DIVISION OF PARKSAND RECREATION
EmsstJ. Gsbhart and E. Lou Presas -
OITIGINS OF STATE PARKS Ohio StateParks or iginated from the canalsystem and reservoirsdeveloped in the 19thCentury by the Ohio Canal Comrnissionfor commercialkaffic. With construction beginningin 1825,these areas soon became popular for fishing.boating,andfamilyoutings.By1848,whmrail- roadsbecame available for tran$portationand water com- mercewas declining,recreational use of the canalsand reservoirsincreased. The GeneralAssembly in 1894dedi- catedLicking Reservoirfor use asa pubtc park and changedits nameto BuckeyeLake in 1896.In reality, this was Ohio's first StatePark. The remainingcanal lakes were dedicatedas parks in 1902(Fig. 8.1). Forestarea parks beganwith Hocking StateForest- Park in 1924followed by additional acquisitionsprimarily during the economicdepr€ssion of the 1930's.Wildlife parks developedabout the sametime with the land being purchasedby money obtainedfrom hunting and fishing Iicenses.During the 1940's,the Conservationand Natural Ligwe 8.1. Guiford Lakeit ColutnbiatlaC0ntt!, ute of thecanl lakes, ResourcesCommission in the Deparknentof Agdculture is nou n Stlte Pdrk ind d populaf.fishing loke. Dii,isitn of Parks,znrl Recreatio,tfilc photo,Seplall1het7959. was responsiblef'or the lakesand parks. However,the areas were maintaind by other Stateagmcies whose primary missionwas not the developmentand managementof The Divisions
parks. The Department of Public Works conirplled the canal Water of the Iowa State Conservation Commission, was reservoirs; the Division of Forestry of the Ohio Agricultural appointed first Chie{ of the Dvision of Parks on 5 December Experiment Station controlled the forest areas, and the 7949. Division of Conservation and Natural Resourcesin the foint meetings were held in early 1950with the Natural Departrnent of Agriculture controlled the wildlife areas. ResourcesCommission (seeFigure 4.1 on page 35) and the (Seealso Chapters 2, 6, 7, and 9 .) Wildlife Council (seeFigure 6.19 on page 64 to determine the administration and maintenance of areas under control and to decide which Division should C&EAT'XONAND EARI,Y of the Department have the primary responsibility for these areas. It was A(: I'I\/1i-tFtst]F '.rHll deternrined that areas primarily used for hunthg and DI SItlrr". Olj i'ARKS fishing rather than general recreation should be managed The need for centralized joint$ by the Division of Parks and the Division of Wildlife. plarming and management of Areas where timber management was necessary should be these park areas was brought to managed iointly by the Division of Parks and the Dvision of the attention of the General Forestry. The Dvision of Parks retained tl4 State Parks after Assembly; and after lengthy this joint agreemmt was reached. commitlee hearings during 1948, Chief Flickinger recognized that before the new ' ' ;i . i'r, , Amended SenateBill 13 was Division could begin to function as a unit, it needed to be ., r;..;:r,,,i,,, .i .,,..li i, ;.-. passed in 1949 and signed into law organized in a manner that would permit efficient and by Govemor Frank J. Lausche. proper administration of tasks in accordance with the This Act, creating the Ohio directive from the General Assembly. Work was being Departmeni of Natural Resourceson 11 August 1949, handled as it had in the past and continued in the same provided the newly created Dvision of Parks immediate manner pending development of an organizahonal pattem title and operating responsibilities for 16 parks, 10 recre- integrating the various responsibilities and work loads. ational reserves, 2 canalways, 6 waysides, and 18 lake By vfutue of iis newneso, the Division was not ham- reserves. In addition, three federally owned reservoirs to be pered by traditioq and the opportunity for effecting an ideal operated under license for the United States Army Corps of pattern of orgarrization for long-term operation was excel- Amended SenateBill 13 Engineers were brought within tt€ iurisdiction of the lmt. Detailed studies were made of Division. T1riswas a somewhat chaotic collection of proper- to deternrine mandated responsibilities and legislative ties and problems; some of these areas were good, some intent. ODNR employees were consulted and field checks bad, and some questionable for use as State Parks. There were made to determine problems of each area. Inquiries were parks as large as 14,000aces and as small as 26 acres. were directed to other states conceming the good and bad A total of 82,829acres was assigned to the Division which points of their edsting organizations. and their recom- became the basis of today's excellent Ohio State Park mended changes. The National Park Service was requested system. to submit suggestions. After the data were compiled and The Division operated on a provisional basis during ib analyzed. the organizational pattern for the Dvision was first montls while various individuals were being consid- developed and placed into effect January 1950. ered for the position of Chief. Qualifications of profession- Administration of the Division was divided into three als in state park adminishation were reviewed and recom- Sections each headed by a Superintendent responsible for mendations were made to ODNR Director Madon. V.W. various activities. The Inland Lake Section, headed by Flickinger (Fig. 8.2) Chief of the Division of Lands and Assistant Chief Carl Miller, was responsible for all work in
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cormection with marine acti\rities of the Division, water officer,KarIE,Stockmon. OthersonstalfincludedRalph areas,dredging o'perations, lake pahol, boat and motor Baughrun, Carl Calland, Earl Clark, Paul Kitzmiller, John licmses, dock pernrits, boat inspections, cofltlol of vegeta- Sunderland, Kenneth Landon, Warren Landon. Lytle tiorl marine laws and navigation, heavy marine construc- Steensen,Ralph Clevenger, Floyd Loomis. Carl Webb, Ray tion. surveys on State pr operty, and the establishmerit of Lance. and Don Sheldon along with fames Mclaughlin, Ray boundaries in all areas under the jurisdiction of the Dvi- Comer, William McQueery Seymour Nervcomb, Dale sion. Responsibility of this Section was furtlrer divided into Hopkins, Kerneth Byers and S.A. Reichley who had all three units: Maintmance, Operations, and Planning and transferred from the Dvision of Forestry, Construction. The Dvision divided lhe state into five districts. Ike Art Day, who transferred from the Division of For- Bastian, who transferred from the Ohio Historical Society, estry, was Superintendmt of the Area and Facility Manage- was responsible for the southern areas,and lay Eastlake was ment S€ction. This Section was responsible for managing, responsible for the northem areas. Park Managers were operating, and maintaining the individual areas of the State responsible for the day-to-day operations and maintenance Park system to msure maximum public use. Also within of the State Parks in thes€ districts. The qualificatio,ns of all the scope of this Section was the interpr etive programs available perso'nnel from former Dvisions were reviewed to including natural. scientific, and cultual features and fill the positions created during the restructuring of the values. organlzation. Thoee available and qualified were retained Carroll E. Bazler, formerly with the Dvision of For- and assigned to various areas of the Dvision. The filling of estry. was named Superintmdent of the Planning and positions which requhed technical personnel was d€pen- Development System Section