Steven Fortriede of Fort Wayne submitted the following additions - or should we say revisions - to a widely circulated email entitled, “You know you’re from Fort Wayne when …”

Thanks to Steve for contributing this amusing walk down memory lane. We have our own version for Churubusco on this Web site at “You Know You’re a Busconian if …”  which many Busco residents have added to and improved upon.

Contributed by Steven Fortriede

Some months ago, a document entitled, “You know you’re from Ft. Wayne when …”
made the email rounds. The premise was amusing and the items listed brought
back many memories.

However, it was clear that the piece had been written by a rank newcomer to our city, someone who could not possibly have lived here more than 25 or 30 years,
40 at the most.

So here is another version. The additions are in CAPS, not because I’m
shouting - I just need the bigger letters so I can see them. I missed a few, so
feel free to add your own.

You know you’re from Fort Wayne when…

1. You remember the Glenbrook Ice Rink.
YOU SKATED ON THE SWINNEY PARK POND.

2. You remember when “Belmont’s” didn’t only refer to a liquor store.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN WKJG DIDN’T REFER TO A TELEVISION STATION. FOR THAT MATTER, YOU REMEMBER WHAT THE ‘JG’ REFERRED TO.

3. You remember when I-69 was just two lanes.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THEY BUILT I-69.

4. You remember downtown before Headwaters Park & Courthouse Green.
YOU REMEMBER THE SCRAMBLE CORNER.

5. You can properly pronounce the name “Goeglein” (GEG-line).
YOU COULD PROPERLY SPELL THE NAME OF JAY GOULD’S HOME (BELLE LEA ACRES).

6. You remember the Coliseum before the expansion.
YOU REMEMBER IPFW BEFORE THE EXPANSION TO COLISEUM BLVD.

7. You remember the Coliseum before the Expo Center.
YOU EVER WATCHED MERV DUBCHAK WIND UP A SLAP SHOT FROM THE BLUE LINE.

8. You remember when Science Central opened.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN SCIENCE CENTRAL WAS IN A BOX CAR.

9. You know what “Gladieux” is and remember it catching fire.
YOU KNOW WERE THE STOCKADES WERE, AND REMEMBER THEM CATCHING FIRE.

10. You remember the Apple Orchard at Glenbrook.
YOU REMEMBER THE SMELL OF CELERY AT THE END OF THE BUS LINE ON TAYLOR STREET, AND YOU KNOW WHAT FORT WAYNE MULTIMILLIONAIRE GOT HIS START SELLING THAT PRODUCE.

11. You remember when the Roller Dome was THE place to be on Friday and Saturday nights.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN ROBINSON PARK WAS THE PLACE TO BE ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS.

12. You’ve been to Coney Island more times than you can count and you have no problems walking in through the back door.
OKAY, I’LL BUY THAT ONE.

13. You’ve eaten at the Elegant Farmer.
YOU’VE EATEN AT THE RATHSKELLER.

14. You remember when Memorial Stadium opened.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN MEMORIAL COLISEUM OPENED.

15. You remember when B. Dalton, Walden Books, Little Professor, and Reader’s World were the biggest bookstores in town.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN COLUMBIA STREET WAS 5 BLOCKS LONG.

16. You remember when the Georgetown theater was full-price.
YOU EVER CRUISED GARDNER’S OR DALE’S, OR BOTH.

Fort Wayne Central Catholic basketball team, 1922.

18. You remember South Side HS and North Side HS before the renovations.
YOU REMEMBER CENTRAL HS AND CENTRAL CATHOLIC HS.

19. You remember Southtown Mall.
YOU REMEMBER SOUTHGATE PLAZA.

20. You’ve been to Safety Village.
YOU’VE BEEN TO SAFETY VILLAGE, ON LAFAYETTE STREET.

21. You’ve bowled at almost every bowling alley in town.
YOU’VE BOWLED AT THE GE CLUB AND THE BPOE.

22. You remember going to Lassus Stations without hearing from Jon Lassus every time.
YOU REMEMBER GOING TO CONOCO STATIONS AND PAYING 18.9 FOR 104 OCTANE GAS.

23. You remember the old food court at Glenbrook.
YOU REMEMBER THE TEA ROOM AT WOLF AND DESSAUER.

24. You know what ten thousand burning tires looks like.
YOU KNOW WHAT A BURNING DEPARTMENT STORE LOOKS LIKE.

25. You remember the time before Jefferson Point when Glenbrook was the only place to shop.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN DOWNTOWN WAS THE ONLY PLACE TO SHOP; REALLY - THE ONLY PLACE TO SHOP.

