Fort Wayne Normal School - Annual Yearbook (Fort Wayne, IN)

Page 14 text:

,x 'D E 2 'T W '4 n-4 vu 2-F r--. 'TE :J P? 9 5 5 FD 1 va Q 51.11211 .yung .I D 1-- cr T161 ... N. U: 'U E ,- ff 0 Q. 5 If. ii F, :- O ... lv o .- r P : I. O 1 U7 as '1 'c C f- 3' Q '11 O : E. : UQ C v-n r-4 H C f-r 2 YD 'Q IZ C an H I rs 7 0 uz C

Page 13 text:

I2 OUR XIESTICRDAYS THE PAGEANT OF IQI4 October 22, IQI4, the one-Hun'lred twentieth anniversary of the founding of Fort Wayne was celebrated in a number of ways among the people of the city but nowhere more tit- tingly than at Lakeside Park, where the Normal School presented a pageant depicting the history of the founding of our city. In preparation for Old Fort Day' as it is called, the students planned a pageant under the supervision of Miss Wilber. The park board kindly permitted the school to use Lakeside Park, and co-operated gen- erously in building a stockade and in furnishing shrubs and greenery for the scenes. An island in the lagoon was chosen as the setting, the chairs for the audience being placed on the mainland at a point where the water was only a few feet wide, Bliss Esther Phipps wrote the following invitation to the public: On October two and twenty Pleasure we shall give a-plenty, Come and join ns then we pray And honor Fort VVayne's natal dayg For Lakeside Normal School is bent To celebrate that great event. The tomahawk is buried, The council fires are deadg But memories of heroic deeds A glamour o'er us shed. If in your hearts you cherish Brave deeds of stalwart men, Comic join our celebration And honor Anthony Wayne. Indians bold, their squaws as daring, French and English of the past, Kekionga, Little Turtle On your vision let us cast. Learn the history of our city View its humble birth Then decide to boost forever The best town on earth-Fort Wayne! In addition, cleverly decorated invitations in verse were sent out to presidents of various clubs in the city and the officers of the administration. Downtown store windows were en- livened with artistic posters announcing the great event. The story was divided into three scenes showing different periods of the early history of Fort Wayne. The prelude and interludes were given by Miss Helen Ehle as the Spirit of History, assisted by sixteen charming Spirits of the Past. The iirst scene showed life in 1614 in the Indian village of Kekionga at the joining of the three rivers, and the coming of the first French fur traders. The second told of the condition of the country under Ensign Holmes just before the Pontiac conspiracy. The last showed the coming of General Wayne after the battle of Fallen Timbers, the rout of the English and Indians, the founding and naming of the fort. More than four hundred people in costume assisted in this enterprise. This number included all of the children of the Training School, all of the students of the Normal School, and the teachers of both schools. Many of the costumes and properties were worked out as projects in the Training School. Concordia College lent military uniforms, and the State School Band furnished the martial music. It was the co-operation of the teachers, pupils, student-teachers, Park Board, and many others under the leadership of Miss VVilber, which made this large production possible and the tribute paid to our city worthy of its acceptance. HISTORICAL MARKERS In 1916 Indiana celebrated thc one hundredth anniversary of her admission into the Union. To commemorate this event and to educate its citizens with regard to Indiana his- tory, Fort VVayne, as well as many other cities, gave pageants. The Normal School helped in Fort VVayne's celebration by placing eleven markers. The location of each one with its inscription is given below. KEKIONGA foll Dila' Near Lake flzfmiwi. This section of Fort Wayne, known as Lakeside, was, for generations of the Red Man, the site of an Indian village known as Kiskakon, Kekionga and Kekiogue, the stronghold of the savages until the period of the Indian wars which culminated in VVayne's victory in 1794. In I7SQ'I7QO, this village was ruled by Chief Pecaune. lt was the scene of many savage outbreaks against the Americans.

