Street Map of Fort Wayne Allen County Indiana

Immense large scale map and street index of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

This linen backed folding map is based on a city plan of Fort Wayne that was designed and published by the Fort Wayne Blue Print & Supply Co. A detailed large scale map of the central business district is provided in the lower right, and a comprehensive street index can be seen on the left side of the sheet.

Although it was originally designed as a street map and approved by the city engineer, this particular example was used in the central engineering department (C.E. Office on the front cover) of the Pennsylvania Railroad archives and updated (by hand) with track ownership information into the early 1950’s. A custom legend identifies the tracks of five companies, including the Fort Wayne Union Railway, which was incorporated in 1922 to serve the International Harvester manufacturing plant on the east side of the city. Manuscript annotations identify the freight station and connecting destinations in other cities.

In addition, the map shows an interesting mid-century transportation configuration a few decades prior to Penn R.R.’s merger with the New York Central in 1968. The resulting company, the Penn Central, declared bankruptcy in 1970 (the largest filing at the time) and many of its lines were eventually taken over by Amtrak. A hundred years earlier, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest corporation in the world and paid out annual shareholder dividends for over 100 consecutive years, showing just how rapidly and completely railroading fortunes could change. Dissected and mounted on linen for preservation and ease of storage.