The street where Halloween is an all out occasion

A cousin of ours told us about Third Street here in Fort Wayne that went all out for Halloween. I have lived here for a long time and never knew about it. 

For several weeks I have tried to come out on a weekend and look at all of the yards that the neighborhood decorated.  I think that they secretly have a contest going on.  

There were totems of ghouls and goblins that I wouldn't want to bump into in the daylight much less at night.

There was an evil joker hanging in a tree. 

And car crash victims. 

The rain finally eased enough for me to grab my camera and photograph in between the raindrops. There were others photographing the neighborhood along with me.   

Here is the cowboy I asked Santa for a few years ago for Christmas.  But I think he made it here too late.

If you have time before Halloween, drive over to Third Street in Fort Wayne and enjoy the lawns of the residents who took so much trouble to decorate.  I really enjoyed walking up and down the street admiring what I saw. 

Murals of Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne has caught on to the mural trend that has been spreading across the country.  Did you know that Philadelphia has at least 3600 murals?  Richmond, Virginia has over 100.  Fort Wayne is the home to about 264,000 residents with a growing artist community that are making their presence known. 

Yesterday a photography friend and I decided to go on a photo shoot downtown. It was one of my goals to photograph the murals that are scattered throughout the city. This is located at 128 W. Wayne Street and the artist is Tim Parsley. 

As I backed into a small alcove to get the above picture I saw this bit of artwork that I am sure not many people see because of its location. 

This mural is located on Harrison Street in the alley.  I caught a glimpse of it as I was driving past and was anxious to get a better look. The artist is Bryan Ballinger or Breadwig. 

This is Midtowne Crossings Association Mural located at 112 W. Wayne Street by Matthew Plett, who is, also, my neighbor. 

The Wunderkammer Company at 3402 Fairfield Avenue has another one of Matthew Plett's work. This facility is in a constant state of evolution.  

The mural below is located at the back of Wunderkammer.  

Hyde Bookstore at 1428 Wells Street commissioned Julia Meek to paint a depiction of Fort Wayne.  Julia is a local artist and radio host on NPR and she works at Hyde Bookstore on the weekends. A very talented lady. 

Morings flowers located 2135 Wells Street has two murals by artist Andre Talamantes. 

Nosego or Yis Goodwin is the artist for this mythical like creatures located at 816 S. Calhoun on the Pint n Slice building. 

Jerrod Tobias is the artist of the Native American and Wild Boar at The Brass Rail located at 1121 Broadway. 

Tobias also was the artist for the Mural across from the Three Rivers Apartments (below) and

the cardinals on the wall at Studio Seva at 3155 N. Anthony Blvd. 

Mad Anthony Brewing Company at the corner of Broadway and Taylor has this lovely new mural located at the back of their building.  Makes you wish that you were taking a relaxing ride in a boat doesn't it? The artist is Shea Rutherford. 

A couple doors down from Mad Anthony's is 20 Past 4. Their mural is fantastical in nature and I love it. Beam me up Scotty! 

My last mural is also at the Corner of Broadway and Taylor. The artist is Laura Hancock and the entire fence is filled with her artwork.

I felt like a tourist as I wandered my city looking for the bizarre, imaginative, and lovely creations that we call art. We should have tours here and call it Art Around Fort Wayne.  

Royal Baking Powder: "Absolutely Pure" Had its beginnings in Fort Wayne, Indiana

I  watched an episode of Who do you think you are from the UK the other day and was surprised to hear that two of Clare Balding's relatives had their financial success beginnings in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The product her relatives created was Royal Baking Powder. 

The first baking powder consisted of cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda, and starch. The starch kept the other two ingredients from reacting against each other. 

I spent all morning trying to find a can of Royal Baking Powder, but to no avail. We have Rumford Baking Powder, Argo, and Clabber Girl here; You would think that a city with over 250,000 residents we would have more than three brands of baking powder to offer.  Store brands don't count in my book. 

Let me go back to the beginning, if I may. Brothers Cornelius and Joseph Hoagland formed a partnership in 1865 (the dates vary) to develop a baking powder company and they called it Royal Baking Powder Company.  These men were a firm of druggists and lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The baking powder was made with cream of tartar at that time. In 1873, William Zeigler and John H. Seal were brought in as investors. 

"The business grew for three or four years, when it was discovered that alum and soda made a stronger leaven, and cheaper. Worse still, alum was plentiful. Anybody could go into its manufacture, and many did. The Royal, to control the cream of tartar industry, had contracted to take from European countries immense quantities of argol, the wine-lees from which cream of tartar is made. They had to go on making the more expensive baking-powder or break a contract. That would be "bad business."

Later Zeigler claimed to have organized the company and he was the treasurer, but Joseph Hoagland claimed to be president. Hoagland put a lot of money into advertising the brand, spending a half million dollars a year in advertising.  After a few years the partnership broke up. 

