History
Profound and Diverse History and Significance
The broad historic significance of the Historic Fort Wayne site long predates the use of the site for military purposes. An area of raised, sandy soil along the otherwise swampy riverfront, Belle Fontaine, or Springwells—as the site would come to be known by French- and English-speaking settlers, respectively, due to its numerous natural springs—had been a significant landmark for Native American communities for roughly a millennium prior to the construction of the 1842 star fort.
Native American Heritage
At least two burial mounds (one of which remains in place today; the other was destroyed when the fort was constructed), dating from around 750 to 1150, were likely constructed by the Tionontati people, ancestors of the present-day Wyandot. From the 1710s through the 1770s, Springwells was the likely location of a Potawatomi village centered around the burial mounds; in 1815, this important meeting place saw the signing of the Treaty of Springwells, ending War of 1812 hostilities between the United States and eight Native American nations.
Photo credit: Wayne State University Department of Anthropology, Thomas Khillion
Star Fort to Arsenal of Democracy
Fort Wayne itself was authorized by Congress in 1841 as part of a chain of defensive fortifications along the country’s northern border. It was completed ten years later, and sat largely unused until it played a training role during the Civil War. From the 1860s through the 1930s, the facility expanded during subsequent eras of federal investment and military expansion. Fort Wayne housed African American soldiers during World War I (the Armed Forces were segregated at the time) and played a critical role during the “Arsenal of Democracy” era of World War II, when the site served as a logistics hub.
Postwar to Present Day
Even after the first land transfer to the City of Detroit in 1949, when the star fort began to be operated as a museum, the balance of the site remained under federal control. Many of today’s veterans vividly remember Fort Wayne as an induction center from the Korean War and the Vietnam conflict; Fort Wayne served as a Department of Labor training facility. Several buildings were leased to the Detroit Housing Commission beginning in 1967 and housed displaced families for several years. Additional property was transferred to the City of Detroit in 1971 and 1976. Historic Fort Wayne is presently operated by the city's Parks and Recreation Division.
Treaty of Springwells
