Year

Event

1971

• First full-time Zoo Education Supervisor hired.
• Miner Community Center opened.
• Three buildings burned: Jefferson Center, McMillen Barn and the Nature Lodge in Franke Park.

1972

• Fire at Foellinger Theatre.
• Park Foundation established to provide funding for capital improvements for the Department.
• Cooperative evening movie program offered with the Fort Wayne Police Department.
• Department offices move to the City-County Building.

1973

• Rock concerts and organized activities provided on Sunday afternoons in Swinney and Foster Parks for teenagers.
• Reorganization of park maintenance methods and concepts.
• Took over the operation and maintenance of City Utilities and Reservoir Parks.
• Freimann Square completed.

1974

• Organized and conducted Recreation Fair in conjunction with the Mayor's Recreation Coordinating Committee.
• Adoption of Affirmative Action Policy.
• Hosted state-wide conference for the Indiana Senior Citizens Association.
• Assisted with the Indiana State HPER Conference.
• Park Master Plan presented to City Council.

1975

• Tillman Park developed at site of former Tillman Dump.
• Federal Revenue Sharing Funds used to construct new parks.
• Foellinger Theatre rebuilt.
• Street Outreach Program sponsored by the Department and funded by the Indiana Criminal Justice Planning Agency.
• First Johnny Appleseed Festival.
• Funmobile service increased with the development of a new concept in playground programming.
• Began operation of Cooper Community Center.

1976

• African Veldt opened at the Children's Zoo.
• Park Study Team organized to evaluate all parks with respect to current social patterns and needs for physical changes to meet the new demands.
• A federal EEO review of the Department was conducted by a team from Washington D.C. resulting in a high compliance rating.
• Department adopted a change in policy which emphasized fees and charges to make services and programs financially self-supporting.
• Foellinger Theatre reopened following completion of the basic reconstruction. 
• First full season of operation for Lindenwood Park Environmental Study Area, leased from the Lindenwood Cemetery.  

1977

• Stewart-McMillen Tennis Center completed.
• Completion and opening of new Senior Citizens Center.

1978

• Lawton Park Greenhouse destroyed by fire.
• Therapeutic Recreation Program implemented. The Department was awarded the Pioneering Award by IPRA for being the first Parks and Recreation Department in Indiana to start such a program.
• Recreation services provided outside Fort Wayne city limits for the first time through a purchase of services agreement.

1979

• 75th anniversary of the department.
• First Annual Winter Festival.
• First Three Rivers Festival Junior Golf Tournament sponsored by Bordens marked the beginning of the annual Junior Golf Program.
• The 1979-83 Park Master Plan completed and approved by the State Department of Natural Resources, Outdoor Recreation Division.
• Recognition of the Fort Wayne Park Department Employees Independent Union, Inc. as the bargaining agent for all non-supervisory employees.
• A multi-party agreement drawn up between the Redevelopment Commission, Park Board, Park Foundation, Foellinger Foundation, and the Freimann Charitable Trust. Agreement states what each party will be doing in its relationship to create the Botanical Conservatory.
• Grant through the Department of Natural Resources approved which will involve a study of wood utilization.
• Launching of the Historic River Cruise Program.
• Department hosted the First Joint State Conference for IPRA, IAHPER, ICEA.
• Great Zoo Halloween introduced.
• Policy manual compiled for the Department assembling for the first time all Park Board policies into one document.
• Swinney Pool renovated at cost of $80,250. 
• East Central Park dedicated. The park was acquired on March 15, 1978.
• Ewing Park dedicated.

Year

Event

1921

• John Franke donated 80 acres to establish Franke Park.
• Statue of General Lawton dedicated in Lakeside Park.

1922

          Statue of Colonel Foster was dedicated "Father of the Park System."

1923

          Board of Park Commissioners assumed responsibility of all summer playgrounds from the school board as well as responsibility for community centers and other recreational activities.

1924

         120 acres purchased as addition to Foster Park.
         A fish hatchery was installed in the Lakeside lagoons.

1926

• Samuel and David Foster donated another 30 acres for Foster Park.
• Construction of Foster Golf Course began.

1927

        Fort Wayne issued bonds for park improvements for the very first time.

1928

• First public golf course opened in Foster Park.
• The gardens at Lakeside Park were named a National Rose Garden.
• A Japanese Garden was developed in West Swinney Park.
• National recognition given to Lakeside Park as the first municipal fish hatchery.

1930

         Tea House Pavilion built in Swinney Park.

1937

         The original 74 acres of land was donated by Mr. & Mrs. Dale W. McMillen Sr. and named McMillen Park.

1941

         First full-time recreation director was hired by the Department.

1942

         The name of the Japanese Gardens was changed to Jaenicke Gardens.

1945

         Jefferson Recreation Center opened with programming for youth.

1946

• Mr. Franklin B. Meade, Sr.'s world flower collection was presented to the city and planted in Foster Park.
• Franke Park Day Camp initiated in Franke Park.

1947

• McCulloch Center constructed at a cost of $61,500.
• Shoaff Lake formed in Franke by dredging swamp bottom.
• First center developed for senior citizens on the Bloomingdale School property.
• Chrysanthemum Garden at Lawton Park enlarged making it the most complete selection in the mid-west.

1948

         Memorial and McMillen Pools opened.

1949

• Foellinger Theatre constructed in Franke Park as a gift of the News-Sentinel in honor of Oscar Foellinger.
• Fort Wayne continued to be a pioneer city in the field of senior citizen programming.
• First city tot lot built in Weisser Park.
• Memorial Pool constructed at cost of $95,000 tax funds.
• Emma J. Pond Trust Fund donated $22,000 to construct Pond Pavilion as a boating/ice skating shelter.
• McMillen Foundation donated $95,000 toward construction of ultra-modern pool in McMillen Park. Total cost was $105,000. Dedicated August 13.

