Virgil V. Marquart - An Accidental Historian

This weekend, I continued to scan in my extensive postcard collection and to record information about not only the picture on the postcard, but the identification markers of the photographer, printer, merchandiser, and distributor.

I know - I'm a geek/freak.

A common theme kept on coming up for me. It was postcards which were photographed by Virgil V. Marquart and published by Marquart Camera Shop.

I've seen Mr. Marquart's name several times before this weekend. Not sure where. Not sure how. I just know that his name looked as familiar as - well - as anything I remember from the 70's.

I did a quick internet search and unfortunately, found that Mr. Marquart had passed over ten years ago (June 13, 1997).

*********************************

Virgil Vernon Marquart, 85, of Fort Wayne died Friday (June 13, 1997) at home.

The Monroeville native was a self-employed photographer, owner and operator of Marquart Camera Shop from 1945 to 1975, and was former employee of both Sherman & White Co. and Beck Jewelry Store.

He was a member of Indiana Genealogical Society, Society of Indiana Pioneers, Fairfield County Chapter of Ohio Genealogical Society, Allen County Genealogical Society and Fort Wayne Historical Society.

He was a World War II Army veteran. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Pacific Theater and received three bronze stars. Burial will be in Monroeville Memorial Gardens.

Mr. Marquart did not have any children.

*********************************

So then, I went in search - what did Virgil Vernon Marquart - what did he look like? The only picture of him I could find was from the Allen County Public Library's digital Collection.

Mr. Marquart is the third individual from the left. He is with friends in front of Painter Brothers.

With as many photographs as he took and as many postcards as his Photo Shop produced, I'm surprised that there was no book published by him or his family, chronically the changes of the Fort Wayne landscape. He certainly captured places that have either morphed significantly over the years or which no longer exist in the Fort.

So sad that he is gone.

If he were still alive I would ask him, Why did you become a photographer? What was it like to run your own business for thirty years? What happened to your business after 1975? Did you pass the baton on to someone else? What inspired you to take photographs of places that people in Fort Wayne considered (during that time) to be just ordinary places and buildings?

Why did you take a picture of Glenbrook Center Mall from the side instead of the front? How did you get a picture of the Library without any cars in your way (i.e. going through the lights)? Did you have to get special permission to photograph those kids on the pony rides?

Although I have several Fort Wayne history-related books, not one mentions Mr. Marquart. That's sad too. I hope that someone, somewhere down the line writes about the bits of photographic memories that this accidental historian left behind for us. Without his pictures, we'd be missing a huge chunk of the Fort Wayne places that existed in the 50's, 60's, and 70's.

R.I.P. Mr. Marquart. Thank you for the memories.

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor - How It Feels To Have A Stroke

I always like to pass along videos that have an impact.


From Jill's website:

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published neuroanatomist who is afilliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indiananapolis, Indiana. As the National Spokesperson for the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (Harvard Brain Bank), she travels the country as the Singin' Scientist (listen to the Brain Bank Jingle). She is the Consulting Neuroanatomist for the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute. Since 1993, she has been an active member of NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) and is currently the president of the NAMI Greater Bloomington Area affiliate.

"Yep, This Used To Be The Place..."

Before I got distracted with Speed Buggy and ABC Wide World of Sports, I was writing about my trip to Fort Wayne and specifically - my foot excursion to the shoppes by the old Wells Street Bridge.

I showed you Richard's Bakery (both north and south approaches) and then, I also posted the south approaching side (or is that north???) of the shoppes that used to be the home of The Mouse House.

Today's picture is the front (angled) view of this strip of shoppes.

I was bummed that these people were working on the building because I wanted a really cool, clean shot of the place.

But being who I am, I decided to take advantage of the situation. I walked up to them and just started talking...

Me: Excuse me.

Guy: Yes?

Me: I used to live in this neighborhood several years ago. I haven't been back here for at least a decade. Am I crazy - did a business known as The Mouse House - used to be among these shoppes?

Guy: Yep. In fact it was right there (he pointed to the shoppe on the end - the one that now served coffee).

Me: Wow. I thought so. I peaked into the front windows. It looks a bit different - but much of the same structure is still there.

Guy: Yep. The last tenant that was here, after The Mouse House, was a bar. They made some changes, but not a whole lot.

Me: Wow! I had no idea - a bar!

Guy: Yep.

Me: Any idea why The Mouse House people left?

Guy: Nope. I just know that this used to be the place where it was.

I thanked him for his time and then I stepped back a ways, and I just took it all in. I wasn't sad. I thought about the impact that a tiny little, locally owned shoppe had on my life.

Its presence was a catalyst - it brought together my natural/naive curiosity with the patience/wisdom/history/story-telling of my grandparents.

What a great gift this place was to me. But you know what? It wasn't the only place in Fort Wayne. There were others. Some still exist. Others do not.

Me: Well grandpa, we're only in a hurry because there's so many things we have to do!

Grandpa: When you get older, you might see things differently...

And I'm older and now I get it.

We're so busy "doing things". We go through life on fast forward instead of taking the time to have moments like these. Part of that is how we - as a society - and as families - have taken advantage of modern conveniences. Part of it is, we've lost touch (I've lost touch) with simplicity and meaning.

I think for the past 20 years of my life, I have been preoccupied with things that are complicated and in the end, just don't matter much.

Maybe that's what inspires me to write this blog.

I'm reminding myself what made me most happiest - at a time when I had literally nothing (from a material perspective).

I did have though - grandparents, cousins, aunts, friends, teachers, neighbors - who cared about me.

