View of Harmar Hill from the 1870s
Reinhard Stehle (Born:1841, Binsdorf, Germany - Immigrated 1866 - Died: 1913, Marietta, Ohio)
Reinhart Stehle bought land on top of Harmar Hill, then known as Fairview Heights, from Douglas Putnam in 1885. Reinhart said that he'd been trough one flood (1884) and he wasn't going through another - according to his grandson, Max Saik. He was a cobbler at Fischer & Stehle Shoes on Front Street and his family lived in the 300 block of Scammel Street at that time. Reinhart built his house where tennis court #1 now stands and worked at becoming a farmer. He raised and sold bees and bee frames, sold milk to local firms, raised registered cows, and farmed the land. He had the land surveyed in 1889 and sold peripheral lots on Lancaster Street and Fairview Lane to help fund his enterprises and care for his family.
Reinhard's Registered Cows. (About 1913)
I believe the water tank now (2019) in the park would appear in the
background at the crest of the hill
background at the crest of the hill
Reinhard and his son, Lawrence Stehle, by the barn, with Shep.
The barn was very close to the house, just below where tennis court #1 now stands.
The barn was very close to the house, just below where tennis court #1 now stands.
After Reinhart's accidental death in 1913, his son, Joseph K. Stehle Sr., saw to it that the farm continued as a single entity as long as he lived. Corn one year, straw the next.
Jim Arnold leaving to harvest corn (about 1955). Barn and house visible in the background.
Reinhart's remaining descendants decided to sell the farm following J.K Stehle Sr.'s death in 1962. The city of Marietta bought the farm and created Lookout Park. A community building, two tennis courts, and a small playground were soon added to the park. The park remained much the same for over 50 years.On November 17, 2017, Marietta's City Council renamed the park Gold Star Park. It is named to honor any relative who has sacrificed a loved on the the the armed forces of the United States.
Each of the separate panels is embossed with an image on the reverse.
The panel below is from World War II.