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Clinton-Como Park…

was originally called the American Legion Park Playground, presumably because Post 82 owned it or gave it as a gift to the community. Today there is a conical mound at the park. The mound was “built” sometime in the 1960s (tentative date) from the dirt displaced by sewer line construction.

4 Responses to “Clinton-Como Park…”

  1. James Falor Says:

    I grew up on W. Pacemont only a hundred yards from the park and the picture is Clinton Park–not Como–which is a little bit south along the river. Also, the dirt mound came from the construction of the apartments seen in the background. They sit where there used to be woods and a fabulous series of hills we called “Devil’s Dips.” We loved to ride our bikes up and down the dips and my father tied a rope swing for us that we would swing from the top of the hills clear out over where the apartments now stand. We played all over that hill when it was created–throwing rocks and clods of dirt at each other. That was 1971-72.

  2. Shirley Hyatt Says:

    Thanks for this. I’ve changed the post to reflect the name the city lists it as Clinton-Como Park (“The recently renovated Clinton-Como Park (19.50 acres) borders the East bank of the Olentangy River, just South of North Broadway Ave. The park, which has two sections, (north and south) contains a section of the Olentangy Greenway Trail running along the river. A bridge over the river at the South end of the park allows bikers and walkers to cross over into The Ohio State University wetlands area, and to continue South on the trail to downtown Columbus. Parking is provided in a small lot in north section, accessed from West end of Lakeview Ave. Additionally, this park features an updated shelter, half-court basketball/ Pickle Ball court and playground.”)

  3. Brian Lamb Says:

    there’s an awful lot of scrapped concrete as well as a cinderblock foundation still barely visible in the woods just between the park and the river (due west of weber rd). anyone know what was here (and how long ago)?

  4. Evan Davis Says:

    James Falor says that the mound is made from excavation debris from the construction of the apartments to the South of the bike trail entrance at Weber rd. Not true, I watched those apartments being constructed, and the mound was already there.
    I hated to see that strip of woods be destroyed, and I pulled up the survey stakes numerous times ( I was in my teens at the time).
    The apartments were poorly built and are prone to flooding.

    The concrete rip-rap piles to the South of that park are actually on land owned by the Kessler family which owns Olentangy Village. They used that portion of the woods as a dumping ground. There was a grove of very large, very old Sycamore trees along the river that were destroyed in the 1980’s to make room for the newest apartment buildings that took their place. The community pool was also destroyed and replaced with an apartment up the hill. There was also a community garden for the residents of that facility that was eradicated gratuitously.

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