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Welcome to Harding Park
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Park Equipment Pictures Club
Recreation Areas Other Park Recreation Areas
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The New Park Equipment
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Park History Harding Park was once a farm with a little creek called Mud Run, running through it and was owned by A. Shellenger. Clark Brothers originally owned this tract of land. The farm was later owned by August Schotten. Mr. Schotten and his older sons, John and August Jr., planned to work in the nearby mines to pay for the farm. Unfortunately, he was forced to relinquish ownership of the farm due to a recession. The farm then became the property of a very able farmer and stockman named Floris Montgomery. Mr. Montgomery, who was also a horseracing enthusiast, constructed a racetrack just east of the farm buildings. In decent weather, horse owners from Youngstown, Sharon and other localities came to race their horses at the track. Among the people active in this were Milliard and Orrin Jacobs, who assisted by their brother Bern, owned and operated the Jacobs Stock Farms, on what is now, Jacobs Road. Mr. Montgomery later sold the farm to members of the Mathews family. Jerome Ferguson rented this farm for a long time. His family grew up on the farm. After cultivating the farm for a number of years, T.R. Mathews sold it to Jacob Kalver before 1912. Mr. Kalver was a Youngstown real estate dealer. In 1922, Mr. Kalver donated a tract of land containing 37.6 acres of woodland and stream to the village of Hubbard for use as a park. The donation was made with the following reservations:
The park was praised by Youngstown engineers as the finest natural reserve in the valley, not even excepting Youngstown's beautiful Mill Creek. Mr. Kalver, who was an intimate friend of President Harding, selected the park's name because of his great respect for the national executive. At the time of Mr. Kalver's donation, it was estimated that the property could have been sold privately for $50,000. The Kiwanis Club, the Garden clubs and other various groups in Hubbard then began work for the beautification of the park. The creek was dammed up to make a lake, which was stocked with fish each year. Gradually, the park was equipped with tables, fireplaces, tennis courts, a baseball diamond, shuffleboard court, shelter houses, a bath house, walks and playground equipment for the convenience and enjoyment of the people. In 1933-1934 between $30,000 and $40,000 worth of labor was provided by the government to improve the park and as an aid to the unemployed. In 1951 a deed was issued in the name of the Board of Park Commissioners, marking the birth date of Harding Park. The deed, issued by the Hubbard Promotions Inc., stipulates Harding Park, officially known as Hubbard Township Park, as a non-profit organization. Members of the Board of Park Commissioners are appointed to three years by the Court of Common Pleas. Each member's term falls within staggered years...thus only one appointment is to be made each year. Originally the park was funded by allocations from the Local Government Support Fund. Park funding changed in 1997 when voters overwhelmingly approved a 1-mill continuous operating levy for upkeep and improvements. Over the years Harding Park has seen many changes. The park no longer has a bathing area and the bath house, which for many years was operated by Johnny Morris, has been made into a pavilion. The park currently houses four enclosed pavilions, six open shelters, two Bocce courts, a double tennis court, two soccer fields, two volleyball courts, a hiking path, an exercise trail and eight ball fields. The play areas remain much the same as they did in the beginning, with the addition of a modern updated version located across from the main pavilion, next to the tennis courts.
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