In 1895, Fort Wayne officially celebrated the centennial of the construction of a Fort at the Three Rivers by General Anthony Wayne in 1794. For the belated birthday, Fort Wayne's streets were festooned with flags and bunting. Centennial arches were erected throughout the city, and many events filled the week-long celebration. This photographic essay examines the century since the centennial. It outlines Fort Wayne's development in the twentieth century and conveys a picture of the city at the end of the century. The significance of the rivers in Fort Wayne's development is explored. A chapter on Calhoun Street focuses on the changes the twentieth century has produced in the downtown area. Changes in residential patterns, transportation, and leisure-time activities are emphasized.

Jim and Kathie Barron are the authors of three other books on the subject of Fort Wayne history. Jim is a thirty-five-year radio broadcast veteran and is part of the award-winning morning team on WBCL radio in Fort Wayne. He has also been a professional comedian and a magician/illusionist for more than forty years and performs frequently for church, fundraising and festival events. Kathie is a writer and singer and is planning a future book on Robison Park, an amusement park that was a big part of Allen County history. Jim and Kathie are the parents of four children and four grandchildren and thank Jesus Christ for all the blessings in their lives.

In 1872 Lyman Ayres acquired a controlling interest in the Trade Place, a dry-goods store in Indianapolis. Two years later, he bought out his partners and renamed the establishment L. S. Ayres and Company. For the next century, Ayres was as much a part of Indianapolis as Monument Circle or the Indianapolis 500. Generations of midwestern families visited the vast store to shop, to see the animated Christmas windows, and, of course to visit Santa Claus and enjoy lunch in the Tea Room. But Ayres was more than just a department store. At its helm across three generations was a team of visionary retailers who took the store from its early silk-and-calico days to a diversified company with interests in specialty stores and discount stores (before Target and Wal-Mart). At the same time, Ayres never lost sight of its commitment to women’s fashion that gave the store the same cachet as its larger competitors in New York and Chicago.