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www.nomadicbustrips.com Allen County edition ReAChing FoRt WAyne And SuRRounding CountieS
May 2026
Vol. 39, No. 1
www.seniorlifenewspapers.com
Lindenwood CemeterySOLUTING SERVICE MEMBERS — A plaque saluting all branches of military service stands in an area created for veterans. Photo by Linda Lipp.
A salute to service MEMORIAL DAY — Flags will line the drive into Lindenwood Cemetery for Memorial Day. Photo courtesy of Dignity Memorial.
By LINDA LIPP Feature Writer Long before the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum opened in 1952, historic Lindenwood Cemetery served as the site of Fort Wayne’s official Memorial Day observance. Lindenwood continues to mark the occasion - originally known as Decoration Day with an impressive display of American flags, large crowds of visitors and other activities. “A lot of families come out. It’s our busiest weekend every year,” said Lindenwood General Manager Amber Gonzalez. In addition to the large flag display stretching along the cemetery’s main drive, visitors receive small flags to place on the graves of loved ones. “A lot of people like to do that themselves,” Gonzalez said. Some visitors also take extra flags to place on nearby veterans’ graves that don’t receive visitors. “We encourage that because those veterans should be honored, too,” she added.
The Avenue of Flags display is installed around Mother’s Day and remains through Veterans Day. This year, in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Sons of the Revolution will host a patriot walk at 1 p.m. June 20. More than 8,000 veterans are buried at Lindenwood, including hundreds who served in the Civil War. Their graves are scattered throughout the expansive cemetery, the second largest in the state. Some are buried in a section reserved for veterans and their spouses. The nearest national cemetery is in Marion - a considerable distance for many families, Gonzalez noted. Lindenwood
established its veterans section to allow families to keep loved ones closer to home. Founded in 1859 by local businessmen, Lindenwood saw its first burial in 1860. The group purchased the wooded, 179-acre site along the Wabash and Erie Canal, about two miles from downtown, as an alternative to the overcrowded McCulloch Cemetery. The cemetery was named for the many linden trees on the property, according to Allen County historian Randolph Harter. Despite its naturally serene appearance, the cemetery’s rolling hills and hollows were man made.
At the time, it was fashionable to design rural cemeteries inspired by those in England and along the East Coast, Harter said. Before public parks became common, cemeteries often served as gathering places for picnics, walks and quiet reflection among Victorian-era monuments. Many of Fort Wayne’s early leaders are buried at Lindenwood, their names now shared by streets, parks and buildings throughout the city, Harter noted. Among the more notable residents is Sion Bass, a member of the prominent Bass family.
BOOK AUTHOR — Randolf Harter is the author of “Historic Lindenwood Cemetery,” which will be published this month. Photo provided.
Col. Bass was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh and died a week later in Paducah, Kentucky. His body was returned to Fort Wayne for a state funeral and burial at Lindenwood April 14, 1862. A memorial erected by his regiment and friends was restored in 2020 by the 30th Indiana Volunteer Infantry reenactors. One unusual aspect of Lindenwood is that about 10,000 of its more than 74,000 graves are unmarked. Some lack headstones because families could not afford them, while others may have gone unmarked when remains were relocated from McCulloch Cemetery, Harter said. Harter’s book, “Historic Lindenwood Cemetery,” co-authored with photographer Daniel Baker, is scheduled for release in May. It will be available online, in bookstores and at the Coney Island gift store. For more information, call (260) 432-4542 or visit dignitymemorial.com.