Page 15 text:

1 4 OUR YESTERD.-xys IIIIAJIII TOll'N IOM the Dike Along tl.e St. Joe, Between: Lake and Riciermetj. Upon the opposite bank of the St. joseph, there existed, for many years, a strong French settlement knowiras Miami Town, ruled by the Indian Chief, LeGris. It was destroyed by I-Iarmar's troops in 1790. IVABASH AND ERIE CANAL ICro.vri1zg of Nickel Plate at Harrison Slreeij. The right-of-way of the Nickel Plate railroad through Fort NVayne was formerly the route of the VVabash and Erie Canal, one of the greatest of all artificial waterways. It ex- tended from Toledo, Ohio, to Evansville, Indiana, with Fort VVayne as the chief port of commerce. C.-MIP ALLEN fiff Entrance to Stuimzey Parkj. ' A Lpon-the grounds on the opposite bank of the river, known as Camp Allen, thousands ot men ot northern Indiana were recruited for service in the Civil VVar. FRENCH FORT KAI' East End of Blain Street Bridgej. On the east bank of the St. Mary's river, about two squares north of this point, stood an ancient French fort, erected to form a defense against the English. The fort was aban- doned in 1750 Cforty-four years before General Wayne's campaignb, and a new French fort erected on the St. joseph river at the junction of St. joe Boulevard and Delaware Avenue. The remains of the aqueduct which conveyed the VVabash and- Erie Canal across the river may be seen between the two railroad bridges, west bank. HARMAR'S BATTLEEIELD KNear tlze fzzlzriion of Delaware Azfenue and St. Jae Blvdj Upon the field to the east and south was fought, on October 22, 1790, the fiercestengage- ment of the battle between General Harmar's troops and the Indians under Little Turtle. I11 the river, many of the Indians were caught in the cross-fire between the 'detachments under Major Fontaine and Major McMullan, on the east bank, and Major Hall on the west bank. Major Fontaine, with a number of his men died near this spot. Firearms have been found in the river bed after lying there over 100 years. W SITE OF LAST FRENCH FORT IAt the Iznzcfimz of Delaware Ave. and Sf. foe Bl'vd.1 Upon this site, in 1750-1751, Captain M. de Raimond erected the last of the French forts on the soil of the present Fort VVayne. This fort was captured by the British in 1760. In 1763, at the outbreak of the Pontiac conspiracy, the British commandant, Ensign Robert Holmes, was murdered and the garrison captured by the Indians, aided by the French. HARMARHS FORD IA! Some Paint Along Edgewater IIZIGIIZLCQ. On the morning of October 22, I790, Chief Little Turtle, leader of the Indians, met the approaching troops of General Harmar at the ford of the Maumee river near this point. The fierce assault brought death to Major john VVyllys and many of his officers and men. A total of 183 men of Harmar's command lost their lives in the disastrous campaign. SITE OF OLD FORT WAYNE IAt Old Fort Parkj. This triangular piece of ground was a portion of the areas enclosed by the last group of blockhouses, garrison buildings and palisades known as Fort VVayne. This last fort was built by Colonel john Hunt, probably in ISGO. It was rebuilt by Major John Whistler in 1815-1816. General VVayne's fort was located a short distance to the southward. QSee cor- ner of Berry and Clay streets.Q SITE OF GENERAL IVA VNE'S FORT IA! ilzu Norflzeast Corner of Clay and Berry St.j This corner lot, No. 11, is believed to have occupied the center of the fort originally erected by General Anthony Wayne in September and October, 1794. It was abandoned upon the erection of the new fort by Colonel john Hunt in 1800, one square north of this spot. CSee Old Fort Parkb SITE OE COUNCIL HOUSE IA! the Lot Next East of No. I Engine Housej. The last council house, erected after the Indians had burned the earlier council house, in 1812, occupied the site of this lot. It was used as a place of council with the Indians, and later as a schoolhouse and residence. THE SUMMER SCHOOL The first summer session of the Fort VVayne Normal School opened on June 22, 1920, with an enrollment of twenty students drawn from the city teachers. In 1921 the enroll- ment increased to eighty students and its faculty was enlarged from two instructors to eight. They were Miss Wilber, principalg Miss Beulah Rinehart, Miss Mary Young, E. M. Suter, Miss Mary Paxton, Miss Erma Dochterman, Miss Gertrude Zook, and Maurice E. Murphy. The term was lengthened from six weeks the first year to twelve weeks the second, The students were drawn from a large area, coming from Illinois, Ohio, and Wis- consin, as well as from towns surrounding Fort VVayne. As many students drove in from the surrounding districts in automobiles, the curbs about the school were lined with cars during the sessions. Before this time, the tradition that only girls attended the school had been broken by only one young man. Nine young men took the course in the summer term.