Detroit's Fort Wayne-- Part 1: The Supply Line from Detroit

I have been writing about this fort in my Not So Forgotten; The War of 1812 blog.

This fort was not the one that played a large role in the War of 1812, but was constructed after it.

It saw service in the Civil War as well as the Spanish-American War, but starting with World War I it became extremely important because of its motor supply center.  Hey, Detroit and all those automobiles you know.

But, it became huge in World War II when the fort was designated Motor Supply Depot and buildings were constructed for warehousing and shipping.  At the time, Fort Wayne became the world's largest motor supply depot.

Its command center controlled the flow of materials from the automobile industries (who weren't making automobiles, but war materials)  to the citywide network of   storage and staging facilities which included the Michigan State Fairgrounds and Port of Detroit  terminal.

--GreGen