Fort Wayne, Indiana

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City of Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne skyline from Reservoir Park
Flag Seal
Nickname: The Summit City, The Fort, The City That Saved Itself
Motto: Room for Dreams
Location in the state of Indiana, USA
Coordinates: 41°04′50″N 85°08′21″W / 41.08056, -85.13917
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Allen
French settlement	1680s
Founding	October 22, 1794
Incorporated (town)	1829
Incorporated (city)	February 22, 1840
Founder	Jean François Hamtramck
Named for	Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne
Government
- Type	Mayor-council government
- Mayor	Tom Henry
- City Clerk	Sandra Kennedy
- City Council	Common Council Marty Bender Liz Brown John Shoaff Tom Smith Karen Goldner Tom Didier Mitch Harper Tim Pape Glynn A. Hines
Area
- City	204.92 km² (79.12 sq mi)
- Land	204.48 km² (78.95 sq mi)
- Water	0.4 km² (0.15 sq mi)
- Urban	350.30 km² (135.25 sq mi)
- Metro	3,554 km² (1,368 sq mi)
Elevation	247 m (810 ft)
Population (2007)
- City	252,000
- Density	1,006.1/km² (2,605.7/sq mi)
- Metro	570,779
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP Code	468
Area code(s)	260
Twin Cities
- Gera	Germany
- Takaoka	Japan
- Płock	Poland
FIPS code	18-25000[1]
GNIS feature ID	0434689[2]
Website: http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/

Fort Wayne is a city in northeastern Indiana, United States of America and the county seat of Allen County. As of September 30, 2007, the city had an estimated population of 252,000, making it the 70^th largest city in the United States.^[3] In 2007, the combined population of the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area was 570,779, making it the third largest metropolitan area in Indiana.^[4] Fort Wayne is Indiana's second largest city after Indianapolis.^[5]

Fort Wayne is within a 250-mile (400 km) radius of 17 percent of the total United States population and within a day's drive of half of the nation's population^[6], along with sitting nearly equidistant from Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, and Indianapolis.^[7] Fort Wayne's economy has been primarily based on insurance, manufacturing, and healthcare.^[8] The metro area is also a contributor to the nation's agricultural sector. Fort Wayne has received recognition by the National Civic League with the All-America City Award in 1982-1983 and 1998.^[9]

United States Army general and American Revolutionary War statesman General "Mad" Anthony Wayne is the namesake of Fort Wayne.^[10] The United States Army built this last in a series of forts near the community of Kekionga, the largest of all Miami villages, which is located where the St. Joseph River and St. Marys River join to form the Maumee River.^[11]

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Climate 2.1.1 Flooding 3 Cityscape 3.1 Architecture 3.2 Neighborhoods 4 Demographics 4.1 Religion 5 Government 6 Economy 7 Education 7.1 Libraries 8 Culture 8.1 Festivals and events 8.2 Performing arts 8.3 Museums 8.4 Sports 8.5 Recreation 8.5.1 Trails 8.6 Media 9 Infrastructure 9.1 Transportation 9.2 Healthcare 9.3 Utilities 10 Sister cities 11 See also 12 Notes 13 References 14 External links

[edit] History

See also: Forts of Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Miami nation first established a settlement at the Maumee, St. Joseph, and St. Mary's Rivers in the mid-17th century called Kekionga. The village was the traditional capital of the Miami nation and related Algonquian tribes. Historians believe that around 1676, French priests and missionaries visited the Miami on their way back from a mission at Lake Michigan. In 1680, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle 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 portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. The Maumee River is approximately ten miles (16 kilometers) away from the Little River branch of the Wabash River, which flows, in turn, into the Ohio River.^[12]

In 1696, Comte de Frontenac appointed Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes as commander of the French outpost in Miami country.^[13] The French built the first fort on the site, Fort Miamis, in 1697 as part of a group of forts built between Quebec, Canada, and St. Louis. In 1721, a few years after Bissot's death, Fort Miamis was replaced by Fort St. Philippe des Miamis.^[14]

