Opening in 1881, the Paris Fish Hatchery was the state's second fish-rearing agency. The area was chosen for its abundant water sources and excellent railroad connections. It became a major supplier of salmon and brown trout fingerlings, which were shipped throughout the state in distinctive red milk cans carried in railroad baggage cars, most famously the Wolverine, used from 1913 to 1938 before motorized vehicles came to dominate shipment. The Works Progress Administration renovated and expanded the facility in the mid-1930s. It continued operating until 1964, when the Department of Natural Resources closed it. The Mecosta County Park Commission acquired the site in 1973, refurbished it as a park, and reopened it in July 1976.