One of Fort Wayne’s favorite parks is turning 100 and YOU’RE invited. Foster Park’s 100^th Year Celebration event is scheduled for July 27 -28. Below is a schedule of the weekend’s events:

July 27:

• 5 pm – Family Fun Walk Kicks Off: The whole family is invited to join a fun, fitness walk around Foster Park’s two-mile loop. The first 1,000 walkers will receive free wristbands, and paid participants will be entered into door prize drawings. Pre-register online, or you may register the day of the event at 4 pm in Pavilion #2. All participants should check in at Pavilion #2 at 4:30 pm. Fee: $5 per individual or $10 per household to benefit improvements at the Foster Park Flower Gardens.
•  6 pm – FREE Community Picnic: The Southwood Park Neighborhood Association is hosting a picnic at Pavilion #1 (the largest pavilion near the volleyball courts). Free-will offering will be accepted to benefit Foster Park Flower Gardens.
•  6pm – 9:30 pm FREE Sports Activities: Open recreational volleyball for all ages on the volleyball courts (6pm – 9:30 pm); children’s tennis activities (6pm – 7:30pm); Introduction to Pickleball on the tennis courts (7:30pm – 9 pm).
•  6pm – 8:30 pm FREE Carnival: Kids, come out and play carnival games like the ring toss, basketball toss, fish pond, lollipop tree and much more. And learn about 8 Healthy Habits families can undertake to get fit and healthy with Parkview Health’s LiVe program. Free carnival games and LiVe will be located near the playground.
•  Special Golf Promotion All Day: Foursomes can play 18 holes with a cart at Foster Park Golf Course for $100. Call 260-427-6735 to reserve your tee time, or reserve online.

July 28

• “Rediscover Your Parks” Tours: Have you driven past one of our Legacy Parks and always vowed to stop and explore when you had more time, or are you curious about the history of our older parks? If so, this bus tour is perfect for you! Ride along with a knowledgeable guide and explore Swinney, Foster, Lakeside, McMillen and Memorial Parks, as well as Rudisill Blvd. The stops are all part of the historical George Kessler Park and Boulevard System—the first city plan—which is also celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year. Tour buses will depart from Swinney Park at 10 am and 1 pm. The 10 am tour will return to Swinney Park at approximately noon. The 1 pm tour will stop by the Ice Cream Social at Foster Park for a short time and return to Swinney at approximately 3:30 pm.  Fee: $10 per adult / $5 per student / Children 14 and under free / $25 maximum per family. Register online by July 25.
• 1 – 3 pm Free Ice Cream Social: Join neighbors and Friends of the Parks of Allen County for some Edy’s ice cream. This event is sponsored by Mr. John Oldenkamp. RSVP to Robin Holley at 260-417-3804 or email her at robin_holley@comcast.net by July 25. Donations are appreciated and will go directly to Foster Park projects.
• Want to support the parks? Donations for the Legacy Trust Fund and Foster 100^th Celebration are being accepted online as well.

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.

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.

Just so you know: Fort Wayne’s residents will be under siege on September 8-9, 2012.

Don’t panic. It is a re-enactment of the summer of 1812 when America, a fledgling nation, declared war on Great Britain. Native Americans fought with the British to take over Fort Wayne and other forts in what was then called the Northwest Territory. These forts included Detroit and Michilimackinac in Michigan; Dearborn located in present-day downtown Chicago.

War chief Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, set these properties on fire while killing many inhabitants and taking others prisoner. Soon, Fort Wayne was the only American outpost on the frontier.

On September 4, 1812, Chief Winamac and his Natives approached Fort Wayne with more murderous intents. Thankfully, help was on the way as to the south the Kentucky Militia approached on the double. Question was: Who would get there first and what would be the outcome?

The re-enactment begins on Saturday morning when Fort Wayne is transformed into Fort Dearborn and the Natives attack and kidnap inhabitants.

On Saturday afternoon Fort Wayne takes back its identity as it comes under attack. Part 2 occurs on Sunday afternoon when the Kentucky Militias arrives. Will they be there in time to save the fort? Will anyone perish?