and responsible for the dent on available firnds. selectior! acquisition. and planning of individual areas,both Funds for operations and maintenance were exnemely present and future, and for the construction of public use Iimited. The 4 Decmrber 1949issue ol the ColumhusCitizen facilities. This Section was divided into two units: Plans staleL '.I/Vith its right hand the 98th General Assembly and Designs, and Force Account Construction, the latter pour ed out money for acquiring and developing new involved with consEuction addition and improvement recreation areas,but it kept its left hand in the pocket that proiect requests ftom the State Parks that had not been held the maintenance and operaHon money," The need for included in the existing schedule for capital improvemmt long-range development became apparenq and a temporary funding. These requests were evaluated, and, if approved, rotary fund, in which the receipts from facilities on areas the oper ation and maintenance funds were transferred for use Dvision had acquired from the Dvision of Forestry, was in these projects. deposited and used for operating and maintaining of those The Chief, with ihe help of George O'Malley. formerly properties. Division funds were supplemented by appro- with the Division of Forestry, handled issues which affected priations from ODNR and the State Emerg€ncy Board. Total the Dvision as a whole. Cooperative efforts with other operations monies for 1949150was $150,161. In spite of Divisiom and Sections of ODNR were cleared by the Chief budgetary conshainb planning and activities continued rather than the individual involved. Cooperation and with furvor and resourcefulness. consultation with other Ohio and federal agencies, as well as During the Division s fir st eleven months, recorunen- fiscal and budget matters, were of Division interest. Infor- dations for long-term developm€nt were created. The list of mation involving news releasesand reports that p€rtained recommendations included creation of an indusive rotary to the Dvision, rather than to a specific Sectiorl were fund for the operation of the Division. All receipts accruing classed as administrative rather than operational and to the Division by virtue of operations on lands undef its became the responsibilify of the Chief's administrative iurisdiction would be available to the Division for oDera- Figurc8.3.O1,eniryrlay at PVlalnins StafePn rk irt AshtabulaCaunlv il 1949.Di|ision of Pdrks and Recrenfion file photo. The Divisions
tions and maintenance of existing areas. A recreation plan County created lakes totaling 2182 acres. Plans were under for the development of edsting areas statewide and a study way for developing vacation facilities at Hueston Woods on location for new areas were to be implemented. The and Pymatuning State Parks (Fig. 8.3) and for remodeling Dvision began to organize its activities in an efficient, the dining lodge sleeping cabins, and group camp facility at businesslike marmer by establishing long-range programs, Punderson Lake. plars, and policies on all matter s affecting the Division. Prison honor camps were set uP in 1950 at Hueston Another study of Amended SenateBill 13 was initiated to Woods, Lake Hope, and Hocking Hills State Parks under determine its wealcnessesand to make recommendations for supervision of the Ohio Board of Corrections to relieve improvement so as to continue working constructively both overcrowding of the Ohio Penitmtiary. This program in plarudng and accomplishments. A comprehensive mabled ODNR to particiPate in an additional phase of program fot the development and wise use of the natual conservation-the conservation of human resourceg-and resources of the state Parks was Dut into action. the productive work accomplished by these men resulted in improved public facilities in the State Parks. The camPs in work programs by work crews to do SOLID GROWTFI IN THE 1950'5 assisted Providing work which would not otherwise have be€n financed. After The rules and regulations of the new Division were the camps wer€ constructed, the Ohio Penitentiary had reviewed and revised all in accordance with the Administra- responsibility to provide security and to dothe, house, and tive Procedure Act, and new rules and regulations become feed the inrnates. ODNR fumislred minimal supervision on effective in August 1950. With these in place, Chief projects for the work crews. llickinger concentrated on the existing areas through the Several State Pafk areas were under constructiorL but 1950's. In an effort to complete proiects before commencing with the marked increase in atbendance,there was not a new ones. construction projects were continued in accor- single area of the Dvision with enough facilities to handle dance with plans formulated by former agencies. the amount of visitors on an ordinary Sunday during the Physical features of the State Park lands were investi- spring, summer, and autumn months. Parking facilities, gated to determine how they could best be classffied. Such picnic tables, fireplaces. toilets, water suPPlt camPing factors as size, topography, vegetative cover. usage, loca- areas, family vacation cabirs, and ovemight facilities could tion, and scenic value were used in determining into which notbegintofilltheneeds. Thepopularityandincreaseduse cateSoryanareamightb€stfit. TheDivisionduringearly created a great demand for more facilities. 1950 acquired new lands toialing 1124 acres, 733 acres of The fust annual Park Manager In-Service Training which were for Iake Erie beach parks providing an addi- School was held at Lake HoPe in fuber 1951. This train- tional five miles of publicly owned beach and shoreline, ing was very important to the Dvision and has, over the The balance of the newly acquired land was 1) at Jackson years, become the best method to promote con$istent and Lake in fackson County, where the purduse included a efficient operations within the State Parks (Figs. 8.4 and 8'5). building suitable for'Park Manager's residence; 2) at Various programs on law enforcement were included in Glouster, a site in Athens and Morgan Counties for con- these Schools,but the time allotted was never enough to struction of a permanent 66tl-acre lake at Burr Oak Reservoir cover all the topics. In March 1954,the first Patrol School for joinfly sponsored by the Siate and federal govemments for Park Managers and Patrolmen to discuss law enJorcement, flood protectiorl and 3) at Grand l,ake St. Marys in duties, and r€quirements of the patrol officer was held at the Auglaize and Mercer Counties, 35 acres adjoining the Ohio State Fairgrounds. Springer tr act The water impoundments at Forked Run Park holdinge continued to exPand during f954 witlt Dam in MeigCounty and Rocky Fork Dam in Highland the purchase of additional acreage. DeveloPment of facili-
103 1949-1989
ties was in progress ranging from plaming studies and surveys to conskuction proiects of many kinds. The first section of Crane Creek State Park on Lake Erie was opened for public use. A maior effort was made 'lh. to improve tfte tigurc 8.4. I)nrk standards of maintenance at existing State l\TntlngersTtutili'lg S(hur]l Parks. Many of the facilities had been con- utmbitel classrttottt structed by the Civilian Conservation Corps dtnotl..l'.'liot,satll iLtlt)d5 and Works Progress Administration during the (laatipil it'sto dti:citlp stntilirdiznti\tl trl 1930's and ease-of-maintenancewaE given very o|ri./fiohs df Si.rfeP,/r"ki little consideration. Since that time. inadequate Dirision oj I)nrksand R.rcal ion iil. pholi.
