On September 2, The Waynedale News will celebrate its 93rd year in print! This historic achievement underscores the importance of connecting neighbors with not only reliable and informative news, but the great value of promoting positivity throughout . . .
As we welcome the dawn of a new year, we also celebrate a 104-year tribute to neighbors, businesses, and the deep sense of pride that defines Waynedale.
February 15, 1921, Abner Elzey, began this dream of “Waynedale,” which for him, idealized a . . .
The Waynedale area, nestled in our corner of Fort Wayne, boasts a rich tapestry of businesses that have served the community for decades, each contributing uniquely to its historical and cultural fabric. These establishments have not only played a . . .
On Monday, November 18, 2024, the corner of Bluffton and Lower Huntington Roads fell silent as the iconic building that once housed Azar’s Big Boy was demolished. For many in Waynedale, this wasn’t just a building coming down—it was a piece of . . .
The Waynedale News is celebrating 92 years of serving its community with heartfelt stories and local news. Publisher Alex Cornwell marks 15 years leading the paper, emphasizing the importance of community support. Dedicated to telling local stories, the paper thrives thanks to its readers' engagement and contributions.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Waynedale Masonic Lodge, established in 1954. The Lodge has a rich history of community service and growth, culminating in the construction of its Temple in 1969. The Lodge continues to embody the values of Freemasonry and fosters community involvement, inviting all to celebrate this milestone.
Nestled in the heart of Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Waynedale community stands as a beacon of unity, tradition, and resilience. Its inception by Abner Elzey in 1921 marked the beginning of a journey from a vision of a close-knit community to the vibrant . . .
In an era where the digital tide has reshaped the landscape of media and journalism, the enduring presence of The Waynedale News in Fort Wayne, Indiana, stands as a beacon of community spirit and resilience. Established with a mission to serve the . . .
A very wise woman once said, that people catch visions in three different ways. There are those that will receive the vision and move on it. There are those who will receive the vision and sit on it. There are others who will never get the vision and . . .
The following is based on the first-hand accounts of local historian, Edgar B. Noble Jr.
In the heart of Waynedale, a community nestled within Fort Wayne, Indiana, stands a testament to the persistent spirit of early 20th-century America—a building . . .
On December 17, 1823, Allen County was organized by an act of the Indiana General Assembly. The new county was to be named in honor of Colonel John Allen, an attorney and Kentucky state senator who was killed in the War of 1812. Fort Wayne was anticipated . . .
Since 1948, St. Therese Catholic Church has been an integral part of the vibrant Waynedale community. Its rich history, marked by resilience and devotion, serves as a testament to the enduring spirit of this parish.
The journey began with a surplus . . .
For some, Waynedale is a place where they live. For others, it’s a place to work. However, most people you ask who know the community will say it’s a very special place to be. As we celebrate the area’s 102nd Anniversary, it’s a great time . . .
The call letters were WDBV (550AM)-Clyde Quimby and the Strand Theater owned it.
WDBV was not only a radio station but also furnished the music that was piped directly through Mr. Quimby’s many theaters, one of which was the famous EMBOYD Theater . . .
The long-awaited day is here! We are proud to release the secret we’ve been working on for quite some time and teasing Waynedale News fans on social media about.
As a thank you to our community for supporting us for the past 90 years, The Waynedale . . .
In the early 1870s the railroad spur at the Lower Huntington Road intersection created a minor land boom. Pioneer landowners such as the Masons, Bradburys and Weavers, sold lots to people wanting to move to the suburbs out of the busy Fort Wayne area. . . .
As you drive west from Waynedale to 5036 Lower Huntington Road, before you get to Smith Road, you come to what was once the Fort Wayne Aviation Company. The property is on the north side of the road and if you look north, you can see the south side . . .
The following is a history of the Waynedale Fire Department, written in 1983, by Paul W. Fairfield, with assistance from James and Catherine Mason, Delmar Green, Mrs. George Prince and Kenneth McCague.
Around 1940 a number of people in the Waynedale . . .
