Apple trees planted at South Park

MANSFIELD — Caleb Parsons has dreamt of adding an edible park in the Mansfield area.

The benefits of developing such a park are two-fold: not only could that provide nice scenery, but also fresh food for locals who may not be able to afford it, he reasoned.

On May 7, that dream of his was put into motion. The 17-year-old teamed up with members of Richland Early American Center for History (REACH) to plant eight apple trees, donated by Apple Hill Orchards, along Brinkerhoff Avenue in South Park.

The saplings will most likely take three or four years before they produce any fruit, Juli Parsons, Caleb’s mother, estimated.

“An apple tree feeds more than a family,” she said. “And eight of them quite a bit more,” Caleb added.

The mother-son duo are helping maintain the trees, keeping a watchful eye for pesky critters and insects. Juli said they’ve hung chunks of soap bars from the trees to deter deer and placed drainage pipes around the trunks to prevent animals from chewing on the bark. Stakes were added to help prevent the trees from being blown by high winds, she said.

Caleb said he’s happy to see this new addition to South Park and hopes to see even more fruit trees or plants added in the future.  

Tom Pappas with REACH is also excited about the apple trees, especially for historical purposes.

“We tried to get the tree species that were common in that era (the 1800s),” Pappas said. That way, students can learn about local history–including American pioneer Johnny Appleseed.

“It’ll be great for field trips,” said John Long, a member of REACH.

While visiting South Park, students can check out the historic Blockhouse and witness reenactments of what life was like over 200 years ago.

Pappas said REACH hopes to construct a log cabin at South Park in late July or early August if they’re able to receive grant money to help cover material costs; otherwise, the project may have to be postponed until next year, he said.

He said they’re in the process of power-washing the logs, which were taken from a pre-Civil War home in Mifflin last September with the help of Purdy Construction.

The logs are being stored at Rable Machine, Inc.’s warehouse.

Pappas said the project’s been a labor of love from the get-go. Fortunately, many have come alongside to help see it through, including Cement Products, Mechanics Bank, Purdy Construction, Rable Machine, Warren Rupp, John Fernyak, among others.

In the end, REACH hopes to offer a service to the community that’s both engaging and educational.

“We love history and just want to share that with others in the community,” Pappas said.

Fun in the Parks

More fun and educational activities are to be had at South Park through Fun in the Parks, a program organized by the Friends of the Mansfield Parks.

Fun in the Parks provides free summer activities starting June 14 through July 20. Classes are Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon and are open to all ages.

Classes include Children’s Educational Garden, Art in the Parks, Drama in the Park with Maggie Paul and a class looking into Mansfield’s past given by REACH volunteers.  

Some class sizes are limited. Registration forms and brochure can be downloaded at www.downtownmansfield.com. For additional information, contact 419-565-0881 or email jewelsielp@yahoo.com.