PARK HISTORY

If you have ever driven by Spinners Park and seen kids playing ball or families having a picnic, or if you’ve used the park as a starting place for a bike ride or for a 5K run, or if you’ve spent an afternoon in the park shopping and watching local entertainment and eating fresh-cooked treats, you may have wondered how the park got its name.

To learn that, we have to go back in time to 1951, when a group of 16 young women met to form a new service club in Prattville. They wanted to encourage friendship and service to the community. They had a long list of potential names for their club, and they had some serious discussion before finally coming up with the name “SPINNERS”. This, to them, was a worthy symbol of their aspirations to be both creative and hardworking as they served their beloved community. 

Very soon, just a year or so after the club was formed, the members saw a real need for a park for use by children on the west side of town. Dr. G.E. Newton owned some land off 6th Street which he had planned on developing into a housing subdivision, but after hearing the women’s enthusiastic ideas, he agreed to change his plans and lease the land to the Spinners Club, and they began working to develop the park which would come to bear their name. In 1954 Dr Newton sold the parcel of land to the club. Spinners and their family members made considerable financial sacrifice in order to raise the purchase price. {Legend has it that some even mortgaged their homes to obtain the funds.} Soon dirt was brought in to fill in the low areas. Then benches and picnic tables and swings and slides and other play equipment were purchased and installed. Later, with the hard work of Charles Farrior, the first ball field was completed. It was later dedicated to his memory by being named Farrior Field and was used by Dixie Youth League players.

Today, Spinners Park is a true old-fashioned park, peaceful and welcoming. It has plenty of play equipment for children, tables for picnics, covered pavilions for birthday parties, and open areas just for waling and relaxing. Spinners Club still owns the park, but it is leased to the City of Prattville and is maintained along with all the other City Parks.