Arts in the Alley: More Floats

Much credit for the success of the first parades must be attributed to Dolly and Marvin Thomson of Thompson Floats of Williamsport, Ohio. The couple operated a commercial float building company that supplied the vast number of floats for parades throughout the Midwest. The Thompsons became big supporters for the Grove City event which, at one point, the parade was considered one of the largest parades in Ohio with as many as 32 commercial and privately built float entries. Every Thompson float was in the parade.