“…with its towering maples, oaks, and beech”
A COLUMN By Kathryn Ross
I’ve gazed at the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean from the cliffs of Arcadia. I’ve tramped through the forested trails of the Adirondacks and Catskills. I’ve bathed in the awesome glory of Mount Rushmore, watched the geysers explode in Yellowstone, marveled at the Giant Redwoods, and sat in the shadow of El Capitan. I walked the snow-covered crest of the Grand Canyon. I’ve been humbled by the rolling hills of Gettysburg and saddened by the row upon row of white crosses at Arlington. But I have never been so tranquil, so at ease as I have been this past summer sitting in our very own Island Park.
Island Park is both a raucous and a peaceful place where the shouts from the Little League Field as the crack of a bat echoes through the air, and when the screams and laughter of children on the playground ringing through the trees can be heard. At other times only the gentle breeze swaying the trees and the scurrying of squirrels from tree to tree can be heard. Most times there is just silence with only the sound of the words of a good book in your imagination.
We boast about the jewels of the community – the David A. Howe Library, the fantastic churches, the Catholic Cathedral, the quaint Main Street. Seldom do we boast about that oasis at the confluence of Dykes Creek and the Genesee River, known as Island Park. And we should. We should appreciate it, glorify it, support it, and use it more than just at balloon rally time or for the occasional festival, because Island Park is truly the emerald in the village’s jewel box.
This summer and last, I’ve found myself drawn to the park seeking solitude and relief from the hustle and bustle of my everyday life. I may close my eyes and lean back in the seat in the car, read a book, or even become inspired to write a short story on the back of a paper bag. The park, with its towering maples, oaks, and beech, allows all this.
The park has been in my life since I rode my tiny, blue, two-wheeler through it, following my sister’s lead, since Bucky followed me up the tall slide, since bumping my behind on the teeter totters, stretching my feet towards the sky from the swings, flying my hand through the air on the merry-go-round and since my sweaty fingers slipped from the bars of the jungle gym. The memories of birthday parties, grade school and high school picnics are all part of my memories as they are for generations of kids who grew up in Wellsville.
In 1877, the 23.5 acres known as Farnum’s Island was offered to the town board for $1000. A fairgrounds, racetrack and picnic grove were approved for the purchase which included several islands. It took a town proposition. In 1888, the construction of a bridge from State Street to the island was approved. The Wellsville Daily Reporter raised money for a park fountain. In 1899, the Dexter Post of the Grand Army of the Republic was located there in a two-story merchant building that had been moved by the members to the site. It was destroyed by flood and fire in 1912. At its beginnings pavilions were built in the park for concerts and dances. There were picnics and fishing outings. A German-only picnic was featured along with Chautauqua speeches and entertainment. In 1913, James Schwarzenbach of Hornell donated two bear cubs for a zoo in Island Park and a cage was built. They were poisoned by vandals and died within a year.
In the 1920s and 1930s, during the Great Depression, Island Park was a refuge for the traveling the roads in search of employment.
By 1951 the village was being chastised for the poor conditions in the park. A group was formed, and the park was cleaned up and lighting was installed. In 1956 a monument to Major Peter Keenan, who died in the Civil War, was removed from Island Park to Memorial Park for reasons of safety. The park often flooded during heavy rainstorms.
2010 saw the removal of the old playground equipment and its replacement with a modern, less hazardous, playground complex. The park was made ADA accessible and solar lighting and security cameras were installed. Pavilions were built and rebuilt.
Today Island Park needs a splash pad and use beyond the Balloon Rally and a few summertime festivals to make it a destination, while it remains a place for quiet reflection where only the voice of the wind in the trees is heard.
