Lions Club Returns Washington Park to the City – June 24, 1925

One of the amazing things about the aftermath of the tornado that struck Lorain on June 28, 1924 is how quickly the city pulled together to bounce back.

Part of the recovery story is the volunteer work by various civic organizations to erase the scars of the storm. The article below, which appeared in the Lorain Times-Herald on June 24, 1925 – 90 years ago today – tells the story of the contribution of the Lorain Lions Club.

The article is unintentionally humorous. Upon the completion of the Lions Club's beautification efforts, the park was going to be torn up again – this time by the city!

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LIONS WILL TURN PARK INTO CITY HANDS THURSDAY
Washington Beauty Spot Rehabilitated at Cost of $3,000
OFFICIALS TO BE LUNCHEON GUESTS
Ceremony to Mark Completion of Task by Civic Club

Washington park which was taken over by the Lions club last fall to be rehabilitated, will be turned back to the city again at Thursday's noon luncheon meeting of the club at Hotel Lorain.

Special ceremony will mark the occasion at which acting Mayor H. D. Walter, Service Director William A. Miller and other city officials will attend.

The park which was badly torn up by the tornado of last June has been completely rehabilitated by the Lions in the eight months in which the park has been in their possession.

Approximately 100 young trees have been planted together with shrubbery. The park was first graded and seeded and the old band stand in the center removed. New sidewalks replaced the old ones which were torn up by the storm.

Close to $3,000 was spent in the work which is the club's part in rehabilitating city property damaged by the tornado.

However a part of the park will be torn up again according to Service Director William A. Miller. A trench 15 feet wide and five feet deep will be dug through the center of the park for a 24-inch water main which will run from the pumping station on First-st. to Ninth-st.

"The contractor who gets the job will have to replace everything in the park as he found it," City Engineer Chalmers Miller stated.

"While we regret a trench has to be dug through the park, we do not feel that the water supply for people in the southern section of the city should be hampered because of possibly hurting the beauty of Washington Park," he added.

According to Miller several thousand dollars will be saved by running the trench from First-st. through the park, down beside No. 1 fire station and straight to Ninth-st., instead of Broadway or Washington-av., where brick and asphalt pavement would have to be torn up.