Originally known as "Josh Higgins Parkway," George Wyth State Park is located on a tract of land once owned by Zimri Streeter, the grandfather of Cedar Falls author, Bess Streeter Aldrich.

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.

The land became known as George Wyth State Park in 1956, to honor Wyth, the late president of Viking Pump and an ardent supporter of local and state park systems. Wyth was also instrumental in the efforts to make the former Josh Higgins Parkway a state park. Lake Alice, which is located within the park, is named in honor of George's wife, Alice Wyth.