Increasing tension between France and the United Kingdom developed over the territory. In 1760, after defeat by British forces in the French and Indian War, the area was ceded to the British Empire. 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 Rebellion. The Miami regained control of Kekionga, a rule that lasted for more than thirty years.^[14]

In 1790, President George Washington ordered the United States Army to secure Indiana. Three battles were fought in Kekionga against Little Turtle and the Miami Confederacy. The Miami forces defeated American 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.^[15]

Fort Wayne prospered under the construction of the Wabash and Erie Canal, earning Fort Wayne's nickname, the Summit City, due to the city's placing at the zenith of the locks on the canal. Fort Wayne lost national prominence in the demise of the Wabash and Erie Canal as the railroad system quickly took its place. On February 22, 1840, the Town of Fort Wayne incorporated as the City of Fort Wayne.^[16] Most of the population growth occurred in the 19^th century with immigrants mainly arriving from Germany and Ireland, bringing large numbers of Roman Catholics and Lutherans.

In recent history, the focus of the community has been the concern of breathing new life into downtown Fort Wayne. Over the last eight years, the city has improved in this venture however, with the renovated and expanded main library branch and Grand Wayne Center. In 2006, it was announced that plans for a new $125 million development^[17], containing a new baseball stadium, parking garage, condominiums, shops, and Courtyard by Marriott Hotel were to be built in downtown Fort Wayne between 2008 and 2010. This project has come to be known as the Harrison Square project.^[18][19][20]

[edit] Geography

Fort Wayne is located at 41°04'50′N, 85°08'21′W in the northeast corner of Indiana. For a regional summit, Fort Wayne is fairly flat. Marshes and wetlands are prevalent in portions of southwest Fort Wayne and Allen County, as well as some quarries. Few small hills and depressions are found throughout the region, with the exception of Cedar Creek Canyon on Cedar Creek, one of the St. Joseph River's major tributaries, north of Fort Wayne near Huntertown. West of the city lies the Tipton Till Plain while land east of the plain is the former Black Swamp. The St. Mary's River cuts through the southeast section of Allen County, flowing northward, while the St. Joseph River cuts through the northeast section of the county, flowing southward. Both rivers converge roughly in the center of the county to form the Maumee River, which flows northeastward, eventually emptying into Lake Erie.

[edit] Climate

Fort Wayne, like most of the Midwest, has a humid continental climate. Summers are hot and humid, and winters are generally cold with frequent snowfall. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Severe weather is not uncommon with tornadoes rarely occurring, particularly in the spring and summer months, though funnel clouds are observed more frequently.^[21] The most severe tornado, an F2 on the Fujita scale, struck portions of northern Fort Wayne on May 26, 2001, causing extensive damage to Northcrest Shopping Center along with other businesses along the Coliseum Boulevard corridor, moving on to a subdivision, but resulting in only three minor injuries.^[22]

The National Weather Service, which maintains an observation station in the control tower at Fort Wayne International Airport, reports the record highest temperature in the city was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 14, 1936, and June 29, 1988, and the record lowest temperature was −24 °F (−31.1 °C) on January 12, 1918.^[23] The wettest month on record was July 1986, with 11.00 inches (279 mm) of precipitation recorded. The greatest 24-hour rainfall was 4.93 inches (125 mm) on August 1, 1926. The average annual precipitation ranges from 36.55 inches (928 mm) at the airport to 37.90 inches (963 mm) at the Fort Wayne Water Pollution Control Plant. During the winter season, snowfall accumulation averages 32.4 inches (820 mm) 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 29.5 inches (750 mm) in January 1982 (the 1981-1982 winter season was also the snowiest season on record, with 81.2 inches (2,060 mm) reported). The greatest 24-hour snowfall was 12.6 inches (320 mm) on March 10, 1964.^[24]

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rec High °F	69	73	86	90	99	106	103	102	100	91	79	71
Norm High °F	31	35.4	47.4	59.8	71.6	80.6	84.3	81.8	75.4	63	48.5	35.8
Norm Low °F	16.1	19.2	28.8	38.2	49.1	58.8	62.5	60.4	52.8	41.8	32.7	22.3
Rec Low °F	-24	-19	-10	7	27	36	38	38	29	19	-1	-18
Precip (in)	2.05	1.94	2.86	3.54	3.75	4.04	3.58	3.6	2.81	2.63	2.98	2.77
Source 1: US Travel Weather [25]
Source 2: The Weather Channel [26]

