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OUR HISTORY

A PRIVATE, VOLUNTEER-RUN PARK SINCE THE FORTIES

In the early 1940’s, before the War, The Harvest Ball was held each year in Roy. Everything stopped during the war years but resumed when the men came back home with an interest in dances with “all the trimmings.” Some of these young men got together in the summers of  1946 and 1947 at the Banks School grounds to hold a Bar-B-Q. Then the group of men acquired Ed Reabon’s property and began work on a field to play ball. A dance floor was put down and a Gun Club constructed.

Ray J. Vanderzanden was elected president of the group which became incorporated with the National Chamber of Commerce. In later years the name would be changed from Banks Sunset Chamber of Commerce, Inc. to Banks Community Chamber, Inc., to the present day Banks Sunset Park Association Inc. Over the years, the group lost the original Gun Club. The Hall that was built over the dance floor was lost due to a fire in January of 1983. Since then, the Gun Club and the Hall have been re-built.

Banks Sunset Park is privately owned and run by volunteers working to better the community by supporting organizations such as he Boy Scouts, FFA, summer baseball, Youth soccer, and the local school district. It is completely funded by activities hosted at the park. We hope you enjoy your time here and thank you for your support.