Cowan Lake State Park has a new place for visitors to slow down and reflect, after officials and community supporters gathered Saturday to cut the ribbon on the park's Trail of Heroes. The path, tucked inside the campground, now carries the stories of veterans, first responders, public officials and everyday Clinton County residents whose lives left a mark on the community.
According to the Wilmington News Journal, the trail recognizes individuals who served through the military, as first responders, in public office, through community leadership and through devotion to family. The project came together through an America250 grant secured by Friends Caring for Cowan Lake State Park and funded through the Clinton County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the outlet reports.
As reported by the Springfield News-Sun, the trail is described as a living tribute to service, sacrifice and community, and it includes multiple stops featuring individuals who represent very different expressions of heroism. ODNR Director Mary Mertz said every hero honored along the trail represents the best of Ohio's communities and state, per the Springfield News-Sun's reporting.
Stories Of Service Line The Path
Among those honored is Jason S. Lagore, who served 15 years with the ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft as a natural resource officer and K9 handler before dying in the line of duty, according to the Springfield News-Sun. Chester Wilson, who served in the 83rd Infantry Division during World War II and received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, is also recognized on the trail; after the war, Wilson maintained parks, ball fields and outdoor spaces, the outlet reports.
Curtis Reese, a Marine veteran who served eight years in the United States Marine Corps, is remembered on the trail for his quiet compassion and willingness to help anyone in need, per the Springfield News-Sun. Jeremy “JJ” Grillot, an Ohio State Highway Patrol sergeant, has dedicated his career to protecting the public, especially young drivers, and created a community trunk-or-treat event in 2020 that offered joy and connection during the COVID-19 pandemic, the outlet notes.
Ralph D. Fizer Sr., who served as Clinton County sheriff from 1988 to 2004, valued outdoor activities including fishing, camping, hunting and boating, according to the Springfield News-Sun. Ernestine West, who was born in a coal mining camp in Tennessee and built a life in Dayton raising a close-knit family grounded in love and perseverance, is honored for bringing generations of her family together at Cowan Lake for hiking and gathering over nearly 40 years, the paper reports.
Mertz said the stories show that service takes many forms, and that acts of courage or compassion strengthen Ohio, according to the Springfield News-Sun. The trail is open to the public and guides visitors through Cowan Lake State Park while sharing these Ohio veteran stories.
A Renamed Path With Roots Going Back Months
The Trail of Heroes traces back to plans announced in April, when the Wilmington News Journal reported that the existing trail, located across from the Nature Center, would be renamed and supported by funding from the America 250-Clinton County Committee. At the time, organizers invited community members to submit stories about people who made a significant impact through leadership or service, with selected stories slated to appear on interpretive signs along the trail; submissions were due May 8.
Reports have differed on how many signs the finished trail would carry. The Wilmington News Journal's April report described funding for six new interpretive signs to honor Clinton County heroes, while Real Change Wilmington reported the trail would have eight signs highlighting local heroes from different services. Real Change Wilmington also reported that Friends Caring for Cowan Lake State Park, the nonprofit established in 2016 to support the park, was converting the existing Treetop Trail into the Trail of Heroes as part of America's 250th anniversary.
The dedication fits into a broader statewide push: CityScene Columbus reported that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has planned more than 50 events across the state to highlight the history of its public lands as part of America250. CityScene Columbus had listed the Cowan Lake dedication for Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., describing it as an event to dedicate the trail to veterans and first responders from Clinton County while letting attendees read the stories of local heroes as they walk.