And not because I was smart or had money or knew someone who could do something for them.

They just liked/loved/appreciated me for me.

Kind of a cool concept, isn't it?!

Saturday Morning Cartoons - Speed Buggy (1973)

It's Saturday Morning. The one morning of the week which defied all kid logic. You wanted to get up as early as possible.

How come?

There were cartoons to watch! And as we all know - with only three real television stations (ABC=21, CBS=15, NBC=33) - we only had about four hours of real cartoon-watchin' time!

In honor of Saturday mornings, I pledge to feature here weekly - on Child of the Fort - one of those cartoons that we all used to watch back in the day.



First up - Speed Buggy. Note: Information from wikipedia

Speed Buggy was a Saturday morning cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions from September 8, 1973 to August 30, 1975 on CBS.

Similar in style to Hanna-Barbera's successful Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, Speed Buggy followed the adventures of an anthropomorphic, fiberglass Dune Buggy, Speed Buggy (voiced by Mel Blanc), his driver Tinker (voiced by Phil Luther, Jr.), and Tinker's friends, Mark (voiced by Michael Bell) and Debbie (voiced by Arlene Golonka). The three young adults and their car traveled from race to race, often encountering spy capers and mysteries along the way. Speed Buggy's trademark quotes were always "Roger-Dodger!" and "Vroom-a-zoom-zoom!"

Though Speed Buggy (nicknamed Speedy by his friends) had a mind of his own (which was based on Disney's Herbie the Love Bug), he was vulnerable to commands given through a communicator/remote control device made by Tinker when he first built Speed Buggy. Speedy's friends rarely used the device to control his actions, using it mainly for its communication function, but criminals and other ne'er-do-wells would sometimes steal or duplicate the device and manipulate Speedy for their own purposes.

Sixteen 30-minute installments of Speed Buggy were produced in 1973. The show was a such a huge success that it aired on all three major networks (CBS, NBC and ABC) until 1979, then was picked up for syndication until 1983.

Most likely due to the shows inspiration, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, the character Tinker shares many visual likenesses to Scooby's beatnik best friend, Norville "Shaggy" Rogers. Also, there are some similar character traits between Mark and Fred Jones, and Debbie appears to be very similar to Daphne in multiple ways.

Kristina's thoughts: Well duh!

The Myth: Colby Cheese Makes You Fart

Picture: Me and my cousin Wendy, at the house on 615 W. Third Street (1986).

We're doing dishes and my mom is pestering us to turn around for a picture.

************

There was once a time when I didn't like cheese. Now mind you, I liked macaroni and cheese (as in Kraft), and I liked cheese as a garnish. But a hunka chunka cheese by itself?

Yeahhh - not so much.

Until I started spending time with my grandpa.

At his house on Third Street, there would always be a hunk of cheese. Sometimes a half moon, sometimes an entire round wheel. That was his snack. He'd go into the kitchen, unwrap it, cut off of a slab, and sit down in his overstuffed chair, watching the news.

Me: Grandpa. Isn't that gross?

Grandpa: Nope. Best colby cheese in the world.

Me: Don't you need to have some macaroni or a hamburger with that?

Grandpa: Nope. All of that stuff would ruin the taste.

Me: Doesn't it make you have the farts? Grandma says cheese makes you fart.

Grandpa: Your Grandma doesn't know what she's talking about. She thinks everything produces gas.

One day, as he was cuttin' himself off a slab, he cut me one too.

Me: What am I supposed to do with this?

Grandpa: I thought you were the smart one in this family.

So I ate it.

Colby cheese. It had a slightly sourish, but creamy taste to it (remember - my cheese experience to this point had been KRAFT). Interesting. Not a total turnoff. But I didn't say that to him. Nope. It would have been like he was right and I was wrong. I'm not admittin' that.

A couple more times, he would bring me slabs. I ate. Said nothing. Ditto for him.

Then somehow, I was the one fetching the slabs for both of us.

Grandma: Krissie, don't eat too much of that. It'll give you horrendous gas like your Grandpa.

Grandpa: Irene... don't be tellin' the girl that. You're just makin' up stories. In a whisper to me Your Grandma just doesn't have appreciation for cheese. She was born in Ohio - what does she know?!

Me: Giggle. Roll my eyes.

************************************************************************
Next up - it was time for him to introduce me to the place where he purchased his cheese - The Mouse House.

And that's when me, him, and Grandma, would take our walk "down to the bridge" to get some cheese and doughnuts.

This is a birds-eye view of the area.

Walking "down to the bridge" was about walking to the shops that were located close to the Old Wells Street Bridge.

We wouldn't have to walk across it for this particular trip - but that's how they referred to our walking excursion to Richard's Bakery and The Mouse House.

"Let's Take A Walk to The Bridge"

<-This is a picture of my Grandma, standing on the porch of 615 W. Third Street.

My grandpa was a security guard at St. Joe Hospital and his work week wasn't the typical 8 to 5, Monday thru Friday.

In the beginning, he worked second shift and his schedule was like four days on and three days off and then five days on and two days off. Never the same days either!

I never kept up with his schedule. I just knew that when I woke up, if he was sitting in his big, overstuffed chair, that meant it was his work day (he watched his television in that chair).

If he was wandering the house and the yard, it was a day off.

On his days off, he and Grandma used to like to walk together to various places around the neighborhood.

Usually, they'd come find me and say, "Let's Take a Walk to the Bridge".

I knew what bridge they were talking about and I knew what the trip was about. We were going to walk down Wells Street, and pick up some things from The Mouse House and Richard's Bakery.

