Second Fort from French to British

by Tom Castaldi

Have you ever taken the pleasant drive north on St. Joseph Boulevard along its name-sake river?  As you pass the intersection of St. Joseph Street, you are at the site of the second French fort of the mid 1700s once known as Fort St. Joseph.  French authorities in Quebec decided in 1750 that the old French outpost on the St. Mary's River two and a half miles west by river travel was no longer tenable.  The French built a new fort, called Fort St. Joseph, closer to the Miami settlement of Kekionga.  However, the French had lost the friendship of the local Indians of the region.  Now for a time, the natives’ allegiance was to the British and their more attractive trading centers in the territories of present-day Ohio.

Long a favored place among the American Indian tribes, the place that was to become Fort Wayne was at the western end of the Great Black Swamp and marked a principal passageway between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Valley. When the Europeans first came among the Indian people of the Three Rivers, the newcomers also were attracted to the crossroads near the swamp which facilitated their travel and trade. Competition for the region was strong, evidenced by the flags that have waved over the land.

Captain Charles de Raimond, the French commandant, wrote to the governor of Canada, "my people are leaving me for Detroit nobody wants to stay here and have his throat cut."  The outbreak of the French and Indian War in 1755 led to the surrender of Fort St. Joseph to the British.  Down came the French banner and up went the British jack.  The fort was then occupied in 1760 by contingents of Roger's Rangers led by Lieutenant John Butler.  French power in the Old Northwest territories was ended and passed into British hands.

British relations with the Indians in its newly won territories quickly deteriorated in the face of arrogant traders and officials, broken promises, and withheld gifts.  The American Indians throughout the Great Lakes country united to drive out the British in the celebrated "Pontiac's Rising" of 1763.  Simultaneously, all the forts north of the Ohio River were attacked, and all but Detroit and Fort Pitt were taken.

At the old Fort St. Joseph, now renamed Fort Miami, an impending attack was signaled when three soldiers were killed by a Miami warrior outside the stockade gates on the night of May 25, 1763.  Ensign Robert Holmes, in charge of the small garrison, ordered the fort closed and prepared for siege.  Two English traders were captured that day by the Indians at Kekionga and witnessed what happened two days later when the fort fell.  A young Indian woman who lived with Commandant Holmes came to tell him that another woman lay seriously ill in a wiikiaami near the fort and urged him to come to her relief.  Having confidence in the young woman, Holmes came in sight of the large number of dwellings in the village when two muskets flashed and instantly killed the ensign.  The storyteller of the episode was shown Holmes' scalp the next day.

For the next thirty years, the Indians of Kekionga enjoyed the absence of a garrison.  During these years a large settlement of confederated tribes, centering on the Miami, emerged at the headwaters of the Maumee River, drawn together by the common hatred of the American intruders from the east. Defending their homes and fields, the Miami Confederacy, under Chief Little Turtle, struck back at the invading United States Army twice, once in 1790 and again in 1791, winning significant victories.  It would not last, however, because of the expansion of the new United States, which eventually overwhelmed the Indian people.  On October 22, 1794, another fort was erected in their midst called Fort Wayne.

Originally published in Fort Wayne Monthly “Along the Heritage Trail with Tom Castaldi” January 2010, No 62

 Allen County Historian Tom Castaldi is author of the Wabash & Erie Canal Notebook series; hosts “On the Heritage Trail” which is broadcast Mondays on 89.1 fm WBOI; and “Historia Nostra” heard on Redeemer Radio 106.3 fm.  Enjoy his previously published columns on the History Center’s blog “Our Stories” at historycenterfw.blogspot.com.

Noble Olds and Theodore Thieme Homes

by Tom Castaldi

Among the older homes in Fort Wayne is the one at 407 West Berry Street where Noble Olds, a wagon maker and railroad car manufacturer, lived. The structure was built about 1870 and is one of Fort Wayne’s finest examples of Italianate architecture. Olds was born in 1818 in Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania, and settled in Fort Wayne in 1861. Soon after he arrived, he opened a wagon wheel manufacturing plant and became active in city politics.

Noble’s sons, Henry and John, joined their father in the business, which expanded throughout the last decades of the nineteenth century to include the Olds Coal Yards and the Olds Storage Company. Their Olds Wagon Works was popular with farmers, freight lines, mills and lumber. The company became nationally known and in its day was among Fort Wayne’s largest employers. Henry G. Olds became one of the first officers serving as president of the Fort Wayne Jenney Electric Light Company, the predecessor of today’s General Electric Company. The home at 407 West Berry was purchased by the Mizpah Shrine in 1910.