Can you feel it? It’s the beginning of a new era in the Waynedale community!
On February 15, 2022, Waynedale celebrated its 101st year since it’s founder, Abner Elzey, began the unincorporated town on that day in 1921. We have come a long way since . . .
A new business has successfully stepped into the void left by the closing of a beloved Waynedale institution.
The Hello Sunshine Bakery has been operating at the Waynedale Bakery’s old location, 2610 Lower Huntington Road, since early February, the . . .
What does a hundred years mean? For our community, a hundred years ago, on February 15, a vision was sought by Abner Elzey. As he stood on the corner of Lower Huntington Road and Old Trail, and wished for a community in which anyone could build a home . . .
The farmland that once comprised the area of Waynedale, though fertile, was also highly alkaline. During the Pleistocene period a vast sea covered the region of northern Indiana. While it flourished, billions of sea creatures died and left a rich deposit . . .
Did you know that over 2,500 members belong to a unique Facebook group that focuses on pictures, memories and discussions of Waynedale past? The “Waynedale Recollections” group appeals to not just historians; it is open to anyone who is interested . . .
Months after closing in early April, assumedly because of COVID-19 shutdowns and lack of business, many speculated about when or if Azar’s Big Boy would reopen. Then, on Monday, June 8, social media was a-buzz with reports from unnamed employees . . .
In the wake of Avalon Pool, Baer Field Motorsports Park and the Waynedale Bakery recently closing, this week, Umber’s Do It Best Hardware in Waynedale announced that it too will close its doors. The announcement came as a shock to many on Facebook . . .
Over the past 3 weeks, alumni Don and Hope Dressler have been working to preserve key elements of the gym floor at Elmhurst High School. A race for time against the excavator which will be coming to that side of the building within the next few weeks, the couple have been working to preserve the ‘E’ and both Trojan Head graphics which adorn the wooden floor.
The Dressler’s both graduated from Elmhurst, Don in 1986 and Hope in 1991, who remembered attending gym class, basketball games and other special events in the gym.
The idea to preserve the floor originated through conversations with fellow alumni who also felt it was a key feature of the school that should be saved. The Dressler’s sought approval from Hanson, the current owner of the property, as well as Lunz Excavating, the demolition company. After some persistence, they were able to gain the consent to begin work.
“It’s been a labor of love,” Hope commented. After some test cuts, they quickly discovered that the job would be a little more complicated than originally anticipated, but they had a plan. The floor has a basketball court-style surface that is thick and slatted, with a sub-floor that is glued to concrete, so instead of carefully taking up each wooden slat individually and piecing it together later, the plan was to keep each section together and move it all as one unit. “I commend Don as the leader in the process. I was just helping, sort of like an apprentice,” Hope humbly explained, as she remembered the many hours over the past 3 weeks that it had taken to accomplish the task.
The ‘E’ and Trojan Heads will be stored in a safe location until a permanent home is secured. The Dressler’s would like to see the pieces displayed in a public space on the south side of Fort Wayne, possibly included in the ‘Electric Works’ building or in a storefront featuring Elmhurst memorabilia. They also noted that there were efforts by others to preserve more elements of the former high school, however, none have began recently. Smaller items such as lockers, doors, clocks, etc. have been purchased by private individuals since the demolition process of the school has begun.
Hope commented, “Even when I attended school, I knew Hanson would buy the property someday, so it was no surprise to me when I heard the heartbreaking news. But, we’ll always have our memories and soon we’ll find a permanent home for the floor and items we were able to save.”
As the sun came up in Waynedale, an area historical building came down. It was Monday, May 14, 2018 when demolition began on the exterior of the Elmhurst High School building located on Ardmore Avenue.
Prior to demolition, the gas, water, electric were shut off and unwanted materials were removed which took over 4 months to clean up and secure according to the hired licensed remediation contractor. Then the demolition experts started to tear down the building from the inside out.