As you can see from the map, it was a bit of a walk, but I never minded it.

There were sidewalks which were very walkable and crossing over from Third Street to Wells Street was never a big deal.

To Ride or To Walk? That was the Question.

My grandparents lived at 615 W. Third Street a good chunk of my junior high and all of my high school years.

I spent many summers and my entire senior year (and first year of college), living with them at this house.

By the way, that's me over there, to the left. I was visiting my grandparents and someone snapped a picture of me in a "pep band" uniform (white pants - ewww). This was the alley next to their house (and btw - the alley doesn't exist anymore). The house is to the left of this picture.


Their particular mode of transportation was by foot or by bus.

The rule of thumb (on whether you took a bus or whether you walked) was based upon this map I've put together.

There weren't boundaries given to me/us (spoken out loud) - I just remember, based upon where we'd need to go, the typical comments that I would get from either grandparent.

Grandma: We better take the bus. Those crazy driver's come off of the highway and still treat Goshen Road like it's their own personal raceway.

Grandpa: If you and Krissie are going to Murphy's, take the bus. There's too many streets for you to cross at this time of day.

Winter On Kyle Road

Looking Down Kyle Road
Originally uploaded by kristinafh

You are looking at the top of Kyle Road.

I know you can't tell from this particular shot, but there's a nice downward slope on this road.

And going up this with your bike is a bitch. It's more than a workout for a ten year old. It's like training for some marathon. Which is why we usually didn't take this route on our bikes. We tended to head the other direction where the road was smoother and flatter.

It was a different story in winter time.

Especially when crusty ole Lester Grile would call off school. School would only be called off in the winter time for one of two reasons. First, blizzard conditions. Second, icy conditions.

As kids, we loved both. The ice though, had its bonus points.

You see, didn't matter what the temperature was. A day off of school, with a fresh sheet of ice - just waiting for us - well - that was almost better than the ice cream truck dropping off free bomb pops.

So, this is how it went down.

We'd tell the parents that we were hangin' at Brian Rice's house (it's on the left - but you can't see it because the trees hide it.

If we had enough kids, we'd break into three groups.

One group would stay towards the bottom - looking for any stupid cars that might try to come out of Cedar Crest OR which might try to make its way up Kyle (up the slope).

Side note: Most drivers avoided this area when it was icy because it was a guaranteed wipe-out.

One group would park themselves at the top of Kyle, watching out for the silly drivers who might approach from Tielker Road.

The other group would grab their plastic, toboggan sleds (mine was red - got it at Mr. Wiggs I think) and ride them down the slope, holding on for dear life.

Things to look out for:

* Other sledders
* Mailboxes
* Utility poles

Otherwise, the name of the game was, see how far and fast you could go without injuring a body part.

And everybody would rotate.

And keep on slidin' down that slope - until it was time to go home for supper.

And that's how we spent our icy winters. Slidin' down the slope with our plastic, toboggan sleds.

Final note: if you've never rode down a slope on a plastic toboggan sled - you haven't experienced life. There's nothing like a thin piece of plastic between you and a sheet of ice and the wind ripping your face off as you hold on for the ride of your life. Guaranteed to erase all of your worries of the day.

Cognitive Dissonance. Aka - I'm Confused. It Just Doesn't Seem To Fit...

East State Village
Originally uploaded by Fetchy

I like East State Street. There, you'll find things like El Azteca (best Mexican - period), the Acme Bar (best fried appetizer's) and the Rib Room (mmmm....lots of red meat) along with some really neat houses (in fact there is one that I've ALWAYS wanted to own - ever since I saw it when I was nine years old).

As I was driving through the neighborhood this past weekend, I came across this sign.

I meant to take a photo of this but it was the middle of the day when I was in the area so I wasn't sure how I would maneuver a nice shot in the middle of weekend traffic.

Thank gawd someone else (thanks Fetchy!) had found the right time and right spot :).

Anyway - I mentioned on Sunday, that there were a couple of things that I was confused about. This is at the top of my list.

This East State Village sign.

I don't get it. It's bright and flashy and the font (okay - what's a better word for the lettering style) just seems a mismatch for the neighborhood - at least the neighborhood that I'm used to.

If someone has some insight into this - let me know. I'm definitely interested in knowing the history of it - what led up to it - how the design was chosen - and if the citizens of the area like it. Maybe they do - I'll accept that I'm the sore thumb (sticking out) in this scenario.

Reflections On My Trip Home - Why I Still Have BIG Love for Fort Wayne

Why I Still Have BIG Love For Fort Wayne

* Not in any particular order and certainly - not an exhaustive list.

• It still doesn't take very long to go from one side of town to another - get on Clinton, Lafayette, Jefferson, State Street, Coliseum - and boom - you're there in no time at all. Let me tell you - living in Central Indiana - it is a major effort to get from one side of town to another, regardless of the route you take.

• I never once felt unsafe regardless of the neighborhood I stopped to take photos in.

• Every single person I ran into (stranger and otherwise) - NICE. SMILED. Didn't think I was a complete freak. And you know, that's something (for me) which has usually been the case (80/20) rule. Fort Wayne is a friendly (without being creepy friendly) city.

• Families are alive and well and do things that make me smile - bike ride, go to the parks, eat together, etc...

• While I was at Indian Village, the fifth grade convocation was going on. It was absolutely beautiful watching the parents - watching their children. Great love. Great pride. Now, if the school board could just have the same attitude...

• I was pleasantly surprised by small things (and new things to me) I had never seen. Example - sparkly squared lights downtown around the Hilton (the sidewalk lights).

