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Fort Wayne History

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Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We are not makers of history. We are made of history.” The city of Fort Wayne is a historical community in many ways. Fort Wayne was considered as a crossroad by early settlers and Native Americans because of its locational value at the converging point of the three rivers; the St. Mary's, the St. Joseph, and the Maumee Rivers. The city of Fort Wayne is named after General “Mad” Anthony Wayne. He was a bold leader in the military, who established the first American fort. This fort was right at the meeting point of the three rivers. Fort Wayne was originally the region where the capital of the Miami nation was located, at that time known as Kekionga. During the 1680s, the first European settlers were …show more content…

The trade stop of the Erie Canal and the Wabash is very important because introduced just after the canal’s arrival were Railroads. It eased traveling from Fort Wayne to other centers of industry along the Great Lakes. Fort Wayne today, is not only the hub of three rivers but it is also a major metropolitan area. Fort Wayne continues to grow as large corporation and 256,496 individuals live. As the second largest city in Indiana, it is thriving and expanding together constantly. In fact during the 80’s and 90’s the Fort received awards as an All-American City and a Most Livable City. Entering the 21st century, Fort Wayne continues to look toward a time of invention, progress and innovation. Historically, Fort Wayne has been divided into four quadrants: northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest. Calhoun Street divides the southwest and southeast quadrants, and the St. Joseph River separates the northwest and northeast quadrants. The Maumee River divides the northeast and southeast areas. Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad separate the northwest and southwest quadrants, by the portions of the St. Marys …show more content…

This idea was thought of by planner Charles Mulford Robinson in 1909. It was finished by George Kessler, a landscape architect in 1912. The overall program presented a web of parkways and boulevards connecting the three rivers and Spy Run Creek in Fort Wayne. These parkways spread to dozens of neighborhoods and other parks throughout the city. Fort Wayne is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its Parks and Boulevard System. It consists of 11 public parks, four parkways, and ten boulevards. Therefore, it is shown that Fort Wayne has been impacted by its history, reflected larger events and is a very historic

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