Susan Pinchot takes part in the groundbreaking ceremony Sunday for the new Roann Community Jimmy Turner Jr. Memorial Park. By David Friese Nelson
ROANN — It wasn’t an ordinary groundbreaking ceremony last Sunday afternoon. Instead, it was about a long-time dream becoming reality for a small town in the middle of America’s heartland.
Town of Roann’s Clerk-Treasurer Bob Ferguson beamed with pride as he watched dozens of his beloved community’s children take shovels to dirt during a ceremony to celebrate the new Roann Community Jimmy Turner Jr. Memorial Park.
The million-dollar project has been a saga in the making for Ferguson and townspeople. There has been a pandemic, skyrocketing construction costs and the challenges of fundraising within an economy in the grips of inflation. Nevertheless, Ferguson and others persevered during the previous eight years for the sake of their children to have a decent place to play.
They far surpassed just a “nice place to play” as the park will be a state-of-the art facility to rival communities dwarfing the size of the town hovering around 500. The park will feature two pavilions as well as handicap-accessible playground equipment. The park’s footprint is on seven acres of land off Pike Street in Roann. The playground will comprise a little more than two acres. Completion of the facility should be spring of 2026.
Flanked by iconic structures such as the Roann Covered Bridge and Stockdale Mill, the park will add even more charm to the idyllic Paw Paw Township setting.
“And we were able to do all of this through fundraising, gifts, and grants,” said Ferguson. “I can’t say enough about people’s generosity.”
A portion of the playground’s $1.7 million price tag was a $448,000 gift from the estate of James Edward Turner. He was a Roann resident and graduate of Roann High School.
While Ferguson was the pied piper, leading the project, he passed along much of the accolades to many others Sunday afternoon. There were park committee and town council members he raved about as well as Community Foundation of Wabash County President & CEO Alex Downard, who aided in writing a grant for the project.
“It only took one phone call to Alex and like that, a proposal was finished and sent off to the state. I can’t thank him enough,” added Ferguson.
The $377,000 grant was provided by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs as part of its Stellar Pathways program, awarded to Wabash County in December of 2024.
“We are extremely excited to see the Roann Park project come to fruition. After nearly a decade of planning and moving the project forward through due diligence and fundraising, this dream is becoming a reality,” added Downard. “Imagine One 85 is all about collaboration to make our communities a quality place to live and raise a family. This project embodies that spirit, which is why it was included as part of our Stellar Pathways Program submission. The Roann Park project is a testament to how small, grassroots efforts can result in transformational projects that will have an impact for generations to come.”
Copyright © 2025 Wabash Plain Dealer