The new replacement fountain for Ruston’s Railroad Park has been installed.
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. The original fountain, believed to be about 120 years old, suffered several damage from several days of subfreezing temperatures. It was deemed a total loss.
Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker learned of a manufacturer who produces the identical fountain and thought the community might want to participate in a fund-raising campaign to acquire a replacement.
The Mayor’s Office told the Lincoln Parish Journal that funds were raised in a matter of days to not only replace the fountain but add other amenities to the park.
The fountain, the focal point of the park, was installed before 1906 when it first appears in photographs. The fountain could have been in place as early as 1896 when trees and shrubbery were first added to the park which was still railroad property at the time. Originally an underground stream provided the water. In 1934, Ruston’s 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.
The park has hosted scores of events from 4-H Club pet shows and diaper derbies to Easter sunrise services and campaign speeches by gubernatorial candidates.