“On Monday, Lunz Excavating began tearing down the hall between the Language Hall and part of the Theatre. They were the first to go…” said Don Goss, retired theatre and fine arts teacher, as he reported the demise of the school. A long-time staff member of the school, Mr. Goss designed the theatre over 20 years ago.
The excavators took down the south side of the building first. They currently are using an excavator to do the work rather than a wrecking ball or blasting. They will continue tearing down, cutting through the courtyard, then they will work north on the building. The front of the building will be left standing for a while, as it will be at least 4 months, according to Lunz, before the entire building will be completely down. The foundation, which is built on a hydrogen sulfite pocket, will remain.
Reportedly, there will be no limestone recovery or excavation in close proximity of the school building area. The current plan is to cover the site with three feet of dirt once the building is down, and, seed it over making it a grassy area.
Reminiscing, Mr. Goss spoke of the Elmhurst Garden Club where his mother was an active member. “At the age of 10, I helped out with the entries for the Flower Show which was held inside the school. The school at the time was not a part of the Fort Wayne Community School system,” he said. One of his most memorable moments was when they decorated the stage in the old gym for the Flower Show. “We built it using small trees, rocks and a water basin. And a lot of flowers. It was beautiful!” Mr. Goss graduated from Elmhurst in 1949. Attended college and started teaching there in 1954. “My classes were always full,” he said. “I taught over 10,000 students over the years.”
There seemed to be a range of emotions radiating from the community and those connected to Elmhurst when they heard the news. “So sad. True, it’s just a building, but it’s always sad to see history disappear,” commented a graduate of Elmhurst. Others commented “Sad”, “Sickening,” and “We will always have our memories.” Another noted, “I would love a theatre seat since I spent most of my high school career in there.” While others mentioned that they would like a brick or just a piece-of the historic building as a keepsake.
According to Kris Lunz, representative of Lunz Excavating, bricks from the building will be set out and available to the public for free beginning Wednesday, May 23 in the north parking lot, off of Sandpoint Road. She suggests that those taking bricks to only take 2 to 3, so there is enough for everyone who would like one. Kris also commented that there is still Elmhurst memorabilia available to be purchased, “…like theatre seats, curtains, lockers, cabinets and light fixtures.” And for those interested in those items to join the ‘Recycle Elmhurst High Scool’ Facebook page that is managed by Lunz Excavating for more details.
The original construction of the Elmhurst School building dates back to 1929, and classes began there in 1931 during the Great Depression, in which it had been utilized as a school until June 2010. Since then, the school has been vacant for 8 years, after major budget cuts. Which at that time, the Fort Wayne Community School Board made the decision to close the school, citing high costs to repair and update the building.
In 2017, the decision was made to sell the property. A neighboring mining company, Hanson Aggregates, submitted the winning bid and purchased the building and adjoining property last year. In August of 2017, Hanson Aggregates promptly announced that building would need to come down due to deterioration of its interior. However, before the demolition, they did grant access for alumni groups and community organizations to organize an open house for alumni and former staff, and their families to tour and reminisce inside the building one last time.
“The Elmhurst School building, is coming down,” said Don Goss, “but what happened inside, those students, were made into some of the brightest, and most creative people.”
Sharon Herrbert steadfastly hangs on to some photocopied paper ledgers of her great grandfather’s funeral business, as well as at least one contract, several pieces of furniture that once sat in his funeral parlor, and a time-worn casket from that era – the late 1800s.
Her great grandfather, William Brindle, once operated the William Brindle Undertaker and Embalmer business in Sheldon, Indiana, what is now known as Yoder.
But, in 1900, Brindle sold his business to Abner Elzey for $2,500, to be paid in $200 monthly installments until 1910. The contract also stipulates that Brindle was to wash the company car, and, had to pay $3.50 for each trip he used Elzey’s team of horses to pull the business’ hearse.
Brindle’s business card from that era proudly proclaims, “Calls Promptly Answered Day or Night” and “Prices Reasonable.”
According to the definitive history of our area, Brindle’s partner, Elzey, is essentially considered the “Father of Waynedale”.
