One of Michigan's most-talked-about haunted sites, Fort Wayne is on the Detroit River, a mile from the Canadian border. When the land was excavated in the early 1900's, Native American bodies were dug up that dated back 900+ years.

Named after General Anthony Wayne who defeated the British in 1796, which basically gave the Northwest U.S. Territories to the United States. Even though this was Michigan's third fort, it was the first to be built by actual Americans. Construction began in 1842, with the still-standing limestone barracks completed in 1848. Surrounding the fort are extra barracks and officers' homes & quarters, commissary, garage, guard house, hospital (demolished), jailhouse, port, recreation building (now a visitor center), shops, stables.....and Indian burial grounds.

99.1 WFMK logo
Get our free mobile app

Detroit's Fort Wayne sat as a garrison and had no troops until the Civil War broke out in 1860. Even so, not one shot was ever fired in anger from the fort. It was basically a peaceful fortification that became a wartime induction center. I know – that is where I went when I was drafted many years ago.

This military outpost became known as a “fort of peace” and was also used – over the years – as training facilities for the infantry, a WW2 prisoner of war camp for Italian soldiers, a haven for people whose homes were burned during the 1967 Detroit riots, and holding places for vehicles cranked out of Detroit during the major wars of the 1900s.

Located at 6053 West Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, the fort was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1958.

Now take a quick inside look at some of Fort Wayne's tunnels!

The Tunnels of Fort Wayne

MORE VINTAGE MICHIGAN:

Vintage Idlewild

Vintage General Stores Part 3

Roadside Stands and Farmers Markets, 1900-1950

Vintage Paper Boys and Newspaper Offices

Vintage Photos of Trout Creek

More From 99.1 WFMK