26. You know that it’s “State Boulevard” not “State Street”.
YOU KNOW ITS AUBURN ROAD, NOT “OLD AUBURN ROAD” AND THAT IT USED TO GO TO AUBURN.

27. You remember “Holiday 6″ and saw movies there.
YOU REMEMBER THE CLYDE AND SAW MOVIES THERE.

28. You remember when Southtown had more than Footlocker, Sears, and the MCL
Cafeteria.
YOU REMEMBER THAT SOUTHGATE WAS FORT WAYNE’S FIRST MALL.

29. You remember when the TRF Midway was cool, and you didn’t have to worry about getting shot.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN GE RAN THREE PLANTS, 3 SHIFTS.

30. You know what TRF stands for.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN TRF STOOD FOR SOMETHING.

31. You remember when Lazer X and Ultrazone opened.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN IPFW OPENED.

32. You’ve thrown apples on Johnny Appleseed’s grave.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THERE WERE GRAVESTONES AROUND JOHNNY APPLESEED’S GRAVE.

33. You remember going to McMillan Health Center in elementary school.
YOU REMEMBER SEEING PRINCESS SAFETY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

34. You remember Maplecrest when it was a two-lane, bumpy road that T-ed into Rothman.
YOU REMEMBER WEST JEFFERSON WHEN IT WAS A TWO-LANE BUMPY ROAD CALLED US 24.

35. You remember the times before Wal-Mart and Meijer…when you actually had to go to a grocery store.
YOU REMEMBER THE TIMES BEFORE WAL-MART AND MEIJER…WHEN A GROCERY STORE WOULD ACTUALLY DELIVER.

36. You were ever on Happy’s Place.
YOU WERE EVER ON ENGINEER JOHN SIEMER’S SHOW.

Embassy and Indiana Hotel

37. You remember listening to B106.3.
YOU REMEMBER LISTENING TO WOWO, ON VACATION IN CANADA, OR MAYBE IN WEST VIRGINIA.

38. You remember the TRF Raft Race.
YOU REMEMBER THE TIRE AT VAN BUREN AND SUPERIOR AND WHY THERE WAS A WHITE LINE ON IT.

39.You went to Diamond Jims and still miss it.
YOU WENT TO SWINNEY PARK AMUSEMENT PARK AND STILL MISS IT.

40. You’ve eaten at Power’s Hamburgers and remember it being open 24 hours a day.

41. You’ve managed to cram yourself into Cindy’s Diner and not feel claustrophobic.
YOU’VE MANAGED TO CRAM YOURSELF INTO TINY TIM’S DINER, EVEN THOUGH YOU DID FEEL CLAUSTROPHOBIC.

42. You remember when Hot 107.9 was Foxxy.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN FORT WAYNE HAD THREE CHANNELS OF TELEVISION. EXTRA POINT: YOU REMEMBER WHEN FORT WAYNE HAD ONE CHANNEL OF TELEVISION.

43. You remember the St. Mary’s Church fire.
YOU REMEMBER THE ‘OLD WEST’ STOREFRONTS ON NORTH CLINTON STREET.

44. You remember when Dupont Road was out in the middle of nowhere.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE BYPASS WAS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

45. You remember the days before 4-69.
YOU REMEMBER THE DAYS BEFORE I-69.

46. You remember the flea market next to Hillcrest Bowl.
YOU REMEMBER THE BARR STREET MARKET, BEFORE THE RENOVATION.

47. You know the Wizards original mascot was actually a wizard…not some creepy dragon.
YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THE KNOT-HOLE GANG.

48. You knew about St. Francis College before the football team.
YOU REMEMBER THE FOUNTAIN AT RESERVOIR PARK AND THE COLORED LIGHTS AT NIGHT.

49. You remember when the first Meijer opened.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE LAST MALOLEY’S CLOSED.

50. You remember watching Steve Shine on WFFT Fox 55.
YOU REMEMBER WATCHING ANN COLONE ON WANE TV.

51. You remember the Trolley Restaurant on Wells St. next to where Edy’s is now.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN STEVE SHINE’S OFFICE WAS A SODA FOUNTAIN.

52. You remember Penguin Point on Spy Run.
YOU REMEMBER THE CENTLIVRE BREWERY ON SPY RUN.

53. You’re pretty much guaranteed to find a Wooden Nickel or two somewhere around your house.
YOU’VE GOT AN OLD ANTHONY WAYNE BANK BOOK SOMEWHERE AROUND YOUR HOUSE.

