Park History
History of Ottawa park
Welcome to historic Ottawa Park in Toledo! The creation of the Toledo Park System is largely credited to Sylvanus P. Jermain. In 1891, he spearheaded an effort to gather signatures for a bond issue to fund parks, which successfully passed, leading to the first major expansion of Toledo’s park system. (click here for more on S.P. Jermain)
In 1892, the city acquired 280 acres of land from John Ketcham. The Ottawa River meanders through the park, with its banks rising to form three distinct meadows. Initially, the land was mostly swampy, but by 1897, roads, walkways, and a trolley line had been established, and much of the swampy area around the river had been drained.
Ottawa Park was designed based on the principles of Frederick Law Olmsted, who is often regarded as the father of American landscape architecture. Olmsted is renowned for designing many famous urban parks, including Central Park in New York City and Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan. He also created the first coordinated system of public parks and parkways in Buffalo, New York, and the master plans for Stanford University and the University of Chicago. (click here to see pictures of the Ottawa early years)
Olmsted’s designs were influenced by English landscape and gardening traditions, primarily utilizing pastoral and picturesque styles to create specific effects. The pastoral style, featuring expansive green spaces with small lakes, trees, and groves, aimed to provide a soothing and restorative experience for visitors. In 1899, a golf course designed by S.P. Jermain was added to the park.
History of Jermain Park
Jermain Park, named in honor of Sylvanus P. Jermain, was established in 1915 through another bond issue. The area had previously been the White City Amusement Park. (click here to see vintage pictures of White City Amusement Park)
In 1930, the Ottawa River was deepened to mitigate flooding, and from 1935 to 1940, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed drainage ditches. The WPA also built the amphitheater in Ottawa Park, dug out Walden Pond (named in 1941), and added tennis courts, bridges, retaining walls, and an artificial lake for fly casting and ice skating in Jermain Park.
The building that now houses the Police Museum was originally the Ottawa Park Nature Center, constructed in 1927. This octagonal structure is made of brick and cut stone with terrazzo floors. The Police Substation was built in 1997.
Ottawa Park is home to the two largest forest areas in Toledo and serves as a major flyway for songbirds. Centennial Grove, a long-term project initiated in 1992, connected the park’s two major forested areas and helped restore habitat for migrating songbirds by planting 1,000 seedlings and 50 trees annually for ten years.
A 3.5-mile paved multi-purpose path encircles Ottawa Park. In 2009, it was named the Robert Brundage Bike Path in honor of the late Dr. Brundage, an avid cyclist.
