The walking trail was constructed on the old MKT Railroad right-of-way. The Parks Department was awarded a $90,000 grant from the Texas Parks & Recreation Trails Division for the construction of the Home Grown Hero Walking Trail. The Parks and Street Departments constructed the trail in house.

The Parks Department and Keep Gainesville Beautiful teamed up and implemented a beautification program to give the public an opportunity to purchase trees for placement on the walking trail. 63 trees have been planted to date.

The trail bisects the City from northwest to southeast. Heritage Park North, Hertage Park South, and Jaycee Park are the parks being developed within and adjacent to the abandoned right-of-way in the downtown area of Gainesville.

One other program that is gaining national attention is the Medal of Honor Host City Program. Medal of Honor (MOH) Board of Directors and the City of Gainesville recognizes MOH recipients who visit the City. The City annually celebrates the arrival of Medal of Honor recipients in the early spring. Look for the Medal of Honor drop down menu on the City's web page. We recognize the recipients by having the Parks & Recreation Department plant trees on the walking trail in their honor. To date, the City of Gainesville has hosted over 18 individual MOH recipents and has an average of ten recipients a year making presentations to schools throughout the area.