Fort Wayne

The bus ride from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne took approximately 2 hours at the cost $20.00 each way on that Thursday in June. Overall, the travel time was pleasant on the ride up as the bus driver took pains to explain in advance the rules of travel, including the rule prohibiting talking loudly on one’s cell phone via speaker. The ride back was not as pleasant as the bus driver did not take similar pains to explain, let alone enforce, the speakerphone rule and one passenger held a two hour conversation on her cellphone so loudly that when she mispronounced “Marion, Indiana”, a cacophony of other passengers felt the need to correct the pronunciation.

The purpose of the trip was to visit WELT which is housed at the extraordinary Allen County Public Library. A “station spotlight” post that spotlights the station will accompany this entry that is focusing on my experience of Fort Wayne as a whole. I took the 10:45am bus and arrived at the bus terminal on Baker Street at about 1pm. The return bus had a planned departure time of 9pm which meant I had 8 hours to explore Fort Wayne. It is clear that 8 hours is not enough time to experience all that Fort Wayne has to offer.

Parkview Field Fort Wayne, IN

On the way to the library from the bus stop, one walks past the extraordinary Parkview Field where the Tincaps play. There was a game scheduled for that night and I learned the gift shop closes before the game time.

In short order I was standing in the library with legendary radioman, John O’Rourke, the station manager of WELT. The station provides many essential communication services for the benefit of the Fort Wayne community. In fact, John was preparing to visit city hall where he would record the monthly program “Investing in the City of Fort Wayne, where a city employee interviews a representative of a local business. I was invited to attend the taping and after saying, “Hello” to Mayor Tom Henry, we sat in the conference room as John Felts, Head of Digital Engagement, interviewed Jeffrey Roberts of Amp Lab. The program can be heard here: https://www.cityoffortwayne.org/investing-in-the-city-of-fort-wayne-radio-show.html

After recording the podcast, we returned to the library. John generously gave me a tour of WELT and the Access Fort Wayne media center. The media center provides free access for members of the community to film, edit, produce and showcase content. If I lived anywhere near Fort Wayne, I guarantee this would be my base of creative operations. It should be noted that the library also offers Maker Labs, a seed library, and a museum exhibit on Abraham Lincoln as the Lincoln Foundation houses a vast collection of photos, books, documents, and ephemera related to the 16th President of the United States.

With time for myself in the afternoon, I walked north in the direction of the arts district where the Fort Wayne Museum of Art was located and as luck would have it, admission was free that Thursday night. The museum featured an exquisite exhibit on Art Deco Glass and an exhibit featuring the work of Miro in New York (the exhibit ran through June 25th so I caught it just in time). Across East Main Street, the ArtLink Gallery was hosting a members’ showcase, an event that was also free to the public. The space was filled with quality works by local artists. It reminded me of the former Artwell Gallery in Torrington where, as a member, I was able to exhibit my works of art in member’s only showcases. I was impressed by the work the Artlink artists created, each unique and wonderful, and by their welcoming spirit. Even if at some point in the future I was only back in Fort Wayne for just a few hours on only one more day, if I had the opportunity to see another member showcase, I would take the opportunity to visit again.

I am certain there are many wonderful restaurants, bars, cafe’s etc in Fort Wayne, but with my limited time, I needed to stay within a certain area and eat and depart quickly. On my walk from the library to the arts district, I stopped by Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island hot dog restaurant. I ordered two hot dogs with the works and a bottle of coke. It was so good, on my return walk from the art district, I stopped by again and had two more hot dogs and a bottle of coke.

The baseball park was a hub of activity. I had been told at the time city planners announced the plan to move the baseball field to the downtown area, there was a whirlwind of controversy and some vehement negative sentiment on the concept. But how right those city planners were, for on this random Thursday evening, the field was packed with fans supporting their local team! Whenever I’m able, I like to pick up a gift for my son, whether it’s a baseball cap or jersey or some sports related item from a local sports team that’s in the area I’m visiting. Because their store was closed due to the game, my only option that night was to purchase a ticket and buy a hat from the store inside the field. I’m so glad I did that. As the sun set, I enjoyed a few innings before I made my way back to the library to thank John O’Rourke and WELT/Access Fort Wayne for their hospitality. The bus arrived right on time and by 11:00pm I was back in Indianapolis.

Closing Thoughts: (As mentioned earlier, more about WELT will be shared on a “Station Spotlight” post.)

Now while I was at city hall, after the podcast/program was recorded, John Felts asked me of my thoughts on Fort Wayne from a visitor perspective. I think that’s entirely appropriate to solicit feedback but I had only been in the city for less than an hour. Now, in hindsight, weeks later, after spending only 8 hours exclusively downtown, I can begin to answer.

Fort Wayne is a city that creates its own opportunities. I believe if visitors were inclined to enjoy the arts, opportunities await them to view art and to create art. If the dining experience was the “main course” of the visitors’ interest, opportunities certainly await them. If visitors were interested in historical areas of interest, like the history museum or the Old Fort and especially if they were interested in Abraham Lincoln, opportunities abound. There are family friendly attractions like the zoo and science center and sports aficionados have three minor league teams (baseball, basketball and hockey) to support. In all things, it seems the citizenry of Fort Wayne create their own opportunities and visitors who are lucky enough to discover this community benefit from experiencing those opportunities.

It is no surprise that Philo T. Farnsworth lived for a time Fort Wayne. Farnsworth invented the first fully electronic television and in his “cave” (a basement laboratory on Pontiac Ave in Fort Wayne) he developed numerous other inventions. Farnsworth created his own opportunities and opportunities for all of us. Perhaps not as well known as other American inventors, his is a unique story and if one is not familiar with it, when the story is told, there is surprise that it had not been on the radar before. I think Fort Wayne resonates on that frequency.
I look forward to visiting again and experiencing the opportunities that present themselves in Fort Wayne, Indiana.