Three Rivers Festival Parade

Allen County looked quite different when it was established 200 years ago. City streets were traveled only by foot or horse, as the automobile wouldn't be invented for another 62 years. The county's population was under 150,000 — less than half of what it is today. The Allen County Public Library itself wouldn't be founded for another 71 years.

 

Looking back, it's awe-inspiring to see how far we've come, as a county, as a state, and as humans, since our Allen County was founded. In those 200 years, scores of people have come and gone that have shaped our history and who we are today. For instance, John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, introduced apple trees across the midwest. He called Allen County his home for the final decade of his life, and it became his final resting place in 1847.

 

Before he became our nation's celebrated 16th President, Abraham Lincoln spent a good portion of his formative years in the Hoosier state. In 1816, the same year it gained its statehood, the Lincoln family relocated to Indiana where they remained for 14 years. Here, he nourished his love of reading, writing, and learning, and also developed a predisposition for the physical labor that helped support his family for many years. 

 

One of the most prominent teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was the Fort Wayne Daisies. They played 9 seasons with the league and made it to the playoffs every year they were active from 1945 to 1954. Several Daisies won historic titles within the league like Batting Champion and Leading Hitter, resulting in the team holding the highest number of Batting Crowns in the AAGPB League's history.

 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a powerful speech in Fort Wayne on June 5, 1963 leading up to his historic "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington D.C. just a couple months later. The impact of Dr. King's visit and his fierce commitment to resistance and racial justice can be seen throughout our county to this day.

 

Uncover Allen County's storied history with the Allen County Public Library in celebration of our county's bicentennial. Learn about who and what shaped our history, and imagine what the next 200 years will hold for us!