re. tr"rn
'l2th FBt,,a 8.5. Atttrlllrern f t'hr A111tu!21Pnrk Mnnu*rts Traitiin,l [:lit!r!!t ra|: Ift erett Rheitlscheld, Ered Neil Closby, Earl V. (rj;y' C.rol, l-rlr'lfu .. St:i!il'!!4:\'rri'..,a/.' lqr,/. I i,,rt1,ttt,It.;l!,lit.l CI urk , Catl Citllatd, Rudolph Clettenger, l\|anen Landon, Al ri'u OD\R Dif t.tor Ligolt, A'.si:lfitrt D irc(!or lol rr 14.Iirrrs'rrr. Reichlerl,Kenneth Landon, lNillian Bretthe, Mr , Blakt, Lcotnrd Chief V,W. tlickin4et, Assistant Chief Gcorge L O'Mal[es. SLta.rll DeBord, Mr, Eseltcfibrene/, La|arcflce KifiX,lohtl "Dick" ro.Lt: L)ctflris Laoindt:t , lanes StLteeiell. Iack Stee[e,Allison Pt'eiffer, MtDtitliel, lloge r If ifltilto n. Bd.k r0ils j Z. lltpichoutsky j , ful.H. Itol)./l Shipley, l;1nfl ie Pdttefiah. loltt CooPer.h4orz:it Mnce. Let'c!|ifi, Willietu B. Pti., Re:(lNall.t.c, Mt. Wood, Karl [,. Ralplt Bunthrrt. Fty linncrmtn Piul /,lasgo Rov Bccktt. tlnrnr Strxktrorr. Dule IIo1tkins,Ike Bastinl, Frti Loomis, Fted Gamble, Rooch, Carl l\ , Nilllet. Eai L. Clork . EIner H1les. Tltirti nt,: Ktrneth IIar:ens, Ml\. Drtrbin, Ralph Up9r,C.M, Robinsotr, H,E, Walter Hoqles. Dortald Riddlt:,Robert Hanno*d. Walt*Burbick Iohfisotl,Gct'r ge Biechler, Pl]l.rlJackson, Johtl \tdlghtl, Dofi Stit lctl Hoftet. Mt. Haft iso'],Arthur Stfiith, Ilolte* Kin,!,P..t Sheldon, Paul LIcCotlnick. Kcltfl eth Bverc, Antold Elzetl , Varcc Kit.tltil[er, ITrrllil RegalRalph Baugh nan. Robe/t IILrri, Jolttl CAllith, Itank Long, ll{chard Ce[tula, Dotnld Buchler, young, ]ohn Fall FefitrJn,Carl Hartz, loht'. Coltotl, Williqtn Hopkits. Hul t:ltifisoa (;eoryei\Iorlinet.
1G -r" ;;\,,r I ':, 'r ,,;.,,, ,,r,r it, '.,.' i ! ir,I I I : ',,r:' i,; : . 11...,l ,, ':,r l, i , r, i .. ,t,.r ,1. ..'. .r,, i tr:,, ,,:. The Divisions
frmds kept them from being maintained properly. The Lodge wasthefirst). The property which included the public placed greater emphasis on gaining new facilities. udinished residence of Mr. Karl Long was purchased by the and money was not easily available for maintenance activi- State in 1948 and became the responsibility of ODNR in ties Dvision personnel had to be zealously thrifty in 1949. An architectural srudy of the house indicated that laborsaving methods to receive full value from the ever- with minor revisions it could be adapted fot use as a vaca- shrinking dollar. tion facility for the pubtc. It provided tm sleeping rooms, Throughout 1954,attendance was heavy in all areas. several dining roorff; and lounges, a gift shoP, restrooms, Over nine million Ohioans visited the State Parks. Park and a meeting room. Managers and persormel were instructed to use every In 1956,the General Assembly passed a bill authoriz- available means to accommodate the visitor. The existing ing the Department to construct and manage Salt Fork Lake. propcrties continued to show improvement but, as addi- fames Mclaughlin was named Supervisor of the Engineer- tional facilities were made available, public use continued to ing Section in March 19.56replacing Don Sheldon who overtax the available facilities and services. joined the staff of the Depar tment of Public Works. The With the increased usage, Division administrators development of Ohio's State Park facilities continud to developed concems that visitors came and left without follow the longrange plan as funds were made available. being informed of trees, wildflowers. animals, and geologi- An effort to educate the public about State Park activities cal features which they had haveled so far to see. Few of was initiated in 1955with the printing of a bulletin on the early Park Managers and their assistantshad the time or vadous natural history subjects which was distributed at expertise to convey the natural history of a State Park and its several State Parks. Publication of a Promotional newsletter ecosystemsto the visitors. The Dvision, therefore, in June called " The Buckeye" was initiated and mailed free to 1954,embarked on a new program of public education, zrnyonerequesting to be on the mailing list. which was designed to interpr et the natural features and In February 1957,Herbert B. Eagon became ODNR phenomena preserved within the State Parks and to pro- Director. Strict eco'nomy measures were initiated due to a mote the wise use of these resources. The prknary goals decline in State revenues. A Dvision change in organiza- were to create in park users an awareness and appreciation tion reassigned Carl W. Miller and Earl Strayer administra- of the functions and values of the State Parks, to reduce tive resporsibilities for the newly established Land Acquisi- willful destruction and vandalism, to promote new outdoor tionSection. tames Robey joined the Information and skills and knowledge, and to stimulate interest in the life Education Section and Paul McCormick became a District and events of Ohio's heritage. William B. Price was hir ed in Manager. Thomas Maurer became the first fulltime Legal the sumrner of L954 as the first Chief Naturalist, and he Counsel for the Dvision. Only permanent employees were established the foundation fof what was to become one of retained in an effort to reduce exPenditues. the finest inter pretive natualist programs in the country. Park visitation gtew to over 14million, demonstrating That sumrner he initiated a program of slide talks and field that Ohioans had discovered and were using their State trips at Lake Hope and soon expanded it to Old Man's Cave Parks in record numbers (Fig. 8.7). However, this high rate and Pike Lake State Park. of visitation not orily posed many problems of spaeeavail- A long-ierm development program for Ohio's State ability but also over-taxed sanitary facilities beyond their Park system was completed in 1956which covered a period capacities. of tm years and had a price tag of more than $72 million. Through cooperation of the Division of Mmtal HealtlL Punderson Manor House (Fig. 8.6) in Geauga Cotmty was the Division of Cor rection and the Dvision of Parks, Youth renovaied and opened in November 1956becoming the Honor Camlx were established at Clearfork (now Mohican) State's second lodge and dinint facility (Iake Hope Dining and Lake Hope State Parks to comPlete work in areas where
