Fort Wayne Cigar History

Paul’s pipe shop in Flint Michigan

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Fort Wayne Cigar History

Aumann cigar box

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Fort Wayne Cigar History

The Aumann / Auman Cigar Story — Summary

The Aumann name — sometimes spelled Auman — appears steadily in Fort Wayne’s cigar trade from the late nineteenth century into the early twentieth century, anchored by the life and work of Louis F. Auman. His story begins in the 1890s, when the FW City directories list him as a cigarmaker working for Frank J. Gruber, living at 118 Gay Street.

By 1900, Louis F. Aumann’s own enterprise begins to surface publicly. A prominent advertisement in the Fort Wayne Sentinel promoted his cigar line with the catchy phrase “In everybody’s mouth – the ‘Eclipse’ 5c,” marking him not just as a craftsman but a brand maker. Around this time, city listings refer to him directly as a cigar manufacturer.

In 1909, Louis F. Auman was officially recorded as a cigar manufacturer with a shop at 920 Calhoun Street and his home at 2607 Hanna Street. Records show him employing other local cigar workers — people such as Thomas R. Albert in 1914 — illustrating that his operation had grown beyond a one-man workshop into a small factory environment. Employment notes and city references continue to tie Auman to his cigar business during this period.

By the mid-1910s, mentions of the “Auman cigar factory” appear in local news, reflecting its status as a known workplace within Fort Wayne’s small but active tobacco industry. These entries trace a clear professional arc: from Louis F. Auman as an employee in the early 1890s, to an independent manufacturer with advertising presence by 1900, to an established shop and employer of other cigar makers by the 1910s.

While some Fort Wayne cigar houses like Dessauer and Auer lasted for many decades, the Aumann/Auman story shows the rise of a skilled local craftsman into ownership, branding, and small-scale factory production. His name remains tied to addresses like 920 Calhoun Street and 2607 Hanna Street, and to a brand of cigars such as the popular Eclipse 5¢ cigar, preserving a vivid glimpse of Fort Wayne’s cigar-making heritage.

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Fort Wayne Cigar History

Auer cigar boxes

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Fort Wayne Cigar History

The Auer Cigar Story
The Auer name first appears in Fort Wayne’s cigar records in the 1870s, when George Auer was listed as a cigarmaker. City directories from 1878 and 1879–80 show him boarding at 17 Nirdlinger Avenue while working in the local cigar trade — a young craftsman earning his place in a growing industry.

By the early 1900s, the family’s presence deepens. Listings in the 1906 Polk City Directory show G. C. Auer as a cigar manufacturer, a step up from simple hand work to running a shop of his own. In 1909, G. C. Auer’s business is recorded at 908 Hugh Street, and employees are noted as “worked for Auer, G. C.,” showing he was already hiring hands to roll and sell cigars. By 1921, the records place G. C. Auer at 109 Carl Street, still active as a cigar manufacturer two decades after George Auer’s first appearance.

These listings chart a clear progression:
• 1878–79: George Auer, cigarmaker, boarding at 17 Nirdlinger Avenue.
• 1906: G. C. Auer emerges as a cigar manufacturer.
• 1909: G. C. Auer’s shop and small workforce at 908 Hugh Street.
• 1921: G. C. Auer still operating as a cigar maker at 109 Carl Street.

While other small cigar shops came and went, the Auers stayed visible across more than forty years of Fort Wayne directories — a family journey from a lone craftsman boarding near his work to a named manufacturer employing others and maintaining a shop through the early twentieth century.

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Fort Wayne Cigar History

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Fort Wayne Cigar History

The Alter Cigar Story — Retail Cigars

Summary of the Alter Cigar Story

Albert C. Alter, born in Cleveland in 1872 and raised in Fort
Wayne, Indiana, began as a newsboy and later took over the cigar stand at the Aveline Hotel. By the
late 1890s, he had become a prominent cigar retailer, expanding his business through the well-known
Alter’s Cigar Store at the busy corner of Calhoun and Main Streets. Through the years, the store
became a central hub for cigars, tobacco, periodicals, and social activity. It hosted unusual events and
promotions—from public drinking fountains to model boat displays and annual dinners for young
newsboys. The store was known for carrying leading cigar brands and for innovative marketing,
including partnerships with other local businessmen like Lee Ivens. After Albert’s marriage to Alice Hunt
in 1899, the family continued to run the store. Albert passed away young, in 1912, but Alice
successfully managed the business, later remarrying Harry C. Beekner. The store remained an
important Fort Wayne institution into the 1920s, even as new owners and managers took over. Alter’s
Cigar Store is remembered not only for its retail success but also for its lively presence in the
community—serving as a meeting spot, advertising hub, and promoter of local commerce during a
vibrant era of Fort Wayne’s history.

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Fort Wayne Cigar History

Allgeier cigar box

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Fort Wayne Cigar History

Allgeier Cigar History
Chronological narrative of the Allgeier / Allgaier family and their presence in Fort Wayne’s cigar trade, with every available detail (roles, employers, business and home addresses, notes, brands) and no placeholder 'nan' values.
1905
• Allgeier, John A. — (Stripper) — home: Boards 504 E. Taber — info: Tobacco stripper
1907
• Allgeier, Anthony Jr. — (Cigar Mnfr.) — business: 504 E. Taber — home: Same
• Allgeier, Anthony — (Drayman) — home: 504 E. Taber
• Allgeier Anthony jr — (Cigar Mnfr.) — business: 504 E Taber
1908
• Allgeier, Anthony Jr. — (Cigar Mnfr.) — business: rear 504 E.Taber — home: Same
• Allgeier Anthony jr — (Cigar Mnfr.) — business: rear 504 E Taber
1914
• Dicola Bros. cigar stand — (Cigars Retail) — business: Calhoun & Lewis — info: Joseph S. Allgeier, formerly with Heiny Grocery, and L. J. Starace, of the Kild Medical co., have bought the Dicola Bros. fruit, confectionary and cigar stand at the corner of Calhoun & Lewis.
1915
• Allgeir, Joesph S. — business: Lewis & Calhoun — info: Joseph S. Allgeir, today, gave possesion ot the candy and cigar store at Lewis and Calhoun back to Joe Dicola. Dicola ran the store for a number of years before he sold it to Allgeier and Starace a year ago.

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Fort Wayne Cigar History

Albrecht cigar box

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