Fort Wayne (Detroit) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Fort Wayne
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Original barracks at Fort Wayne
Location	6053 West Jefferson Avenue Detroit, Michigan
Area	96 acres (39 ha)
Built	1842–51
Architect	Montgomery C. Meigs
NRHP reference No.	71000425
Added to NRHP	May 6, 1971

Fort Wayne is a historic fort located in Detroit, Michigan. It sits on the Detroit River in the Delray neighborhood. From the fort, the Ontario shore in Canada is less than half a mile away.

The fort has many old buildings. These include the original limestone barracks from 1848 and the fort itself, built in 1845. Other buildings on the grounds are more barracks, officers' homes, a recreation building, and a theater.

Fort Wayne covers 96 acres (39 ha) of land. Most of this land (83 acres) is now managed by the city of Detroit. The rest is used by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as a boatyard. Fort Wayne became a Michigan State Historic Site in 1958. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

Detroit's Historic Forts
Fort Wayne's Ancient Past
Role in Early American Conflicts
Building Fort Wayne
Fort Architecture and Design
Fort Wayne's Historical Uses
Fort Wayne Today
Images for kids
See also

Detroit's Historic Forts

Fort Wayne is the third fort built in Detroit. The first was Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit. The French built it in 1701 near what is now Hart Plaza. French soldiers used this fort until 1760. Then, during the French and Indian War, they gave it to the British.

The British built the second fort, Fort Lernoult, a few years later. It was located near today's Fort and Shelby streets. The British used it until 1796. Then, the United States took control and renamed it Fort Shelby. After the War of 1812, Fort Shelby was not kept up. In 1826, the city of Detroit bought and tore it down.

Fort Wayne's Ancient Past

The area where Fort Wayne stands was once a high sand mound with fresh springs. This is why the area was called Springwells Township. This site has a long history, going back to about 1000 A.D. About 19 Native American burial mounds were in this area. A larger mound was at the mouth of the Rouge River.

The main fort was built on top of one of these burial mounds. In the early 1900s, archaeologists from the University of Michigan dug up the last burial mound at Fort Wayne. They found human remains that were over 900 years old. They also found a special type of pottery there, which they named "Wayne Ware."

Around 1710, the French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac reportedly set up a trading village with the local Potawatomi people at this site.

Role in Early American Conflicts

The first shots of the War of 1812 were fired near where Fort Wayne would later be built. On July 4, 1812, Michigan soldiers fired on Sandwich, Canada. Later in the war, British General Isaac Brock landed his troops at this site. He then marched to Detroit.

During the Siege of Detroit, American General William Hull surrendered Fort Shelby to the British. After the war, American troops took back the fort. In 1815, the Treaty of Springwells was signed at the future Fort Wayne site. This treaty ended fighting between the U.S. government and Native American tribes who had sided with the British. Important people like Governor Lewis Cass and General William Henry Harrison were there.

Building Fort Wayne

In the late 1830s, small rebellions happened in Canada. Many Americans supported these rebellions. This led to attacks on Canada by American volunteer groups. The U.S. government sent troops to stop these attacks. At the same time, the U.S. realized it needed more forts along its northern border. There was no fort to match the British Fort Malden in Canada.

In 1841, Congress approved money to build a line of forts. One of these was planned for Detroit. Soon after, Lieutenant Montgomery C. Meigs came to Detroit. He bought land along the river, three miles from Detroit. This spot was the closest point on the Detroit River to Canada.

Construction of Fort Wayne began in 1842. Meigs was in charge. The first walls were made of earth with cedar wood. The fort was finished in 1851. It cost $150,000. The Army named the new fort after General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. He was a hero from the Revolutionary War. He had taken control of Detroit from the British in 1796.

Fort Architecture and Design

Original layout of Fort Wayne

The Officers' Quarters in an 1884 drawing by Silas Farmer

The original fort is shaped like a rectangle with strong corners called bastions. Its walls were made of earth and cedar. Inside the walls were brick rooms with openings for cannons. This design was based on ideas from a French military engineer named Sebastian Vauban. Cannons were meant to be placed on top of the walls. However, there is no sign that these cannons were ever put in place. A dry moat surrounds the fort. There is also a half-moon shaped defense called a demilune facing the river.

The fort looks much like it did when it was first built. But some changes have been made. Starting in 1863, the fort's walls were rebuilt with brick instead of cedar. A new gate was added in 1838 for vehicles. Later, the arches of this gate were removed to fit larger trucks.

