By Wesley Harris
The effort to raise funds to replace the fountain in Ruston’s Railroad Park with a new but identical one has met its goal and then some.
Last winter’s hard freeze killed shrubbery, burst water pipes, and destroyed the historic three-tiered fountain, one of Lincoln Parish’s most beloved landmarks.
Beth Bennett, assistant to Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker, told the Lincoln Parish Journal that funds had been raised to not only replace the fountain but add other amenities to the park.
“With the remaining money, we will be purchasing new lights for both fountains at Railroad Park and the Historic Fire Station,” Bennett said.
The funds will also allow for purchase of some sound equipment for Railroad Park, Bennett added.
The winter damage to the 100+ year old fountain was too severe for repairs.
Without the fountain, the park was missing its centerpiece and Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker decided it was time to replace it.
Walker wanted to make the fund-raising effort a community project, giving individuals, organizations, and businesses a chance to be a part of the campaign.
“We just felt like a lot of people might be interested in being a part of that,” Walker said.
Walker circulated a letter announcing the fundraising campaign to purchase and install a new fountain identical to the old one.
“We will have a plaque [listing] the donations that go toward that,” Walker said.
Walker identified the company producing an identical fountain during a trip this fall to Fort Worth for a Louisiana Tech alumni event.
Older generations remember admiring the goldfish in the fountain or dabbling in the
water during one of the hundreds of special events the park has hosted.
The fountain, focal point of the park, was installed before 1906 when it first appears in photographs. Originally an underground stream provided the water. In 1934, the T. L. James Company renovated the park and fountain.
During World War II when communities were gathering scrap metal to transform into tanks, bombers, and ships, someone suggested adding the fountain to the effort. A firestorm of protest nixed that idea quickly.
In 1952, T. L. James restored the fountain again and built a bandstand and new sidewalks. The Ruston Garden Club added new landscaping. At some point, goldfish were added to the fountain pool. The well-fed fish grew to huge proportions and many a kid tried to ensnare one with his hands while old men smoked their pipes in the shade of the big oaks.