54. You can name all the Halls Restaurant

Columbia Street

55. You remember when Lincoln was based in Fort Wayne.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE LINCOLNVIEW DRIVE-IN WAS IN FORT WAYNE.

56. You remember Baer Field before it was “internationalized”.
YOU REMEMBER BAER FIELD WHEN IT WAS STILL SMITH FIELD. YOU KNOW WHO BAER WAS. YOU EVEN KNOW WHO SMITH WAS.

57. You remember when Keltch Pharmacy was it’s own store, not a part of Scott’s.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THERE WAS ONLY ONE ZESTO.

58. You know what “Froggy’s Pad” was.
YOU KNOW WHAT ‘LAMB CHOP’ WAS.

59. You remember the Seyfert’s factory on Hwy 3/Lima Rd. and what it smelled like.
YOU REMEMBER THE WAYNE CANDY FACTORY AND WHAT A BUN BAR TASTED LIKE AT THE END OF THE FIELD TRIP.

60. You know that Best Buy was originally located where Borders is now on Coldwater Road, and that it was The Children’s Palace before Best Buy.
YOU KNOW THAT THE EMBASSY WAS ORIGINALLY THE EMBOYD.

61. You remember when Speice just sold shoes.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN KELLEY JUST SOLD CHEVROLETS.

62. You know that our Pizza Huts are way better than anything outside of Dick Freeland’s franchise.
YEAH, THAT ONE’S BEEN TRUE FOR A LONG TIME.

63. You remember when the Citilink buses were PTC.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE CITY BUSES RAN ON ELECTRIC MOTORS FED FROM OVERHEAD WIRES.

64. You remember when Win Moses was mayor.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN WIN MOSES WAS INDICTED.

65. You know the difference between St. Joe Blvd, St. Joe Rd, St. Joe Center Rd, St. Joe River Dr, and Upper St. Joe Center Rd.
YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ST. JOE BLVD, ST. JOE RD, ST. JOE CENTER RD, ST. JOE RIVER DR., AND UPPER ST. JOE CENTER RD., BUT IT DOESN’T BOTHER YOU.

66. You can finish the sentence, “If you’re not on Goshen Road…”
YOU CAN FINISH THE SENTENCE, “CROSS OVER THE BRIDGE TO…”

67. You remember never being able to find parking at the downtown library.
YOU REMEMBER THE ORNATE CAPS ON THE MARBLE COLUMNS AT THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY, AND YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE NOW.

68. You know what St. Francis’ campus looked like before the renovations and expansions.
YOU KNOW WHAT ST. FRANCIS CAMPUS LOOKED LIKE WHEN THE BASS FAMILY STILL OWNED IT.

69. You remember when the police department was at Southgate
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE POLICE RODE HORSES.

70. You remember Showbiz Pizza before Chuck E. Cheese.
YOU REMEMBER WHY IT’S CALLED “TIME CORNERS” BONUS POINT: YOU DIDN’T FEEL THE URGE TO CORRECT IT TO “TIME’S CORNERS,” IN WHICH CASE, YOU’D BE WRONG.

71. You remember Tilt at Glenbrook.
YOU CAN FIND “THE WORLD-FAMOUS WOWO FIRE ESCAPE”.

72. You remember when Coventry 13 was the main movie theater.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE EMBASSY, AND THE PARAMOUNT, AND THE JEFFERSON WERE THE MAIN MOVIE THEATERS, ALL WITHIN A COUPLE OF BLOCKS.

73. You remember Denny’s on Lima Road.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN SPEEDWAY DRIVE WENT TO THE SPEEDWAY.

74. You’ve complained aloud in your car that St. Joe/St. Joe Center is a screwed-up intersection.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN ‘THE CLOVERLEAF’ WAS THE ONLY ONE.

The Old Fort

75. You were pissed that northwest Indiana got to keep 219 when the area codes were split up.
YOU WERE *$#*ED OFF WHEN YOU HAD TO GIVE UP YOUR HARRISON, OR ANTHONY, OR KENMORE TELEPHONE NUMBER.

76. You’ve drank out of the lion shaped water fountain at the zoo.
YOU’VE DRANK OUT OF THE WATER FOUNTAIN ON CALHOUN STREET.

