Although Ft. Wayne was never used as an active post during the Civil War, we find that it suits our needs well for local events and recruiting. We consider it our base of operations if you will. We have established a wonderful working relationship with Historic Fort Wayne Inc. This friendship has allowed us not only to become very involved with the public on a regular basis, but also with other local re-enactors who portray other time periods. The Old Fort is used not only by we Civil War folks but also by the War of 1812 and the Revolutionary War re-enactors based here in the City of Ft. Wayne, IN.
Three Rivers Festival
We attend an event at the Old Fort every year during the second weekend of the Three Rivers Festival. We try to put on as many displays for the public as we can that we think will be educational to all who are willing to stop by and learn.
We are always sure to have Infantry and Artillery demonstrations, period cooking, toys of the 1860's, displays on the United States Sanitary Commission, women during the Civil War, and much more. We hope that you will find the time to come and visit us while we are at the Old Fort.
If you are interested in joining our group or just want to try an easy weekend of wearing wool and playing soldier then the Old Fort weekend is a perfect opportunity to get your feet wet before the second half of the season kicks in!
Johnny Appleseed Festival
Held on the third full weekend of September each year, the Johnny Appleseed Festival brings in hundreds of thousands of spectators and shoppers. This year was another astounding success, we had almost 100 re-enactors in attendance again including Civil War, War of 1812 and Revolutionary War re-enactors. All weekend was spent engaging the public with many different types of displays and demonstrations. The big draw of course was the 3 cannons that were fired at the top of every hour throughout the weekend.
The Johnny Appleseed Festival has always been and will remain one of our favorite events to attend. The opportunity to speak with the public at a re-enactment is usually rare, so when we attend a "Living History" event like J.A. we love the opportunity to teach people one on one. Of course the apple dumplings sold at the top of the hill from camp help too! We hope that if you are local to northeast Indiana you will come see us at either the Old Fort or during Johnny Appleseed this coming season!
Stone's Trace Village
Every year on the first full weekend after Labor Day the Stone's Trace Festival is held in Ligonier, IN. This has been a staple event for us for many years and will continue to be for many years into the future as well. This event is located directly across from the High School on U.S. 33. It is a "Living History" event that allows us to chat with the public and set up displays for all to see. Come out and see us if you live up that way.
There were 3 American forts built in Fort Wayne. The current fort is a replica of the one constructed by Major John Whistler and his men during 1815 – 1816, & was the last fort to stand at the junction of the St. Mary’s, St. Joseph and Maumee Rivers. It was designed purely for defense against Native Americans, and could be comfortably defended by a relatively small number of men.
