The Funding
In the course of research for the Ray Brown project, this c. 1926 photograph turned up in the collection of local resident Jerry Cramer. Brown appears in the back row, second from the right. This is the earliest known photograph of Alger's Hall of Famer.
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This Ray Brown autographed ball was in the Joe DiMaggio estate before it went to auction.
Ray Brown Memorial Park exists as a multi-stage development initiative with a list of capital improvements. Reimagining a community park takes vision and creativity, but such an initiative comes with a cost. The three-way partnership of the Hardin County Historical Museums, Village of Alger, and the ONU History Program have been at the forefront of fundraising efforts.
In 2022, Alger village administrator Paul Osborne secured grant funding from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to update the backstop for the primary baseball field. In 2023, Osborne secured additional ODNR grant funding to repair and update the park’s playground shelter houses.
Efforts to commemorate Ray Brown at the Alger park gained considerable momentum in late June 2024. Within days of raising the final funds to pay for the historical marker, the Ohio State Legislature announced grant recipients for the One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund. The Hardin County Historical Museums submitted the application that was awarded $40,000.
In Fall 2024, Forecast Public Art--a non-profit organization in the Twin Cities--announced the inaugural Midwest Memory Grant, and the Hardin County Historical Museums submitted an application for Ray Brown Memorial Park. In March 2025, Forecast announced the Ray Brown project as one of the eight recipients of a $110,000 grant--$75,000 of which will go directly into the park.
The recent grants will fund the first few major park improvements, though the grant writing and fundraising will continue.
If you would like to donate to the Ray Brown Memorial Park fund, checks can be written out to "Hardin County Historical Museums" with "Ray Brown Memorial Park" in the memo line. Mail to:
Hardin County Historical Museums
223 North Main Street
Kenton, OH 43326
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Thank you for your generosity!