[edit] Flooding

See also: Watersheds of Indiana

Fort Wayne experiences flooding due to its proximity to the tributaries of the Wabash River Watershed to the west and south, and the Maumee River Watershed to the north and east.^[27]

Top Ten Worst Floods Based on Crests of the Three Rivers
Year(s)	Month(s)	Cost	River crest
1913	March	$4,802,000	26.1’
1982	March	$56,100,000	25.9’
1985	February	$6,957,000	24.5’
1990-1991	December-January	$5,000,000	24.1'
1943	May	$2,000,000	24.0’
1908	March	(no records on cost of flood)	22.5’
2005	January	$2,000,000	22.3’
1930	January	(no records on cost of flood)	22.2’
1978	April	$50,000,000	21.2’
2003	July	$12,600,000	21.2’
Source: City of Fort Wayne [28]

The worst flood since 1913 struck Fort Wayne in March of 1982, prompting the detoured stop of then-President Ronald Reagan to Fort Wayne to survey the damage, thrusting the city into the national spotlight.^[29] In the days following the flood, 9,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes, over 2,000 residences and businesses were damaged by floodwaters, and thousands from across the tri-state area worked to shore up dikes at vulnerable spots along the three rivers. One such instance was a brigade of sandbaggers who were credited with saving 1,860 properties in the Lakeside neighborhood as the clay dikes along the Maumee River began to show signs of failure, earning Fort Wayne the distinction of being The City That Saved Itself.^[30]

Since the 1982 flood, miles of levees and dikes were built or improved, 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 commemoration of the 1982 flood's 25^th anniversary, former Mayor Graham Richard proclaimed March 19-23, 2007 as Flood Awareness Week in Fort Wayne, also highlighting the flood mitigation efforts the city has made in the last quarter century.^[31]

[edit] Cityscape

Top Five Tallest Buildings
Rank	Name	Street Address	Height feet / meters	Floors	Year
1	One Summit Square	101 East Washington Boulevard	442/135	27	1982
2	National City Center	110 West Berry Street	339/103	26	1970
3	Lincoln Bank Tower	116 East Berry Street	312/95	22	1930
4	Anthony Wayne Bank Building	203 East Berry Street	167/51	14	1964
5	1st Source Center	200 East Main Street	149/46	10	1989
Source: Emporis.com [32]

[edit] Architecture

• Allen County Courthouse, Clinton Street, government building, by Brentwood S. Tolan, 1897-1902
• Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, 4000 Parnell Avenue, sports arena, by Alvin M. Strauss, 1952
• Anthony Wayne Bank Building, 203 East Berry Street, commercial highrise, 1964
• Canal House, 114 West Superior Street, warehouse, 1852
• Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, church, 1860
• Center School, restored schoolhouse, 1893
• Concordia Senior College (now Concordia Theological Seminary), by Eero Saarinen
• Crooks House, residence, by postmodernist Michael Graves, 1976
• Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel, 121 West Jefferson Boulevard, theater and hotel, by Alvin M. Strauss, 1928
• Fort Wayne Museum of Art, 311 East Main Street, art museum, by Walter Netsch, 1984
• Grand Wayne Center, 120 West Jefferson Boulevard, convention center, 1985, 2005
• Hanselmann House, residence, by postmodernist architect Michael Graves, 1967
• Hugh McCulloch House, 616 West Superior Street, residence, 1853
• J.B. Franke House, 2131 Forest Park Boulevard, residence, by Francis Barry Byrne, 1914
• J. Ross McCulloch House, 334 East Berry Street, residence, 1883
• Lincoln Bank Tower, 116 East Berry Street, Art-Deco highrise, by Alvin M. Strauss, 1930
• Old City Hall, government building, 1893
• One Summit Square (Chase Bank), commercial highrise, 1981
• Pennsylvania Railroad Station, 231 West Baker Street, train station, 1914
• Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville House, 5705 Bluffton Road, residence, 1827
• Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1126 Barr Street, church, 1889
• Snyderman House, residence, by postmodernist Michael Graves, 1972
• The Landing, Columbia Street, Italianate, Renaissance, and Romanesque-style commercial lowrises, 1868-1943
• Trinity English Lutheran Church, 405 West Wayne Street, church, 1923
• Wermuth House, residence, by Eero Saarinen, 1942