Year

Event

1951

           Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Kettler donated 6.25 acres for Kettler Park.

1952

• Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary opened to the public in Franke Park.
• Fred B. Shoaff donated 54.36 acres to become part of Franke Park.

1953

• West Swinney Amusement Park discontinued, converted back to general park use.
• The Central Lions Club of Fort Wayne gave and sponsored Lions Park.
• Psi Ote Park is first instance of school and park site planning in Fort Wayne.
• First woman to serve on the Board of Park Commissioners, Mrs. Helen W. Sweet.

1954

           First annual Christmas Workshop.

1955

• Board adopted First Class City Park Law and approved by the Common Council.
• New Tennis Center established in East Swinney Park.
• Park Board President, Frederick Shoaff, donated 169 acres to the City for Shoaff Park.
• Foster Golf Clubhouse constructed.

1956

• The 50th anniversary of the Department was celebrated.
• McMillen Ice Arena first artificial ice rink in Indiana
• Estate of Ella Conklin provided funds of $118,529 for construction of Conklin Pavilion in Shoaff Park

1957

           Park offices move from East Berry St. to Jefferson Center.

1958

• First Fine Arts Festival held in Franke Park.
• Shoaff Park Golf Course opened in Shoaff Park.
• The logoons at Lakeside Park were filled in.

1959

           School Children's Flower and Garden Show sponsored by Park Department with help from Fort Wayne's Women's Garden Club.

1961

           Beginning of close cooperation between Board of Park Commissioners, Board of Public Works, the Urban Redevelopment Commission, the City Plan Commission, and Fort Wayne Community Schools in reference to   parks and playgrounds.

1962

• Beginning of Children's Zoo - Advisory committee formed and architect hired.
• McMillen Golf Course dedicated.

1963

• Department goals and objectives revised.
• Department entered fleet for the first time in the Chamber of Commerce Fleet Safety Program.

1964

           Jack D. Diehm Museum of Natural History donated and constructed in Franke Park.
           The pavilion at Lakeside Park was burned down as an exercise for the firefighters.

1965

• Children's Zoological Gardens dedicated and opened. 
• Diehm Museum of Natural History dedicated. 
• 60th anniversary of the Department celebrated with pageant at Foellinger Theatre. 
• Senior citizen program and theater workshop program established at Jefferson Center.
• Property was obtained in a trade for the Southtown Mall site that is known as Buckner park. 

1966

           Fort Wayne Zoological Society formed.

1967

• Park acreage reaches 1640 acres.
• Department one of 100 U.S. departments which took part in the pilot Lifetime Sports Program sponsored by NRPA.

1968

• First federal grant received to develop Maumee Park.
• First vest pocket park developed in Fort Wayne.
• McMillen Indoor Ice Arena opened.

1969

• Department hosted 53rd annual conference of the Indiana Park and Recreation Association.
• Soap Box Derby Track donated and constructed by civic organizations at Franke Park.
• McMillen Ice Arena dedicated.

1970

• Freimann Square park land dedicated to Park Board by the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission.
• Department participated in the federally funded Recreation Support Program for Inner-City Youth.

Year

Event

1900

        Northside Park renamed Lawton Park to honor General Henry Lawton.

1905

• Swinney Park developed into a pleasure park, not patterned after the European style park.
• Board of Park Commissioners formed due to passage of Cities and Towns Law by the state legislature. The law created a Board of Park Commissioners independent of the Board of Public Works. August Goers is chosen as the first Superintendent serving both before and after the Park Board was established.

1908

• Land donated by the Fort Wayne Land and Improvement Company for the development of Lakeside Park.
• First supervised playground operated at the corner of Clinton and Douglas Streets by Miss Carrie Snively.
• Weisser park (15 acres of forest) purchased for $10,500.

1910

        The Robinson Plan developed by Charles Robinson.

1911

         New taxing law gave Park Department the power to declare park districts and levy a tax on property within that district, but only for improvements to be carried out within the taxed area. The money could not be moved to a different district.

1912

• 110 acres of land for Foster Park donated by Samuel and Colonel David N. Foster.
• Lakeside Park development completed at cost of $17,500 raised by special tax on the areas surrounding the park.

1914

• August Goers retired as Superintendent but remained as the Assistant. Carl J. Getz assumed the role of Park Superintendent at that time and the Superintendent's job was now combined with that of City Forester.
• Ten (10) tennis courts and wading pool constructed in Swinney Park.

1915

        Parks and Recreation in Fort Wayne came to be viewed as one way to ensure the quality of life.

1916

• Johnny Appleseed monument erected in Swinney Park.
• Plans announced to build replica of Lincoln's log cabin in Foster Park by Lincoln National Life Insurance Company. The log cabin was then constructed and given to the Department in 1920.

1917

• Fort Wayne's first amusement park, Robison Park closed.
• The state legislature passed a park law that enabled cities to bond up to a percentage of their assessed value.
• Adolph Jaenicke became the Superintendent of Parks and forester. He became known as the "city beautifier" because of his achievements with Jaenicke Gardens, the Rose Garden in Lakeside Park and the Children's Flower Growing Association.
• A large two story pavilion was built on the center island of the three lagoons near California Avenue in Lakeside Park.

1918

• Statue of General Anthony Wayne dedicated in Hayden Park.
• First public swimming pool open in Lawton Park.
• Memorial Park established in honor of the military personnel that died during W.W.I.

1919

        Park Board leased part of West Swinney to George Trier for Trier Amusement Park.

1920

        Joseph and Sue Vesta Hanna donated Hanna's Ford (2 acres) to the Department.