About Us

The mission of the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative is to bring together Fort Wayne’s media resources to address complex community challenges by creating and disseminating solid, evidence-based journalism. We envision transforming the nature of local journalism in Fort Wayne and giving our community greater access to solutions-oriented news that encourages civic engagement.

African American Immigrants Persevere Despite Discrimination and Segregation in Fort Wayne

African American Immigrants Persevere Despite Discrimination and Segregation in Fort Wayne

by | Oct 4, 2022

The local history of Black citizens in Fort Wayne mirrors the national history of Black Americans. Many persevered through slavery until it was outlawed statewide in 1816. In the decades that followed, they faced legalized segregation, restrictions on immigration and settlement, and fights for access to public education. The earliest record of African Americans in the area which is now Indiana was in 1746, when five black slaves were documented to belong to French settlers, according to The Indiana Historian. Other sources point to people of African descent with occupations in the military encampments of Fort Wayne starting at the time that Gen. Anthony Wayne was victorious at the Battle of Fallen Timbers and built the city’s namesake fort. Records indicate that, in 1835, African...

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Irish Immigrants Left Their Mark Building the Wabash-Erie Canal

Irish Immigrants Left Their Mark Building the Wabash-Erie Canal

by | Oct 4, 2022

While many think of Fort Wayne as a largely German town, it was another cultural group that built the infrastructure necessary for Fort Wayne to boom. Early local infrastructure projects like the Wabash-Erie Canal and railroad were built in large part by Irish immigrants to Allen County and Fort Wayne. These projects had a lasting impact on the industry, population and culture of the city, yet the Irish rarely receive recognition for their hand in building the Summit City. According to local Irish history expert Rob Stone, a wave of Irish immigrants came to Fort Wayne seeking employment, but many businesses denied them, posting that “Irish Need Not Apply.” Despite this roadblock, organizers for the canal hired the Irish in the mid-19th century to build the legendary waterway which...

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German Immigrants’ Outsized Role in Development of Fort Wayne Still Wields Influence

German Immigrants’ Outsized Role in Development of Fort Wayne Still Wields Influence

by | Oct 4, 2022

Fort Wayne has been considered a predominantly German town since the 19th century, and the influence of its German ancestors continues to the present day. Many mayors, businesses and citizens can trace their origins to Germany. In fact, at its peak in the late 1800s, the German makeup of the Summit City was reportedly as high as 8 in 10 people. Today, those with German ancestry still make up 26.5% of the total population of Fort Wayne. Why did a significant number of German immigrants choose Fort Wayne as their home, and how is their impact still seen today? Local German history expert Jim Sack says that the first German immigrant, Johann Kaiser, came to Fort Wayne in the early 19th Century. Soon after Kaiser, he says, Henry Rudisill arrived in town on Christmas Eve in 1830. According to...

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Who lives in Fort Wayne, and how did they get here?

Who lives in Fort Wayne, and how did they get here?

by | Oct 4, 2022

Like most places in the United States, Fort Wayne was largely built by people who immigrated from their homes to a new land. European control of Fort Wayne began with the French, then the British, and finally the Americans. The Miami had settled here prior to and lived here during European settlement, and little is known about groups who lived here prior to the Miami. After the Americans had secured the area around the confluence of the three rivers, the land opened for settlement by various ethnic groups stemming from Europe. While this immigration and population growth was dominated by the Germans for several decades, several other groups from around the world also played an important role in the building of Fort Wayne as it stands today. According to the Allen County Genealogical...

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