excavated and removed." "Numerous artifacts and 750 pieces of timber were recovered. After extensive preservation treatment, approximately 5 percent of total lock structure

8096-457: Was elected the city's first mayor. Fort Wayne's "Summit City" nickname dates from this period, referring to the city's position at the highest elevation along the canal's route. As influential as the canal was to the city's earliest development, it quickly became obsolete after briefly competing with the city's first railroad, the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway , completed in 1854. At

8188-441: Was one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in Fort Wayne until it was destroyed in 1970 to make way for a parking lot. Since at least the early 20th century, Fort Wayne has maintained a combined sewage overflow program, which has resulted in the city routinely discharging untreated human waste, raw sewage from businesses and homes, toxic waste from industrial sites, and agricultural runoff into all three rivers in

8280-405: Was the common muskrat which were plentiful in the area. They would build burrows in the sides of the canal walls and once they tunneled through on the opposite side the water quickly washed out the entire wall of the levee which rendered the canal useless until it could be repaired. The canal began operation in the summer of 1843. It only operated for about a decade before it became apparent that

8372-538: Was the equal in style and grandeur of the homes of prominent white residents of the area at that time. The Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society acquired the house in 1991 with money donated by the Foellinger Foundation and the Ropchan Foundation. Farther south and west lies the trading and meeting place where the Wabash River and the Wabash and Erie Canal intersected in Huntington , Indiana. Here

8464-401: Was towards the back of the boat. It was the women's sleeping dorm at night. Packets were pulled by three horses, oxen, or a mixture of oxen and horses. The most common problems identified in journals of that time were, heat, mosquitoes, and the close proximity to the other passengers. The Wabash & Erie Canal Interpretive Center is an interpretive center and open-air village located on

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