Elzey was a simple preacher from Ossian who wanted to live in an area close to Fort Wayne, but retained its own separate identity, according to “The History of Fort Wayne & Allen County, Indiana from 1700 to 2005.”
In Elzey’s time – the mid-1920s — the only building on the original plat of Waynedale was the Cunnison farm house, which is now the site of Umber’s Ace Hardware, located at 2413 Lower Huntington Road. But, the original plat for the land dates all the back to December 4, 1921, when a woman named Sophia Henderson deposited a registration certificate for the property at the Allen County Recorder’s Office.
The founder, Abner Elzey, on a cold December day in 1920 while standing on the southeast corner of the Lower Huntington Road and the present Old Trail Road, pointed to the southwest toward the James Cunnison farmland and proclaimed it an ideal location for a community.
This unincorporated town of approximately 3,000 residents was founded on February 15, 1921 by Abner Elzey.
Plans show the original boundaries of Waynedale were: McArthur Drive on the south; Lower Huntington Road on the north; Old Trail Road on the east; and Beaty Avenue on the west.
Choosing a name for his new community didn’t come easy for Elzey, though. At first, he wanted to name it after his only daughter, Ilo, but decided instead to combine the local custom of everyone simply calling Fort Wayne “Wayne” with his son’s name, Dale. And thus, “Waynedale” was born.
Waynedale was officially annexed into the city of Fort Wayne in 1957.
Although Elzey’s dream was to see Waynedale incorporated into the city of Fort Wayne, he passed away in 1949, never living to see this goal. He is buried in Oak Lawn Cemetery in Ossian.
As for Herrbert, she steadfastly hangs on to the pieces of history that still connect her and her family to Waynedale’s past.
She keeps a straight-back chair and a hand-carved rocking chair that once occupied his funeral parlor, as well as a black onyx lamp used in the business. And more significantly, she still has an old, wooden, time-worn casket once built by her great grandfather and lined with velvet by her great grandmother. The casket now sits in Myers Funeral Home in Huntington, she said.
Her cousin also still has a love set from the funeral home’s parlor, and Herrbert says she still has some pillows her great grandmother made from the leftover velvet once used to line the caskets.
Herrbert retired as an office manager at Fort Wayne International Airport about 1994, and now lives on Brindle Road, just about a half mile from where her great grandfather’s business used to be. She said keeping the records and items from her relative’s funeral business helps her and her family stay connected to their past.
“It’s for my kids and grandkids mostly,” Herrbert, age 72, said, “my grandparents had it, my parents had it, and now I have it.”
The significance of the clocks wasn’t lost to the event’s tour guides. “That was the final bell for students here,” said Camille Garrison, of Kingston Residence, as she shepherded a tour group around the school. “In every tour we lead, a guest tells us something fascinating about their experience at school. I’ve heard many of the other guides comment that they’ve enjoyed learning so much about the school’s history as well.”
On Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11, Elmhurst High School opened its doors one final time for a two-day event before its demolition, likely in 2018. Over 2,700 alumni, former staff, and their families took advantage of the opportunity to experience a 25-minute guided tour to reminisce. The tour route included visits to old classrooms, the library, cafeteria, band room, and even a walk across the auditorium stage. Each tour was lead by a guide, many of which were former EHS teachers, through the hallways of the now empty red-and-gray lockers of the building, which have sat vacant for the past 7 years.
On Saturday, the parking lot was jammed-packed with cars in every space. Hundreds of people lined up at the main entrance, some waiting up to an hour for the start of their tour. Groups of about 20 to 30 people toured the building together; each tour leaving about every 7 minutes over the duration of the 10 hours the building was open each day. Throughout the course of both days, over 65 alumni and community members volunteered their time to assist with the event.
