200@200 : April - Traveling the Crossroads
Date:
Early 1800s
Title:
Col. Thomas W. Swinney's Saddlebag
Description:
Thomas Swinney arrived in Fort Wayne in 1823 from Pikeville, Ohio. A farmer, speculator, and entrepreneur, Swinney's property at the end of Washington Boulevard was the original location for the Allen County Fair in 1874. Over 2,000 visitors enjoyed the large pavilions, livestock barns, and horse races at the fairgrounds that would eventually be known as Swinney Park. His home, today known as the Swinney Homestead, was the original home of the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society from 1926 to 1980. These leather saddlebags belonged to Col. Thomas W. Swinney. His initials "T. W. S." are stitched on the bottom of each bag.
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Saddle BagSaddle Bag
Col. Thomas W. Swinney, 1852Col. Thomas W. Swinney, 1852
Image 
Image 
Col. Thomas W. Swinney Sddlebag Stitching DetailCol. Thomas W. Swinney Sddlebag Stitching Detail
Swinney Homestead c. 1880sSwinney Homestead c. 1880s
Swinney Homestead TodaySwinney Homestead Today