Civil War Soldiers Take Over Goodale Park

A decade after Goodale Park was given to the Columbus, the city nearly lost the space.

When President Lincoln called for volunteers to serve in 1861, Ohio was unprepared. The park became a hastily converted campground for the soldiers. 7,000 people were living at the park, which was more than it could hold.

Three weeks after the park was invaded by the military, Lincoln Goodale wrote a letter to Columbus City Council saying the occupation was in violation of his gift. As a part of his gift, if Goodale found the land wasn’t being used according to his specifications it would be returned to him. Two weeks later it was announced Camp Chase in the present say Hilltop neighborhood would be built to the soldiers.