POSTSCRIPT

On Memorial Day 1950 Hudson Springs Park was launched – open to the public for swimming and picnicking. It was registered as 115 acres encompassing 55 acres of water. Dean’s family members and close friends of the family pulled together to begin the new venture. In the Fall of 1952 a $10k developmental investment was made. In 1953 the fishing business was up and running. [For decades the park was been renowned as one of the best fishing lakes in N.E. Ohio, and still is today under the management of HUDSON PARKS AND RECREATION.]

The park drew attendance from Summit, Portage and Cuyahoga counties. On good-weather Sundays the attendance count often exceeded 2,000. There earliest accounting records reflect the Memorial Day-through-Labor Day attendance in 1953 totaled 32,938. In 1957 attendance totaled 43,340.

The Park continued to operate until 1965 when the park property was sold to three investors. Their investment plan was to convert the property to high-end residential lots surrounding the 55-acre lake. The park lay fallow for ten years as the investors were unable to formulate their plans. Of the investors: one was a financier from New York City who committed suicide; the second ( sheriff of Summit County) was indicted for theft in office and was sentenced to federal prison; the third was Hudson resident John Matthews – he retained title to the property. In 1975 Matthews sold the property to the Hudson Village Park Board. The park had lay fallow these ten years. Within one year the Park Board returned the park to its original pristine beauty. Today Hudson Spring Park is the crown jewel of Hudson’s 20-park system. Joggers, hikers, kayakers/canoers, dog runners, and fishermen from N.E. Ohio make use of the Park .. as was it original intention so many years ago.

On June 24, 2000, on the 50th anniversary of Hudson Springs Park, the Hudson Park Board honored the founders Dean and Dorothy May. A memorial plague was placed in front of the May Pavilion. [Joan (May) Maher coordinated the ceremony and authored this inscription]:

HUDSON SPRINGS PARK, a man-made lake designed and created in 1949by humanitarians Judge Dean F. May and his wife, Dorothy Cranz May,whose vision and sensitivity to nature allowed their eight children -- and now the community – to roam the woods, ponder by the lake, pull bass and bluegills from the spring water and dream of a better world.

To view the current splendor of the Park, visit www.hudson.Oh.US/Facility/Details/4