• I was pleasantly surprised by BIG things (and new to me things) I had never seen. Example - the Wells Street bridge (that entire area - which has been completely overhauled since I lived in this area). This was a major (foot) route for me and my grandparents. I remember how fragile the wood was - walking across. We had to stay in the middle because the walkways on the side of the bridge were way too dangerous. Approaching the bridge, it used to be quite overgrown with weeds. But now - look at this. It is beautiful and gorgeous but in a very subtle way.

• Which is why this is its own bullet point - for the most part - Fort Wayne does a great job of making things personal and subtle and not gaudy and not flashy.

• Every single retail, food, service related establishment that I frequented - people were nice. Genuinely nice.

I wish I could have taken a picture of every positive moment - however - it just wasn't possible.

Throughout the two days I was here - I took over five hundred shots.

Aside from the photos - I have much more to say about my trip this weekend to the Fort. Some things - I'm disappointed with. Some things - I'm curious about. But more on those later. Right now, I'm goin' back to Indy to enjoy the rest of the weekend with my husband and son.

You Can Go Home Again

This Way To Beth's House
Originally uploaded by kristinafh

Just a quick note to let you know that I'm in the Fort - visiting relatives - and taking "tourist-ie" type photos. So please - if you are expecting something earth shattering - the kind of stuff that my fellow artsy bloggers produce - y'all just take a time out for a reality check.

You see, although I am artsy type myself, I'm also impulsive. I bought this new camera and per my usual style, did not read the directions - so I'm just snappin' crap by the seat of my pants.

Ew. That almost didn't sound right to type.

ANYWAY - when I find time to upload and label them, they'll be on my Flickr account. Feel free to leave comments on them - especially if I've stated that something is "x" and it is "z" - and also - if you have memories about the place (that means you Chris - that means you Carl).

General comment of the moment - Gee...let me tell you....it's a sad day when I drive by every building and I go - okay, that used to be 'x' and that used to be 'y' and hey - where did 'abc' go?

Admittedly, there are a couple of buildings that I see where I go - okay...on the tip of my tongue....that was....that was....and then I can't remember. So hopefully, all of you knowledgeable individuals will be able to help me out when the time is right.

Special note: I had the privilege of meeting Evert and Susan Mol yesterday. To say that they are lovely people would be a dramatic understatement. Fort Wayne is lucky to have these two as a part of their community.

Quiz Time

I'm in the mood to validate - well - the fact that me and my memory aren't CRAZY or HALLUCINATING. Please - jump in here if you know the answer.

* What was the name of the carwash that was located towards the entrance of either Southtown Mall and/or KMart on the South side (1970's)? And nope - not a Mike's carwash either.

* What was the name of the community pool that was located in the Indian Village area?

* What was the name of the drive-in (and I keep on thinking - root beer stand) that was located near downtown (I keep on thinking Spy Run because it was a one way going downtown - I always thought of the road as a racetrack when I was a kid).

* What was the name of some place - maybe a recycling place? that seemed to be near downtown where we would sometimes go to hunt for steel beer cans (as opposed to the "aluminium" ones? I almost thought it was a junkyard of sorts...but who knows (except that I do remember pulling out some awesome beer cans for my collection).

* What were the names of the camps that we used to go to as Girl Scouts? Camp McMillen? Where was that located? Camp Logan? Where was that located?

Postcard of Dancing Pavilion Robison Park, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Postcard of Dancing Pavillion Robison Park, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Originally uploaded by kristinafh

I started collecting postcards of Fort Wayne about 4-5 years ago. I don't know what prompted me to start however, it has turned into a full-blown obsession of mine.

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.

Pausing For A Station-Identification Moment

So, I was just mentioning to someone, that I bet, if you took an inventory of the adults who went through the Fort Wayne Community School system during the 70's and 80's, you would most likely find that there were a number of them (maybe even highly disporportionately in a positive sense) who would be considered very successful professionals. HECK! Just from you all who have reached out to me, I'm in awe of what you guys are accomplishing as professionals. It's just too bad that not all of you were able to stay in the Fort. But we'll save that "lack of job opportunities" for another day ;).

ANYWAY - in two weeks, I'll be in San Francisco, California, speaking on something that me and my awesomely, wonderful team have been working on for the past year.

If any of you past Fort Wayne'ers are San Francisco'ians now, let me know and maybe we can meet up!

Delivering Targeted Web Experiences at Cummins

Speakers: Kristina Frazier-Henry, IT Marketing and Customer Engineering Director, Cummins and Eben Miller, Director, Product Marketing, Interwoven and Garner Andrews, Strategic Solutions Architect, Interwoven

Companies today confront a dramatically changing landscape, which has resulted in urgent and complex challenges. For most of us, the explosion in social computing, fragmenting market conditions, new competitive pressures, and the increasing sophistication of online users is forcing us to deliver more relevant, interactive, and engaging online experiences. By taking a systematic approach to targeting Web content and offers, businesses can grow revenue and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. In this session, you will learn how Cummins, a global power leader, is transforming their online strategy and driving growth through the effective deployment of targeted Web experiences to key customer and partner segments.

Great Confusion and Sadness

I'm going to take a moment out of my usual type of "reflection on childhood" posting and tell you that I was shocked, mortified, and just generally stunned at what has become of the Fort Wayne Community School System.

I know that over the past 20 years, enrollment has tanked and I just assumed that it was that normal - people moving out to the 'burbs.

Then I see this data and I was speechless for a good five minutes.

Public School Rankings

I'm embarrassed.

There would be absolutely no way that I would enroll my son in the FWCS system as it is today.

