“Rutledge Memorial Park” - History
In 1955 E.D. Rutledge opened the sub-division at the west edge of the village, with Larry Drive, Bruce Court, and the park all in the plans. In 1959, the Rutledge's took their Insurance and Realty Business to their new home in this section. Other new homes were added and in 1962 and work started on the park. The park was opened in June of 1963 when Waldron Homemakers Extension club gave the park three tables and a grill. September 6, 1964, the park was dedicated in memory of Robert E. Rutledge. The park was named the Robert E. Rutledge Memorial Park.
Also in 1963 a pavilion was built and dedicated, the Waldron Labor Day Homecoming Celebration began in 1963 and the Sunday Services were held at the park for several years for the celebration.
In 1992 Bruce Rutledge had checked on purchasing a bridge in Woodbridge Township for the park, but the bridge there was declared a historical bridge and it involved too much paperwork and stipulations to get that bridge. Bruce was notified that there was another bridge on Tamarack Rd. that would be available, after checking it out Bruce Rutledge purchased the bridge for $2000.00 and had the bridge moved to Waldron on June 13, 1992 at the Robert E. Rutledge Memorial Park. Surveying work took place at a cost of $500.00 and the bridge was put in place. Bruce talked of names that were written on the bridge from when it was on Tamarack Road, one being Waldron resident Skip Wilson, but the bridge was repainted and the old graffiti or names were covered. The bridge connects the park together over a stream that runs through the park.
In August of 1993 it was said that E.D. Rutledge had offered the park to the village in the past, he had wished it to be for the community and open to the public. He wished two conditions, 1. The name of the park remains the same. 2. If the park were not to be used the land would converse back to the farmland. The park was offered to the Village with 2 options. Finally on June 8, 1996 Robert E. Rutledge Memorial Park was purchased for the amount of $2,500 for the bridge cost and the surveying cost from the Village of Waldron. The name was changed to “Rutledge Memorial Park” in memory of both Robert E. Rutledge and E.D. Rutledge. The park was appraised with 8.06 acres, which included the shelter house at a value of $30,000 in 1996.
The agreement was that the family could replace the stone marker at anytime with a plaque placed on a larger fieldstone, with a memorial of E.D. Rutledge and Robert E. Rutledge. Also the park is to be kept mowed and cleaned, trash picked up and the electricity is to remain on. The Village office was to be in charge of reserving the park, and a committee of 3 members was to be appointed to oversee the park, and insurance was to be kept on the shelter house. It was further said that in the event the Village of Waldron was not to continue it as a public park there could be an offer to donate the land to a public park committee or an active organization such as the school FFA or the library to continue as a public park than to be converted back to the original farm parcel first. It was a part of at utility cost of any improvement. There was not to be profit on the land, if option is not picked up and the property sold, the profit is to be divided equally to the village fire dept and the library. The Waldron Village park committee Mathew Emens, Marlowe Eidenier and Mike Tinney, signed the agreement. It was entered into the minutes on May 13, 1996 and also signed by Waldron Village President Glen Harris.
The park has seen much work done by the Waldron High School FFA, the Country Get-A-Longs 4-H Club and flowers planted near the public bathroom by the Waldron garden Club. In 2002 the FFA identified trees and marked them with tags on what they are. The 4-H Club as well as the FFA has maintained the park by cleaning brush, leaves, etc to keep the park beautiful. The Waldron Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts have built a campfire area in the west section of the park across the bridge. The Waldron Lions club paid half the cost of 10 new picnic tables for the park in the past few years.
In 2003 after 40 years the Village of Waldron Council plans on replacing the roof on the shelter house and has repaired the public bathroom, some much-needed work is being done to maintain Waldron’s only park, the Country Get-A-Longs 4-H Club did a lot of volunteer work at the park on may 17th 2003.
By John A. Tanner
“Information from Bruce Rutledge and the Village of Waldron Office”
More History may be added where necessary in this article as I find it!