Saturday, July 7: 10 a.m. — 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 8: 10 a.m. — 4 p.m.

During the weekend, you can also watch demonstrations of period cooking, gardening, and military life. Admission is free; donations accepted.

The Old Fort’s website (www.oldfortwayne.org) is informative and colorfully illustrated. Be sure to go to ‘The Siege’ page and watch the video advertising this special event. It is suspenseful, realistic, and filmed very well. I was impressed.

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The next weekend another historic event takes place at the fort with Camp Allen Muster 1860-1865. Re-enactors bring to life daily activities of Civil War era. Soldiers and civilians provide demonstrations, including period cooking, military procedures and games for children. Admission is free. Donations accepted.

Saturday, July 14: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 15: 10 a.m. — 4 p.m.

1201 Spy Run Ave
Parking can be found in the following locations
 Across the street off of Spy Run Avenue and Baltes Avenue
 On Fourth Street between Spy Run Avenue and Clinton Street
• At Headwaters Park across the river from the Fort
260.437.2836

The Summit City is home to many historic buildings and landmarks. Here is a guide to some of the most well-known and impressive:

• The History Center:  The History Center, located in the former  Fort Wayne Old City Hall Building, has served as headquarters for the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society since 1980. The sandstone building was built in 1893 in the  Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. The History Center has three rooms available to rent for special events including weddings, wedding receptions, business dinners, fund-raisers, class reunions, retirement and anniversary parties, and cocktail receptions.
  

  The History Center is an attraction, as both a historical building and museum.

• Allen County Courthouse:  While the exterior is impressive, the inside is what gets national recognition. The interior is a case study in color, decorative details and finishes, especially scagliola. More than 15,000-square feet of scagliola, or faux marble made from plaster, adorns columns, walls, pilasters and moldings.  Visitors are encouraged to tour this National Historic Landmark with a trained docent or as a self-guided tour. The informative presentation covers a history of the courthouse, the community leaders behind preservation efforts, interpretation of the artwork and a discussion of the techniques and processes used in restoration. The tour lasts approximately one hour and a donation of $2 per person is recommended. To schedule a tour, contact the Allen County Courthouse Preservation Trust office at (260) 449.4246 or email.

• Well Street Bridge:  A site on the National Register of Historic Places, the metal Wells Street Bridge is famous for its ornate and decorated Whipple truss style. Allen County boasts several Whipple truss bridges, but this truss style is otherwise a rare and significant design. Upon its completion in 1884 by the Wrought Iron Bridge Co, it was an “artistic and technological marvel,” according to Todd Pelfrey, executive director of the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society.

• Chief Richardville House:  The Chief Richardville House, at his original site at 5705 Bluffton Road, bears several monikers, including the oldest Native American dwelling in the Midwest, the first Greek Revival Style house in northeast Indiana and the oldest house in northeast Indiana. Perhaps most notable is the fact that it was home to the wealthiest man in Indiana at the time of his death in 1841.

• Embassy Theatre:  This Spanish Eclectic style movie palace and hotel was designed by A.M. Strauss with consultation by nationally known theater architect John Eberson. Original interior details of the theater include walls of French marble in the outer lobby, black and white Italian marble in the inner lobby, a marble grand staircase, and motifs in Spanish, Moorish, Indian and Oriental designs. Restoration work completed in the 1990s recreated the original carpet, lace curtains, and light fixtures. The lobby of the hotel, closed since the 1960s, was also returned to its original grandeur. Most of the hotel space was also used to make way for an improved stage system. Also housed at the Embassy is a Grande Page Organ.

• Engine House No. 3:  This Romanesque Revival style fire house was designed by the architectural firm of Wing & Mahurin. Noteable  details include arched doorways and stall openings in brick, and a stone belt course above a row of brick dentils on the main façade. At one time, it was the largest and best-equipped fire station in town, and also served as a testing site for new equipment and firefighting methods.  It was last used as a fire station in 1972.  It currently houses the Fort Wayne Firefighter’s Museum and the Old No. 3 Firehouse Café.

Hungry for more? Stop by the Visitors Center, and request a Heritage Trail Map. There are many treasures waiting to be discovered!