Wow.
Wow.

This makes me incredibly sad. I went to Indian Village. It's on probation. Unfathomable.

And here's the Private School Rankings.

When my mother decided to switch us into the catholic school system, I went to St. Therese. BTW - she did this to ease her catholic mind not because she didn't think we were getting great educations in the FWCS system.

So St. Therese - it's listed as exemplary.

Another observation.

All of the public schools in the Waynedale area are doing horribly while the handful of private schools in the same area are shining brightly.

wow.
wow.

What has happened folks? How and why did FWCS become so broken?

I feel badly for these children. What kind of future can they expect to have if they attend a school that is sub-par?

And Fort Wayne - how can they expect to turn out "their own" professionals if these kids can't even cut the state's mustard.

No wonder these kids are resorting to shooting each other. Nine murders in one week - how many of those who perpetrated the crimes - how many of those people were a product of the FWCS system?

I'm just sayin'....

wow.

I'm back to being speechless again.

But then I bounce back and start reading the meeting minutes - just for 2008 mind you as I'm pretty tired and I need to sleep soon.

"Carol J. Coen commented on the district wide fund raiser that FWCS is holding for Riley
Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. Many Fort Wayne children use the facility in Indianapolis. If we collect one dollar per student, the district would become a Riley Miracle Corporation."

I mean no disrespect to Ms. Coen - but who cares? I mean, it's nice that there is a fund raiser to support Riley but caring about the district becoming a "Riley Miracle Corporation"? Is this part of the new image that they're trying to build for themselves?

"Kevin Brown, Carol J. Coen and Stephen Corona shared experiences from their trip to
Washington, D.C. for the National School Boards Association, Federal Relations Network Conference in early February. There was much conversation about the reauthorization of NCLB legislation. They were able to visit with the staff of Senators’ Lugar and Souder and share specifics of Fort Wayne Community Schools concerns."

I'm glad that they went on a field trip - but WHAT are the concerns? I don't find any list on FWCS website entitled, "Concerns We Have". I would love to see that!

What does it say when four months into the year - over 50% of the meeting minutes documentation is taken up with hires/fires/transfers/leaves of absences/retirements??? Why SO much fluctuation in personnel??

"Mark GiaQuinta thanked the Superintendent for the congratulatory letter sent to Bishop Luers on their state football championship."

You've got to be kidding.

"Chief Academic Officer Dr. Carol Lindquist provided an overview of the district process for enhancing academic effectiveness. Director of School Improvement Systems John Kline then reviewed steps taken by each school to create its plan for continuous improvement."

Awesome. How about posting them on the FWCS website and updating this information (the progress of) monthly?

Yes, here's the methodology they are using (which to me, seems a BIT overwhelming and which will do a great job of taking teachers away from doing their job but hey - what do I know - I just have a master's degree).

They were supposed to be done by March 28, 2008 (each school yet nothing has been posted on the FWCS website). They do have "generic" plans for Middle School - so maybe this means that one size fits all, and whether you are an exemplary school or a probationary school, your approach to improvement is still the same.

Sigh

Something happened between the 2003-2004 school year and the 2004-2005 school year. A quick check of each school's snapshots comparing those two sets of year - half of FWCS dropped significantly from one year to the next (some by 20 points!!!) . Maybe someone can explain that to me.

Waynedale Elementary
Indian Village Elementary
Weisser Park Elementary
South Wayne Elementary
Frances Price Elementary
Nebraska Elementary (they tanked big time first, from 2002-2003 vs. 2003-2004 but then took another nose dive from 2003-2004 to 2004-2005)
Lindley Elementary
Lincoln Elementary
Merle J Abbett Elementary
Adams Elementary
Elmhurst High
Fairfield Elementary
Forest Park Elementary
Franke Park Elementary
Haley Elementary
Harris Elementary
Harrison Hill Elementary

ANYWAY

I promise tomorrow's blog entry will be light and fluffy because too many of these depressing postings aren't good for any of us :).

4th Grade, Indian Village Elementary - Mrs. Crowley

I told you earlier that 4th grade was an important time for me. Here is the first of many recollections re: that period of time in my life.


In 1976, I was nine years old and entering the fourth grade. I had attended Indian Village Elementary school since kindergarten and had felt pretty comfortable in my surroundings, although - and I know you'll find this hard to believe - I was an extremely introverted child. I had fantastic teachers for K-3rd and for fourth grade, I was looking forward to having Mrs. Mitchell. She was an older woman who ran a very strict classroom setting but I heard, she was the best.

Imagine my surprise when two days before school, we stopped by to pick up my books, and found out that my teacher wouldn't be Mrs. Mitchell. It was to be a new teacher, Mrs. Crowley. I was shaken up a bit but forgot about it quickly as I wanted to enjoy my last two days of freedom.

But so much for peace and quiet because rumor around the neighborhood was that Mrs. Crowley was black. This upset my parents - mostly my father - tremendously. Although I knew my father said horrible things about black people, I thought for some reason that a teacher would be exempt from his wrath. But no. The 'n' word was used like it was a typical part of everyday conversation. By the time school started, my stomach had a great ole pit in it.

On our first day of school, my sister and I caught the school bus and sat for the requisite 20 minute ride. When we arrived, there was a school bus already there, sitting directly in front of the school with curtains hanging in the window. How odd I thought. Why doesn't my school bus get to have curtains? The whispers inside the school halls was that a handful of black children had been bussed in to our school system. I was really confused. All of this chaos was a lot for me to handle on my very first day of school.