[edit] Neighborhoods

See also: List of Fort Wayne, Indiana neighborhoods

[edit] Demographics

Fort Wayne Population by year[33]		Rank[34]
1744[14]	1,040
1833[35]	300
1850	4,282
1860	10,388
1870	17,718	83
1880	25,880	74
1890	35,393	86
1900	45,115	83
1910	63,933	89
1920	85,540	83
1930	114,946	72
1940	118,410	70
1950	133,607	72
1960	161,144	79
1970	178,269	72
1980	172,196	80
1990	195,680	99
2000[36]	205,727	84
2006	248,637	70

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.^[14]

As of the census^[1] 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 couples 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 income 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 Burmese refugee population in the United States, with between 3,000-3,500.^[37][38]

[edit] Religion

Besides its Summit City nickname, Fort Wayne also is informally called the City of Churches by some of its residents, a nickname that stretches back to the late 1800s when the city was the hub of regional Catholic and Lutheran faiths. Until the building of the Lincoln Bank Tower in 1929, church and cathedral spires dominated the city's skyline.

The Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church was constituted in Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, then known as Saint Pauls Evangelisch-Lutheranische Gemeinde, once founded in 1837 as Fort Wayne's first Lutheran church.^[39] Fort Wayne is the principle city of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend whose region includes northeastern and north central Indiana. The principle cathedral of the diocese is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, located in downtown Fort Wayne.

As of May 2006, three national Christian denominations were headquartered in Fort Wayne; the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association, Missionary Church, Inc. and the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches (formerly Evangelical Mennonite Church). While the headquarters of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ is in nearby Huntington, Indiana, the denomination's second largest church body, Emmanuel Community Church is in Fort Wayne.

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 Mountains, founded in 1848.^[40]

[edit] Government

Elected officials of Fort Wayne as of 2008
Official	Position	Political Party
Tom Henry	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 Harper	Fourth District	Republican
Tim Pape	Fifth District	Democrat
Glynn A. Hines	Sixth District	Democrat

See also: List of Fort Wayne, Indiana mayors

Fort Wayne has a mayor-council government. As of April 2006, the city was exploring a voluntary government restructuring that included the possible consolidation of its government or parts of its government with Allen County. Discussions with the County have been intermittent for several years.

Fort Wayne's mayor is Democrat Tom Henry, who was sworn into office on January 1, 2008. He succeeded Democrat Graham Richard who had served since 2000. Mayor Richard chose not to run for re-election. Henry had previously served as a five-term city council member representing the Third District. Mark Becker holds the position of Deputy Mayor, respectively.

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. Democrat Sandra Kennedy has been Fort Wayne's city clerk since 1983.

Under the Unigov 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.^[41] Fort Wayne nearly met the state requirements for first class city designation in 2006 when the populous portions of Aboite Township were annexed.^[42] 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.^[43]

[edit] Economy

By the mid-20^th century, Fort Wayne had become a manufacturing center in the Midwest United States. Major employers included General Electric, Westinghouse, International Harvester, and Tokheim gasoline pumps. During World War II, Phelps Dodge, Rea Wire, and Essex Wire comprised the largest concentration of copper wire manufacturing worldwide, also vital employers. In the latter half of the 20^th century, shifts in manufacturing patterns led to the reduction of the number of manufacturing plants and jobs, leading many to count Fort Wayne among other cities in the Rust Belt.^[44] However, Fort Wayne's economy has diversified to include defense and security, healthcare, and insurance.^[45]

Fort Wayne's ten largest non-government employers include:^[46]

Fort Wayne is the headquarters for such corporations as Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, Centennial Wireless, DeBrand Chocolatier, Do it Best, Home Reserve, K & K Insurance Group, Medical Protective, North American Van Lines (SIRVA), OmniSource Corporation, Scott's Food & Pharmacy, STAR Financial Group, Sweetwater Sound, Triple Crown Services, Vera Bradley Designs, and WaterFurnace International.

