PBS Fort Wayne is hosting a free advanced screening of a local documentary about the history of International Harvester in Fort Wayne.
The documentary, called Truck Town, is a collaboration between PBS Fort Wayne and Harvester Homecoming. It includes archival interviews and spans from the 1800s to present day.
Harvester Homecoming is a group of Fort Wayne locals, many of whom are former International Harvester employees, trying to establish a harvester historical fund in the city, as well as a yearly truck festival.
For decades, every truck International Harvester put on the road was designed, developed and tested in Fort Wayne, earning the city the nickname of “the heavy-duty truck capitol of the world.”
The building still stands today and the yearly truck festival has been held there since 2019. In 2022, the Allen County Commissioners acquired a parcel of land that includes the building, with intent to build a new jail on the undeveloped land, and are considering using the building for county offices, making the building’s future unclear.
The former test track has already been demolished.
The screening of Truck Town will be held at the Auer Performance Hall on June 3 at 5:30 p.m. While the event is free, a ticket is still required and can be reserved through the Purdue Fort Wayne box office.
The documentary will premiere on PBS Fort Wayne on June 7 at 8 p.m. and air again on Sunday June 9 at noon.