I walked down the hall to room 21 and stepped into the newly decorated classroom. I found my desk, took a seat, and then looked around to see if I recognized any of my classmates (hi Beth! hi Tom!). But then all of that became a moot point when I saw my teacher walk in the room.

Mrs. Crowley was an attractive woman with a hair-do that was pretty common for a white woman in 1976. I call it the Miss America hair-do. Her skin was black - and not light-skinned but dark black and that frightened me. Didn't it hurt to have skin that dark? I knew that when I stayed out in the sun and my skin got burnt, it really hurt! I was worried for her. Throughout the day, it was very difficult to concentrate because I kept on looking at Mrs. Crowley, trying to understand her. She looked so different but sounded so much like my other teachers.

Over the next couple of weeks, I still found myself stealing glances at Mrs. Crowley and once in awhile, she would catch my stare and smile back at me. About two months into school, I was picked to work on a special project which required that I stay after school. When I went back to pick up my homework, Mrs. Crowley was still there, cleaning up, and setting up for tomorrow's class. For the first time, I was face to face with the teacher that I was both fascinated with and scared of. We were alone and I could tell she was going to initiate conversation. It was a very casual conversation - she asked about my project I was a part of and I commented on how late she was staying. Whew! I had escaped.

Meanwhile, back at home, my dad still had not let up on the "n" word. Every day he still made it quite clear to me and my sister that our education was in jeopardy because the school system had hired "her". The hateful messages I received from home were so confusing because my gut totally felt the opposite. I was learning so much from Mrs. Crowley. She was a fantastic teacher. It got to a point that I needed to know, once and for all, what the real story was.

One day, I volunteered to stay after school to re-arrange the desks. I did it on purpose and I even lied to my parents about it. They thought that I went to my best friend, Beth's house (and to this day, Beth has kept my secret). When Mrs. Crowley and I were alone, she asked me some questions.

Kris, I see you staring at me throughout our day and I was wondering if there's something you want to say to me.

She said this all with a smile. For the first time, there was no fear in my body.

Mrs. Crowley. Does it hurt to be black?

She looked at me and crooked her head, looking for more information.

How do you mean, Kris?

I told her that her black skin seemed so dark and that it reminded me of someone who had been burnt. Did it hurt her? She smiled from ear to ear and gently touched my shoulder.

Sit down with me.

She then talked to me about everything. We started with skin color and she continued answering any and all questions I threw at her.

Why do people call black people the "n" word?
Why does my daddy hate "n" people?
How come my school bus doesn't have curtains?

I touched her hands. They were smooth and soft. Her nails were painted a dark color - maybe a brown. They were perfectly manicured. I touched her hair. It felt so much different from mine. It was straight like mine but it didn't feel nearly as soft as mine. I hugged her and it felt so nice. And she smelled incredibly good, a smell that is still with me today.

It's absolutely, one of the most memorable moments of my elementary years. I was anxious around my teacher because of her skin color. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine any one in the year 2008 saying the stuff that I said and thought as a nine year old fourth grader??!! I can't. It just totally blows my mind.

It's hard to believe that 32 years ago, I had these types of questions because today, skin color is so irrelevant to me. But it's that way because Mrs. Crowley took time to answer the bizarre, but innocent questions of a nine year old girl raised in a very ignorant home. By the time the next semester rolled around, my parents had pulled me and my sister out of Indian Village and placed us in a Catholic school. I only had Mrs. Crowley as my teacher for four short months however, it was an extremely valuable four months for me.

In 1976, Mrs. Crowley influenced and inspired me more than any other historical black American figure has. Here was a woman who was willing to subject herself to the ignorance of an entire community just so that she could teach and make a difference. And she did. Probably more than she ever realizes. Her influence and actions has had a rippling affect on my life. It's because of her that I never thought twice about dating someone of a different color, race, or religious background. It's because of her that I'm a better parent. It's because of her that Ethan's outlook on life is to evaluate every one by their actions and not by their physical attributes. She taught me that what was inside mattered most, a lesson I should have learned from my parents.

Continuing Everett White's, "You Know You Are From Fort Wayne When"

Everett White - love his list. I started adding my own as a comment and it became too large! Read his list. Add to it.

Here's my additions!

1) You auditioned for Tony Randall when he was in town.

2) You remember shopping at Mr. Wigg's and then Heck's.

3) You remember Glenbrook without the Glenbrook Commons addition.

4) You remember shopping at Ayr-way.

5) You looked forward to the Arch-way factory tour and the cookies you got afterwards.

6) You looked forward to the Key III candies factory tour and the candy you got afterwards.

7) You shopped at Dolly Madison's on Bluffton road and didn't care if the snack cakes were expired - they STILL tasted fantastic!

8) You loved eating subs at KMart.

9) You remember the blue light - not just the blue light specials - at KMart.

10) Grade school was K-thru 6 (I think this changed in 1974).

11) There was "Times Corner" but no Coventry.

12) You remember Gold Mine before it was Tilt and then Mad Anthony's before it was Tilt.

13) You remember when Waynedale was called Waynedale.

14) You liked riding the train at the zoo.

15) You remember when the African Veld was opened.

16) You remember when there was no food and beverage tax.

17) You remember WHY they implemented the food and beverage tax.

18) You remember Anthony Wayne Bank - downtown.

19) You remember Jimmie's Pizza Inn.

20) You had a birthday party at Shakey's Pizza.

21) You remember the Cat's Meow.

22) You remember Mike the Talking Bike.

23) You remember Mr. Yuk.

24) You remember the Freedom Train.

25) You remember Trailways Buses.

