Park board unveils new signage at Tuscora Park
The New Philadelphia Park Board unveiled new signage at Tuscora Park on Nov. 20, designating an extended part of the walkway through the park as Rod Miller Way in honor of the longtime superintendent of parks and recreation.
Rod Miller has served as the second New Philadelphia superintendent of parks and recreation since 1996; however, his contributions to New Philadelphia span over five decades.
The 1970 graduate of New Philadelphia High School joined the park staff part-time during high school and full-time thereafter. Miller had been the basketball manager at NPHS during his junior and senior years and has remained connected to local sports ever since, especially those taking place at Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium, which is located on 11 acres of park property.
Miller assumed Tuscora Park’s top job following the retirement of its first superintendent, Fritz Gilgen, who became the park’s leader in April 1966. Miller and Gilgen would be instrumental in orchestrating many of the park’s renovations and upgrades, beginning in the 1970s.
Miller and Gilgen would join Tuscora Park Board members Keith Walker and Pede Reese and Tuscora Park concession manager Larry Chaney to organize the inaugural First Town Days Festival in 1978 to help pay for repairs and restoration of the 1928 vintage Herschell-Spillman Carousel that has operated at Tuscora Park since 1941.
A 1981 article in the National Carousel Association’s newsletter tells of then-NCA Director Jerry Betts’ introduction to Miller and Gilgen to restore the Tuscora Park carousel. According to the article, Miller and Gilgen were impressed with the knowledge Betts had of the origin of their carousel and said they had always wanted to do something to restore it, but they just didn’t know where to start. Miller and Gilgen emphasized the townspeople of New Philadelphia had always had a fondness for their merry-go-round.
Nearly $30,000 was raised through the sale of commemorative plates and horse adoption to enable the first Tuscora Park restoration efforts. Miller and Gilgen joined then-Mayor Leo Benjamin and Tuscora Park Board Chair Jim Clymer to accept a preservation award from NCA President John Hayek.
The carousel preservation efforts would spark later preservation work for the 1926 vintage C.W. Parker Ferris Wheel, in operation at Tuscora Park since 1943. In 1988 local residents Jerry and Donna Schwab built the structure to house the carousel in memory of their 10-year-old son Douglas, who passed away.
Miller also worked in concert with RTY Inc. to transform the operation of rides and other projects at Tuscora Park. Formed in 1985 by the Rotary Club of New Philadelphia, the nonprofit RTY operates under contract with the City of New Philadelphia.
Miller contributed to the development and operations of The Park Place Youth Center, which opened in 2000 as a teen center and transitioned to a youth center in 2020. Park Place was managed by Sam Hitchcock for many years. Miller also has worked with RTY to present the popular RTY Summer Showcase — a series of free Sunday evening concerts at Tuscora Park Amphitheater during the summer.
Renovations to the Tuscora Park Amphitheater, along with the Tuscora Park Pool, were other major projects undertaken during Miller’s tenure. The pool was one of the original attractions built. In March 1907 the Daily Times reported a pool would be built and a 4- to 6-acre lake would be dug for boating in the summer and ice skating in the winter. The Tuscora Park Amphitheater was renovated in 1998 and the Tuscora Park Pool in the 2000s.
In retirement Miller continues to work with the Tuscora Park Foundation, whose projects include the Southside Park, pickleball courts, public boat ramp, lakeside dock and others.
The New Philadelphia Park Board unveiled new signage at Tuscora Park on Nov. 20, designating an extended part of the walkway through the park as Rod Miller Way in honor of the longtime superintendent of parks and recreation.
Miller retired in April after serving the city for over 50 years, with nearly 29 of those as the park superintendent. Signs were posted on the walkway near the park entrance at Second Street Northwest and Tuscora Avenue and at the entrance to the walkway at the north side of the park near the baseball field.