110 1949.1989
funding was unavailable. Even with the use of volunteers, insufficient funds caused delays in maintenance of State Park facilities and budget cuts in labor-saving and pairol equipment. House Bill 823, effective September 1957, authorized ODNR to issue revenue bonds for construction of new facilities and to retire such bonds through resuliing income. For the first time, an appropriation request for maintenance and operation of the Division was included in the ODNR appropriation. The Simpson Bi[ enacted in 1954,provided ODNR the option to sell built-up lands at the canal reservoirs which were no longer of practical value for public recreation. The Natural ResourcesCommission visited eachof the lakes during 1957to determinewhich lands were no longer of public value. Following this determinatiorLeach parcel was surveyed, appraised, and offered for sale. As directed by the General Assembly, the money realized from these sales was depositedinto the StateGeneral Revenue Fund and was not immediately available to the Division of Parks and Recreation for expenditures. It took considerable time and lengthy debates before the Division eventually was able to recover these funds. Bastian,Kenneth Havens,M.H. Lewellin, and M.A, Durbin. Unemployed men receiving relief rnoney from county welfare sources were sent to Stat€ Parks throughout Ohio to work out the amount of their welfare check. This coopera- tive agreement between State agenciesprovided the Divi- sion with a significant source of labor during a time when Improvements pr ogressed slowly in the early 1960,s money was scaice. due to limited funds (Fig. 8.8). The magnitude of the task to The Department created the Office of Chief Engineer in be accomplished suggested that the citizens of Ohio would 1959;and in 1961,in an effort to provide a measureof be served better with a smaller number of good State parks, continuity with earlier plarming efforts and developments, properly developedfor maximum public use,than with all some Division personnel were transferred to the newly the State Parks in the system in their existing condition. A developed Office. Some problems, however, continued to policy was agreed upon to concentrate capital improvement exist. Parks operating personnelwere essentiallyexcluded efforts on fewer areas in order to bring them up to accept- from the planning process and their views were seldom able standards. One areain eachquadrant of the statewas considered. Long-range operational labor costs were often selected for high priority attention and maior capital expen- omitted, resulting in occasionswhere new and expanded ditures. A smaller amount was allocatedfor limited devel- facilities were planned and constructed without adequate opment in other areason the basisof needs. The districts provisions for funding and staffing. As a result, many were changed from two to four in an effort to improve requests were made to the State Controlling Board for management of the State Parks. District Managers were lke emergencyfunds. Ft,{itrr' J. il. I}:res"j J. Geirlrrt. :-rrr,ri'lCltirl rri 1j'f Llii,ij;rri; ,,I liii-t j /iir,I [:,i1'rr,',]t,)ir.iit.i The Divisions
The Natural ResourcesCommission, was requested to E.B."Butter" Howatd, the soil and water cons€rvation undertake a study and evaluation of the existing State Park programs; Eugene Murdock and Harry Johnson, the Public; system. The Commission was asked to establish suitable and Don M. Hilliker, private recreationalfacilitiesChief criteria and evaluate the existing State Parks according to Flickinger was replaced by Assistani Chief Emest Gebhart those criteria. A yea ong study was undertaken by a (Fig. 8.9) in February 1964,and major emPhasis swung to commiHee of the Corunission consisting of Forest Flall of development of overnight and recreational facilities' Findlay as Chair. E. William Hoyne of Dayton, Joseph Hurst Capital improvement funds had been quite limited oI Nerv Philadelphia, and Myron T. Sturgeon of Athens. until Governor Rhodes promoted and the voters passed two This committee conducted a thorough study of the State maior bond issues for many State proiects: $250 million in Parks located in each quarter of the state. The survey and 1963 and $290 million in 1965. From some of these funds evaluation submitted to ODNR Director Eagon became and other sources, a $100-million State Parks development known as the "Flickinger Report," being named for the program was initiated. Using long-range plans that in- Chief. The report, presented at the December 1960 meetirg cluded 12 new State Parks, 10 new beaches,5000 campsites, of the Comrnission, contained the criteria for a State Park 2Tmarinas, and 8 new lakes. the Division embarked on the system including a minimum size of 1000 acres, dishibution greatest park development Program in the history of the of State Parks, and a recomrnendation for a master plan of State of Ohio. Furthermore, locations and operational the Division of Parks. feasibility plans were in process for lodge sites at twelve Whm the recommmdations regarding the size and areas. Ground-breakings were held for a 6Gunit lodge at placement of certain State Parks under more suitable (i.e. Burr Oak State Park and a 94-unit lodge at Hueston Woods local) management became public knowledge, Director State Park. A system of fees for special-use events and Eagon was asked to present a statement on 9 May 19,61to activities in the Siate Parks was established' The Division the Conservation Comrnittee