77. You’ve eaten at Atz’s ice cream shop.
YOU KNOW WHAT A BOSTON COOLER IS, AND WHERE TO GET ONE.

78. It doesn’t bother you in the least that a road can change names 3 or 4 times in the course of a few miles.
YOU KNOW WERE BOSTON IS AND YOU CAN DRIVE THERE (HINT - YES, IN ALLEN COUNTY. EXTRA POINT: YOU COULD FIND CLABBERTOWN - YES, IN ALLEN COUNTY.

79. You know the story behind Harry Baals Drive.
YOU KNOW WHAT FORT WAYNE WAS THE ‘SUMMIT’ OF.

80. You remember the GTE Tower.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE LINCOLN TOWER WAS THE TALLEST BUILDING IN INDIANA.

81. You’ve eaten at Willie’s.
YOU’VE EATEN AT THE BOOTJACK.

82. You remember Damon’s and the fact that the place was cursed.
YOU REMEMBER CATABLU WHEN IT WAS A MOVIE THEATER - THE FAMILY KIND.

83. You remember Roger’s, Lynn’s, and Cub Foods.
YOU REMEMBER RODEY’S AND MALOLEY’S AND WEYRICK’S IGA.

84. Even if you know Scott’s was generally overpriced, you’re still *@#*ed off that Kroger bought them out.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN ROGERS AND MALOLEY’S ALL BUT RAN KROGER OUT OF THE FORT WAYNE MARKET.

85. You remember when there was more than one Big Boy.
YOU REMEMBER THE HOBBY HOUSE.

86. You remember when the 14/69 Automall was built.
YOU KNOW HOW DOCK STREET GOT IT’S NAME.

87. You remember when Roger’s grocery baggers loaded your bags in your car.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN TAPP’S GROCERY DELIVERED YOUR BAGS TO YOUR HOUSE.

88. You drove Harrison Street when it was one, continuous street.
YOU KNOW THERE IS A NORTH CALHOUN STREET. YOU CAN FIND IT AND DRIVE FROM THERE TO NORTH HANNA STREET.

89. You remember when Amtrak stopped in Fort Wayne.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE NICKLE PLATE STOPPED IN FORT WAYNE.

90. Bob Rohrman annoys you.
YOU KNOW WHERE YOU COULD ALWAYS FIND A NEEDLE FOR YOUR RECORD PLAYER.

91. You’ve talked to Croaky the Frog.
YOU’VE TALKED TO WEE WILLIE WAND.

92.  You remember Hudson’s at Glenbrook.
YOU REMEMBER HUDSON’S, ALSO PACKARDS AND STUDEBAKERS.

93. You’ve know the rumors about Devil’s Hollow at night.
YOU KNOW THE RUMORS ABOUT DEVIL’S HOLLOW AT NIGHT, BUT YOU’VE GONE THERE TO MAKE OUT ANYWAY.

94. You know that the television was invented by Fort Wayne resident, Philo T. Farnsworth.
YOU KNOW THAT BAKING POWDER WAS INVENTED BY FORT WAYNE RESIDENTS, CORNELIUS AND JOSEPH HOAGLAND.

95. You remember when the ACPL summer reading program actually had good prizes.
YOU PICKED UP ONE OF THE FREE HISTORICAL PAMPHLETS EVERY TIME YOU VISITED THE FORT WAYNE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

96. You’ve gone sledding down the huge hills at Franke Park and Shoaff Park.
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THEY RAN THE SOAP BOX DERBY ON THE HUGE HILL AT FRANKE PARK.

97. You remember Furrows behind Southtown.
YOU REMEMBER LEESBURG LUMBER ACROSS FROM ST. FRANCIS.

98. You’ve ridden on the BMX track.
YOU’VE RIDDEN ON THE INTERURBAN.

99. You’ve had your picture taken while sitting in the joey pouch at the zoo.
YOU’VE HAD YOUR PICTURE TAKEN WHILE SITTING ON PHIL STEIGERWALD’S LAP.

100. You remember listening to Charlie Butcher on 97.3 WMEE.
YOU REMEMBER LISTENING TO BOB CHASE ON WOWO, WITH YOUR GRANDFATHER.

101. You know that the Detroit Pistons used to be the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons.
YOU KNOW THAT THE NBA STARTED IN FRED ZOLLNER’S KITCHEN.

Ed. note: Thanks to Steve for this great piece of Fort Wayne nostalgia. Unfortunately, I remember many of the things he mentioned. Feel free to add your own comments on remembering Fort Wayne below.