Fort Wayne Indiana
Fort Wayne Indiana
ABOUT FORT WAYNE, INDIANA
The county seat and largest city in Allen County, Indiana, is Fort Wayne. The city, which is situated in northeastern Indiana, is 50 miles (80 km) south of the Michigan border and 18 miles (29 km) west of the Ohio border. According to the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 263,886 people, making it the 76th most populated city in the country and the second-most populous city in Indiana after Indianapolis. It serves as the hub of the Fort Wayne metropolitan area, which includes Whitley and Allen counties, and had a projected population of 423,038 in 2021. Northeastern Indiana's cultural and economic hub is Fort Wayne. The combined statistical area (CSA), in addition to the two main counties, also includes Adams, DeKalb, Huntington, Noble, Steuben, and Wells counties, with an estimated population of 649,105 in 2021.
The American Revolutionary War general Anthony Wayne oversaw the construction of Fort Wayne in 1794. It was the final fort built close to the Miami settlement of Kekionga. The European-American community that grew at the confluence of the St. Joseph, St. Marys, and Maumee rivers, once known as Fort Miami, a trading post built by Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes approximately 1706, was named in honor of Wayne. During its reconstruction following the War of 1812 and its siege, the current city was platted in 1823.
Comte de Frontenac appointed Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes, in 1696. He began traveling to Kekionga in 1702 and eventually constructed the initial Fort Miami around 1706. It was a part of a network of trading posts and forts constructed between Quebec and St. Louis. At the time of the first census in 1744, there were perhaps 40 Frenchmen and 1,000 Miami residents.
ARCHITECTURE OF Fort Wayne
Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and Italianate architecture dominated Fort Wayne during the 19th century. In the city, there are still several examples of Greek Revival architecture, including the Richardville House (1827), a National Historic Landmark. Some of the most notable churches in the city, such as Trinity English Lutheran Church (1846), Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (1860), Trinity Episcopal Church (1865), and Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, have Gothic and Gothic Revival architecture (1889).
In Fort Wayne, buildings built in the second part of the 20th century feature modern and postmodern architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright created the John D. Haynes House in 1952, and Eero Saarinen created the Concordia Theological Seminary grounds in 1953. The city saw the construction of Michael Graves' earliest postmodern commissions, such as the Snyderman House and Hanselmann House (1967). (1972, now demolished). A violin and its case served as the basis for Louis Kahn's 1973 design for the Arts United Center. Other significant structures include Indiana Michigan Power Center (1982), which, at 442 feet, is both Indiana's tallest skyscraper outside of Indianapolis and the city's highest building overall (135 m)
RELIGION
The unofficial nickname “City of Churches” for Fort Wayne dates back to the late 19th century when the city served as the regional center for the Episcopal, Lutheran, and Catholic religions. 360 churches may be found in the city nowadays. 54 percent of Fort Wayne inhabitants identify as religious, with 16.5 percent practicing other Christian faiths, 16 percent being Catholic, 9 percent Lutheran, 6.5 percent Baptist, 5 percent Methodist, and 0.14 percent being Jewish. Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims are among the growing number of religious minorities in the city's immigrant populations.
The American Association of Lutheran Churches, the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association, the Missionary Church, and the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches all have their national headquarters in the city as of December 2012. The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Indiana District, which includes all of Indiana and north central Kentucky, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, which serves 14 counties in northern Indiana, both have their headquarters in Fort Wayne.
Economy
The gross domestic product (GDP) for the Fort Wayne metro region in 2017 was $25.7 billion. Manufacturing ($8.1B), health care ($2.54B), retail trade ($1.4B), and finance and insurance ($1.3B) were the top four industries. If it had been a private sector, the government would have tied for third place, earning $1.4 billion.
Manufacturing has played a significant role in Fort Wayne's economic development since the city's early years as a significant trading hub along the Wabash and Erie Canals. Following the opening of the canal, railroads made it simpler to commute from Fort Wayne to other prosperous industrial hubs along the Great Lakes, including Chicago, Detroit, Toledo, and Cleveland.
The city's economy was dominated by manufacturing throughout the early and middle decades of the 20th century. Fort Wayne's industrial output increased by 747 percent between 1900 and 1930, with a total output valued at $95 million in 1929, up from $11 million in 1899. Additionally, the entire workforce grew from 18,000 in 1900 to about 50,000 in 1930.