of the House of Representa- continued its policy of not charging for entry into the State tives regarding the action of the Department. As a result of Parks. picnicking, hiking, swimming, or fishing. Feeswere this hearing, the Conservation Committee was advised that charged for lodge rooms, cabins, campsites, and conces- ODNR was prepared to defer further action on the recom- sions. Funds derived from these sources wer e retumed to mendations presented by the Natural ResourcesCommis- the Dvision's operating and capital improvement budget. sion pending the reexamination of thes€ matters by the District Supervisors Kenneth Havens and M.H. Legislative Study Committee. Director Eagon used this Lewellin resigned in 1963 and the two remaining District opportunity to inform the legislators of the progr ess that the Supervisors, Bastian and Durbin, covered the entire state. Division of Parks had made thus far and of the need for The Districts were officially combined into two areas in continued support in legislative funding. 1964. Congress passed a law in 1964offering fuderal funds, Govemor lames A. Rhodes was inaugurated in 1963 if matched with state and local funds, to be available to and he appointed Fred E. Morr as ODNR Director. With states having a State Recreation Plan. The Division submit- adrninistration support, Amended Substitute House Bill 573 ted a five-year plan tifled, "A Policy for Outdoor Recreation was enacted effuctive September 1963. It changed the name in Ohio," and after gaining the approval of the Recreation of the Division of Parks to the Division of Parks and Recre- and Resource Commission, it became the fust statewide ation. It also established a seven-member Parks and Recre- comprehensive plan aPprovd in the United States' ODNR ation Council appointed by the Govemor to advis€ the Chief Director Moff rcassigned Ernest Gebhart to Assistant Chief on policy for the Division. The cormcil members were lustin of the newly combined Dvision of Forestry and Reclama- Rollman and fohn Nagy, representing municipal and tion in 1955 and named Melvin Rebholz (Fig. 8.10) to replace metropolitan parks; Ralph Peters, the conservancy districts; him as Chief of Parks and Recreation with Karl Stockmon as
112 Fqqrrr 8.1i. Tlirr'Niitrrr. Ccttletdi ShniL,fl.rSlal r Pnrk i1tSti\JI.i ()Jt1tttv. L)il)isi]tl .j Pirks tli1d F.t'crettion.file jl,tt!c.
[ig,ure8.10.Mdrit]. Fi,qu1t8.l1.NottilleL. Rcbhol:. fliid attitlil tlt. II;ll, !r\trt!! aLirl ilfhr Diristotltl PtitksaLl Diti*ioti of Porks onLl t,.\t,\i1:.trrqtli-rr'lt R,._r;,717,11 lorn-71,-1
Assistant Chief. John Cooper became a District Manager Salt Fork Lodge and the goal was to build seven or more and Norviue Hall replaced Bill Price as Chief Naturalist. new lodges. Popularity of the State Parks continued to grow The nature programs were expanded to 13 State Parks and a with more than 30 million visitors in 1969. Guy L. Denny wildlife display was established at Pike Lake State Park. replaced Moseley as Chief Naturalist as the naturalist The Annual Hocking Hills Winter Hike was initiated in 1966 program expanded to 27 paf ks. The Interpretive Services (seeFigure 3.14 on page 26 and Plate 5). Ralph Ramey was Section was established and a Naturalist Aide Program for responsible for the Interpretive Sewices Section. young people ages 11-15was initiated. Denny established A majof effort to preserve and protect the Cuyahoga the fust series of self-guiding nature trails and nature centers Valley area was initiated in 1966by ODNR Director Morr at Burr Oak, Shawnee (Fig. 8.12 ), and Mohican State Park$. who, in conjunction rrith the Cleveland and Akron Meho- politan Park Dstdcts. began working on a National Park CLOSUTTEANIJ T'I{EN I(ENEWED GROWTT{ Service proposal. A study to deterurine what lands to IVIT'H A}J URBAN FOCUSIN THE 1970'5 acquire was ordered in 1967by Govemor Rhodes so that money cord be set asidein the budget and in hop€sof Duringthe early years of theDvision, Chief Flickinger federal help if Ohio moved along \rith its plans. was quoted as safng, 'Trhen I came here, we had money Districts were abolished in 1967 making the central and no plans." More recmtly, plans were available without office the base for all administrative decisions. Norville Hall firnds to carrlr them out. As an example, Govemor John J. was named Assistant Chief under Chief Rebholz and the Gilligan, having been in office only a few months. was Chief Naturalist position was filled by Richard E. Moseley forced to close 46 State Parks after Labor Day 1971because Jr. A number of special events designed to familiarize the of the General Assembly's unprecedented six-month delay public with off+eason use of State Parks were initiated and in adopting the State's bienrrial budget. The Covemor stated the Dvision's first Junior Naturalist Program for young in hi$ austerity program that parks and redeation was the people 9-14 years of age was eetablished. Also in 1967, logical item for major cuts as it was virtually irnpossible to Hueston Woods l-odge (seeFigure 1.6 on page 4) at a cost of close prisons or mental hospitals. Closing of the State Parks $2.9 million and Bun Oak Lodge at a cost of 92.2 million was one of a number of steps necessary to cut back State were completed and dedicated for public use. expenditures and it saved about $1 million. However, this ODNR initiated a preliminary study during 1958of the action was highly unpopular with Ohio citizens. State Parks proposed 29-mile park along the Cuyahoga River. The were reopened in November 1971,and additional revmue multi-million dollar program involving 23,000acres would from the newly instituted Siate income tax helped keep the be under the jurisdiction of the Cleveland and Akron Dvision financially stable. Metropolitan Park Districts. A federal grant in 1969was ODNR Director Nye named Jack Miller (Fig. 8.13) allocated for this project using fuderal matching Land and Division Chief 18 February 1972replacing Norville Hall, Water Conservation funds. In a Department reorganization who moved to the Programs and Planning Section. Jack March 1969,Chief Rebholtz was named Deputy Drector Cornette served as Assistant Chief . The Cuyahoga Valley and Assistant Chief Norv Hall (Fig. 8.11) was appoinied land acquisition continued for the Cuyahoga Valley Pro- Chief with Ralph Vanzant as Assistant Chief. Over $9 gram. A detailed study was to be done on this proiect by the million of Staie Park revenue bonds were issued to finance United StatesDepartment of the Interior with expected Figure8.13.lackE. Millet, fif th ChieJof the DiaisiLl.1of Patksoltd Recreaf iot1, 1972-1973. The Divisions