In 2008, Forbes ranked the Fort Wayne metropolitan area 73^rd on its list of 200 metropolitan areas in the "Best Places For Business And Careers" report, based on factors such as the cost of doing business, cost of living, educational attainment, and crime rate.^[47] Fort Wayne was ranked 7^th in cost of living and 11^th in cost of doing business.^[47]

[edit] Education

Fort Wayne is home of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), with an enrollment of 11,943, it is the fifth-largest public university campus in Indiana. The city also holds the main campus of the Northeast Region of Ivy Tech Community College, the second-largest public community college campus in the state. Indiana University (IU) 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.

Fort Wayne's private colleges and universities include religious-affiliates and secular institutions. Religious-affiliated schools include the University of Saint Francis (Roman Catholic), Concordia Theological Seminary (Lutheran), an Adult Learning Center of Concordia University Wisconsin (Lutheran), Taylor University Fort Wayne (Evangelical Christian), and Indiana Wesleyan University (Wesleyan Church). Non-religious colleges and universities include the Indiana Institute of Technology (IIT) as well as regional branches of Trine University, Brown Mackie College, Indiana Business College, and International Business College.

By means of private education, Roman Catholic residents of Fort Wayne and Allen County are served by the schools of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Two of the four high schools in the diocese, Bishop Dwenger High School and Bishop Luers High School, are located in Allen County. Of the 39 grade schools in the diocese, 13 are also located within the county. Lutheran Schools of Indiana operate 14 schools within Allen County, including Concordia Lutheran High School. Canterbury School, an independent, college preparatory school, serves students K-12, in addition to Blackhawk Christian School.

[edit] Libraries

The residents of Fort Wayne, Allen County, and surrounding region are serviced by the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) system, comprising fourteen branches, offering materials to patrons since it was founded in 1895 as the Fort Wayne Public Library. The entire library system began overhauling all branches in 2002, finishing work by late 2006, with the exception of the centerpiece of the project, the main library branch, which opened in a grand opening January 2007. The main library now contains 367,000 square feet (34,100 m²), featuring an art gallery, underground parking garage, bookstore, café, and community auditorium.^[48] According to data from 2005, 5,405,090 materials were borrowed by patrons, and 2,506,718 visits were made throughout the library system.^[49] The main library branch also contains the second largest genealogy department in the United States, the Fred J. Reynolds Historical Genealogy Department, home to more than 350,000 printed volumes and 513,000 items of microfilm and microfiche.^[50][51]

Also, the Fort Wayne metropolitan area was acknowledged by Places Rated Almanac in 1998 as holding the highest "reading quotient" of any city in the nation.^[52][53]

[edit] Culture

[edit] Festivals and events

• 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.

• Germanfest 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.

• Johnny Appleseed Festival is a two-day festival held in the third week of September at Johnny Appleseed Park, where John Chapman is buried. Traditionally, the festival features food, crafts, and historical demonstrations recalling the era of Johnny Appleseed.

• Taste of Fort Wayne is an event held in late August at Headwaters Park, exhibiting the cuisine of local restaurants.

• Three Rivers Festival is the paramount of northeast Indiana festivals, annually attracting over 400,000 event-goers, second in Indiana only to the Indy 500 Festival (held in May) in Indianapolis. The festival's run annually spans nine days in mid-July, featuring over 200 events, including a community parade through downtown, a midway, bed race, arts fair, and fireworks spectacular.^[54]

[edit] Performing arts

The John and Ruth Rhinehart Music Center, opened in late 2007 to hold community concerts and university events. The 85,000-square-foot (7,900 m²) auditorium includes 1,600 seats, located next to Williams Theatre and the Visual Arts Building, on the north side of the Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne campus.^[55] Located downtown, Cinema Center features independent, foreign, classic and documentary films.^[56]

