1947 - 1955

Allen County Fort Wayne Historical Society Register

On 12 February 1921 the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society was founded by 141 community leaders and history enthusiasts. Before that time, the first objects in the Historical Society's artifact collec-tion were assembled beginning in 1901 by the Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Artifacts from the early historical collection were on display in the county's first museum, the "Relic Room" at the Allen County Courthouse from 1902 to 1926. In 1927, the museum was opened in the Old Swinney Homestead and remained there until 1980 when the Historical Society relocated to the Old City Hall Historical Museum, which was renamed the History Center in 2002.

The History Center continues its dedication to teaching others about the history of our community and preserving the multitude of stories and artifacts that make Fort Wayne and Allen County fascinating places. The museum's historical collection, which now includes over 28,000 artifacts, 20,000 photographs and over 750 linear feet of archival material, is one of the largest anthologies of locally relevant historic materials in the Midwest and reflects our heritage from the glacial period to the early twenty-first century. More important than merely collecting, these symbols of the past are shared with the public through exhibits, programs and publications. Storytelling is mankind's oldest art form and, as the leading historical agency in northeast Indiana, the History Center is one of the state's foremost storytellers.

Every artifact, image and document in the museum's collection has a history and preserving those stories is as critical as preserving the objects themselves. This Accession Register book includes informa-tion about all of the donations and loans made to the Historical Society between 1947 and 1955. A sam-pling of objects from its first few pages illustrates the array of topics from the organization's early efforts to collect, preserve and share our community's unique history and vibrant heritage.