Ohio Department of Welfare. and ihe Dvision of Wildlife, providing tr ansportation for Participants in a ten-week program during the summer (Fig. 8'14). The United States Army provided the Division with tents fol camping groups of up-to-50 persons. These facilities were located ai Dion and Mohican State Parks and made available to organized local agmcies wishing to provide an ovemight experience for their participants, This Program was modified and came to be known as Rent-a-Camp, providing tent camPing for the visitor who didn't want to invest in all the suPPlies necessaryfor camping. This concentrated effort, called "People to the Parks," was initiated by Thomas J' Shuster,
F/jrrr. 8.14- Ilrl ti.htrobilr lJ1JSrLltJrf1!r s iiar rilizensttas a pjpular Administrator of Recreation, along with full-time District l)nf nitlPnllr t. tlE Pntks[)t/.'qHni iu fhr Nrlt/ 197(]'-..Ihts. pco|le Recreational Coordinators Jeff Kist, ludy Zimmer, Ronald ttt rtidy Llityof nl Ltl|r LL.tofiie SfntL, Pnr k i Sit?lbv ir],tri .fishilti the first program of its kind Ctunitr. L)i'.'i;ion
114 1949-1989
State Parks. Also in 1973,the area known as naturalists fames F. McGregor and Sara ]ean Portsmouth State Park was renamed Shawnee Peters. State Park. During the early years of the Division, it The Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) was often the manager and perhaps one began in 1974and provided gainfui employ- assistant who, unarmed and untrained, were ment for 234 young Ohioans in an outdoor the enforcement agents. As responsibilities atmosphere. It created opportunities for grew, it became appareni that more people understanding and appreciating the natural v/ith haining in police work would be required environment and heritage for high school to enforce the laws, rules, and policies intended students. Ohio's YCC program was the first to provide visitors with a relaxing and enioy- rri,ljrr,t. r:l l{cJ,irar,'J:, :ir'/ri state program funded by the federal govem- able experimce in the State Parks. In 1974, {-1rr;iJJ', t:lr;:1r'l iiir' !)i,,;a\;)tiit)t;ti::.ii:tll ment (seeChapter 17). The Hocking Honor selected employees and screenednew person- !: '.i:'ri;rj' r. i!i.l ;!rt-l Camp program was discontinued in 1973. nel were trained in law enforcement at the first ODNR Director Nye cited financial reasons and Ohio State Parks Ranger Academy. The lack of qualified inmatesas the major reasons. training was conducted by Ed Brown assisted The "Arts-in-the-Parks" program began in by Marty Flowers, Dave Clyburn, and Bruce 1973,and in cooperation with the Ohio Arts Goodenough with emphasis on park protec- Council, brought kaditional art forms to the tion, regulations and how to deal with all ty?es State Parks providing a series of entertainment, of emergencies and violations. Every effort storltellin& songs, lndian lore, and folk was made in this training to produce efficient, dancing to visitors throughout the season. A qualified officers to deal with visitors in a threatened fuel shortage in 1974 affected friendly but firm manner to protect the inter- attendance figures. Energy reduction measures esb of all. i ri'rrri, li. i, i. i{gj,',i! J. were implemented at the State Parks in an The rising costs of operating facilities \:lit!:l!. .:','altijti- ltiii,l effort to hold down operating costs. caused the reassessmentof various programs i, . tlii, l:i. ,t t.;: i)t) i:.:. i . !.i i']',\i,,!'ii' l', i'.1;:-:r)t':l Mohican State Park Lodge, the sixth full- and fees in 1974. In some programs. participa- facility vacation lodge, was dedicated for use in tion was reduced in order to cut costs. April 1974 and a ?3?-unit camp area was Economy measures were stressed in all areas opened at Deer Creek State Park. The Mohican and many vacant positions were not filled in Lodge's $7-million cost was financed with order to stay within the budget. User fees for revenue bonds to be paid off with income from revenue producing facilities were increased. its operation. The Division assumed operation Lack of funds however, continued to of tfuee new areas developed by the Corps of plague the Division, and in September 1975it Engineers: Buck Creek, Paint Creek, and Alum led to the layoff of 352 fuIl-time employees. Creek State Parks. AIum Creek was a welcome Ralph Vanzant (Fig. 8.16)was named Chief on addition becauseit was close to mekopolitan 16 October 1975by ODNR Drector Teater. Columbus and would provide recreation Visitor attendance increased sharply at a time "where the people are" (seeFigure 1.2on page when the labor force was at a low point and 4). A "Roving Natur alist Program" was hard pressed to provide needed services. The designed to increase the outdoor awareness of StateControlling Board released$3.9millon urban residents and was conducted by full+ime ftom the State Emergency Frmd to rehire the -
Figlre8.17.Anatt]Jf's rttiLlif iol1Lluti,g tltt The Divisions plannillg tlni( of tht Itjdv nnl recrciii)n .lit{ilitics al A.[onEe Bo! Sfaie Prk i1 Lucai (:ou1tt1t Offict'af tht: (hief Etiirrcr Jile .ap\/.
