Growing up in Fort Wayne, I often saw museum visits as an opportunity to get out of school.

Today I see our museums as some of Fort Wayne best assets. The African African-American Historical Society Museum is one of those great museums. I recently got a chance to revisit it with a fresh outlook and open mind. And I really enjoyed it.

The museum is located in Downtown Fort Wayne and gives an in-depth look into African and African-American history starting from the time when Africans were brought to America as slaves through present day. Each room is dedicated to a specific part of history. There is one room that is dedicated to a traditional African village, one that is dedicated to African-American inventors, another that is dedicated to the protests, the sit-ins, and the movement to get rid of segregation during Dr. Martin Luther King’s life, still another room is dedicated to the many “Firsts” for African-Americans in Fort Wayne. There is a lot to see and learn.

One of the best things about the museum is that it is a guided tour through the house-turned-museum. My tour guide was full of insight, not only because he grew up while much of the history was taking place, but also because he personally knew many of the people where were some of the “firsts.” It gave a personal touch to a part of history that can sometimes seem so distant and removed.

So next time you are in Fort Wayne, and have a couple of hours to spare, stop by the African African-American Historical Society Museum, located at 436 East Douglas Ave. Fort Wayne IN 46802. It is open Tuesday – Friday 9 am- 1pm; Saturday 12 pm- 4 pm; Sunday by appointments only; and Closed on Mondays. Admission is $3 for children and $5 for adults.

You may want to think twice before throwing away that old fishing tackle in the garage. An Indiana reel, so-called because it was first manufactured in the Fort Wayne area during the 1920 through the 1940s, is especially valuable. These styles include Rider, Boyer Winona, Kuntz, Alumag.

The Indiana reel’s basic design is a large diameter, single-action reel with radial arms side mounted on a rod.

Collecting antique fishing gear is big among members of the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club, which sports 5,000 national members. Luckily for local collectors, the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club (NFLCC) will host its national show and meeting in Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Convention Center, July 19-21, 2012.

Attendees must be members in good standing with the NFLCC. Advance registration is $20.00 per member (price includes spouse and children). Each paid member is allowed to bring one non-guest at no cost providing the guest has never been a member of the organization.

Additional guests must purchase a membership and registration. Registration at the door is $30.00 per member.

International members from Japan, Canada and Europe have registered to attend the convention which will offer fans many opportunities to buy, sell, trade. Show hours are Thursday, 9:00 am to 7:00 pm; Friday 10:30 am to 7:00 pm; Saturday 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. An auction of fishing gear begins at 7:00 pm on Friday. Those interested in attending the conference should contact event organizer David Saalfrank at 260.622.7107. For more information check them out online.

Ever wondered how Fort Wayne earned its namesake?

You can learn this and more through a visit to the “Old Fort.” A little known fact is there were three American forts built in Fort Wayne.  The current fort, located just north of downtown on Spy Run, is a replica of the one constructed by Major John Whistler and his men during 1815 — 1816. It is reportedly the last fort to stand at the junction of the St. Marys, St. Joseph, and Maumee Rivers.  It was designed purely for defense against Native Americans, and could be comfortably defended by a relatively small number of men.

Care to learn more? A tour might be your answer. The tour begins with a brief history of the area and the forts that made up Fort Wayne, The visitor will learn about the importance of the rivers and the portage road, along with information about the people who settled this area, including Native Americans, tradesmen and merchants.

Currently the Old Fort is only open for tours during events listed on their Event Schedule. Tours are offered hourly during event weekends and take approximately 40 minutes. There is no cost for the tour. Inquiries about the tour can be made at the Kekionga Merchantile. The Fort is open to walk through and around at any time, but you will not have access to the interior of the buildings.

This experience is made possible through an organization known as Historic Fort Wayne, Inc., a 501(c)3 not-for-profit and a 100-percent volunteer organization. The organization is dedicated to the purpose of creating a permanent endowment, routine maintenance, and developing a historically based education program. With private and corporate investors plus local volunteers, Historic Fort Wayne, Inc. believes that this endeavor will play an integral role in the revitalization of the downtown area.

This classic event was brought back to the festival in 2007 when Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana volunteered to organize the Bed Race for Three Rivers Festival.

Each year since, thousands of people line Main Street the Wednesday evening during festival week to watch beds race down the two block course. This year’s Bed Race will begin at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012.

