From the Buffalo News:
The yearlong celebration of the 125th anniversary of Niagara Falls State Park — the oldest state park in the nation — will reach a climax on Thursday when State Parks Commissioner Carol Ash dedicates Heritage Park, a refurbished “pocket park” at Main Street and the Robert Moses Parkway, just outside the main park.
Ash will be joined by relatives of Thomas V. Welch, who was the first superintendent of the state park, for the 1:30 p. m. ceremony.
July 15, 1885, was the date on which then-Gov. David B. Hill officially opened the park to the public. Once privately owned, the park property had become a state reservation in April 1885 when Hill signed the necessary bond issue.