Notable among the homes along this street is the one at 1012 West Berry once the address of Joel Roberts Ninde the woman who championed the “Home of Convenience.” (See Fort Wayne Monthly June 2006) Her Wildwood Builders Company during the early years of the nineteenth century featured designs that were pleasing to the eye yet economical, convenient, and efficient. 

(Editor's Note: Photos of Ninde houses can be found at http://joelrobertsninde.blogspot.com/)

Another beautiful Fort Wayne residence is the Queen Ann style home at 1026 West Berry built in 1898 by Theodore F. Thieme, who was a well-known Fort Wayne manufacturer during the early portion of the twentieth century. A small theatre, designed by local architects Wing and Mahurin, was added to the structure in 1922. That same year the home was donated to the Fort Wayne Art Association and served as the art school in Fort Wayne for nearly seven decades until 1991 when the Department of Fine Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne opened a new on campus facility. 

Theodore Thieme in  the center

Theodore Thieme was a man who touched the lives of virtually everyone because of the knitting process he brought to America. He was born in Fort Wayne in 1857 to a German immigrant family that operated the Thieme Brothers clothing store. Graduating from the New York College of Pharmacy in 1876, Theodore worked for a time at the Meyer Brothers Drug Store; and later he managed his own pharmacy until 1890.

Thieme had traveled to Germany where he witnessed textile manufacturing and realized the possibilities of developing an American-made line of fine hosiery. It was during this visit that he had an inspiration that resulted in a first-of-its-kind in the United States. Returning home, and with an investment of $30,000, Thieme established the Wayne Knitting Mills in 1891. At first, his full-fashioned hosiery operations were manufactured in rented spaces in a three-story building at the northeast corner of Clinton and Main streets.

Thieme built his own factory in 1893 on West Main Street in what was popularly known as “the Nebraska neighborhood” because it was so far out “west” of town. There, he continued making the nationally famous “Wayne Knit Hosiery” for men and women and “Pony Stockings” for children. 

Postcard Image Wayne Knitting Mills

During the late 1800s, Theodore Thieme’s Wayne Knitting Mills provided a large dormitory as well as a clubhouse for the use of hundreds of employees. In 1923, however, Thieme sold the company to the Munsingwear Corporation of Minneapolis, Minnesota. 





Editor's Note: for more on Theodore Thieme see http://historycenterfw.blogspot.com/2013/07/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-ja-x.html


Originally published in Fort Wayne Monthly “Along the Heritage Trail with Tom Castaldi” Nov 2009 No 60 

Allen County Historian Tom Castaldi is author of the Wabash & Erie Canal Notebook series; hosts “On the Heritage Trail,” which is broadcast at 6:35 a.m., 8:35 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Mondays on WBOI, 89.1 FM; and “Historia Nostra” heard on WLYV-1450 AM and WRRO 89.9 FM. Enjoy his previously published columns on the History Center’s blog, “Our Stories,” at history centerfw.blogspot.com.

And Then We Were One

(continuing the series on the local Unitarian congregation by Sandra Maze)

We are the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Wayne and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association. But, it has not always been so.

Unitarianism took form in Transylvania in 1568 after splitting from the Reformed Church. After receiving approval from the Prince and many in the nobility, Unitarianism became one of the four recognized religions and spread rapidly. Then there was a change in government and the movement was oppressed for about two centuries.

Universalism is based on the premise that all will finally be saved. This doctrine is ancient in origin. During the middle ages it became neglected. It was revived in the 18th and 19th centuries and developed in England. It was taught in the colonies by Mystics, Anabaptists, Episcopalians, and Congregationalists.

The history of our religion is rich and much too long to go into in this article. There are books in our UUFC library and articles on the UUA website.

In America the Universalist and Unitarian denominations were founded in the 18th and 19th centuries by such theological liberals as John Murray, Hosea Ballou, George de Benneville, William Ellery Channing, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Theodore Parker.

There were theological differences. Thomas Starr King, one of the earliest Unitarian Universalists and minister, put the differences as follows “The one thinks God is too good to damn them forever - the other thinks they are too good to be damned forever”. In other words the Universalists put more stress on the love and grace of God, and the Unitarians put more stress on man’s natural goodness.

With the events of the 19th century, which included the Civil War, the differences between the religions seemed to become fewer. The social, cultural and economic differences lessened.