Dana Holding Corporation, Falstaff Brewing Corporation, Fruehauf Corporation, General Electric, International Harvester, Magnavox, Old Crown Brewing Corporation, and Tokheim are just a few of the businesses that had a sizable presence in the city. These businesses produced goods like refrigerators, washing machines, automatic phonographs, meat packing products, televisions, garbage disposals, automotive parts and motors, trailers, gasoline pumps, trucks, beer, tents, and more.
The production of magnet wire became a particularly significant part of the city's economy.
The majority of the magnet wire produced in North America was made in Fort Wayne, which also had operations for General Electric, Phelps Dodge, Rea Magnet Wire, Superior Essex, and New Haven Wire and Cable Company.
Kiplinger says the Fort Wayne metro area offers an “enviable combination of affordability and amenities.” The cost of living is 13.7% below the U.S. average, according to the publication's analysis. It says affordable housing is the main driver of the metro area's comparatively low cost of living.
Culture and Performing arts in Fort Wayne
Over 200,000 people attend performances at the 2,471-seat Embassy Theatre each year. The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra has frequently been featured at the Embassy since its inception in 1944. A 2,086-seat auditorium can be found in the University of Saint Francis Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center, which is situated on the Downtown Campus.
Several of the city's cultural institutions, including the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Auer Center for Arts and Culture, Arts United Center, and Hall Community Arts Center, have called the Cultural District their home since it was established in 2010.
The Fort Wayne Civic Theater, Fort Wayne Dance Collective, and Fort Wayne Youtheatre are located in Arts United Center. Fort Wayne Ballet is housed in the Auer Center for Arts & Culture. Cinema Center is a part of the Hall Community Arts Center.
Though used mainly for exhibitions and conventions, the Grand Wayne Convention Center hosts dance and choir productions, such as the annual Foundation for Art and Music in Education (FAME) Northeast Festival.[123] Foellinger Theatre, a 2,500-seat amphitheater in Franke Park, hosts seasonal acts and outdoor concerts during warmer months.[124] Located west of downtown, Arena Dinner Theatre is a nonprofit community arts corporation with a focus on a live theater production, annually hosting seven full-length theatrical productions.
Major Attractions in Fort Wayne
One of the top zoos in the country has been hailed as the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. The greatest local attraction, the zoo is made up of 1,000 animals from 200 different species and spans 40 acres (16 ha), frequently bringing in over 500,000 visitors annually. Within its 24,500 square feet (2,280 m2) of gardens, the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory showcases approximately 1,200 plants from 502 different species as well as 72 distinct kinds of cactus. There are both permanent exhibits and changing exhibits at Science Central, an interactive science center that receives 130,000 visitors a year.
The Fort Wayne Museum of Art (FWMoA), which was founded in 1921 and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, focuses on the acquisition and display of American art. The FWMoA welcomes 100,000 visitors each year.
More than 23,000 items commemorating the history of the area are kept in a collection by the History Center, which is housed in Fort Wayne's Old City Hall.
The Richardville House, one of Fort Wayne's two National Historic Landmarks, is maintained by the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society, which is in charge of the facility. Historic Fort Wayne, a recreation of the stronghold from 1815, offers guided tours and historical reenactments all year long. The Fort Wayne Firefighters Museum, the Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum, the African/African-American Historical Museum, and Baer Field Heritage Air Park are among additional cultural museums.
The second-largest genealogy collection in North America is housed in the Fred J. Reynolds Historical Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library.
350,000 printed books and 513,000 pieces of microfilm and microfiche are included in the collection.
Festivals and events
Every year, the city holds a number of cultural festivals and events. Germanfest, Greek Festival, and Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival are just a few of the celebrations honoring ethnic cuisine, dancing, music, and art. Fort Wayne Pride, which first took place in 1997, honors the LGBTQ community in northeast Indiana. BBQ RibFest features live performances and barbecue rib chefs, drawing 40,000 guests a year.
The second-largest genealogy collection in North America is housed in the Fred J. Reynolds Historical Genealogy Department of the Allen County Public Library.
350,000 printed books and 513,000 pieces of microfilm and microfiche are included in the collection.
Fort4Fitness is a 4-mile (6.4 km) run/walk, a certified half marathon, and a health expo. The 2011 half marathon had almost 9,000 participants. Bike-the-Fort, a spring cycle that featured three cycling trips and had more than 1,000 participants, was introduced by Fort4Fitness in 2012. The PNC Santa and Reindeer, Wells Fargo Holiday Display, and Indiana Michigan Power Christmas Wreath are lit up on Thanksgiving Eve as the Night of Lights kicks off HolidayFest, which concludes with a fireworks finale at Parkview Field.
