FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): The City of Fort Wayne observed the first ever “Mad” Anthony Wayne Day Tuesday.
A day full of events kicked off in the morning with a ceremony at the statue of Wayne in Freimann Square. Members of the General “Mad” Anthony Wayne Organization Inc. and the Daughters of the American Revolution were all a part of the event, which included speeches on Wayne’s life and a wreath-laying ceremony. It also included reenactors of Wayne and Wayne’s wife Mary Penrose Wayne, portrayed by Robert Jones and Andi Hahn.
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Councilman Jason Arp, who spearheaded the event, says the idea to honor Wayne came about two years ago when a constituent emailed him with the idea for a day honoring Fort Wayne’s namesake.
“He contacted me two years ago on July 16 and said we should have a day for the City of Fort Wayne to celebrate Stony Point every year. It’s one of the more dramatic, heroic actions of the Revolutionary War,” Arp said. The Battle of Stony Point, which was on July 16, 1779, was a key victory in which Wayne’s troops captured more than 500 British prisoners.
Members of the organization say they want to “correct a gap in education about local history” in honoring Wayne.
Arp says the organization will get together and begin planning events for next year to honor Wayne on July 16, 2020.
