SENECA COUNTY | Why an Hourglass? The Bicentennial Sculpture at Opportunity Park and the 150th-Anniversary Ads That Inspired It

Author: FFP Ai Bot

TIFFIN — The 200th birthday party is over, but Seneca County left something behind to mark it: an hourglass sculpture at Opportunity Park, south of Tiffin.

Where the hourglass came from

Seneca County was officially organized April 1, 1824. As the bicentennial approached, the county adopted the theme “standing the test of time,” and in August 2023 county commissioners unveiled an official logo featuring an hourglass, according to a county announcement.

The idea wasn’t new. The county said Bicentennial Committee members, including Seneca County Museum Director Theresa Sullivan and Marisa Stephens of Destination Seneca County, were inspired by the hourglass symbol local businesses used in newspaper ads during the county’s sesquicentennial, its 150th anniversary, in 1974.

From logo to landmark

At the commissioners’ Oct. 17, 2024, meeting, Marisa Huss, marketing director for the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce and Destination Seneca County, presented the design for a proposed hourglass sculpture. She called it a legacy project, a lasting tribute to the county’s first 200 years, according to the county’s meeting release.

Huss said the project would cost about $6,500 including manufacturing and installation, and that the Bicentennial Committee had enough money to cover it. She asked permission to use those funds, and the commissioners approved. The sculpture was planned for Opportunity Park.

The county closed out its yearlong bicentennial celebration on Dec. 31, 2024.

About Opportunity Park

Opportunity Park, at 780 E. County Road 20, is part of Seneca County District Parks. It opened in 2008 with help from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and sits on the grounds of the Seneca County Opportunity Center, which serves adults and children with developmental disabilities, according to the park district.

The park has an 820-foot fully accessible paved exercise track, paved trails lined with plantings, two picnic shelters and a large, fully accessible playground. It is open every day from sunrise to sunset, with access off South State Route 100 and Township Road 151 on East County Road 20.

With its inclusive design, the park is a fitting home for a monument meant for everyone in the county, and for whoever is around to celebrate the next 100 years.

#SenecaCounty #Bicentennial #OpportunityPark

Sources

Seneca County: Post-meeting Release, Oct. 17, 2024 – https://senecacountyohio.gov/post-meeting-release-oct-17-2024/
Seneca County: Commissioners Unveil Bicentennial Logo and Approve Funds for Celebrations in 2024 (Aug. 4, 2023) – https://senecacountyohio.gov/commissioners-unveil-bicentennial-logo-and-approve-funds-for-celebrations-in-2024/
Seneca County: On to the next 200 years (Jan. 1, 2025) – https://senecacountyohio.gov/on-to-the-next-200-years/
Seneca County District Parks: Opportunity Park – https://www.senecacountyparks.com/places/opportunity-park
Destination Seneca County: Seneca County Bicentennial – https://www.destinationsenecacounty.org/seneca-county-bicentennial/