Crowd at Ohio River Arts Festival, held at Mesker Park Zoo. Here children are playing dress up in old-fashioned clothes. In 1900, George Mesker, owner of Mesker Iron Co., donated land and money for Mesker Park. With more funding and land, a zoo opened in the park in 1928. The zoo is at 1545 Mesker Park Dr., and when opened, was one of the first to use a moat system. At the time of this photograph, the entrance would have been on Bement Ave., the short street off to the right of Mesker Park Dr.