Arts United Center, located adjacent to the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, houses the Fort Wayne Civic Theater and Fort Wayne Youtheatre, with seating for 663.^[57] The Scottish Rite Center contains a 2,086-seat auditorium and a 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m²) Valencia Ballroom.^[58] Foellinger Outdoor Theatre, in Franke Park near the zoo, offers seasonal acts and movies during the warmer months.^[59] The Firehouse Theater, in remodeled Firehouse #10, contains 73 seats and presents original works and classics adapted for stage.^[60]

The Historic Embassy Theatre, 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.^[61] The Embassy is also home to the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra.^[62] 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.

[edit] Museums

Fort Wayne includes a handful of museums.^[63] The Corvette Classics Museum features more than fifty restored classic Corvettes, dating from 1953 to the present time.^[64] The Fort Wayne Firefighters Museum, opened in 1981 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.^[65] The Jack D. Diehm Wildlife Museum of Natural History showcases stuffed and mounted North American wildlife animals in habitat settings.^[63] Science Central is a "hands-on" science center, located in Lawton Park just north of downtown Fort Wayne, offering children hundreds of interactive exhibits.^[66]

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 Railroad, African-American inventors, and the history of the local Fort Wayne African-American community.^[67] The Fort Wayne Museum of Art is located in downtown Fort Wayne, containing 40,000 square feet (3,700 m²) of exhibition space, along with an auditorium.^[68] It was announced in May 2008 that the FWMoA would add 10,000 square feet (930 m²) more exhibition space, a bistro, 18,000-volume library, and K-12 learning center, along with a complete refurbishment in a $7.5 million capital campaign, all of which is expected to be completed by spring 2010.^[69]

The Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum is located inside the Lieutenant Paul Baer Terminal at Fort Wayne International Airport, highlighting early aviation history in Fort Wayne, as well as memorabilia relating to historical aviation figures such as Fort Wayne's own Art Smith and World War I Ace, Lieutenant Paul Baer.^[70] The History Center, located in Fort Wayne's Old City Hall, manages a collection of more than 23,000 artifacts, photographs, and documents 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 House.^[71] The Lincoln Museum, founded in 1931, is currently the world’s second largest private collection dedicated to Abraham Lincoln's life before and during his presidency. The museum includes signed copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th amendment, 5,000 original 19th century photographs, approximately 200,000 newspapers and magazine clippings, 7,000 19th century prints, engravings, and 19th century newspapers, among many other pieces of memorabilia of the era on display.^[72] The museum is scheduled for permanent closure June 30, 2008.^[73] The Veterans National Shrine and Museum, located west of Fort Wayne near Arcola, serves as the sole United States war veterans monument in the country honoring all veterans and servicemen over the past 200 years.^[63]

[edit] Sports

See also: History of sports in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne is the current home of seven minor league sports franchises. These include the Fort Wayne Fever of soccer's Premier Development League, the Fort Wayne Flash of the National Women's Football Association, the Fort Wayne Flyers of the Minor League Football Association, the Fort Wayne Freedom of the Continental Indoor Football League, the Fort Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League, and the Fort Wayne Wizards of baseball's Midwest League. There is also a presence of intercollegiate sports in Fort Wayne. IPFW joined the NCAA's Division I Summit League in 2007.^[74]

Fort Wayne has also been home to three former professional sports franchises. These include the NBA's Fort Wayne Pistons (now in Detroit), the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and the Fort Wayne Kekiongas of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (an early predecessor to the current MLB).

