Former state senator Theron Gurney and his wife, Helen, donated land to the village of Hart in 1912 for a park to honor their son. Lieutenant John Gurney (1871-1898), a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, had died at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish American War. In 1914 the Progressive Park Association erected the entrance arch as a memorial. John Gurney Park was one of several auto tourist camps developed along the West Michigan Pike during the 1920s. In 1921 the pavilion was built and the park improved with water and other amenities. A 1921 Hart Journal called it "one of the most beautiful and spacious parks that any town in Western Michigan can boast." Hart Lake was created in 1925 when the Pentwater River was dammed for a hydroelectric plant
Visit Instructions:Take a photo of your GPS at the marker. We'd prefer a photo of you with your GPS, but we realize that sometimes that's just not possible or preferable.
Also include a bit about your visit to the marker.
NEW: Instructions for logging Missing Marker Visits.
If the Marker is missing, but still listed here, you must provide a photo of you at the actual item historically honored. (This should be the waymark's "default" image). Indicate in your log that you took your photo at the Historical Location instead of the marker, because the marker was missing. Please also still include a bit about your visit to the site.