Naturalist. Under his leadership the now popular Malabar Farm Heritage Days Program (Fig. 8.18) was initiated as was the full-time laid-off staff. The People-to-the-Parks Program was discon- naturalist program at Quail Hollow State Park. tinued as federal and State funds were unavailable. Chief Vanzant, during the June 192 meeting of the Govemor FJrodesduring his second eight-year admin- Recreation and ResourcesCommission, asked the istration continued his strong suppori for the Ohio State Commission's approval for Park Rangers to carry a s€rvice Palk system. A master plan for Maumee Bay State Park was revolver while on duty to assist the maintenance of public initiated in 1975. State Representative Bamey Quilter of safuty because of increased vandalism and other illegal Toledo, was an early promoter of Maumee Bay State Park activities. After an initial testing period, the carrying of and qstrong supporter of the development of this vast sidearms became standard procedure for all State Palk recreational area (Fig. 8.17). Quilter had arranged the first Rangers. Edward P. Goffos, Supewisor of the State Park acquisition of park land by the Department during the Rangers at that time, developed a comprehensive program Gilligan administration, and he has continued to pursue in which each ranger would have to qualify periodically on funding throughout the development of the project. the gunnery range. Land acquisition for Great Seal State Park to preserve In 1978,the City of Cleveland sought assistancefrom the scenic hills that inspired the Great Seal of Ohio was also ODNR to maintain its lakefront parks' Evmtuallp a SGyear under way in 1975. Plans ultimately included acquisition of lease was negotiated for the incorporation of these city Farks 1860affes to protect the natural heritage of the area. into one urrit. Cleveland I-akefront State Park. Considerable A clientele group consisting of local campers and State funds have been used to improve this facility, and it nature groups was developed in 1975 to help the Dvision has the highest annual attendance of all Siate Parks. gain support from the General Assembly, The Golden In an effort to conserve energy in 1979,in view of a Buckeye Card, which was administered by the Commission national energy shortage, Governor Rhodes, ordered each on Aging, was intr oduced in the State Parks in 1976.giving department and agency of the State to "embark immedi- Ohio senior citizens a reduced rate for selected fees. Also ately" upon a progmm to reduce State gasoline consump- that year, Nedra Masten Bruggeman was appointed Park tion by ten percent due to an existing shortfall in normal Manager at Van Buren State Park making her the first gasoline supplies that tfueatened to close service stations' female to serve in that capacity for the Division. A new Park visitors were encouraged to use the State Park facility computer system was leased in 1976for use by the Business closest to their home. Punderson and Shawnee Lodges and Administration Section to speed up the pay- ment of bills and handle the large volume of work. For the first time, the State Parks could track their expenses and have detailed budget information available in an instant. The visitor center at West BranchState Park was developed in 1976under the guidance figura8.18. Ertlict of Chief Naturalist William C. Loebick. When agritltturdl f rchtlalctlie5 the Recreation and Interpretive Naturalist arc d1tni6lrnlid nt Mil\lier t:dnSla! f Park Section was combined in 1977 to form the in Rirllnnd Cniot/. Program Sectior; Larry Henry became Chief Ditiisioaf Pntksrt nLi Rccreo fian lib phato.
116 Figure8.19.TheLittle Figu/e8.21. Donald G. Turtle Dredge nf Crand Otson,eighth Chief of the lakc St. Matys SLatePdtk Dioision of Pmks antl itl Auglaiv:Coutrt!. Rccreation, 1979-1983. Dirisionof l,arki nnJ RecreotionJile photo, AugustL962.
Figure8.20.fhelockso|ttllrten renuiing dnns on the Muskingunl Riuerare nonunlly operate!1. Tfu frst tlitt w?sbuilt in 1837W thsState of Ohio. Frorn1881i, the lockswere operoted. bv tlk Uniled StatesArnry Cotpsaf Engineersuntil 20 Nouenber.'958 whetl th( entift, sv.tefi ans retur ned to tlv Stltc of Ohio, lt is noll1,idtninistercd by ODNR primarihlfot rccreotiotlns Muskingun RieerParkway State Pa* ad exLcuLls!)3miles ftotDr esileflto Marietta. ODNRJile photo.
s€ven cabin areas were t€mporarily closed; Burr Oak I-odge 1979and for the first time lhe Assistant Chief position was operated only on weekends and cabin operations at Salt replaced with two Deputy Chiefs, Larry E. Henry and Roy Fork, Pike Lake, Burr Oak, and Hocking Hills were cur- Witham. The districts were expanded to include an addi- tailed. Heated shower buildings and resirooms were kept tional district supervised by Scott McKeever. The Informa- oPen at ten camp areas. During the s€ason.a slighfly tion and Program Sectiors were combined and placed under improved financial situation pemitted some seasonal Nancy Stranahan's dhection. Full-time naturalists were personnel to be recalled to handle the large numbers of established at Hocking Hills and Shawnee State Parks, and a warm-weather visitors. working farm of the 1820'sbecame a reality with the Paint The process of reclaiming heavily silted lakes tfuough Creek Pioneer Farm. dredging had been the responsibility of the Dvision over the years (Fig. 8.19). This process allowed reclamation of THE CHALLENGESOF THE 1980'5 water areas rraking themsuitable for boating, fishin& swimming, and other water Bports as well as providing Maumee Bay State Park was opened the summer of useful land areas for State Parks. The Dredge Program was 1981 and land acquisition continued Jor the proposed lodge, expanded in 1979by adding a crew of twelve to dredge the golf cours€, and park facilities using the master plan of 1975. smaller inland lakes. Prior to this, dredging had been Deer Creek Lodge (seePlate 7) was also completed for limited only to the canal lak€s and the Muskingum River public use that year, at a cost of $14 million. Parkway (Fig. 8.20). Roy Darrah, Dredge Administrator, Visitor attendance in Ohio State Parks reached 6'6 and Ralph Upp, Maintenance Adminishator, worked closely million in 1982,exceeding the visitor attendance that year of on these projects. all other state park systems in the nation. TheVolunteersin Don Olsen (Fig. 8.21)becarne Chief on 6 December the Parks Program (MP) was initiated and offered increased The Divisions
