The year of 1914 was a big one for the city of Ridgeway. That was the year that the city built a City Hall and jail and contracted to have a gasoline-powered electric plant build and the city wired for electricity. In the midst of all this, on June 23, 1914, J. H. Shirer and C. S. Stoner came to the board of alderman with a proposal: if the board would contribute to the cost of building a new bandstand in the park, they would raise the rest of the money via donations. Per the meeting minutes of the City of Ridgeway Board of Aldermen, the board considered that proposal and agreed to give $150. The board appointed three men to serve as the Park Board to oversee construction: A. A. Guteridge (Chairmen), Ernest Snider and “Mr. Daniels”. Meanwhile, donations were being collected. Per an article in the July 2, 1914, issue of the Ridgeway Journal, the old stand had been torn down and the new one started. One donation was a benefit by the Rex Theater where they donated their proceeds from showing an a one-reel comedy entitled “Those Persistent Old Maids” and a two-reel drama named “The Power of Prayer”. The program also included orchestra selections, vocal solos, and a male quartette. At the time of the screening, the town had collected $350 of the expected $450 cost of the stand (about $12,767 today.) By the August 1 board meeting, the building had been completed to the point of adding the roof.
Park Bandstand in September, 2022