Alex Cornwell, Publisher of The Waynedale News and organizer of the event commented, “This has been a very meaningful experience for guests. Not only to see the building one last time, but to reconnect with their memories and former classmates.” Cornwell continued, “While I’m not an alumni, at The Waynedale News, our mission is to connect the people in the community. This event was the perfect example of what we are about and why we took on the arduous task of putting together this event in less than a month. However, the event also took the assistance of many volunteers, including event managers Josh Wolfe (class of ‘96), Jordan Cornwell (The Waynedale News) and Camille Garrison (Kingston Residence).” Cornwell added, “We’d also like to thank Hanson Aggregates for working with us to provide this opportunity, as well as their pre-event work to ensure the safety of guests and secure the building for the event.”
After their tours, guests gathered in the foyer near the gym to take time and look at the Elmhurst memorabilia on display in the old trophy cases. From here, guests were welcomed into the cavernous, school gymnasium furnished with plenty of tables to sit and visit with other graduates and reminisce. Available for purchase were vintage-style postcards featuring a picture of a school bus in front of the old circle drive. However, perhaps the most excitement came upon the arrival of the food truck carrying the ever famous, Elmhurst Sticky Buns. It’s no surprise that they sold out of 1,000 sticky buns in only a couple of hours on Saturday.
Lisa Watson, a 1988 graduate, sat in the school’s gym after her tour, eating a slice of pizza and reminiscing about her days as a high-school actress in Elmhurst’s production of “Up the Down Staircase” and her drama teacher, Mrs. Yoder.
“It’s nice to see all the classes coming together for this,” said Watson, whose Saturday tour was the first time she’d returned to her alma mater since graduation. “This was an amazing school.”
Many alumni were also pleased to find out, upon entering the gym, that Elmhurst’s longest serving teacher was in attendance. Don Goss, alumnus and former teacher of 56 years, was present Friday and Saturday and stayed for the duration of the open hours both days, in order to visit with as many of his former students as he could.
Another alumnus, volunteering both days, was Bill DeHaven, a 1978 graduate who stood in the main hallway, sporting his ‘E’ letterman’s jacket with a track pin for his time as an athlete who ran the 440 meter relay, and competed in the long jump and high jump.
“It’s going to be bittersweet leaving today, knowing I won’t be able to come back again,” DeHaven said. “There’s a lot of memories here.”
The event also served as a fundraiser and food-raiser for Miss Virginia’s Food Pantry, an Elmhurst tradition, which raised over $3,000 and collected almost 500 pounds of canned food. This tradition was lead by Josh Wolfe (class of ‘96), who founded a Facebook group to connect alumni, which spawned the idea for this type of an event. Wolfe also served as an event manager, who announced the event’s progress to his Facebook group’s 5,000 members, recruited volunteers and coordinated food trucks for the event. He also plans to reignite the abandoned alumni association through information collected at the event.
A suggested donation was collected at the school’s entrance, which after event costs, raised $3664 to be split between The Waynedale Sidewalks & Trails Initiative and The Waynedale Corridor Project.
Cornwell commented after the event, “After hundreds of hours and many late nights tirelessly working on the event’s short preplanning timeline, it was the sentimental send off the alumni and former teachers deserved. Citing guests’ many positive comments and thank-you’s, it is with great pride that I reflect on the magnitude of the meaning and purpose of this experience for all who had the opportunity to reminisce in the halls of Elmhurst High School, one final time.”
Editor’s Note: More photos and videos of the event and building will be available to view on waynedale.com/elmhurst
Lifelong friendships were formed right here
As thru the years they grew.
We smile fondly to recall that
Romance oft blossomed too.
We remembered favorite teachers,
Those we considered best–
Passing time has taken its toll
With many laid to rest.
They taught lessons for the future
We listened, we laughed, we shared
They gave us knowledge of life ahead
That we be well prepared.
We reminisced, friends old and new
Discussed our most loved parts
Of sports and academics, too
Still held within our hearts.
One could not count the secrets that
Were whispered in these halls
Or recall completely what’s been
Embedded in these walls.
The building soon will be destroyed,
This structure will be gone
Fond memories though of sterner stuff
–and they shall linger on.
“Hail to old Elmhurst High” we sang
Our voices vibrant, strong.
Across the years, we strain to hear
The echoes of that song.