HTPARKS BLOG

Watch for the Heritage Trails Park District Truck

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 22:25:01 GMT

Heritage Trails has wheels!

Be on the lookout for Heritage Trails Park District's new wheels!

P.J. and Terry are out taking care of your Auglaize County parks --- stop & say hello when you see them!

New benches & trail signage at Kuffner Nature Preserve

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 19:43:45 GMT

Improvements at Dr. Elizabeth Yahl Kuffner Nature Preserve

Heritage Trails Park District is pleased to announce that new memorial park benches and trail signs have recently been installed at the Dr. Elizabeth Yahl Kuffner Nature Preserve! It's a great time to share a nature hike with your friends & family along our new boardwalk trail. Kuffner Preserve is open from dawn to dusk, located at 14840 County Rd 66A, just north of St. Marys, Ohio.

Self-guided Wildflower Hike - Apr. 11 thru May 4

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 17:45:15 GMT

Wildflower Hike at Dr. Elizabeth Yahl Kuffner Nature Preserve - Apr. 11 - May 4, 2026

Heritage Trails Park District invites you to explore the Dr. Elizabeth Yahl Kuffner Nature Preserve for a spring wildflower hike!
Enjoy a self-guided hike along the wooded trails of this unique nature preserve, where numerous species of Ohio’s native wildflowers can be found, including the official State Wildflower of Ohio, the Large-flowered Trillium. Signage will be located along the trail to help you identify wildflowers first-hand and learn fun facts about each species. The preserve's newly added park benches & boardwalk trail surface enhances accessibility for all hikers.
Pick a day & time that works for you, dawn to dusk, April 11th through May 4th (event may be extended if flowers are still blooming). Bring the whole family, hike at your own pace, learn as you go along, and spend some quality time outdoors!
The Dr. Elizabeth Yahl Kuffner Nature Preserve is located at: 14840 County Road 66A, just north of St. Marys. Interpretive signage will be in place from April 11 – May 4, but we invite you to experience the wildflowers at the preserve any week this spring, as they are ever-changing through the season. If you prefer to go on a guided hike, join Park Volunteer ShelbyDawn Oakes on April 23rd at 6:30pm for an interpretive stroll through the preserve.
We also ask that you please:
-Stay on the trail. Doing so protects this precious wildflower habitat
-Please do not pick the wildflowers. Take nothing, leave nothing
-Please carry in & carry out all trash
-Share your photos and hike experience with us on Facebook @HeritageTrailsParkDistrict or email us at info@htparks.org
Invite friends & family to explore with you and enjoy some springtime with Heritage Trails Park District.

Boardwalk Ribbon Cutting at Kuffner Preserve

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 23:45:33 GMT

Official ribbon cutting for new boardwalk trail at Kuffner Nature Preserve

The ribbon has officially been cut for the new boardwalk trail at Dr. Elizabeth Yahl Kuffner Nature Preserve! We are grateful to the Yahl Kuffner & Hartung families for their generous donations to help make these wonderful trail improvements happen. Heritage Trails Park District invites everyone to explore this amazing park, located at 14840 County Road 66a, just north of St. Marys, Ohio. Pictured here are: Heritage Trails Park District Commissioners Dave Stilwell & Allison Brady holding the ribbon, while Kris Kuffner, Kurt Kuffner & Kathy Lampert do the honors. The recently installed boardwalk trail was made possible by generous donations of the Yahl Kuffner & Hartung families.

Gardener's Plant Swap Cart - May 4th thru May 13th

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 15:42:20 GMT

Gardener's Plant Swap Cart - May 4th thru May 13th

The St. Marys Community Public Library and the Heritage Trails Park District invite the public to enjoy a Gardener’s Plant Swap Cart from May 4th to May 13th during library hours. A cart will be stationed near the entrance of the library. Folks are able to swap or share potted seedlings, plants, and supplies with fellow gardeners all week long. Please label your items. Sharing is encouraged, but it’s not necessary to bring items in to pick up freebies! It’s a great way to expand your garden or thin your plants by sharing extra items with those who would be interested in having them.

For more information about the Gardener's Plant Swap Cart, visit the St. Marys Community Public Library at 140 South Chestnut Street, or call (419) 394-7471.

Gardener's Swap & Share - May 13th

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 15:19:22 GMT

Gardener's Swap & Share - May 13th

The St. Marys Community Public Library and the Heritage Trails Park District invite the public to a Gardener’s Swap and Share on Wednesday, May 13th. Join us for a presentation at 7:00 p.m. given by T. Rae Neal, who will talk about “Health Benefits of Gardening.” Before the presentation, at 5:30 p.m., come to the parking area outside the library and bring your plant divisions and miscellaneous garden plants to swap and share with others. Sharing is encouraged, but it’s not necessary to bring items in to pick up freebies!

