Minnie McDowal grew up in Ennis, graduated from high school there, and married her sweetheart Robert T. McDowal. They had two children, Elizabeth Ann and Robert T., III. In the late 1940's, she began working at the Plaza Theatre at this location as a cashier, collecting 10 cents for a ticket while her children enjoyed playing and watching a movie. Over the years, the theatre changed hands several times and was eventually renamed the Tara Theatre. The Mitchell family purchased the theatre in 1960, and it became the first indoor theatre owned by Lee Roy Mitchell, who later founded Cinemark USA. INC. Minnie loved working for Lee Roy, and he greatly admired her dedication and work ethic. She was responsible for bookkeeping but was quick to help with concessions and picking up movie reels. She loved greeting her friends and neighbors at the ticket booth, knowing they would enjoy watching a movie. When Cinemark formed in 1984 and moved to Dallas, she continued working by commuting from Ennis to South Dallas until she retired at 78. In 1992, the theatre was severely damaged by a wind storm and was reluctantly demolished. Lee Roy Mitchell and family donated the property to the City of Ennis in 1993 in her honor. The original park was dedicated to her in 1993 and reconstructed in 2017. The park evolved into a public gathering place dedicated to Minnie, her devotion to the citizens of Ennis, the Mitchell family, and the motion picture industry.