We know that the Unitarian and Universalist merged in 1961 but this was not the first and last meeting regarding this issue.

The World’s Parliament of Religions was held in Chicago in 1893. There was also the First Congress of Liberal Religious Societies which included Unitarians, Universalists, Reform Jews, and Ethical Culturists also held in Chicago that same year. The Unitarians and Universalists began moving closer together. Speakers such as the Unitarian Jenkin Lloyd Jones saw their separation as impeding the growth of religious liberalism.

At a General Convention of Universalists held in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1895, a motion calling for the cooperation of Universalist-Universalist cooperation was made and then tabled. It was again tabled in 1897 at a Universalist Biennial Convention in 1897 in Chicago.

In 1908, the National Federation of Religious liberals was formed “for cooperative effort among the friends of Liberal Religion regardless of denominational lines.” They were active until the 1930s. In 1908, the Missouri Universalist Convention introduced a “memorial on organic union with the Unitarians”. It was concluded that the “organic union be left to make its own way as the divine spirit of truth and Christion Brotherhood may move our hearts.”

By the 1930s, cooperation became stronger. In 1951, a Joint Commission was appointed to by both the Unitarians and Universalists to consider methods of union. At that time, a merger was not recommended but closer cooperation and fellowship of the two denominations. The Free Church of America was created which later became The Free Church Fellowship.

The Unitarians held a Biennial Conference in 1947. Another Joint Commission was appointed. As a result of the Joint Commission, 75% of Unitarians and 72% of the Universalists “authorized the formulation and presentation to the two denominations of a plan for federation”. In August of 1955 , a Council of Liberal Churches was established to work jointly in the field of Education, Publications, and Public Relations.

In the 1950s, 36 local congregations merged and became Unitarian Universalists. They strongly recommended a merger of the two denominations. In 1956 the Joint Merger Commission was appointed and the merger was accomplished in 1961.

In looking through the old Newsletters and Annual meetings, it was found that The Unitarian Congregation of Fort Wayne did not change their name to Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Wayne until after The Articles of Incorporation were signed on October 26, 1980.

Sources:

The Encyclopedia of Religion Edited by Vergilius Fern copyright 1945

Unitarian Universalist Merger 1961-1975 UUA.org

How to Use Free Software to Enhance Your History Projects

by Harry Tunnell

Introduction

Maps and photos are often used to compliment history instruction and research. However, procuring custom maps can be costly. Fortunately, many people already own technology that allows them to create their own custom maps.

This is an article about using free tools to create maps, do basic photo editing, and merge the two efforts. This article describes creating a custom map that shows routes between the History Center and Little Turtle Memorial.

Before sitting down to create a map, it is good practice to check the proposed route. There might be changes, such as a new traffic pattern due to construction. So check first, whenever possible. Geospatial data identifies a location and characteristics of the location. It is the type of data that is used to create maps. You can collect geospatial data at the same time you check the route, which simplifies map making significantly.

The Technology

A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a software or service, consisting of a computerized set of tools that allows users to create or manage geospatial information. GIS software can be expensive to purchase. Fortunately, free versions can be downloaded from the Internet.

The hardware and software used for this article is a Nokia Lumina 925 smartphone with a Windows Phone 8.1 operating system, Run the Map smartphone app, Google Earth, Photo Gallery, and a Dell personal computer (PC) with a Windows operating system.

Get the App & Collect the Data

The first step is to download and install a smartphone GIS app that captures route data (which is different from the apps people use to navigate from place to place). I used Run the Map, which is a free app for Windows Phone.

The next phase is to drive the route. The data is captured within the app as you drive. Once the data is captured it can be viewed on a map within the app, or shared with another GIS. Figure 1 shows the collected route information.

Figure 1: Interface for Run the Map Windows Phone app

The app is very easy to use. When I was in the parking lot of the History Center, I simply started the app, drove the route to and from the Little Turtle Memorial, and the app did all of the work. I paused the app at the memorial so that I could get out and take pictures. The pause is indicated by the notation “2 recorded sequences” in the upper left part of the app interface. You do not have to pause the app to take pictures. However, if you plan to walk around it is a good idea to pause it so that your movement data while walking is not recorded.

I like the Run the Map app because it includes a free sharing feature so that I can email or text the geospatial data without incurring a fee (some apps do this as a pay service). I emailed the data to myself as a KML [Keyhole Markup Language] file. After downloading the email, I used Google Earth (a free desktop GIS) to manipulate the data on a PC and create the final map.

