On August 4, 1841, an act of the U.S. Congress appropriated $50,000 to build a new fort in accordance with the Army’s Great Lakes Defense Plan. The fort would support ground force operations, control the strategically important Detroit River and protect Detroit. In 1849, an Army order named the site Fort Wayne, in honor of General “Mad” Anthony Wayne, who distinguished himself in both the Revolutionary War and at the 1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers (which essentially eliminated British power on U.S. soil).
Sources :
Detroit Historical Society Facebook Page.
Uniquely Detroit : Historic Fort Wayne
Colonial Days at Historic Fort Wayne, June 2013
War of 1812 Reenactment at Historic Fort Wayne
Civil War Days 2012 at Fort Wayne.