public service to Ohio State Park visitor s. The irnovative concept in State Park vacation- maior objectives of the program were to housing was introduced for public use. The enhance the visitors' experience and allow "cabent." a combination of the best features of a dir ect involvement of the public in the daily cabin and tent (Fig. 8.23),was about one-half operations. VIP's serve as on-site campground the cost of a conventional cabin allowing the hosts who greet visitor s, help at special events, Division to offer the urrits for rent at a nominal and assj.stand orient campers to State Park price. This first year experimental prototj4)e at facilities. South Basswas an instant success. The cabent Govemor Fichard F. Celeste began his won an Ohio Parks and Recreation Association (, f;1i,rii. .:J loir;r first term in 1983 and named Myd award for the best park facility. The funding (:t,Jttr, :i:i1iitrlr;r ,i ,)/-1lrr, January !it:;i:iiri; rrl i)Jtl.-riirirl Shoemaker as ODNR Dtector. john Cooper for renovations and improvements that year ri,','.,',r,;Lr,' ;.lii ':-i:;_ia (Fig. 8.22) was appointed Chief on 23 May 1983. made a small but important contribution to the Five goals of the Division were to focus on Lake funding needed to improve other deteriorating Erie, develop major facilities near metropolitan recreational facilities, most of which were built areas,provide more handicapped-accessible Prior to 1970. facilities, increase environmental awar mess Computer reports became a valuable tool programs and projects, and encourage strong in 1983. The cost-iracking program enabled the community involvem€nt. Due to the magni- area managers and administrato$ to determine tude of the budget shortage, the Dvision had to the accurate costs of projects which had been institute many short-range measures to balance difficult to monitor through manual methods. its finances. An increase in existing fees was Tlie attendance pr ogram provided the Dvisiory adopted to help offset the costs of inflation and for the first time, with timely and complete budget restrictions. Rates wer e increas€d at attendance reports. This computer system State-operated goif courses, rental docks, and increased data flow, and maintained outstand- sleeping cabins at Lake Hope and Deer Creek's ing quality control. HardingCabin. Increasesin fees for services in The Division embarked on capital im- other areas were implemented as well; how- provement proiects totaling over $12million in ever, the policy of not charging for enky into 1984. In coniuction with efforts by the the State Parks continued. Govemor's Office of Advocacy for the Dis- The General Assembly appropriated $1 abled, the Division accelerated improving million to the Dvision in 1983for renovation accessfor disabled park visitors in 57 State and upgrading of existing State Park facilities. Parks. The acquisition of land for the proposed This marked the first time that funding was lodge, cabin. and golf cours€ development at allocated by the legislature for this pur pose; Maumee Bay State Park, and a boat launch site however, after severe budget cuts, the Division at Buckeye Lake continued. House Bill 259 was retainedonly $250,000.Amaioreffortto enacted in 1984 and provided the opportunity renovate and improve the facilities at South for Park Rangers to be certified as Peace BassState Park began by combining funding Officerc. resources of the Division of Watercraft, Divi- A major challenge for the Division was sion of Wildlife, Capital Improvement Fund, the defeat of Issues 2 and 3 on the 1984Novem- and the State Park Renovation account. An ber ballot. Issue 2 would amend the Ohio 1949-1989
Constitution to require that any "revenue Figure 8.2i. lfitlorrr f h)e cab.nls nI So.]tlLBass raising bill" be passed by a tfuee-fifths vote in l\ltlttd Stltt Pdrkitl both the Ohio House and Senate. Issue 3, OtlLtrutlC'ltlnltl L0n1hit1e thebei furcsoJ i lel nicknamed the "repeal" fea amendment, stated oud a cnltn ntrd rcn! flr n that any changes in the tax laws of the state tn )innl i)r ict, consida lllV lau)ettlun n enacted after a certain date. but before the cLlni,elltiojlnl c4bin- effective date of this amendment, shall expire Dit'isitn t Park-.and Rrcrcd!it1it onaproposed date. Passageoftheseissues ftlt: lintn. would have had a long-range negative effect on the Departrnent's already limited budget. An effort to inform the public was successful, and the Dvision moved forward in developing the best State Park system possible. In fuly 1985,Govemor Celeste appointed foseph J. Sommer as ODNR Director. Capital improvement funds amounted to over $8 million for improvement proiects completed or reviewed and discussed with the City of under construction during 1985. To improve Youngstolvn and the Lake Milton advisory the operations of the Division, research and board to determine operational needs for the new poliry developments on issues such as State's acquiring Lake Milton. A ten-year special-event per rrits for organized activities, permit to continue dredge operations on the development of ranger and beach operation canalways and locks at Muskingum River manuals, disciplinary procedures policy, and Parkway was arranged with the Corps of an evaluation of Park Managers' classifications Engineers. were initiated. A survey was done in 1985 on Ground-breaking ceremonies for the State Park FigurcB.24.Sta eyH. users and the most sigrrificant Maumee Bay Lodge took place September Spaulditrg,t'enth Chief ctf finding was that 44 percent of the Ohio popula- 1988. Siiuated on the shores of Lake Erie. this the Dioisionof Pnrksnnd tion visit their State Parks at least Rectlia , 1986to the once annu- newestState Lodge has 120sleeping rooms, prtl:itlt. auy. dining, meeting, and banquet facilities and was Stanley Spaulding (Fig. 8.24) became dedicated on 1 November 1990 (seePlate 24). Chief 1 January 1986replacing John Cooper Lake Milton became the 72nd State Park in who retired. A fiequent-campers program was 1988 adding almost 1200acres of land and 1700 developed to provide campers who frequently acres of water to the State Parks system. The use Ohio State Parks with a free night of Hocking Hills Visitor Center was opened in camping. The Dvision amended a number of 1989. The VIP program expanded, and rules in 1987 that changed fees and discounts development of areas for handicap accessibility on State Park facilities. Personnel procedures increased. Visitation to the State Parks for 1989 were transformed with the arrival of the numbered 72,066,845people. The Dvision Fratemal Order of Police and The American adopted a State Parks Systems Plan that will Federation of State, County, and Municipal set the pace and direction of the Dvision for Employees union/labor contracts- Plans were the next s€veral years. Evenwith the hardshipsof yesteryear,the StateParks 79,751 aaes. The StateParks offer 9345campsites, M group have survived and prospered. The Dvision of Parksand camps,7 btidle camps.Rent-a-CamPs at 23 Parks,I resort Recreationnow administers72 StateParks (Fig. 8.25) in 60 lodges,5 l&hole golf cours$, 64 swimming beaches.tl83 countieswith land totalmg 727p77 acresand water totaling miles of hiking trails, 358miles of bridle trails, 74 miles of backpacking trails. L0,0(X)seasonal lake boat morings, and 63 parks with winter recreation. The demands of Ohio's citizms and visitors often in the past have exceeded and continue to exceed the capacity of the State Parks to deliver the expected senrices. These continuing Public pr essuresstimulate the General Assem- bly to appropriate funds for opetation of the most signifi- cant Siate Park system in the Mid- west and one of the topsystemginthe nation Thanlcs are duetotheearly planners and manag- ers of the State Parks and to those who continue to serve the State of Ohio and its citizens through its State Parks. 0 10 20 30 4onrros f-Lr n1- 0 r0 ?0 30 40 50kilom6l€r3 Figwe8.25. The St.tte Parl,s itl Ohio,Augusl 1989.