The rules for the race:

• Each bed must have at least three wheels
• Each bed must have 4 runners/pushers and 1 rider
• Single elimination, bracket style format
• Beds race on Main Street from Harrison to the cross-walk between Courthouse and the Ed Rousseau Center

     

Tips for watching:

• Get There Early. The street won’t close until 5:30 pm but people will begin grabbing spots along Main Street by 5:00 pm. If you want to watch from a specific location, I recommend getting there early.
• Bring Your Own Lawn Chairs. If you’re lucky enough to get a spot on the curb, a blanket will do, but definitely bring something to sit on because you won’t want to be standing for the almost two hours of racing.
• Stay Hydrated. The last few years, it has been hot! Definitely bring some cold water for you and your family.
• Sunscreen or Shade. Be sure to wear sunscreen and if you are looking to get out of the sun, sit on the north side of the street, which remains shaded.
• Eat Dinner Outside. Whether you bring your own dinner or stop at Pint & Slice or Coney Island, make an evening of it and picnic on the sidewalk. If you’re thinking Coney Island though, be prepared for a long wait as almost everyone is thinking the same thing.
• Bring Some Cash and Support the Mustard Seed. You can vote for your favorite bed by making a donation as volunteers walk around with jars. Each jar is designated for a specific bed and the bed with the most donations wins People’s Choice. They aren’t the only winners, since all donations will support the Mustard Seed’s Beds 4 Kids.

  

Regardless of where you sit or which bed you’re cheering for, you and your family are bound to have fun. For us, it’s become one of our favorite summer traditions that we’ve volunteered for, ran in and now watch year after year.

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Three Rivers Festival

Friday, July 13, 2012 – Saturday, July 21, 2012

Indiana’s second largest festival offers 9 days of fun for the entire family!  From the opening day parade, arts, crafts, amusement rides, and International Village, to live music, the Bed Race, and the all-new RiverGames Water Wars and canoe races, Three Rivers Festival brings family-friendly fun to the heart of downtown Fort Wayne! 

Location: Headwaters Park – Downtown Fort Wayne

For additional information, please visit the Three Rivers Festival website.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking about visiting Fort Wayne. And maybe, just maybe, urban railways are an interest of yours. If so, close your eyes and picture this: the time is circa 1927, and the place is the main transfer station for a bustling city’s electric railway system. Dapper gents in fedoras and ties and classy ladies in cloches and pearls are entering and exiting the shiny metal cars either coming from or going to a myriad of destinations in or out of the city. So where was this embodiment of the modern age? Certainly it would describe a thriving metropolis such as Detroit, Chicago, or, of course, New York. But would you believe Fort Wayne could once have been described in this manner?

Established in 1903 by the Toledo and Chicago Interurban Railway, during its life this rail line shuttled enumerable passengers north to the towns of Auburn and Garrett before returning to the Fort. Although those were the first cities to receive regular service, they would not be the last. Between 1903 and 1907, stops at Kendallville and Waterloo would be added to the circuit. As for Fort Wayne, it actually followed Garrett when it was added in 1906.

And as for that previously mentioned main transfer station, where was Fort Wayne’s? You wouldn’t know looking at it today, but most passengers came from or went to at the corner of Main and Calhoun just in front of what is now Salin Bank and a few doors down from modern day Riegel’s Pipe and Tobacco and the B&B Loan Company. It was known as “The Transfer Corner.” Of note, though, despite Fort Wayne being the third city added, the entire network was officially known as the Fort Wayne Division.

As for its fate, after being sold several times to various other interurban railway companies, passenger service was gradually phased out on all lines until it was ended entirely in 1937. Freight service, though, would continue until 1945.

What was the cause of its ultimate demise? Quite simply, it was the decision to switch to the gasoline-powered bus. According to Craig J. Berndt’s The Toledo and Chicago Interurban Railway Company: Its Predecessor and Successors (the source material for this writing) not much of the old Toledo and Chicago has survived. Of its 42 miles of track and associated structures, all that remains are a few buildings and bridges and one underpass. The cars themselves were unfortunately not preserved.

So, when you’re exploring the downtown area and looking for that bargain at the B&B Loan Company, or enjoying the best hot dogs in the city at the famous Coney Island, you’re only about a block west of the profiled location. So close your eyes and picture those dapper gents in their ties and fedoras and those classy ladies in their pearls and cloches. Just don’t do it in the middle of the street.