Representatives from the St. Marys Garden Club will be available to answer your gardening questions and you can share your own gardening tips and tricks. Learn about local farmer’s markets. Enter a drawing for a chance to win a prize.

For more information about the Garden Swap and Share, call or visit the St. Marys Community Public Library at 140 South Chestnut Street, call (419) 394-7471.

Kuffner Nature Preserve is OPEN!

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 23:08:05 GMT

Kuffner Nature Preserve re-opens with brand new boardwalk trail...

The Dr. Elizabeth Yahl-Kuffner Nature Preserve has re-opened to the public! Thanks to generous donors, a brand new boardwalk has been installed to enhance accessibility to all hikers. In the coming weeks, new benches, trail signage, and informational kiosk will also be added to further improve this amazing Auglaize County park. Our park lands are open to the public from dawn to dusk, 365 days a year. Pets on a leash are welcome, but please clean up after your pet. Kuffner Nature Preserve is located at 14840 County Rd 66A, St. Marys, Ohio.

2025 Autumn Newsletter

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 23:16:05 GMT

2025 Autumn Newsletter for Heritage Trails Park District

To sign-up to receive our quarterly newsletter, please email info@htparks.org

Heritage Trails Park District - 2025 Stahr Award Winner!

sudman13@yahoo.com (Terry McDonald) — Wed, 28 May 2025 13:18:20 GMT

Heritage Trails Park District - 2025 Stahr Award Winner!

Earlier this month, Heritage Trails Park District was presented with the STAHR AWARD from Ohio's Grand Lake Region Visitors Center! We are so grateful to receive such an honor! Thank you!

Each year, the Stahr Award is given to one group, organization or business for its outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of tourism in the Auglaize & Mercer County area. The granting of this award began in 1998, named for former Visitors Center Trustee, the late Bill Stahr.

Pictured here:

Heritage Trails Park District Executive Director PJ Fought along with Ambassador Award winner Matt Tuttle and Past President Award winner Jared Ebbing.

Progress Report for Heritage Trails Park District

sudman13@yahoo.com (Terry McDonald) — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 15:06:16 GMT

Heritage Trails Park District - Progress Report for 2025

Progress Report for Heritage Trails Park District

(By: Administrative Assistant Terry McDonald)

Heritage Trails Park District has been moving forward in leaps & bounds during the past year, fueling our mission to create and preserve park lands in Auglaize County for conservation, leisure and educational purposes for everyone to enjoy. Our park district is currently comprised of six areas of park lands in Auglaize County, Ohio, including Lock 14 Park, Deep Cut Historical Park, Bloody Bridge Trail Head, Dr. Elizabeth Yahl-Kuffner Nature Preserve, eight miles of Towpath Trail along the Miami Erie Canal, and the future site of the E.J. Mackenbach Preserve.

In 2024, Heritage Trails Park District acquired the E.J. Mackenbach Preserve, approximately 70 acres of historic property just north of St. Marys, Ohio. This preserve features 34 acres of woodland, 36 acres of fields and amazing views of the Miami Erie Canal. Plans are in place to restore the agricultural fields to wetland and meadow habitats, with plantings of native wildflower species that will aid our pollinators and increase wildlife diversity for Auglaize County. More recently, two miles of wooded hiking trails were cleared, hazardous trees were removed, and park signage ordered, all helping to solidify plans for opening this newest Auglaize County park to the public later this year.

Last spring and summer, we conducted several park district planning sessions, inviting community leaders and citizens to offer input and guidance as Heritage Trails Park District continues to grow. These planning sessions have been a crucial component in determining our best development strategy and prioritizing the park goals within Auglaize County.

The park district also hired its first full-time Executive Director, PJ Fought. With an education in wildlife management and fisheries, as well as extensive hunting and fishing experience, Fought hopes to utilize his skills to help guide and grow the park district in a direction to reach its full potential. In his first six months as Executive Director, Fought has focused on applying for grant opportunities, connecting with community leaders and local organizations, developing budgets, attending educational conferences, and learning all there is to know about Heritage Trails Park District. His efforts have propelled the park district forward in a short amount of time and motivates our team about the possibilities ahead in 2025 and beyond.

Heritage Trails Park District has also continued to provide creative, family-friendly nature programming, special events and outdoor recreation opportunities all year long. In the spring, we conducted our annual Gardeners Swap & Share program, trading seeds and plant divisions with others and learning how to benefit pollinators during the farming season. We distributed hundreds of free tree seedlings in celebration of Earth Day, provided a self-guided wildflower hike experience at the Dr. Elizabeth Yahl-Kuffner Nature Preserve, and continued our involvement in the Auglaize County Fair. In late summer we held our annual ‘Swift Night Out’ program, sharing an extraordinary birdwatching opportunity as we learned about the benefits of nature’s insectivores like the Chimney Swift bird. Partnering with Kiwanis Club of St. Marys and numerous local businesses, organizations & volunteers, we successfully hosted our 55 ^th annual Walk with Nature Fall Festival along the Miami Erie Canal this past October.

