Memorial Park was originally the property of William Henry Ladner. In 1919, Harry Nelson Rich, a prominent village businessman who lost his only son Sidney in the First World War, obtained the acreage to develop it as a memorial administered by the Delta Memorial Park Association. The cenotaph was unveiled at a large community gathering on May 22, 1921.
The volunteer association operated the park and maintained the cenotaph until 1956, when the property and assets were turned over to the Corporation of Delta.