Programs

History of Manor House & Estate

The first half of the 20th century proved an uncertain, but exciting time in American history. From the turn of the century through the 1920s, the United States fostered unbelievable economic and industrial growth. Inventors and innovators introduced the world to amazing new concepts in the fields of transportation and energy. As bright and promising as those times were, the Great Depression and war years that followed equaled them in despair and foreboding. The prosperous years allowed men of genius and vision to accumulate incredible wealth and influence, while the lean times tested these new American leaders.

During this era, amazing industrial accomplishments transformed Toledo and northwest Ohio into leaders in the country’s good times, but left the region in desperate circumstances when the Depression hit. The story of one prominent Toledo family, the Stranahans, encapsulates these times and continues to shed light on how the country went from economic feast to famine; and finally emerged to lead the world through the remainder of the 20th century.

Founders of Champion Spark Plug Company, brothers R.A. and F.D. Stranahan became wealthy beyond their greatest imagination and then used their money and influence to help see Toledo and the nation through the troubling times of the Great Depression and World War II. R.A. Stranahan’s impressive mansion and sprawling estate, now Wildwood Preserve, stand as a testament to the great business success the brothers enjoyed.

The existence of Wildwood today is the result of a citizens' campaign in the mid-1970s to preserve the property as a public park. The issue was placed on the ballot and won the support of the voters—and the hearts of generations of visitors.