MS-45 Dayton-Montgomery County Park District Records

INTRODUCTION

The collection of the Dayton-Montgomery County Park District contains material relating to the function of the organization from 1964 to 1974. As the overseer of reserves and parks in the Miami Valley, the park district has papers relating to these duties.

The collection consists of correspondence, visitor’s schedules, monthly ranger reports, forms, memorandum and newspaper clippings on the park operations and the park district’s involvement with historic sites. Included are documents concerning Carriage Hill Farm, Sugarcreek Riding Academy, the Adamson property and the Landmarks Committee. A large portion of the collection (three of the five boxes) is material relating to the 1964, 1965 and 1974 levies. This material is divided into categories of campaign promotion, expenses, correspondence dealing in large part with requests for support, and various aspects of community out-reach programs. Many leading community figures were involved with the park district and its campaign for funds. These persons include Si Burick, Vic Cassano, John Drake, Gay Weinberg and various media personalities. There is also material about the Old County Court House building and the Montgomery County Historical Society.

Materials relating to many of the other services are included. Also, documents pertaining to many other services are not in this collection. However, in the promotional literature for the levies, much of this information is referred to.

Agency History

The Dayton-Montgomery County Park District administrative offices and ranger headquarters are located at 1375 Siebenthaler Avenue, Dayton. The director-secretary was J. Richard Lawwill and the Board of Park Commissioners consists of Lawwill, William Patterson, President, Simon Burick and Harry Price, Jr.

The services of the park district include, among others, archery, bicycle trails, boating, camping, farm visits, fishing, hiking trails, historical features, horticultural exhibits, picnicking, special programs and tours. Reserves under its jurisdiction include Englewood Reserve, Huffman Reserve, Possum Creek Reserve, Cox Arboretum, Sugarcreek Reserve, and Germantown Reserve.

In 1965, the people of Dayton and Montgomery County voted a three-tenths mill levy to support its goals. In 1967, the Miami Conservancy District leased the park district 1,414 acres of recreational land at four flood control dams. Since 1967, the park district has bought 2,898 acres for a total of 4,312 acres – about half of the projected need for 1980’s population.

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