Treasuring the Stories that Built our Hometown
In May, we held a ceremony to officially open the Park Street extension, now terminating at Demorest Road to the west and the entrance of Breck Community Park. Originally named School Street, Park Street connects much of our City’s history and some of my favorite local stories, starting with the Grant-Sawyer Home to the east at Haughn Road.
Six generations of one family occupied the property, the first of whom was a widow named Catharine Grant, who lived there with her six children. Her husband, Hugh Grant Sr., moved his family to Ohio in 1805, and they are considered the original settlers of Jackson Township, acquiring approximately 400 acres in the area that eventually became Grove City. Grant suffered an untimely death within a year or so of arriving, and it was Catharine who persevered through unimaginable circumstances to create the homestead of their dreams.
I’m certain she could not have imagined their family would be the start of something so significant. Over the next 40 years, at least 27 other families would settle in the area, including William Foster Breck (who founded Grove City) and his wife, Elizabeth. The Breck family moved here after acquiring 273 acres of land neighboring the Grant property. Elizabeth’s family had previously owned the property as well as nearly 800 additional acres to the west.
At that time, Park Street was little more than a wide, cleared trail best traveled when dry or hardened by winter, and for the most part it ended at the Columbus and Harrisburg Turnpike (U.S. 62/Broadway). But Breck saw something more. He built a home for his family along the turnpike, set aside 15¼ acres of land for his vision and platted 19 lots and named the village Grove City by 1852.
Within a few short years, new families moved to the area, church congregations were formed and new businesses arrived, including a brick and tile factory started by Breck. A hotel and saloon – now Plank’s on Broadway – was built on the corner of Park Street and the turnpike, which had been improved to gravel and logs as stagecoaches were traveling the road more frequently. Breck also donated land along Park Street where the first village school was built in 1853.
Breck was said to have been a generous man with a desire to grow and improve the community. Unfortunately, he did not live to see Grove City become a chartered village in 1866 as he had an accident that caused his untimely death just two years before.
This brings me to another interesting story in Grove City’s history. A.G. Grant (Hugh Grant’s grandson) was just 12 years old when Breck platted Grove City. As he grew older, Grant became quite the businessman and by the age of 24, had traveled to California to try his hand at goldmining and returned to continue operating a mercantile, a sawmill and other enterprises.
By 1889, Grant added land development to his business ventures and, having obtained a significant amount of land west of the turnpike, platted what became Grove City’s first sub-division, the Beulah Addition. Historical documents indicate Grant intended the new development area be its own town, named after his daughter Beulah Grant Campbell. It’s interesting to think there could have been two separate towns in the area that is now Grove City.
Our hometown history is filled with stories like these. As we celebrate the 170th anniversary of Grove City’s founding by William Foster Breck in 1852, I encourage you to stop by our historical sites and the Grove City Welcome Center and Museum or visit the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society website at www.grovecityohhistory.org to learn more.
We will announce additional anniversary celebration events to be held in September and look forward to sharing more historic stories with the community.
Mayor Richard L. “Ike” Stage
Grove City Parks and Recreation Artfully Provides Fun and Learning
July is National Parks and Recreation Month, making this a perfect time to highlight the many benefits our community enjoys with great thanks to the women and men of the Grove City Parks and Recreation Department (GCPRD).
The department manages and maintains 23 city parks, including a destination garden, family waterpark, several historic sites, Pickleball and tennis courts, baseball and softball diamonds, numerous playgrounds, and much more. By offering hundreds of classes and programs focused on a variety of age groups – including senior programs at the Evans Center, pre-school and herb programs at Gantz Park, and opportunities for all ages at the Kingston Center – the GCPRD is responsible for much of the fun and learning Grove City citizens experience.
The department also manages several team sports including multiple seasons of softball and cornhole for adults in addition to popular youth basketball, volleyball, and spring and fall baseball leagues that serve more than 1,500 young athletes each year.
Through the warmer months, residents are treated to free open-air entertainment Fridays including the Summer Sizzle Concert Series and performances by Little Theatre Off Broadway in the town center park. Concertgoers enjoy great music in a beautiful setting where they can share a picnic with friends and family or dance and sing along with the band.
Families can take in free outdoor “drive-in” movies in the summer, complete with fun activities. Since 2020, the Naz Church has been a valuable collaborator for these events not only hosting the movies but also partnering in creating some extra fun on movie nights.
GCPRD is also responsible for many treasured annual events such as the Homecoming Celebration, EcoFest, Independence Day Celebration, the spring Heritage Celebration and Old Time Harvest Day in the fall with the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society, and the Grove City Christmas Celebration.
Grove City’s sustainability efforts are directed by GCPRD, managing events such as the Keep Grove City Beautiful Cleanup Days, hazardous waste and shredding drop-off days, and plant sales at the Gardens at Gantz. The new Community Gardens at Fryer Park and the compost drop-off program behind Brookpark Middle School are also managed by GCPRD.
Each City-sponsored effort, event and activity requires months of extensive planning and communication, beginning many months prior. The incredibly dedicated and talented GCPRD staff takes pride in providing an experience like no other.
Council Brief – Exploring A New Recreation Center
Now that pleasant weather is here, it’s time to get out and enjoy Grove City’s sights. I love all the fun things to do. Like most people, my wife, Twinkle, and I like to explore the various paths the City has constructed throughout our town. We see riders and walkers of all ages doing the same throughout the warmer months. Best of all, these paths lead to our parks and the Scioto Grove Metro Park area.
We love to walk from Town Center to Breck Community Park, on Demorest Road, using the new path at the end of Cleveland Avenue, winding through the south edge of the new Beulah Park neighborhood. Although there is construction in the area, the path follows restored West Water Run, which now reveals many interesting birds and plants. Arriving at Breck Community Park, we are amazed at the number of dogs that run and play in the off-leash areas. If you have not seen it, I encourage you to visit as the dog run areas have been an excellent addition to the park.
Mild weather always makes getting out easier. But what about those colder months with rain, ice and snow? Twinkle and I often struggle finding a place to walk and exercise during those rainy, cold months. We frequently travel to an indoor mall to meet our walking goals. Wouldn’t it be great to have an additional City-provided recreation/aquatic center for our residents to use year-round?
I am partnering with and under their guidance of the Grove City Park Board to establish a Citizens Task Force specifically to study the feasibility of building a recreation/aquatic center on City-owned property. I also proposed legislation to update the 2014 study on a recreation center. An update of the study is needed to reflect current construction costs and review the structure for today’s programming needs. After several months of researching this project, I believe it might be possible to build without raising taxes. Don’t you think it is worth exploring?
Roby Schottke
Council Member, Ward 4
