Then And Now: Swingin’ Gate And The Who
“Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County: Children’s Dept., exterior, temporary quarters 1965-1968, 222 West Berry Street, plus Phonograph Room, 220 West Berry, Odd Fellows Harmony Lodge No. 19, Swingin’ Gate Teen Club. News Sentinel, 13 April 1968.”
Image from ACPL Community Album
WGDT reader RMike relates the following “Then” story:
“An out-of-town friend recently told me that a stranger in front of the Brass Rail had related a tale about a Who show in downtown Fort Wayne in the 60s and asked if I could confirm it. I didn’t move to Fort Wayne until 1990, so I had to do some research. I found a notation in a Who reference book, a photo in the ACPL photo archive, and a Journal-Gazette advertisement on microfilm. The worst part of the discovery was the fact that I couldn’t wander into the building where the event had occurred (224 West Berry Street), as it is now a parking lot. Maybe I can locate promoter Linda Wren’s apartment, and imagine the band eating Thanksgiving dinner there in 1967. Buffalo Springfield also played that club in May of the same year.”
“Who” reference book
JG microfilm ad
And the same view today…
2008
The property tax card for the IOOF building lists a remodel in 1985, which likely explains the difference in appearance from 40 years ago.
The empty gap to the left, however (where The Who once played), is a familiar scene in downtown Fort Wayne: a surface parking lot where there once stood a multi-story (and likely mixed-use) urban building that added to density instead of creating dead space.
Damn, the Swingin’ Gate looked like one, hip joint !
They even landed the Who, so you know it was a happening place to be.
There was a rumor that the Who stayed in Decatur in the motel next to what used to be the Rheinlander the night after the infamous concert where people died being trampled in Cincinnati on their way to their next concert. I may come across the guy who originated this story someday. I guess there were some British people that were very upset about something that night sitting late at the bar. I might give the odds of it being true at about 25 to 35% though.
My mom used to tell me stories about the Swinging Gate. I showed her this picture today and she LOVED it. She said it was a very cool place to be and so much fun. She was actually at the club the night The Who played, she would’ve been 17 years old 3 days after the concert. My mom is horribly forgetful and said she would’ve never remembered that night if it hadn’t been for this post.
So thanks for helping me remember how cool my mom is and was!
According to the 1967 Fort Wayne City Directory, Linda Wren resided at 1724 Hobson Road at the time of the Thanksgving meal with the Who. This was in the Jamestown Apartments, between Lake and State, probably not long after they were constructed.
That building was a former lodge hall, but I’m not sure which organization originally owned it. I’ve seen old photos that show it with a portico that extended out to the street. Might have been Knights of Pythias.
There was an auditorium in it that probably was the venue for the Who performance. It was also used for plays by a local theater group, but I’m not sure any more what the name of the group was. Larry Wardlaw probably would have more info on that; I believe he was involved with it.
Around the corner on the side street was a door that opened on a stairway that led to the Allen County License Branch in the basement. The ceiling was low, the flourescent lights were bright, long lines were the rule rather than the exception, personal checks were not accepted, and the place always stunk of mildew.
Scott, I know you’re trying to help with these before/after shots, but wow, how depressing! Not only do we tear down beautiful buildings, but we visually destroy the ones we leave standing! My goodness! I always disliked that (remaining) building, but now – knowing what’s beneath that god-awful Dryit- it’ll be hard to even drive by it without crying.
That’s the intent, Scott.
I want people to see and realize for themselves the willful destruction of their own city that has taken place.
Hi Scott,
Berry Street had a TON of buildings that were demolished in the 70′s and 80′s. It’s incredibly sad….
I guess in the case of a building or a business it’s tear down the old and bring in the new… maybe because it pays off some construction people that contributed to a campaign?
Kristina, do you remember that in the block west of there stood an apartment building probably from the 20s? Maybe the White Apartments? There were so many apartment buildings in that area that I have difficulty remembering which was which.
It was three or four stories, brick, with a handsome stone facade. The first floor was slightly above-grade, with steps going up. I think there might have been porticoes over the entry doors. Below sidewalk level was a commercial space; in the late fifties- early sixties, the US Air Force recruiting office was in that space.
That was where I dodged the draft on a frosty morning in January, 1962 by signing up for four years in the Air Force and getting on the bus to Indianapolis with fourteen other guys from this corner of the state. At 22, I was the old guy in the group and was put in charge of making sure everyone stayed together and nobody wandered off or got lost.
By the time I finished my enlistment, the recruiting office had moved elsewhere and the commercial space in that apartment building had become a hair salon. If I recall correctly, it was called Hair Benders, or something inspiringly creative like that.
That photo has triggered so many recollections that I may just keep rambling until someone says, “Shut Up, Robert!”
Scott Spaulding and Scott Greider, you may appreciate the irony in this:
The Swinging Gate took its name from an iron gate that secured the Berry Street entrance to the building. I think that venture lasted only a short time in the mid to late sixties, and the theater company that I mentioned in a previous post came after that.
I ushered at a play in the auditorium in that building, and among the people whom I guided to their seats one night were then-Congressman J. Edward Roush and his party of family and friends. Ed Roush shepherded the legislation that authorized the construction of flood-control dams and reservoirs on the Wabash, Salamonie, and Mississinewa Rivers. Roush Lake, on the Wabash River near Huntington, is named for him.
The play that night was a locally-written protest against urban renewal, specifically the destruction of downtown’s historic commercial core. An actor portraying the mayor, then Harold Zeis, gave glowing praise to the product of the bulldozer-and-backhoe mindset, extolling “Plenty of parking, next to everything.” The response from an opponent was, “Next to what?”
That building became a victim of what the playwright protested.
Since you are talking about tearing down buildings that shouldn’t be tore down can anyone help Emily? She says the city of FW mistakenly tore down her building and she can’t even get the dough back she laid down for it… Any ideas? Thanks…
http://www.fortwaynenews.com/index.php/2008/12/10/big-government-small-brains-dumb-laws/
Comment #23
Great story, RMike
I was there the night the Who played. I also saw the Outsiders play there too. I think there were at least two bowling lanes downstairs. We used to go the Van Orman Hotel for Cokes after the shows. Man, the Van Orman was a beautiful building. I was there the night they brought it down. Bummer.
I was a member of the Swinging Gate and I saw the Who. I also saw many other big name groups at the swinging Gate. I am a drummer and we were a fill in band at the swinging Gate. The name of the band was The Souls On Fire and we played with Dennis Yost And the Classics Four when they played at the Swinging Gate. We were also the other Band that played with The Outsiders! The souls on Fire.
We also played with Derek and the Dominoes at The Hullabaloo Club in Ft. Wayne! John Comer, Cleveland, Ohio
I also was member of the swinging gate.And played in same band as John Comer.We were the house band for the swing gate and backed up alot of national groups. John and I are still good friends. We are trying to find other members of the group.[ Souls on Fire.] Rick Brown , Rick Furnace, Mike LaMones. Bob Freeman Roanoke ,Indiana