author
Charles R. Poinsatte
A careful historian of the American Midwest, this author explored how local stories can reveal much bigger patterns in the nation’s past. His work on Fort Wayne is especially valued for bringing frontier politics, trade, and community life vividly together.
1 Audiobook
Outpost in the Wilderness: Fort Wayne, 1706-1828
by Charles R. Poinsatte
About the author
Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1925, Charles R. Poinsatte went on to study at the University of Notre Dame, where he earned his BA, MA, and PhD. During his graduate years he also taught history at Notre Dame before beginning a long career at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana.
Poinsatte spent 43 years on the Saint Mary’s faculty and served for many years as chairman of the History Department. Readers know him for books including Outpost in the Wilderness: Fort Wayne, 1706-1828 and Understanding History Through the American Experience, work that reflects his interest in connecting broad historical ideas with close, place-based research.
He died in South Bend, Indiana, in 2016 at the age of 90. The praise written for Outpost in the Wilderness highlights what made his writing stand out: a blend of academic rigor and a strong feel for the lived reality of local history.