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100 Years Since Aveline Hotel Fire
By Chad Gramling | May 1, 2008
On page 84 of Baseball in Fort Wayne, I detail the events of Fort Wayne Billikens baseball team owner, Claude Varnell and Manager Jack Hendrick’s escape from the Aveline Hotel fire in Fort Wayne. As Kim Metzger writes for the Journal Gazette:
Saturday will mark the 100th anniversary of one of the deadliest fires in Fort Wayne’s history. Twelve people died in the blaze May 3, 1908, that destroyed the well-known and popular New Aveline House.
Where my little tale relates only to the baseball storyline, Metzger does a wonderful job of detailing more about the hotel’s history, the fire and the aftermath. A fascinating read that I highly reccommend.
Topics: Downtown, Local Ties |