Marsh Park, Milton Pa & The Summer Recreation Programs

 

At Marsh Park, Milton Pa

Throughout our local towns, from approximately 1940 to 1980, a "Summer Parks" program was held, with staff and organized activities, ranging from swimming lessons and weight lifting, to arts and crafts, and chess.  Frequently, at the end of year there would be a "championship", where the children could compete in games they had played that summer - everything from croquet and table tennis, to hopscotch and chess.  In Mifflinburg the first program was held in 1940, and at the Oppenheimer play ground in Sunbury, organized programs appear to have begun in the early 1930s.  In later years, Northumberland County had a "Funmobile" that traveled to each of the summer programs throughout the county, providing additional activities.

In Milton, separate programs were held at several parks, including Brown Avenue, Lincoln, and Marsh Parks.  In the  photo above, the sprinkler at Marsh park was turned on for one of the Summer program days. It was commonly turned on several days a week.

Today Marsh Park is an empty lot, with a crumbling memorial marker and a few signs.  But for many years, it was a playground with a pavilion, cement sprinkler pool, swing sets, monkey bars, merry-go-round and a sliding board.

Located at the corner of Myrtle st and Stanton Avenue, the original lot was donated by Mary D. [Baker] Marsh, widow of Isaac Marsh.

A crumbling monument at the park reads:

Marsh Park

Bequeathed To The Borough Of Milton 

by 

Mary D Baker Marsh 

1839-1911

This tablet placed by the Women's Christian Temperance Union in Appreciation Of Bequest of House 127 Turbot Avenue

Mary, the daughter of Charles and Catharine [Troxel] Baker was born in 1837 near Milton Pa.  She married Isaac Marsh in 1855, and  died in December of 1910.  Mary was very  active in the W.C.T.U. - Women's Christian Temperance Union.

Her obituary states that the W.C.T.U. fountain at Lincoln Park was placed due to her efforts:

The Milton Womens Christian Temperance Fountain was installed in the fall of 1897, at Lincoln Park.

Public water fountains were a temperance union initiative, to offer thirsty  men an alternative to going into saloons for a drink. 

Read more about the W.C.T.U. and their drinking fountain initiative here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-wctu-drinking-fountain-in-watsontown.html

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Marsh Park

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It appears that Mary left a lot at the corner of Stanton Avenue and Myrtle Street for a public park.  The park however, seems to have been  privately maintained, perhaps mostly by the W.C.T.U.,  until 1938, when it was turned over to the borough.   Various picnics, baseball games,  and reunions were held on the grounds, before the borough took over its management.

Baseball was played in the park in 1913

On April 10th 1919, a delegation from the W.C.T.U. was at the meeting, requesting that council take some sort of action to stop the throwing of garbage on the Union's plot of ground at Turbot Avenue, and on the Mary D. Marsh Park at the rear of the same plot.  President Forney assured the ladies that the high constable will do all in his power to top the nuisance

August 1937

The creek along the back of Marsh Park, 2023

In July of 1938, "Marsh Park, Milton, developed from a vacant lot into a fine picnic ground by a group of citizens, has been taken over by the Borough Council."

The change was made because "park improvements have reached the stage where it is advisable for the borough to assume all responsibility."  

The creek is, today, a restricted fishing area - only those who are handicapped, or under the age of 12 may fish there.

In June of 1942, Milton opened two playgrounds - Marsh Park, and Center Street, for the summer.  All boys under the age of 10, and all girls, were to attend Marsh Park, under the direction of Miss Mary E. Frymire, assisted by Miss Bessie Auchenbach. 

The Center Street Playground was to be under the direction of Alden J. Danks, "who has mapped out an interesting program.".

August 1943

In June of 1962, two huge willow trees were removed from Marsh Park.  "They were quite old, and it was feared they might cause some trouble in the event of a bag storm."  A swing set was installed, and the "newly acquired land at this location was cleared."  A blue dump truck had caught the corner of the pavilion and caused some damaged.

In June of 1970, the Milton Playground Season ran from June 22nd to July 31st, with a morning session from 9-11:30 and an afternoon session from 1-3:30.    The first day was set aside "mainly for registration" and the full slate of activities began the next day.  Activities for the year included "badminton, volleyball, tetherball, paddle tennis, softball, hardball (Little League), quoits, horseshoes, playground games, scoop ball, see saw, missle darts, bean bag boards, basketball, football, soccer, box hockey, splash pool, slides, rings, jungle gym, swings, non-hockey, and ringo set".  In addition, quiet games of chess, checkers, jacks, pick up sticks, hopscotch, story hour and educational card games were available, as well as a variety of arts and crafts, swimming lessons, weight lifting with Ernest Gromlich, and a choral program by Rebekah Ward.

Picnic Service Kits could be reserved by calling the Director Of Summer Playgrounds.  The kits included: "one bat, ball, three bases, one volleyball and net, one set of horseshoes with pegs and one set of quoits."

At the end of the summer playground season, which was typically at the end of July, there would be various tournaments held, for everything from chess & croquet to  table tennis and hop scotch.    In 1958, a bus was used to bring children from Pottsgrove, West Milton, New Columbia, and White Deer, to the "Championships", which were held at Marsh Park that year.  Each child could enter in 3 events.

 In September of 1978, recreation chairman Herman Bleich reported that enrollment was up from the year before, but that although there were noted increases in attendance, daily attendance was still "less than last year because of summer band, vacation bible school, and other activities".  The plan for 1979 was to make the program 2 weeks shorter, but increase the daily hours from 5 to 6.

In September of 1979, Bleich reported that the program cost $5,738 for salaries, $500 for the use of the Milton YMCA swimming pool, and $98 for equipment.  He recommended that the arts and crafts program be dropped because of lack of interest, and that a person should be hired as a "permanent substitute, because of the high absenteeism a month the park supervisors."  Of the 30 days of work, a substitute was needed 25 times. 

1980 was the last year I found mention of the summer parks program occurring. 

Marsh Park, 2023

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Isaac Marsh Married Mary D. Baker of Limestonville on December 11th 1855.

The Bakers lived in a brick house on Center Street.  It was listed for sale in April of 1896.

Constable Baker of Watsontown was a brother in law of Isaac Marsh of Milton.

Isaac & Mary are buried in Milton Cemetery.

In the 1860 Census, Isaac's occupation was listed as Potter, and William Baker, living with him and Mary, was listed as an apprentice potter.

Mary D. Marsh was Vice President of the Milton W.C.T.U. at the time of her death in 1911.

1897

July 1938