Fort Wayne has also been home to a few sports firsts; the first major league baseball game was played May 4, 1871, between the Fort Wayne Kekiongas and the Cleveland Forest Citys. It was rained-out in the top of the ninth inning, with the Kekiongas ahead 2-0, though the Kekiongas franchise in the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was sold midway through the first season.^[75] Another first, on June 2, 1883, Fort Wayne hosted the Quincy Professionals for one of the first lighted baseball games ever recorded.^[76] Also, Fort Wayne has been credited for being the birthplace of the NBA when Fort Wayne Pistons owner Fred Zollner brokered the merger of the BAA and the NBL in 1949 from his kitchen table.^[77]

Recently, Fort Wayne was rated the "Best Place in the Country for Minor League Sports" in a 2007 issue of Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal.^[78][79]

Team	Sport	League	Established	Venue	Championships
Fort Wayne Fever	Soccer	Premier Development League	2003	Hefner Soccer Complex	0
Fort Wayne Flash	Football	National Women's Football Association	2007	Bishop John M. D'Arcy Stadium	0
Fort Wayne Flyers	Football	Minor League Football Association	2005	Dave S. Walter Memorial Stadium	0
Fort Wayne Freedom	Indoor football	Continental Indoor Football League	2008	Allen County War Memorial Coliseum	0
Fort Wayne Komets	Hockey	International Hockey League	1952	Allen County War Memorial Coliseum	5 (IHL), 1 (UHL)
Fort Wayne Mad Ants	Basketball	NBA Development League	2007	Allen County War Memorial Coliseum	0
Fort Wayne Wizards	Baseball	Midwest League	1993	Memorial Stadium (1993-2008) Harrison Square (2009-)	0

[edit] Recreation

See also: List of parks in Fort Wayne, Indiana

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 the largest city park, at 316.4 acres (1.3 km²), also the home of the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo (ranked as the ninth best zoo in the nation by Child Magazine in 2004^[80]). Lindenwood Nature Preserve is the only park in the city to have nature preserve status from the Department of Natural Resources. Fort Wayne also boasts the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory downtown, which contains a seasonal showcase garden, a tropical oasis display, with a waterfall, and Sonoran Desert display. Also downtown, the 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m²) 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 also 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). Fox Island contains the largest contiguous forest in Allen County.^[81] Northeast of Fort Wayne, near Grabill, is the Hurshtown Reservoir, the largest body of water in Allen County.

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 683 acres (2.8 km²) of protected wetlands, making it the third largest wetland restoration 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.^[82][83][84]

[edit] Trails

In recent decades, Fort Wayne has been developing 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 around 20 miles (32 km) throughout Allen County.

It was announced November of 2007, that the Indiana Department of Transportation (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 Park near Angola, Indiana in the north, and Ouabache State Park in the south near Bluffton, Indiana.^[85]

In the spring of 2008, ABC affiliate WPTA-TV received $10,000 in seed money from the reality television series Oprah's Big Give 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 Colts Coach Tony Dungy and players in attendance.^[86] On April 21, 2008, Fort Wayne was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show in recognition for raising the most money of the ninety participating cities in the country. The final total rounded-out to $1.2 million.^[87]

[edit] Media

See also: List of media in Fort Wayne, Indiana

The major newspaper in the city is the independent Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, a daily that has more than twice the circulation of the city's second daily, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. The two dailies have separate editorial departments, but under a joint operating agreement, printing, advertising, and circulation are handled by Fort Wayne Newspapers, Inc., which is 75 percent owned by the News-Sentinel, 25 percent owned by the Journal Gazette. The city is also served by several free weekly and monthly alternative and neighborhood newspapers, including two that serve the African American community, Ink and Frost Illustrated. Other local publications include, Fort Wayne Monthly Magazine, the Macedonian Tribune (the oldest and largest Macedonian language publication produced outside of the Balkans^[88]), Northern Indiana LAKES Magazine, Whatzup Magazine, and The Communicator, the student newspaper of IPFW.^[89]

The Fort Wayne radio market is the 105th-largest in the nation, according to Arbitron. WGL, Fort Wayne's first radio station, began broadcasting in 1924. WOWO, the city's second radio station, began broadcasting in 1925, and is now an independent news/talk radio station, featuring local and network news talkshows. Two National Public Radio stations, WBNI and WBOI, are based in the city. Fort Wayne is served by a handful of UHF television stations as the 106th-largest media market in the nation. Broadcast network affiliates include WANE-TV (CBS), WFFT-TV (FOX), WISE-TV (NBC), and WPTA (ABC). Fort Wayne's PBS Member station is WFWA. Religious broadcasters include WINM and W07CL. UPN and The WB were primarily local cable television channels, also broadcast as digital television sub-channels on WANE-TV and WPTA-TV, respectively. 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 NTSC channel.

