Meadowbrook Park began as a Tiffin, Fostoria & Eastern Electric Railway plan to draw weekend riders. Laura Stephenson Sneath, wife of a major company stakeholder, led the park development. Originally north of Wolf Creek, Meadowbrook included a baseball diamond and a 1902 dance pavilion. In 1923, William Richards purchased the buildings and leased the land from Henry Matthews of Matthews Boat Company. The pavilion was destroyed by fire under suspicious circumstances on October 12, 1925, but no one was charged. James Garfield Haugh, president of the Gem Manufacturing Company, purchased the land in 1925.
In 1929, Haugh moved the park to the south side of Wolf Creek where he added more amenities. A second dance pavilion, completed in 1931, was destroyed by fire on August 19, 1933. Again, despite suspicious circumstances, no party was suspected. The 7,000 square foot Redwood Ballroom was completed in 1934. Using state-of-the art trusses that allowed for the large open floor space and domed roof, the ballroom was engineered to reduce echo. Although the materials were supplied by Haugh’s company, he died on October 4, 1933, and never saw the third dance pavilion finished.
