On Wednesday 25 October 2023 the Anthony Halberstadt Chapter assisted the Fort Wayne Mary Penrose Wayne DAR Chapter with the re-dedication of the Prairie Grove Chapel and Cemetery in Waynedale, IN
The Prairie Grove Chapel & Cemetery, 6312 Old Trail Road, Fort Wayne, IN is associated with the settlement history of rural Wayne Township in what is now Waynedale. The intent was to place churches that would be serviced by a circuit rider that served several rural congregations. At the time the location was on a major highway. This was advantageous for both access to the church from the rural area and ease of access for circuit ridge preachers. There is no precise record of the construction of the building, but the associated cemetery was first platted in 1858.
The Brethren Church congregation was active at Prairie Grove, and services were held there by circuit riders of the denomination until at least 1901. Among the preachers that likely visited Prairie Grove was Rev. Milton Wright. Wright became a bishop in the church and was the leader of one faction in a split of the Brethren Church in 1889. Rev. Wright was among the key people that founded nearby HuntingtonUniversity. Rev. Milton Wright also had two sons, Orville and Wilbur Wright, who built the first successful aircraft in 1903.