I have Argo in my cabinet

Then Alum war began. Why have a war over baking powder? According to Shirley Corriher from her book Bakewise: 

Aluminum-free baking powders react with liquid and not with heat. And that, Corriher explains, makes them "faster acting that most double-acting powders. You need to move fast and get cakes made with [aluminum-free baking powders] into the oven promptly since most of the bubbles are released shortly after mixing." 

Zeigler made his baking powder with alum while the Hoagland's continued to use cream of tartar. Thus the slogan "Absolutely Pure" was put on the product.  Joseph Hoagland moved out of Indiana to New York and continued the operation there. Zeigler disputed the Hoagland's claim to purity, but failed. 

On December 10, 1899 the New York Times published Hoagland's obituary stating that Joseph Hoagland had been the president of the company for over 30 years.  It seems both men made the same claim. 

Today, baking powder labels boast that the product is aluminum free.  More importantly better for you. 
Sources: 

Bakewise by Shirley Corriher

The Baking Powder Controversy, Abraham Cressy Morrison. Published date 1904

www.whatscookingamerica.net/baking-powder

http://beachpackagingdesign.com/boxvox/7-quotes-about-royal-baking-powder

Looking for Art in the Alley

It has been raining for days. I sat in my little office and watched videos on Youtube to pass the time, but I longed to be outside. My mood began to feel like the weather, all drippy eyed. Then I thought, " I am going out to photograph whether it is raining or not.  

The tea is that way

My cousin told me about some art that was on display in an alley downtown. She saw an article in the paper about it. "What an odd place to display your work," I thought to myself. So, last night I tried to find it, which is rather stupid of me, I will admit it.  What can one find in the dark anyway? 

Artwork by Alex Mendez

This morning, after driving around for what seemed like an eternity, I found the alley.  When I first went into the alley way there was a large metal guitar. I wish that I had a wide angle lens because this is lovely and massive. At the other end of the alley were four pictures. 

Allen County Courthouse 

Embassy Theatre

Lincoln Bank Building

The above artwork is by Dianne Allen Groenert.  The picture below is by three artists: Theoplis Smith, Alexandra Hall, and Terry Ratliff.  The piece is called People Moving. 

People Moving

If you would like to see the artwork it is located at 117 W. Wayne St. Fort Wayne, Indiana. The alley is located in between The Double Dragon & MKM Architecture + Design buildings on Wayne Street.  The alley is right there but you must get out of the car to see anything. This is not a drive by viewing place.  

Chief Richardville and a case of burning at the stake in Indiana?

I am a member of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). A few weeks ago a tour of the DAR markers around town was arranged and I decided to go along.

The very first marker was of  Chief Richardville who rescued a man from burning at the stake, the Miami Indians were accustomed to frequently burn their prisoners, according to the book, The Pictorial field-book of the War of 1812 by Benson J. Lossing. I thought that burning at the stake happened only on the east coast to those accused of being witches. 

Jean Baptist Richardville also known as Peshawa, (meaning wildcat) was the son of Joseph Dronet De Richardville, a Frenchman, and Tacumwah, the sister of Miami Chief Little Turtle. 

About 1792, a white man was bound at the stake and the Miami Indians were ready to light the wood on which the man stood. Richardville, a young man at the time, his mother implored him to free the prisoner as she shoved a knife in his hand. Asking him to step up to the plate and claim his place as future chief. With diligence the prisoner was freed and taken secretly in a canoe down the Maumee River. Many years afterwards the prisoner ran into Richardville at a small town in Ohio thanking the Chief for his bravery and that the prisoner's life was spared. 

Richardville is said to have been buried on the grounds of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Fort Wayne, Indiana. At the time of his death his worth was estimated at $1,000,000, which is about $23 million at today's standards. He was not only the richest man in Indiana at the time but the richest Native American. 

Additional source: History of the Maumee Valley by H.S. Knapp

City of Cholesterol and One of the Fattest Too: Fort Wayne

In Prevention Magazine this month Fort Wayne, Indiana was #2 on the Most Artery-Clogging Cities in America list.  Oh, I am so proud!  (with sarcasm) However, Fort Wayne made another list in 2002 & 2005 as being one of the fattest cities in the nation. Wow!  We promote healthy eating and exercise here.  The mall will allow people to come in and walk for free.  We have the River Greenway, promoting walking and cycling. There are various avenues for exercise and places that promote healthy eating. 

Eat less and move more is easier said than done. The place that I worked before allowed us to take breaks in the mornings and afternoons.  I would walk up to 3 miles a day. I felt great.  Now that I have a different job, my movement during the day is very limited to non-existent.  Instead of working exercise in my work day, I have to make time at night or get up at the crack of dawn. It is hard to stay in shape. Don't you think?  

Picture is from here