A couple of Christmas's ago, I gave my aunts, grandmother, and mom, their own, framed set of Fort Wayne postcards. They were all pleasantly surprised as each of their sets contained very specific postcards of places that they had mentioned to me before - in fact - many years before. In some cases, the postcards were of buildings and recreational spots that no longer existed.
If you ever want to get a good story out of your relatives - bring up a place that no longer exists! That's a history lesson that you can't get from a book.
Such was the case with the Robison/Robinson Park series. This first postcard, "Dancing Pavilion Robison Park," had me perplexed.
When I attended IPFW, I lived on the north side of Fort Wayne - living at apartments that were near Shoaff Park, so I was pretty familiar with the parks on the north side.
But I never heard of Robison Park.
All I had to do was ask.
And guess what I found out?!
Well, before I can tell you about the park, I have to tell you – I think I won some sort of lottery. You see, this is how I found out the following (and this all pertains to my mother’s side of the family).
BOTH of my great-grandfathers were married to someone else BEFORE they married my great-grandmothers.
How did I get through decades of life without anyone telling me this?!
And – back in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s – how often do you think that happens?! I just think that it couldn’t have happened often (that people were on their second marriage) so this is why I realized that I must have hit the come-hell-or-high-water-you-will-be-born-lottery.
Now back to this park.
It turns out - that this park - which no longer existed - was quite "the place" to hang out in the late 1800's, early 1900's.
Here’s a description of it from Volume 1 of the History of Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana.
Fort Wayne Consolidated Railway Company purchased a tract of land in St. Joseph township which drew 35,000 visitors on its opening day, July 4, 1896. Known initially as Swift Park, it was later renamed Robison Park and became a popular recreational spot for Fort Wayne residents for the remainder of the decade.
Visitors were treated to music played on orchestrion, located in the park's ballroom, observed hot-air balloon launches and a variety of traveling acts, played baseball, and ate picnic lunches. Rides such as the Dentzel carousel were added to the park at a later date.
In 1897, the Projectorscope, one of Thomas Edison's devices that showed pictures that moved, became a part of the park's summer theater season.
It just so happens that my great-grandparents - Walter G. Roy and Helena Starost - became acquainted with one another at Robison Park. They were both fond of dancing, picnics, and baseball games.
And all of this history was facilitated through the visual of a postcard. Imagine that! Pictures do speak thousands of words.
Side note: Walter was previously married to Rosina Breer and according to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (August 7, 1920 - reporting on her death), "To many she will be remembered as someone who for the past three seasons made many balloon ascensions at Robison park."
That means that this park really was special to my great-grandfather and that were it not for its existence - perhaps I wouldn't be here today.
Hummmmmmmmmph. Sort of puts things in perspective. And it makes me love and appreciate special spots like this all the more.
P.S. A few years ago, I found a web site that had documented what had happened to Robison Park. It was quite devastating for me to see. But then, I'm a sucker for a good romance.
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