Tiffin Parks
The National Recreation and Park Association has chosen July as Recreation and Park Month. One of their several proclamations states: ‘’Whereas, parks and recreation agencies touch the lives of individuals, families, groups, and the entire community which positively impacts upon the social, economic, health and environmental quality of our community: Now Therefore Be It Resolved that we proclaim July is Recreation and Parks Month and encourage all citizens to celebrate by participating in their choice of pleasurable activities.’’
In this article I present an overview of our approximately 200 acres of parks within our Tiffin community and express an appreciation for those leaders and organizations that had the vision and the energy to preserve for all time these oases of greenery and recreation.
Established about 1900, Stoner Woods, a 15 acre grove of virgin forest, located at the intersection of 8th Avenue and Wall Street extending west to Maule Road, is considered to be our earliest developed park. Highland Park had benches and established walks. Concerts and celebrations were held there. People could arrive by public transportation, horse drawn streetcars. That Highland Park no longer exists.
Our largest park is Hedges-Boyer with its 76 acres. William Hedges and his wife whose maiden name was Boyer, left their Mansfield home to the city. The home was sold and the proceeds bought the farm land that is now Hedges-Boyer Park in 1940. The statue of Josiah Hedges, a grandfather of William, was moved from the courthouse to the front entrance on Coe Street. Very few cities have a grant park that equals its outstanding facilities.
Nature trails are planned and the walking path is now being extended. Older Tiffinites remember the old swimming holes in Rock Creek, the girls at the “Baby Hole’’ , the boys usually without suits, at deeper holes upstream. There were a series of tree houses, many above 35 feet in the air, built among the willows along the creek.
The new Highland Park is an 18 acre tract located at North Washington Street and Eighth Avenue. It has two ball fields, three tennis courts, basketball courts, a skate park, a soccer field, and two picnic shelters.
Kernan Park, a 14 acre tract, is bounded by Ohio Avenue, Riverside Drive, and Industrial Avenue. In 1968 the Junior Order Alumni and the city, with assistance from State Senator Turner (whose father was an alumnus of the Order) were able to obtain from the state two parcels of land. One was named for Dad Kernan, the highly respected director of the home for many years. The other parcel is the Junior Home Park, located at the intersection of Huss Street and River Road. Reverend Albert Shuman of the First Reformed Church planted many of the trees in the Kernan Park. Isaac Walton League under the leadership of Burt Brickner planted many of the trees in the Junior Home Park. This planting is known as the ‘’Historic Grove”’’. The Junior Home Park of 2.25 acres contains two picnic shelters and a drinking fountain. The Kernan Park has two ball fields, a volleyball court, a roller-blade area, hockey court and playground equipment.
Another very popular park of the 1890s was the Riverview Park located along Ohio Avenue on the Tiffin Center grounds. Twenty-five acres were enclosed by a six-foot high picket fence. There was a bandstand, tennis courts, a dance pavilion, bowling alley, snack bar, picnic tables, boating, etc. The electric Yellow Streetcar Line charged a 5 cent fare. Automobiles changed life styles and the property was sold to the Junior Order of Mechanics. Today, a park by the same name is located on Gail Lane and Longfellow Drive. A picnic shelter, basketball courts and playground equipment provide limited recreation. Vandalism has been a major problem for this park.
Applejack Park with its 3.25 acres is located on the intersection of Apple and Jackson Streets. Originally an apple orchard, it became the property of the school board with the idea of building a high school there. It was used by both Calvert and Columbian as a football field until 1939. The Junior High used it for football until 1972 when the Meshech Frost Foundation gave $28,000 to the Tiffin Park Board for the purchase of Applejack as a city park. The Lion’s Club, Junior Women’s League, Town and Country Garden Club and neighborhood volunteers supported and promoted the park. The park now contains playground equipment, one ball field, a basketball court and a soccer/football field.
Oakley Park and its six acres was given to the city in 1888 by three prominent businessmen, Warren Noble, Samuel Sneath, and J. W. Schaufelberger. This park is bounded by Grand, Sixth, and Park Avenues. It has two ball fields, two picnic shelters, a basketball court, playground equipment and restroom facilities.
Nature Trails Park, with 11 acres is located off East Davis Street on the bank of the Sandusky River. It contains a picnic area, some playground equipment, and a baseball backstop.
The Josiah H. Hedges Park, an acre in size, is east of Calvert High School. It was first known as the ‘’Old Cemetery’’. It became neglected, overgrown and the bank eroded, exposing some graves in 1905. The city obtained a quit claim deed to the land for $12 from heirs of Josiah Hedges. The graves were removed to Greenlawn Cemetery and the new park was landscaped with peony bushes and trees. Children were not permitted to play there. We now provide this shaded park for all the public with playground equipment and picnic tables.
Beechwood Park, one acre, located at Ashwood and Beechwood Drives contains playground equipment, a tennis wall, and picnic tables.
Stalter Park, originally a part of the Stalter Farm was granted to the city in 1905. This triangular acre of land is located at the intersection of Ohio and Clinton Avenues. Mr. David Stalter was a councilman at that time.
The city also owns 17 acres of open farmland on the north side of town. That area is awaiting development.
Thanks to Tina Robbins, Director of the Tiffin Park System for providing most of the information in this article.
If our readers or others have any additional information about the origin of the various parks or about interesting happenings associated with the parks, please call or write me and I will share this information in a future article.
– Percy