William Fisher and his wife, Nancy Bolton Fisher, came to Iowa in 1853 from their home in western Virginia. They settled on this site, purchasing 45 acres of land from the state. They built a log cabin by the lake, where they raised five daughters and four sons.

Zimri Streeter, whose homestead was just north of here, purchased "Fisher Lake" and the surrounding land in 1891, after Fisher's death.

This area was part of the "Josh Higgins Parkway," a 175-acre tract of land set aside in 1940 for recreational purposes. The area eventually was increased in size to 419 acres under the management of the Iowa Conservation Commission.

In 1956 the name of the tract was changed to George Wyth Memorial Park in honor of the Cedar Falls founder and first president of Viking Pump Company. Wyth was also a strong supporter of state and local park programs.

George Wyth State Park, now 460 acres in size, underwent an extensive redevelopment project in 1980-81 and is now a popular facility for boating, fishing, swimming, camping, hiking, bicycling, jogging and bird watching.