As a young man, Hosea Vinyard moved from his native Illinois first to Atoka County, Oklahoma to work in mines and later to Stephens County to work in the oilfields there. It became apparent, though, that he had excellent organizational skills and an instinct for putting people together to work for a common goal. In the late 1930s, he came to Oklahoma City to take the reins of the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce. Under his leadership, the underdeveloped south side of Oklahoma City made great strides in modernization, especially in the aviation industry. Vinyard and the Capitol Hill Chamber also stressed the importance of parks and recreation for the south side, resulting in improvements at Wiley Post and Woodson Parks.

In honor of nearly three decades of service to the south side of Oklahoma City, the city council named this park in honor of Hosea Vinyard in 1964.