| The Wright Brothers' airplane, piloted by Morris Priest, Crashed into the Parkersburg City Park lilly pond on August, 19, 1913. Mr. Priest was not injured but unfortunately the airplane was a total loss. The greater part of the ground upon which Parkersburg's City Park is now located was formed by 40 acres of land bought by the city aprox. 100 years ago for $20,000.00. At the time many people were opposed to the purchase however, many interested citizens succeded in putting the idea across to the voters. The bond issue was carried in a regular election held in the spring of 1896. For many years prior to the purchase of the grounds, which at the time was one of the fairgrounds in the state, annual fairs were held there. There were agricultural displays and livestock exhibits and also spirited horse races. On the exact site of the present day brick building in the City Park, at the time of purchase, was an immense horticulture hall, a frame structure used for exhibits and displays during the fairs that were previously held there. There were also cattle sheds along Park Avenue, which was then just a dusty dirt road. There was also a tiny "swamp" of water next to seventeenth St. where the pond now stands. A second piece of ground was purchased in March of 1906, being sold by John S. Camden and his wife Betty K. Camden for the sum of $5,000.00. These four acres are at the south western corner of the park, where Seventeenth St. enters Park Ave. Lter in the summer of 1936 four additional acres of land were purchased and added to the park. This new land is at the northeast corner of the park, next to 23rd Street. |
| Photo obtained from the Parkersburg News & Sentinel-Bicentenial insert 1999 The facts placed on this web-page were obtained from the named source, however the text may not be "worded" the same as the original source, and should not reflect upon the original source. |
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