The Village Of Gibsonburg Welcoms You To Williams Park

The Village Of Gibsonburg Welcoms You To Williams Park. . In 1871, William H. Gibson was made aware that the railroad was being constructed and that a depot was promised at almost every road crossing. This prompted him to purchase a ninety acre tract of land which would be transected by the proposed railroad. This land would become known as Gibsonburg shortly thereafter. T. D. Stevenson and J. F. Yeasting, whose names are affixed to their respective streets within Gibsonburg, assisted Gibson in surveying 40 acres to convert into town lots. The village was then incorporated under the laws of Ohio in the spring of 1880. , In 1887, as a member of Gibsonburg council, A. P. Johnson visited the oil fields in Wood County and saw the potential profit for Gibsonburg if oil could be found in and around the town. All eyes watched as the first well was drilled. It turned out to be a gas well, and when lit, a feeling of good cheer was everywhere. Gibsonburg grew as oil derricks sprung up everywhere. However, oil was not the only industry which helped Gibsonburg grow. , Lime manufacturing has been one of our first and chief industries, the pioneer plant being a pot kiln operated by D, P. Salem. W. H. Gibson, the founder of Gibsonburg, was also involved in the quarrying of lime stone. He built one of the patent draw kilns which were used to process the lime. Lime stone has many profitable uses including making steel, glass, drywall, and agricultural applications. Today, the town still profits from the quarries but in a slightly different way. , The above picture is of Williams Park when it was still the Ohio and Western Lime Company's quarry. Pictured in the background is the old Evangelical Lutheran Church which you can still see on North Main Street today. , Pictured above is the dedication ceremony of Williams Park. Emest and Inez Williams are seated to the right when looking at the speaker. , These nearly 16 acres of park land now known as Williams Park, were purchased from Ohio and Western Lime Company in 1914 for a sum of $2,200.00. It was then called Twin Lakes due to the two water-filled stone quarries on the property. The present quarry was a popular swimming hole which attracted visitors from around the county. For many years water festivals were held in which boat races and other events took place. People from all over would gather on the banks to watch the fun. , The other twin lake was used as a junkyard and was eventually filled up and covered with soil. Located at the east end of the park was a pile of waste lime that was unsightly. The Williams family living across the street found this slag pile and weeds to be an eyesore. They began taking steps to beautify the quarry and the land surrounding it. , The Williams' contacted a salesman that demonstrated a new sickle-type lawn mower that cut down those stubborn weeds. Even the village officials were impressed and purchased one. Ernest and Inez's son Bob was given the chore of using a reel-type push mower to keep the weeds cut down. After Bob volunteered his services for two years, the village then agreed to pay him 50 cents per hour. , The family also worked together planting trees in the park. Since they did not own an automobile, they would hike to the Union Cemetery wood lot, located just outside Gibsonburg, to obtain the trees. They would dig up the trees and carry them on their backs all the way to the park to be planted. Bob would then use a wheel barrow, loaded with a 45 gallon drum filled with water, to water these seedlings to insure their survival. Inez encouraged donations of Iris bulbs from residents, and a wide variety was planted, , In the early 1940's, after 10 years of effort, the Williams family was finally recognized for their effort to beautify the quarry property. Village officials dedicated the area as "Williams Park” (pictured above).