ray brown memorial
park project
The Ray Brown Memorial Park project is a multi-faceted project that includes contributions from multiple departments at Ohio Northern University, the village of Alger, and Hardin County Historical Museums. Three major pieces have been at the forefront of the project, including the historical marker, mural, and park development.
the ray brown project
In December 2020, Ada Herald writer Joe Schriner authored a column that described his surprise upon discovering that the small Hardin County village of Alger (pop. 800) was the birthplace of Baseball Hall of Famer Ray Brown. Schriner also lamented that there was no memorial, monument, or plaque to Brown in his hometown.
During the Fall 2021 semester, Ohio Northern history professor David Strittmatter tasked a team of his students with drafting an initial application for an Ohio Historical Marker to Brown. The process required the students to make contact with Alger village administrator Paul Osborne, who envisioned the marker as a mere starting point for a wider redevelopment plan of Alger Village Park.
Today, the Ray Brown project is an ongoing collaboration of three entities: the Village of Alger, the ONU History Program, and Hardin County Historical Museums, Inc. This page celebrates the successes of the project, describes the various components of this local history initiative, and identifies future plans for Ray Brown Memorial Park.
The Homestead Grays appeared in four straight Negro League World Series from 1942-45, winning two of them. The four most prominent players from the teams were Ray Brown, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, and Buck Leonard (all featured above).
Ohio Historical Marker
In July 2023, the state historical markers program approved the application for a Ray Brown marker in Alger. It will be placed behind the backstop of the primary ball field at Ray Brown Memorial Park.
Funding for the marker took many forms. The approval from the state came with a $1,000 grant from the Ohio History Connection. A student-created GoFundMe page raised $1,700. A Dine-to-Donate event at El Campo in Ada raised $250. The remaining funds came from the Hardin County Historical Museums. The Marker was ordered in June 2024, and it was delivered to Alger in May 2025. It will be unveiled during a park dedication event, tentatively scheduled for May 2026.
An Ohio Historical Marker for Moses Fleetwood Marker stands outside Fifth Third Field in Toledo. Several other markers around the state detail Ohio's rich baseball history, including from League Park, Cy Young, Dummy Hoy, Harvey Haddix, and a 1961 barnstorming tour.
Ray Brown Mural
In Fall 2022, ONU professors David Strittmatter and Melissa Eddings Mancuso co-authored a successful ONU internal arts grant to fund a Ray Brown mural that will be installed on a dugout, at the Alger ballparks.
Throughout 2023, student artist Aubrey Davis painted the two 4x8-foot mural panels that feature multiple images of Brown, various symbols of Ohio, and Hardin County locations. Finished in December of that year, the mural awaits installation at the park.
The Columbus Grove-born artist describes the components of her creation.
Click here to watch the WLIO Hometown Stations interview with Aubrey Davis about her mural creation.
Background Colors
"I did deliberately choose these colors because they're primary colors. Chicorie is a nice blue-ish kind of purple color. And then you got your yellows and reds of the cardinal and the Columbine. The primary colors are vibrant against the deep dark green. And the dark green is nice because of how often the blues are used."
- Aubrey Davis
Significance of the Flowers
"The flowers, those are all native Ohio wildflowers. So you have Columbine, Chicory, Black-Eyed Susan, and Goldenrod. And then, on the right-hand side, there's a buttercup, too. And those are all native wildflowers to Ohio. I chose those specifically. I did kind of a floral thing, specifically because at least in my time and experience, knowing about your environment, seeing the seasons change, and being fully absorbed in what's happening around you."
- Aubrey Davis
mural images
"I did a plain, simple portrait of Ray Brown. So, you know, you'd see his face in a very, very literal sense."
"The building is the old school in Alger, Ohio, where Ray Brown would have attended school."
"The second photo is of the team, the Homestead Grays, which he was a part of and really started to make a career for himself in baseball."
"The one [image] in the center is a mock kind of a baseball card that I created."
- Aubrey Davis
ray brown memorial park
Location: 1007 North Ohio, Alger, OH 45812
The map to the left illustrates the imagined redevelopment project of the park in Alger, as drawn by village administrator Paul Osborne. Currently, the park centers on two ballfields currently used by adult softball leagues and youth baseball organizations.
In August 2024, after conducting a community survey, the Alger Village Council unanimously voted 6-0 to rename "Alger Village Park" the Ray Brown Memorial Park.
Ray Brown Memorial Park will serve a variety of recreational purposes. The redevelopment project includes both renovating aspects of the park that currently exist and installing new additions.
(1) main ball diamond
(2) second ball diamond
(3) third ball diamond [new]
(4) tennis/pickleball court [new]
(5) walking path [new]
(6) restrooms [new]
(7) parking lot
(8) concessions stand
(9) pavilion shelters
(10) park facilities building
(11) entrance arches [new]
