Richard "Pops" Strohman was born in West Texas and moved to Louisiana in the early 1950s. He began riding motorcycles in the 1940s and continued riding until his death. In 1981, believing Louisiana needed a chapter of ABATE, American Bikers Active Toward Education, he founded the non-profit organization there to promote motorcyclists' rights to share the road along with the awareness, education, and legislation needed to do so safely. As founder and longtime state president, he helped establish the Motorcycle Operator Training Courses offered by the Louisiana Department of Education. He was remembered as a good Samaritan biker, tough on the outside and tender on the inside, with a long white beard that made him look like a Santa in black leather with a big heart. The park was created by Nolan Baudoin and Frank Oser of the State of Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.