The park benches you find in the Plainville City Park, located on a city block surrounded by Mill, Cochran, Section Line, and S. First streets, are a remnant of the days when travelers along highways would need resting spots.

 

These park benches were actually constructed  as part of a pocket park located at Mill and Broadway, along what was at one time the Red Line Road, later to become Kansas Highway 18 (before it was moved north of town).   The benches were constructed in the early 1930's in the pocket park of the old Home Oil Company and then moved to the City Park after World War II.

 

Credit for the building of the pocket park and the benches is given to John Hilgers, Sr., and Harvey Shaw.  John reportedly worked on posts and benches for hours and would come home with his fingers raw and bleeding.

 

Some of the product for the benches was imported from Nebraska.