Inside the fort is a large limestone barracks building. It has three and a half stories. It was built around the same time as the fort. This building had five separate sections, each for one company of soldiers. Each section had a dining area, barracks rooms, and an attic. Brick additions were added in 1861 for washrooms and kitchens. Next to the barracks is a powder magazine, also made of limestone. Other buildings that were once inside the fort, like officers' housing, are now gone.

Many other buildings were built on the fort grounds outside the main fort. In the 1880s, wooden Victorian-style homes were built for officers. In 1937, workers from the WPA rebuilt these homes with brick. One home was restored in the 1980s to look like it did originally.

A guardhouse from the Spanish-American War, built in 1889, is in the center of the fort grounds. It was restored in 1984. In 1890, a brick hospital was built. A new guardhouse, still used today, was built in 1905 near the fort's gate. Around the same time, four barracks buildings for soldiers were built. A service club, headquarters, and post office were also added. By 1928, duplex homes for senior non-commissioned officers were built. In 1939, more NCO homes were built facing Jefferson Avenue.

Fort Wayne's Historical Uses

Before any cannons were installed, the United States and Britain solved their problems peacefully. This meant the fort was not immediately needed. For ten years after it was built, Fort Wayne was mostly empty, with only one watchman.

There is a story that the fort was a stop on the Underground Railroad. An Irish farmer living next to the fort's demilune ran a small ferry to Canada. This was the only such ferry in that part of the city.

Gun emplacement, 1934

In 1861, the American Civil War made Fort Wayne important again. Britain seemed to support the Confederacy. This made people fear an attack from Canada. So, the fort's walls were rebuilt and made stronger. Two weeks after the war began, the Michigan 1st Volunteer Infantry Regiment gathered at Fort Wayne. For the rest of the Civil War, the fort was a place where Michigan troops gathered. It was also a place for wounded soldiers to recover.

After the Civil War and until 1920, Fort Wayne was a military base. Regiments from the western frontier would come here to rest. In 1875, the city of Detroit took over part of Springwells Township. In 1884, it took over more land, including all the land next to Fort Wayne.

During the Spanish–American War, troops from the fort went to Cuba and the Philippines. The fort's guardhouse also had the first telephone exchange in southwest Detroit.

After World War I, during the "Red Scare," the fort held people accused of being communists. In 1921, the world's first motorized lawn mower was tested at Fort Wayne. During the Great Depression, the fort opened its doors to homeless families. It also housed the Civilian Conservation Corps.

During World War I, Fort Wayne became important for getting cars, trucks, and parts for the military. This role grew even bigger in World War II. Fort Wayne became the Motor Supply Depot. More buildings were built for storing and shipping goods. At that time, Fort Wayne was the largest motor supply depot in the world. It managed all the military supplies from Detroit's car factories. Every tank, truck, jeep, tire, or part sent to the war fronts from Detroit went through Fort Wayne.

The fort had a railroad track along the river and docks for large ships. Over 2,000 people worked there, mostly civilian women. Drivers and mechanics for the Red Ball Express were also trained here. Fort Wayne also housed Italian prisoners of war (POWs) captured during the North African Campaign. They worked as servants, cooks, and janitors. After Italy surrendered, many POWs chose to stay and live in Detroit.

After World War II, plans were made to close the fort. In 1948, the fort and original barracks became a military museum run by the City of Detroit. In the 1950s, anti-aircraft guns were placed at the fort. Later, these were updated to Nike-Ajax missiles. During the Cold War, Fort Wayne was a place where thousands of new soldiers were sworn in for the Korean War and Vietnam War. The fort was also used to house families who lost their homes after the 1967 12th Street Riot. The last families left in 1971.

The rest of Fort Wayne was slowly given to the city of Detroit. The last part of the property was given in 1976.

Fort Wayne Today

From 1949 to 2006, the Fort Wayne Military Museum was run by the Detroit Historical Museum. Since 2006, the Detroit Recreation Department has managed the fort. They get help from the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition and the Detroit Historical Society.

The fort hosts many events. These include historic reenactments (often Civil War events), flea markets, concerts, and youth soccer games. It also hosts Hispanic and Boy Scout events. Parts of the fort can be rented for special events and family reunions. The ancient Native American burial mound is still on the grounds. The Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum is also there.

Because of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge being built nearby, Fort Wayne is being considered for the national park system. The National Park Service has helped find ways to protect the fort and attract visitors. One idea is for the fort to become part of River Raisin National Battlefield Park.

In 2019, Fort Wayne was the finish line for the 31st season of the TV show The Amazing Race.