c. 1950

Central High School Pennant

The first free, public high school in Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne High School, opened its doors in 1867. It was the only public high school in Fort Wayne and competed with many private, mostly parochial schools. With the start of the twentieth century, the city's expanding population, and its growing number of children, created the need for more schools. A new building, located at Lewis and Barr streets was opened in 1904 with much more space for classrooms than the original building. Fort Wayne High School was renamed Central High School in 1922 after South Side High School opened. An interesting histori-cal note is that the high school hosted the first membership meeting of the Fort Wayne Historical Society on 21 March 1921. The Central High School "Tigers," represented by this pennant, were known for strong academic and athletic successes. In spite of closing in 1971, the building remains relatively true to its original design, and with some renovation, it became home to the Anthis Career Center.