To Icon:
In response to your old picture of Harmon Field (click here to see the picture, posted 12/16/19) , it occurred to me that I had done some research on other Harmon fields for my On The Road Ohio radio series that airs on 1330 WFIN, Findlay (8:32am, M-F) and 1430 WFOB, Fostoria (10:44am, M-F).
Harmon Field in Bluffton, and dozens more around the country, are named in honor of William E. Harmon, a Lebanon, Ohio, native who went on to make his fortune in New York City real estate.
In the 1920s, the foundation Harmon founded began donating land to be used for recreation in perpetuity. His first donation was to his home-town. The response was so positive that he decided to make a habit iof it. Playgrounds, parks, sporting fields, and even a golf course were created on these lands with the main stipulation being that they be used for recreational purposes.
Beyond Bluffton, at least 18 Ohio communities were beneficiaries of Harmon's generosity. Still under the name of Harmon Field, Harmon Park, or some other variant, many of the areas were developed into sports stadiums.
Bluffton, Wapakoneta, Wauseon, Greenville, and others continue to use the space for their football stadiums. Miamisburg, Bucyrus, Bellevue and more once played their football games at their Harmon sites, but have since built new facilities.
This link includes many of the towns that benefited from Harmon's generosity.
All the best,
John Marshall
Host/Producer
On The Road Ohio
