Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Through a reconstruction of the Old Fort in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the people of the community are connected with the rich history of the last of three American forts built at the strategic confluence of the St. Marys, St. Joseph, and Maumee Rivers. Tours of the fort are offered through the summer months, but with our arrival in late September, we were limited to a self-guided tour. There is minimal signage documenting the fort’s history, so you will best learn the story of the fort and its people during a guided tour.

The Old Fort is located on Spy Run Avenue (U.S. Highway 27,) less than a quarter mile from the original site of Fort Wayne. In 1815, American troops under Major John Whistler’s command built the fortress’s third iteration, decommissioned in 1819 and then reconstructed in 1976.

The land where The Old Fort stands was originally home to a Miami tribe village called Kekionga, which means “crooked river.” This strategic location at the confluence of three rivers made it a vital center for trade and diplomacy for hundreds of years. As European fur traders and missionaries ventured into the region in the 17th and 18th centuries, they interacted with the Miami people at Kekionga. The Miami people played a crucial role in the fur trade, acting as middlemen between Europeans and other tribes.

The first Fort Wayne, built in 1794 near Kekionga, symbolized the American presence on Miami land. Subsequent treaties throughout the early 1800s further pressured the Miami tribe to relinquish their remaining Indiana holdings. That year, General Anthony Wayne’s victory over the Miami at the Battle of Fallen Timbers marked a turning point. The Treaty of Greenville signed the following year, ceded vast tracts of Miami land to the U.S., including the area around Kekionga.

By the mid-19th century, the U.S. government forced the Miami tribe out of Indiana onto reservations in Kansas and Oklahoma. Despite this displacement, some Miami descendants remain in Indiana, and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma maintains a Tribal Historic Preservation Office in Fort Wayne to address issues related to their ancestral homelands.

Due to the poor condition of the first fort, Colonel Thomas Hunt, commander in 1798, oversaw the construction of a new fort in 1800. Located closer to the rivers (present-day location of Fire Department Station #1), this fort successfully defended the frontier during the War of 1812.

In 1815, Major John Whistler, who served under Anthony Wayne, built the third and final American fort on the same site as Colonel Hunt’s structure. This fort inspired The Old Fort reconstruction and was the most sophisticated all-wooden fort ever built in North America. However, with the decline of Native American hostilities, the fort was decommissioned in 1819.

The surrounding area flourished, leading to the establishment of Fort Wayne as a city. The reconstructed Old Fort, located near the original fort and completed in 1976, serves as a living history museum. The summer calendar of events is available along with other details about the fort on their website here. The source for most of the history in this post is from their website.

A note about parking: There doesn’t appear to be any parking for the fort. There is no place to park on the fort side of U.S. Highway 27. However, across the street is a water treatment plant for the city and parking marked for visitors to the fort. If you turn east on Baltes Avenue, there is a drive there that leads to an unimproved parking area. Search Google Maps for Historic Old Fort Parking for the location and directions.

Near the southwest entrance to the fort, we saw a trail, and a stairway that leads to a bridge. The trail is labeled as River Greenway and St Marys Pathway in Google Maps. It meanders along the river for about nine miles (15 km) and leads walkers to many of the city’s parks.

No signage was available to provide further information about the pedestrian bridge, and even AI searches appear to be unaware of its presence. Searches all reference the Veterans Memorial Bridge near there that crosses the St Marys River. I climbed the stairs to take a look at the river.

Looking southwest at a bend in the river, I got a glimpse of downtown Fort Wayne. I didn’t finish crossing the bridge, but I should have. The bridge leads to the Little Turtle Memorial.

The City of Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation page tells about the memorial park here. Miami Chief Little Turtle, a key figure in regional history, is remembered for his efforts to promote peace. After his passing in 1812, his final resting place remained unmarked for nearly a century. In 1912, during construction of a house, his grave was unexpectedly discovered.

Thanks to the dedication of Mary Catherine Smeltzly, a retired history teacher, a memorial park was established in 1959 to honor Chief Little Turtle. The park stands on land donated by Ms. Smeltzly and features a marker dedicated to the Chief on June 13, 1960. It serves as a quiet tribute to his legacy.

Visitors to Fort Wayne will find the park and the fort a worthy stop for an hour or two, but if you want to get a more in-depth view of the history, check the fort’s website for a schedule of events and available tour information here.

John Steiner