The Anthony Halberstadt Chapter SAR honored Colonel Alexander Ewing, a Fort Wayne founder, Revolutionary War soldier, and War of 1812 veteran with a wreath-placing ceremony at Lindenwood Cemetery in Fort Wayne Saturday, September 16, 2023
Chapter President Jeff Jones and Amber Gonzalez (General Manager of the Lindenwood Cemetery) organized the commemoration and welcomed those in attendance. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Matthew Boyd, a member of the Chapter.
Others recognized and taking part in the ceremony were William Behnke, Vice President of the Indiana State SAR; Benita Steyer, Regent of the local chapter of the DAR; Steve Spinner, Senior Leader of the local CAR; T.Rex Legler, President of the War of 1812 Society; Judi Loomis, President of the General Mad Anthony Wayne Organization; Beth Toscos, Chancellor of the Ewing Family Association; and Dr. William Pond, Master of the Wayne Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons.
The American Legion Post #47 fired a ceremonious rifle salute and played Taps to commemorate Colonel Ewing. A US burial flag folding ceremony was performed by the Color Guard commander, Gary Stebbins and Chapter Treasurer, James Hamilton.
Colonel Ewing was born New York State and arrived in Fort Wayne in 1822 after extensively trading with Native Americans in New York, Michigan, and Ohio.
As a youth, Colonel Ewing was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, serving for three years under the command of George Washington. Later, in the war of 1812 with England, he was in the army of General William Henry Harrison, acting as a scout and winning the military title of Colonel.
John Ewing, a current day member of Colonel Ewing’s family, read aloud the biography of Alexander Ewing’s service in the Revolution and his contributions to current day Fort Wayne, including the establishment of the Ewing tavern, at what is now the southwest corner of Barr and Columbia streets. The first two sessions of the circuit court for Allen County were held in the Ewing tavern. Ewing Street in downtown Fort Wayne is named for Colonel Ewing.
Beth Ewing Toscos, also of the current Ewing family, placed a commemorative wreath at the foot of the Ewing Obelisk, a thirty-eight-foot-tall Scotch Granite memorial, erected in 1870 at a cost of $25,000.
Lindenwood Cemetery is located just west of downtown Fort Wayne and contains over 75,000 graves. It is in active use today.