The History Center

05/28/2026

Since European settlers have come to Allen County, they and descendants have established numerous businesses to cater to all citizens in our county. One sector of these businesses was the building and building supply trade. In May 1917 a group of seventeen masonry and plastering contractors mutually gathered their resources to organize a new company, Old Fort Supply. In 1918, after 4 years in a frame building the company’s growth necessitated the purchase of a three story brick building (formerly City Carriage Works) at 709-711 Clay Street. During this time, F.E. Schouweiler joined the company, first as a bookkeeper in 1923, then manager in 1928 and was eventually elected president in 1935. December 1959 saw the company move to a newly constructed building at 2013 South Anthony Boulevard. In 1966, due to their wide variety of lines and services, the name was changed to Old Fort Industries, Inc. The company was sold in September 1970 to two of their senior employees and the name reverted to Old Fort Supply Company, Inc. and the company offices was moved to 2000 Wayne Trace. In 1994, Old Fort Supply was once again sold and continued to grow with a north showroom in Industrial Park and a location in Goshen, Indiana. The company continued to serve our community until its closure in late 2017/early 2018.

05/24/2026

05/21/2026

Tea is one of the most drunk beverages in world, amounting to over 2.16 billion cups daily being consumed. Tea, which has a history spanning thousands of years, is often used by its drinkers for the many health benefits of tea. These include, but are not limited to bone protection, reduced chance of heart attack or stroke and soothes the digestive system. In 2019, a day to celebrate this popular drink was proposed and the United Nations approved it on December 21, 2019. The first officially sanctioned International Tea Day was observed on May 21, 2020. Ever since, each year on May 21st, International Tea Day promotes ways to sustain the production and consumption of tea. Today on International Tea Day, we share some of the tea related items from our collection.

05/18/2026

Museums are institutions dedicated to displaying and preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. In Allen County, there are multiple museums to choose from, including but not limited to: Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, Science Central and the History Center (museum of the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society). Since 1977, International Museum Day has been celebrated on May 18 and is globally a day celebrating the roles of museums in society. On this day, many institutions feature special events and increased public access. In celebration of this day, we share some throwback images and artifacts from the beginning the Historical Society’s museum.

05/14/2026

Entertainment has long been sought by individuals in order to escape their everyday life. One way that this was achieved was through attending the theatre. One of the earliest theatres in Fort Wayne was the Temple Theatre, which opened in 1884 and was located in the Masonic Temple. On May 14, 1889, exactly 137 years ago today, the Temple Theatre produced a local tableaux production of Ben-Hur, which was only published in 1880. A tableaux production is like a silent movie, except the performance uses live actors and the story is told through live narration. Today we share some recently discovered items from our collection from that production.

05/08/2026

Digging up the past has been done by mankind for centuries. In the process we often learn important information about those who have come before and how they lived their daily lives. The 1827 home of Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville has hosted two archeological digs, 1992 and 1995, done by students and faculty from the IPFW Archeological Survey program (only pre-approved academic digging is permitted on the grounds of the house, which is owned by the History Center). Today we share some of the items found during these digs, which now reside in our extensive collection of artifacts.

05/05/2026

The Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution are hosting an America 250 Lantern Relay. The relay consists of 10 lanterns travelling in 9 regions across the state, making stops in all of Indiana’s 92 counties. Our region's lantern will be at the History Center through May 11th.

05/04/2026

This past Saturday, the 2026 Barr Street Farmers Market kicked off its annual season! Every Saturday during the summer, Berry Street (from Lafayette to Clinton) and Barr Street (from Berry to Washington) transforms into a thriving market. Since 2005, the History Center, in partnership with the Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana, has presented the Barr Street Farmers Market each summer. Come and visit our historic market for locally made food and produce each Saturday through October 31, 9am-1pm.

05/04/2026

The History Center hosted the seventh lecture of the 2025-2026 George R. Mather Sunday Lecture Series on Sunday, May 3. Amber Bowers presented “Promoting Dignity, Independence, and Advocacy through Home and Community-Based Programs.” Join us for the last lecture in the 2025-2026 George R. Mather Sunday Lecture Series on June 7, 2026 for “America 250: A Miami Perspective,” given by Logan York.

05/04/2026

The History Center had a full weekend of events. Thanks to all who attended the first Miami Indian Heritage Days of the 2026 season on Saturday, May 2nd. Jared Nally offered a demonstration on Finger Weaving. Join us June 6th for a demonstration by Erik Vosteen on Cookware from Local Clays: Making and Using Replica Native-Style Pottery.