26) You remember the City Utilities billboard sign that said, "Fort Wayne, City of Enterprise...Leading Indiana in Economic Growth".

27) You remember Eavey's Market.

28) You remember when Cindy's Diner was called Noah's, Jack's, or Marge's.

29) You remember where Noah's, Jack's, Marge's was located at.

30) You remember when Roger's bought into the Cub Foods concept.

31) You remember when Roger's and Scott's were the two main playa's in town.

32) You remember listening to Bob Siever's on WOWO.

33) You had your picture taken with Santa Clause downtown.

34) You shopped at Nobson's.

35) You shopped at one of the A&P's.

36) You remember the following shopping centers, Time Corners, Park West, Covington Plaza, Colony Center, Casselwood Center, Anthony Wayne Village, Rudisill Center, Del Mart Plaza, Homewood Shopping Center, Statewood Center, East Statewood Center, Georgetown Square, Hazlewood Plaza, North Anthony Center, Maplewood Plaza, Market Place of Canterbury, Riveria Plaza, Washington Square, Pine Valley Mall, White Swan Plaza, Northcrest.

37) You remember being 19, loading up the car, and driving over to Ohio with your friends to buy wine coolers.

38) You remember Rock America.

39) You remember when KISS came to town and how big of a deal that was.

40) You collected beer cans.

41) You would one-up your buddies by finding beer cans made out of steel and not just plain aluminum

42) You remember before it was 21 Alive.

43) You remember Dick Florea.

44) You remember Summit Bank.

45) You remember when One Summit Square didn't exist.

46) You remember K & K Insurance.

47) You remember when people used to crash into the house that was over by Glenbrook (can't remember the intersection name - but people used to go straight - when they were inebriated - instead of turning - and going straight - crashed them into that person's house).

48) You went on a tour of the Old Fort with your class.

49) You remember Peoples Trust Bank.

50) You remember what "The Fort Wayne Story" was (i.e. huge scandal).

51) You remember the Baer Field Thruway.

52) You remember the Zig-Zag Night Club.

53) You remember the block of Columbia Street and Harrison being referred to as "The Landing".

54) You remember how cool it was the first time you saw "The Globe" at the downtown library.

55) You played in the Wildcat League.

56) You were invited to the John Cougar concert as a thank you for helping out with the sandbagging efforts.

57) Someone in your family worked at GE, GTE, Lincoln Life, or International Harvester.

58) You remember Franklin Variety.

59) You know who Lester Grille was.

60) You bought cheese from the Mouse House.

61) You remember the fire at Karen's Kitchen.

62) You remember the slogan, "Hitch to Kitch".

63) You bought goodies from Richard's bakery.

64) You loved eating at Burger Chef because of their works bar.

65) You remember when they first added "drive-through" options to gas stations (i.e. when you could drive up to some guy who sat in a booth, and you could ask for something like bread or milk and pay for it there).

66) You slid down he big red slide and or rode the go-carts behind Scott's on Paulding Road.

67) You rode your bike to Andy's gas station and grocery store.

68) There were paddles used at Fort Wayne Community School.

69) You participated in the YMCA after-school program (i.e., they would come to your elementary school, once a week, pick you up, and take you to the "Y" for swim lessons).

70) You remember the buildings on Wells Street that were the "old orphanage" - before the YMCA took them over.

71) You remember people coming to your elementary school and showing you that a tablespoon of jelly equaled the amount of sugar you could fit into one of those gerber baby food jars.

72) Dr. Ingleman was your orthodontist and his only office was on Tillman Road.

73) You remember that WPTA had a theme song they used to run as commercials called, "Still the One" (sung by the group - Orleans).

74) You remember Joselyn Steel.

75) You remember when the Wells Street Bridge was one step away from falling apart and was scary to walk across.

76) You remember Wayne Candies and what Wayne Buns were (and also - all of the different varieties of them).

77) You got your senior class picture taken at Watters Studio.

78) You remember when Dean Pantazi had hair :) and when Paul Helmke had black - not grey hair.

79) You remember when the Botanical Gardens didn't exist.

80) You went with your class to Fox Island.

81) You went with your church group to King's Island and/or Cedar Point.

82) You were a caddy at the Orchard Ridge Country Club.

83) Queen of Angels girls basketball team was the team to beat.

84) You knew what Stillman's Department store was.

85) You remember Falstaff's Brewery and when it closed.

86) You ate at Papa Suzetti's.

87) You had milk delivered to your house by some guy in a truck from Allen Dairy (ours was named FRANK).

88) You remember eating at Godfather's Pizza.

89) You went with your mom when she redeemed her S & H Green Stamps.

90) You remember the Greyhound Bus Station on Jefferson - when it was in use (and not "abandoned").

91) When working at Lincoln Life meant that you got off at noon on Friday.

92) You remember Joanne Lantz, Mike Downs, Jack Ulmer, and Phil Kennell


* More to come as I think of them...

Designer/Project Architect of Southtown Mall Needs Your Help

Hello Everyone,

If you could get the word out, I'd appreciate it. I have already sent to him, the pictures online from the library.

IMPORTANT: He is looking for pictures of happier times - not those that show the place, right before demolition (which is all that I seem to be able to find myself online).

______________________________________

Hello,

I was the designer and project architect for Southtown Mall while I was working for Daverman Assoc. in Grand Rapids, MI in the 1960's. The developer was Melvin Simon & Assoc. I had the unhappy experience of stopping by the Mall in September 2001 and seeing it pretty much abandoned. If you have any photos of the mall, especially the center court or the exterior please email them to me.

