Development of Gruis City Park was made possible by the bequest of the late Bert Gruis, who, as a retired farmer, lived in Titonka. The shelterhouse was built in 1975 with much of the labor of laying the sod and sidewalks and the placing of playground equipment and the planting of trees contributed by residents of the town and the surrounding area.

The bronze at the park (shown above) is the work of Cliff Carslon, local rural resident and nationally recognized sculptor. He designed the emblem for the Titonka Area Diamond Jubilee (1973), and later had it cast in bronze to present to the community. It is mounted on a stone similar in shape to an arrowhead, in recognition of the Sioux Indians who once occupied the area.