Establishing the Montgomery County Park District, Now Five Rivers Metro Park

Montgomery County has an extensive recreation system which currently manages eighteen parks, six trails, and several conservation areas. The recreation organization is now known as the Five Rivers MetroParks which is named after Mad River, Miami River, Stillwater River, Wolf Creek, and Twin Creek. The organization was started in 1961 by a group of individuals concerned about rapid urban growth and the diminishing open spaces in Montgomery and Greene County. The early Save Open Space committee conducted several space studies to determine what space was left. Their goal was to convert as much land as possible to some form of permanent open space.

After the committee gain recognition, the county established the Board of Park Commissioners to govern the Montgomery County Park District. The board began was no money and no parks. The Board hired a director-secretary, J. Richard Lawwill, in May of 1964. The County Commissioners gave the board and director an office in the Old Courthouse as well as 18,000 dollars in operating funds. The park district had to then determine how and where they would buy land. The park district was able to purchase land due to the 1917 Park District state law allowed county park districts to organize. The law also allowed county park organizations to “buy and preserve land” which played a vital role in acquiring land.

The district unsuccessfully attempted to get a 10-year levy passed for 0.3 million dollars. They would have to wait until the next election and feared that momentum for their project would be lost. A large donation of 250,000 dollars by Eugene Kettering gave hope to the city. The money went to purchase 223 acres in 1965. The area purchased was known as Drylick Run and is still operated by the park district under the name Carriage Hill MetroPark. A second large donation of 50,000 dollars was made by Marie Aull. The park districts second levy campaigned was better planned and passed securing funding for the next ten years.

Sources: 

1.     [Series 1A, Box 1, Folders 1-24], MS-45, Five Rivers MetroParks Records, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.

2.     “Fiver Rivers MetroParks History,” Five River MetroParks, accessed March 18, 2019, https://www.metroparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/MetroParks-History-032016.pdf.