Pictures of landmarks and the memorial were taken with the Nokia Lumina 925 camera. Like the KML file, I also emailed the images.

Create the Map

KML is a file format for geospatial data that was developed for Google Earth (Figure 2). It is a popular format that works with many types of GIS. Once you have Google Earth installed on your PC, double-click the KML file and the data will load in Google Earth. You can also open Google Earth first, and go to the “File” tab on the menu, select open, and select the KML file.

                Figure 2: KML file for the route between the History Center and Little Turtle Memorial

After the data is loaded, you can edit it in the map and add notations, images, and other information. I made changes so that the endpoints were easy to identify and the different routes to and from the memorial stood out (Figure 3). You can see that the History Center and Little Turtle Memorial are clearly marked. The route to the Little Turtle Memorial is green while the route to the History Center is blue. Google Earth maps also show geospatial information—look in the lower right corner and you will see latitude, longitude, elevation, and the date of the imagery.

Figure 3: Finished map that shows routes to and from the Little Turtle Memorial

Data from the app is included in the map. The Run the Map app captures time, distance, speed, and elevation changes for a route (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Map showing additional route data captured by the Run the Map app

Landmarks help people navigate. Sometimes, it can be important to identify them, especially when visiting obscure locations. This sign is visible when driving north along Spy Run Avenue.

Figure 5: Sign for the Little Turtle Memorial, a good landmark for people who are not familiar with the area

GIS maps are interactive; more detail is available by clicking or scrolling. You can also add non-geospatial data to them. When additional data is added, it may not be fully displayed all of the time because it will obscure part of the map. There is usually some indicator though—if you see a jpg file icon, camera icon, or something similar, this means there is additional information.

I added a photo of the sign as a landmark and a note describing the route. (When the photo is collapsed it is represented by a camera icon.) Notice that this version of the map shows the route from the History Center to the Little Turtle Memorial. The nice thing about interactive maps is that information can be hidden if the map becomes cluttered. In this case, I hid the route back to the History Center.

Figure 6: Photos and notes can be incorporated into the map

All images for this article were edited using Photo Gallery, a free photo editing software from Microsoft. People sometimes use the apps that come with a smartphone to edit images. These lightweight apps typically have fewer functions than software that is available for PCs. Photo editing on a PC also tends to be easier because a PC offers more control (e.g., mouse, stylus).

The photo of the memorial plaque is a good example. Here it is before editing.

Figure 7: Photo of the memorial plaque before editing

The photo is fine for many purposes, but it can be improved. The photo was straightened, cropped, and enhanced using the features in Photo Gallery. Photo Gallery also allows retouching so that minor imperfections can be removed. I removed several imperfections on the rock and plaque—including a nasty little bug (Figure 8). 

Figure 8: Nasty little bug on the memorial plaque

The edited photo (Figure 9) is easier to read and now that it has been edited, it can be imported into the map, used for presentations, or incorporated into documents. More refinements are possible, but they can be tedious and require a lot of fine tuning.

Figure 9: Photo of the memorial plaque after editing

There are a few things to be cautious about whenever using a free GIS. Sometimes the systems are not as accurate as software that you buy, because the intended use (and user) is different. For example, a close up of the route shows that it cuts across street and building corners in ways that are not passable by cars. This happens because of how the software processes data. Some software collects fewer data points and uses less powerful algorithms than commercial or professional software, so the data is not refined to the same degree of accuracy. The bottom line is that you need to check on the capability of the software if you require a high degree of accuracy.

Figure 10: Close up of the route showing flaws

Conclusion

As you learn more about free GIS and free photo editing software, you will find myriad uses for them. This article just scratches the surface of the software’s potential. For example, GIS can be used to manipulate (or recreate) the incorrect data shown in the close-up, so the representation of the driving route is accurate.

Google Earth also allows users to input their own data into the system and draw routes. You do not have to drive a route and collect data with a smartphone app. If you are sure of the route (i.e., you drive it every day) or you want to create maps of a historical event (in which case, the route may no longer be passable), there is no utility in trying to drive, walk, or bike the route.

Photo Gallery has a host of features in addition to what has been described in this article. For example, you can create slideshows, share photos on social media, and tag, caption, and apply effects to photos (e.g., using a sepia tone effect to create an antique look), among other things.

Hopefully, this article shows that you can do a lot with free software to improve your history projects. The benefit of making your own maps is that they can be enhanced by photos, notes, and other items of information that you desire, unlike maps that you buy or find online.