The ledges at Thompson are a great asset and have contributed much to the community. They offer a unique geological, biological, and scenic feature to the area. The ledges are formed from what is known as Sharon Conglomerate, which is a sandstone and pebble mixture. Visitors from miles around came to see the ledges. In 1868 a hotel was constructed to furnish accommodations to the tourists. The hotel, however, did not last long and was abandoned in 1876. This building was later converted to apartments owned by the Crandalls.

The Thompson's Men's Club initiated a movement in 1926 to interest the State of Ohio in acquiring a large portion of the ledges as a state park. The General Assembly appropriated sufficient funds for the project but before it could be initiated the depression came and the project was dropped. In 1940 the Ledge Grange of Thompson revived the idea of a park. The citizens of Thompson by vote established the first park district in Geauga County. The Geauga County Probate Judge appointed three park commissioners who in 1941 were able to acquire thirteen acres for the park.

Beginning in the mid-1800's, stone was quarried from the ledges primarily at the northern end where the rock was composed of fine, close-grained sand. A number of men operated stone quarries on the Moseley and Chaffe farms which produced significant quantities of stone blocks for construction. No stone quarries have been operated since 1911 largely due to the increased use of concrete.

In 1932 R. W. Sidley bought part of the southerly portion of the ledges, which had a higher content of gravel. The sand and gravel mined was and is widely used for concrete and various construction activities.