Last fall, local girl scout troops of St. Marys, St. Henry & Marion Local volunteered to build and install 16 new Eastern Bluebird boxes along the Towpath Trail in Auglaize County. This has been a great addition to the towpath hiking experience, and we look forward to seeing the first fledglings emerge from their new boxes this spring.

This past year has been a major turning point for Heritage Trails Park District, as we’ve strengthened our partnerships, connected with communities, expanded our team, preserved and protected additional park lands, and provided countless opportunities to discover and experience nature right here in Auglaize County, Ohio. The future is bright for Heritage Trails Park District in 2025, and we welcome you to follow our upcoming developments and public programs at www.htparks.org or on our Facebook page.

THE STORY OF THE BLOODY BRIDGE

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 16:45:53 GMT

THE STORY OF THE BLOODY BRIDGE

HOW IT GOT ITS NAME

Just outside of Spencerville on Route 66 lies a bridge that crosses the Miami Erie Canal. According to legend, it was the site of a grisly murder in 1854. In 1977, the Auglaize County Historical Society erected a plaque near the bridge that recounts the events of that night:

"During the canal years of the 1850s a rivalry grew between Bill Jones and Jack Billings for the love of Minnie Warren. There became hatred by Bill because Minnie chose Jack. On a fall night in 1854, returning from a party, Minnie and Jack were surprised on the bridge by Bill, armed with an axe. With one swing, Bill severed Jack's head. Seeing this, Minnie screamed and fell into a watery grave. Bill disappeared, and when a skeleton was found years later in a nearby well, people asked was it suicide or justice."

THE STORY

It was 1854 and two young friends had secured gainful employment as mule drivers for the canal boats. Jack Billings worked on a boat named “Daisy” and Bill Jones for the “Minnie Warren”, a vessel named after the captain’s beautiful daughter.

Both men were head over heels for the later canal boat’s namesake, but there could be only one suitor and before long Jack Billings began to emerge as a clear victor in the contest for Minnie Warren’s heart.

Losing to Jack began to enrage Bill. It didn’t help when Jack and Minnie would do disgusting little things like blowing each other kisses as they passed each other along the canals.

In June of 1854 both the “Daisy” and the “Minnie Warren” were docked in the tiny village of Kossuth. Jack and Minnie decided to use the free evening to go out for dinner and attend a party.

As they were returning late that night and enraged, crazed and probably drunk Bill Jones jumped out from behind the pillar of a bridge. Before they could comprehend what was happening Bill swung his axe and decapitated Jack Billings.

Legend says that after belting out a heart wrenching scream, Minnie fell into the water – though how anyone can be sure she wasn’t pushed, remains a mystery. Regardless of how she wound up in the drink, her lifeless body was pulled from the water later that night.

Almost immediately after the murder people began claiming that they encountered a headless figure on the bridge or that, if they were brave enough to peer over the side, they would see Minnie staring back at them from the water below.

It probably didn’t help that the splatter of Jack’s blood stained the bridge and was visible until the 1890s.

What became of Bill Jones? He was never seen again and his whereabouts remained a mystery until a skeleton was found at the bottom of a nearby well 4 years later. We’ll never know whether put himself there or was delivered unwillingly in an act of street justice.

HTPARKS BLOG

Watch for the Heritage Trails Park District Truck

Heritage Trails has wheels!

New benches & trail signage at Kuffner Nature Preserve

Improvements at Dr. Elizabeth Yahl Kuffner Nature Preserve

Self-guided Wildflower Hike - Apr. 11 thru May 4

Wildflower Hike at Dr. Elizabeth Yahl Kuffner Nature Preserve - Apr. 11 - May 4, 2026

Boardwalk Ribbon Cutting at Kuffner Preserve

Official ribbon cutting for new boardwalk trail at Kuffner Nature Preserve

Gardener's Plant Swap Cart - May 4th thru May 13th

Gardener's Plant Swap Cart - May 4th thru May 13th

Gardener's Swap & Share - May 13th

Gardener's Swap & Share - May 13th

Kuffner Nature Preserve is OPEN!

Kuffner Nature Preserve re-opens with brand new boardwalk trail...

2025 Autumn Newsletter

2025 Autumn Newsletter for Heritage Trails Park District

Heritage Trails Park District - 2025 Stahr Award Winner!

Heritage Trails Park District - 2025 Stahr Award Winner!

Progress Report for Heritage Trails Park District

Heritage Trails Park District - Progress Report for 2025

THE STORY OF THE BLOODY BRIDGE

THE STORY OF THE BLOODY BRIDGE ﻿

THE STORY

THE STORY OF THE BLOODY BRIDGE