Recreation

(from 1940-1978)
from The Quartoquecentennial of a Pride Community-1978 Hilliard, Ohio

During the 1940's and 1950's there was an active Croquet Club which had a court on Scioto Darby where the church property joins the convalescant home property.

When the Conklin Addition was developed in the late 1950's, a section was given and dedicated as a park. Here one can find a basketball court and a big toy for tots. In 1958 a Recreation Board was created by the City Council. The City Charter, adopted in 1963, provided for a Commission of Parks and Recreation whose function is to provide efficient operation and maintenance of all facilities. Ed Fox was the first director, and is still director. He secured the help of churches, service clubs, and individuals to develop the recreational areas not only for adults but for Little League activities. Tennis became popular during the 1920's with an outstanding team at the high school. During the 1930's many families converted their lawns to tennis courts. Today there are public courts located near Hemsworth Field, Weaver Park, Municipal Park and north of the Hilliard Elementary School.

In 1957 a privately-owned swimming pool was built on the east side of Lattimer Street, one lot north of Cemetery Road. It was operated by Bill O'Hara. It's last season was the summer of 1975. The area was filled in and today there is a small shopping center called Lattimer Square.

During the 1960's several areas were set aside for various activities. The old sewer leaching bed at the east end of Hamilton Road became Hamilton Park with all the facilities necessary for soft ball games. Alt Field, for Little League baseball, named in honor of Mike Alt who played little league baseball and died of leukemia, is located east and south of the water tower near the Municipal Buildings of Cemetery Road. The old waterwell field south of the Municipal Buildings was made into a Little League football field. It was named Hemsworth in memory of Greg Hemsworth, a little leaguer who was killed in an auto accident while on the way to practice. A section of ground, east of Beacon Elementary School, was leased for $1.00 from the Board of Education. A girls' softball field was laid out. When the railroad underpass on Cemetery Road was started the excess dirt was hauled to this area to make a sliding hill. The development of the Community Municipal Park area, off Scioto Darby Road, west of Colonial Addition, on Cherry Tree Drive, was started in 1973 and dedicated in 1976 with one of the largest (50 meter Olympic, z-shaped) stainless steel open-air swimming pools in the world and claimed to be one of the finest in the state and midwest. State Swim Tournaments have been held here.

The Community Center was opened December 18, 1977. The main focus of this center is that there is something for everyone regardless of age or sex. The regulation size gymnasium provides an area for basketball, volleyball, shuffleboard, judo, jogging and dances. The multipurpose room is used for workshops in crafts, cooking, chess, checkers, drug abuse and child care programs, etc. It can be used as a meeting place for community groups. The outside area, which is well lighted for nighttime functions, has courts for horseshoes, basketball, volleyball and tennis as well as a children's playground. The morning programs are directed toward the non-working adult and the pre-schoolers. Afternoon programs are for retirement age citizens. From four until ten in the evening (closing time) there are numerous programs for the schoolagers. All programs are supervised with trained personnel. During the spring of 1978 construction began on an open-air ampitheater, lake and jogging trails. Plaques, honoring all past mayors and Miss Sharie Fletcher, who had won the "Name the Street Contest" in 1976, were added to the cherry trees along Cherry Tree Drive.

Today we find musical productions, under the sponsorship of the Society of the Arts, being put together by citizens of the area. The "Nite of Entertainment", under the leadership of Bobb Rastello-director and Master of Ceremonies, Mrs. Jack (Nancy) Moore--choreographer, and Jim Turk--music director, sponsored by the Hilliard United Methodist Church, but open to any person who wished to participate, gave its first performance in 1975 at the Commons Auditorium. This is an entertaining program of song, dance and laughter. During the 1976 performance there was a tor
nado alert which stopped the show for a while. After the "all clear" sounded, the show went on to completion. This incident brings to mind a news item in the January 27, 1928 issue of the Plain City Advocate telling of a severe windstorm which cut off all electricity but did not stop the presentation of the play, "Aaron Slick from Pumpkin Crick", at the Farmers' Institute. Gas and oil lights on stage and the headlights of cars, pulled up outside the windows of the Elementary School Auditorium, gave enough light for the show to go on. The 1978 production was presented tWo nights to packed houses. Proceeds after expenses have been used for church related community projects. This year there was $800 given to the Community Welfare Council.

The first skating rink was located on Center Street east of Main, next to Redmen's Hall. It operated during the early 1900's. The Norwich Rollarena was incorporated in November, 1959, located near the end of Center Street, west of Wayne. It has been continuously under the management of Tom Lewis. His community-oriented spirit is shown by his opening the facilities for service groups to sponsor skating parties with proceeds being given for community projects.  Today this building is called the McCoy Center and hosts parties, receptions and weddings.