[edit] Infrastructure

[edit] Transportation

Fort Wayne International Airport (formerly known as Baer Field during World War II and Fort Wayne Municipal Airport from 1946-1991) is the state's third busiest airport behind Indianapolis International Airport and South Bend Regional Airport, serving approximately 650,000 passengers annually.^[90] It is the only Midwest commercial airport, other than Chicago's O'Hare, with a 12,000-foot (3,700 m) runway.^[90] Fort Wayne International is also homebase for the 122nd Fighter Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard.^[91] Smith Field, just north of Fort Wayne, is used primarily for small aircraft and pilot education and training.^[92]

Fort Wayne contains two Interstates. Interstate 69 runs south to Indianapolis and north to Port Huron, Michigan, straddling the west and north fringes of Fort Wayne, while Interstate 469 (Ronald Reagan Expressway)^[93] completes a beltway around Fort Wayne and New Haven's southern and eastern outskirts. Fort Wayne contains four U.S. highways, U.S. Route 24, U.S. Route 27, the main north-south thoroughfare through the heart of the city, U.S. Route 30 (Lincoln Highway), and U.S. Route 33. Fort Wayne also contains five Indiana State Roads, State Road 1, State Road 3, State Road 14, State Road 37, and State Road 930, a thirteen-mile (19 km)-long bypass around north-central Fort Wayne, better known as Coliseum Boulevard. Airport Expressway, a four-lane divided highway, provides direct access to Fort Wayne International Airport from Interstate 69.

Fort Wayne Public Transportation Corporation, Citilink, provides bus service via twelve routes through the city, some locations being Glenbrook Square, IPFW, New Haven, and Parkview and Lutheran Hospitals, along with CitiLoop, a trolley service offered downtown in the summer season. In 2007, Citilink served over two million passenger trips.^[94]

[edit] Healthcare

Fort Wayne is served by six hospitals; Parkview 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.^[95] These six hospitals belong to either of the two health networks serving the region; Parkview Health Systems or Luthern Health Network.^[95] Parkview Hospital, the flagship hospital of Parkview Health Systems, is the fourth largest hospital in Indiana, as well as the largest outside of Indianapolis.^[95]

[edit] Utilities

Electricity is provided to Fort Wayne residents by Indiana Michigan Power (a unit of American Electric Power), headquartered in the city and serving 575,000 customers in northeastern Indiana and southern Michigan.^[96] The City of Fort Wayne provides residents with 72 million gallons of water per day via the Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant and Saint Joseph River.^[97] 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.^[98]

[edit] Sister cities

Fort Wayne has three sister cities as designated by Sister Cities International (SCI) and Fort Wayne Sister Cities International (FWSCI):

• Gera, Germany
• Płock, Poland
• Takaoka, Japan

[edit] See also

• List of famous people from Fort Wayne, Indiana
• Siege of Fort Wayne

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Beaty, John D., History of Fort Wayne & Allen County, Indiana, 1700-2005, M.T. Publishing Company, 2006, ISBN 1-932439-44-7
• Bradley, George K., Fort Wayne and Wabash Valley trolleys, Central Electric Railfans' Association, 1983, ISBN 0-915348-22-5
• Bushnell, Scott M., Historic Photos of Fort Wayne, Turner Publishing Company, 2007, ISBN 9781596523777
• Gramling, Chad, Baseball in Fort Wayne, Arcadia Publishing, 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
• Jarosh, Andrew, Son of a Son of a Politician: Paul Helmke Behind City Hall doors, Writers Club Press, 2002, ISBN 0595216005
• Martone, Michael, Fort Wayne is seventh on Hitler's list: Indiana stories, Indiana University Press, 1993, ISBN 0-253-33687-2
• 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

[edit] External links

• Allen County Public Library
• City of Fort Wayne
• Fort Wayne/Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Fort Wayne International Airport
• Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce
• The Downtown Improvement District

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