Ohio’s newest state park is now open after Governor John Kasich made it official during a two-stop dedication throughout the day Tuesday.

Tuesday morning at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at Ohio State University, Kasich and AEP CEO Nick Akin signed the official agreement between AEP and the State of Ohio solidifying the state’s purchase of more than 5,700 acres of recreation land from AEP.

ODNR Director Jim Zehringer said this agreement is the first purchase of a 13,000-acre plan spanning over the next three years.

The purchase is from a portion of AEP’s 60,000 acres covering portions of Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum and Noble counties.

“This is going to be the biggest state park in Ohio, dominating all other state parks,” Kasich said, pending action taken by the next administration.

The 60,000 acres owned by AEP will be offered first for purchase to the state. If the state does not purchase the land, AEP will make it available to other companies.

Kasich, members of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the family of Jesse Owens and representatives from various Ohio State University athletic teams spoke about the park and the legacy of Jesse Owens.

Zehringer said the purchase is a victory for Ohioans.

“Hunting, camping, fishing, hiking are all part of Ohio’s heritage,” he said. “We want to make sure there’s public land available for future generations, and this agreement helps us reach that goal.”

According to Zehringer, the creation of Jesse Owens State Park and Wildlife Area now means Ohio is home to 75 state parks and 151 wildlife areas.

President and COO of AEP Ohio, Julie Sloat said the land that’s now home to the new park was once AEP coal mining land from the 1950s to early 2000s.

“A lot of AEP history is here (Ohio) in an area, in my opinion, that’s just positively beautiful,” Sloat said. “It’s a beautiful place in the state, so to be able to share this space with outdoor enthusiasts is nothing short of fantastic.”

Much of the day was spent honoring Jesse Owens.

During the second part of the dedication in McConnelsville, four trees were planted at the park, one for each of the four gold medals that Jesse Owens won at the 1936 Olympic Games.

Owens’ daughter, Marlene Owens Rankin, said the park being named after her father is an incredible honor.

“He would be amazed and proud to know that he was deemed worthy of such recognition,” Owens Rankin said. “The idea that families will have the opportunity to experience nature in a park bearing his name is more than he would have ever imagined.”

Ohio State football coach, Urban Meyer had the chance to meet with the Owens family during the dedication. Meyer said the first time he learned about Jesse Owens was in history class.

“I love history. I love the fact that the world is getting better. It’s not perfect, but people like Jesse Owens and your (the Owens) family have made a huge impact,” Meyer said.

Ohio State’s mens basketball coach Chris Holtmann also recalled learning about Owens in history class and being impressed by his accomplishments.

Holtmann said he has “so much admiration for his courage, for his trailblazing ways, for the way that he used his sport to really impact the world.”

Current members of Ohio State’s track and field teams said they are still impacted by Owens’ legacy every time they walk into the stadium.

“Every day before practice, my teammates and I pass the Jesse Owens statue and onto this track for practice, and we don’t only feel inspired to do big things at that training session, but in life,” Karringtion Winters, senior member of the womens track and field team, said.

According to Kasich, there was never any question what he’d name the new state park.

“It was not like, ‘let’s figure out a name.’ I wanted to name it the Jesse Owens State Park, because Jesse Owens to me, he’s like one of my heroes.”