Galveston businessman Henry J. Runge (1859-1922), the European-educated son of a German immigrant, bought the land and laid out the town of Arcadia in 1890, donating this site at that time for use as a park. Later, the Galveston County Commissioners Court named the park in his honor. Its first community-wide use came in 1938 for a dairy show that is still held yearly. Enlarged by the purchase of 10 acres in 1957, the grounds provide facilities for many recreational activities as well as the annual Galveston County Fair and Rodeo.