Robert Amor

______________________________________

Here's his web site: http://www.amor-architect.com
And his email address: architect-amor AT sbcglobal.net

Fort Wayne Public Transportation Corporation (FW-PTC)

I didn't get my driver's license until I was nineteen gasp.

Neither of my grandparents drove - EVER. My grandfather's eyesight was too bad and my grandmother just never felt the need. Living with them in downtown-ish Fort Wayne, our choices were to walk or to take the bus.

Yes, you read that right - the bus.

I don't know when my first PTC bus ride was however, I wouldn't be surprised if it was before I was able to walk.

There are things about the PTC that I remember like it was yesterday.

* The fishbowl-type shape of the front of the bus

* The changer located to the right of the bus driver (gosh! but I loved dropping the coins in!)

* Oh! And at one time, all of the bus drivers carried one of those silver coin changers on their belt too.

* The thick, silver-like string that I lived to pull. You know - it was the thing that made a ding - signaling to the driver that you were ready to get off at the next stop.

Now, about that string you pulled - there was quite an art to how you pulled it and a science to when you pulled it.

Seriously.

You had to be really mindful of giving the bus driver enough time to stop. Some of the bus stops though were close enough together that if you didn't time it right, you may have to get off at the wrong stop.

So are you wondering where we had the bus take us?

Everywhere.

To the mall (Southtown - yes - really!). To downtown. To Times Corner. To Franke Park. To McMillan Park.

When I was around eleven, I was allowed to board the bus by myself (as long as my mom or grandma knew where I was going).

I was never scared or intimidated.

People never bothered me.

I never bothered anyone.

Most of the time, I just looked out the window and took in the scenery.

It was quiet time for me.

I thought and reflected without knowing I was thinking and reflecting.

Wow! Those were the days...

St. Mary's Catholic Church

St. Mary's Catholic Church

1101 Lafayette Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46803
(260) 424-8231

Photo Credits: Argil Shock

I'm having a difficult time writing this today.

When I went searching for some photographs to use for this entry, I came across many that were related to 1993 fire. silence

You know how sometimes, you intellectually know things but emotionally, you push it back so far in your mind, that you can sometimes fool yourself into thinking that some tragic event really didn't happen?

I think I did that with the fire.

That day - along with events like The Challenger Explosion, 9/11, and the death of my grandfather - are forever etched in the core of my soul. They were pivotal events that changed me - just like earlier generations were affected by the depression or the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

So this memory today - gosh - it'll be all over the map. It's difficult for me to look at any picture of St. Mary's now, and not have a wave of emotions that range from complete happiness and joy (one moment) and then sadness (boy - those tears came FAST) and anger (why did this have to happen?!).

Like many of you FW'ers, I was born and raised Catholic. I have a ton of Catholic-related memories. I was baptised and married at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. I attended CCD classes and then eventually attended full time school at St. Therese.

My mother's side of the family lived and breathed the Catholic ways in downtown Fort Wayne during the 60's, 70's and 80's.

My grandfather and great-grandmother (even though they were members of Cathedral) enjoyed attending all of the downtown churches, so if I happened to be spending time with them on one of those days where they had the inclination to attend mass (and as you know - that was not just isolated to Sunday's), I usually went along with them.

Of course as a wee youngster, I didn't really understand church much. I was pretty irritated by having to sit still, and, I didn't understand why I couldn't read the funny words in the book or why I wasn't allowed to get up and parade around the church like all of the other people.

I was an obedient child and didn't ask - I just did. I learned the rituals of standing and sitting, and in a very short period of time, I knew exactly when the kneeler was supposed to go down and when the adults would start roaming around. I also knew when I could let myself be distracted by the intricate detailing of the church. I would stare at a window or a ledge and I would wonder things like:

• how big were the arrowheads that were used to do all the cutting and dicing of this stuff?
  


• how many people had to stand on top of each other in order to get that piece of glass up there?

I blame the arrowhead thoughts on my visit to a museum and my human pyramid scenario on the circus :).

I don't remember the first exact time that my grandpa took me to St. Mary's. Often, I would get Cathedral and Mary mixed up. They were in close proximity to each other and they were both grand, sweeping, architectural landmarks.

Where I could distinguish the two was within the interior of the church. St. Mary's was huge - gi-normous (and yes - Cathedral was too - but in a different way). Naturally, its architecture fascinated me. But in particular, it was the dark - gothic nature of the wood and the shape of the windows that held my attention - especially when I had to wait for grandpa or great-grandma to get back to the pew (you know - they were parading around - communion as I later learned it to be) . I was never scared by its grandeur or darkness. Its oldness and formality automatically made me feel right at home. And that smell. How do you describe that smell? It was old but endearing. Comforting and familiar...but special.

St. Mary's was just one place of many in Fort Wayne, where everybody seemed to know everybody. And you know what? That never struck me as strange. And I guess the reason I bring this up is that one of the charms of Fort Wayne for me - even from the very youngest age - was that the city seemed big in space, but small and homey when it came to relationships.

You can say Father O'Connor and immediately - everybody knew who you were talking about. You can mention the Soup Kitchen and automatically, people are reminded of the fact that in Fort Wayne, being down on your luck didn't mean you had to go hungry. You can mention the fire, and people will tell you where they were when it happened and how shocked and saddened they were.

Since the (physical) church I knew, no longer exists, I can't bring myself to go near the area. I know that the new church was built with a lot of love and that Father Tom used its re-building as a time of healing for the community. When all of that was going on, I had already moved to Indianapolis and that principle of out of site...out of mind... is probably why I'm still not over things.