Since learning Gill-Bass Park would benefit from $750,000 in funding, longtime Milton resident Steve Gill said he is excited to see the park, which dedicated to his family, come to fruition. In addition, former city officials are excited to see the park get the necessary funding.
“I don’t know how to explain how it feels other than I am very happy about it,” said Gill, the longtime Milton resident and Milton High School graduate of 1947. Decision to donate the property can be found from his love for the City of Milton.
“If we are talking about Milton, then that is my favorite subject,” he said.
Gill and his wife Betty dedicated the piece of property to the city in March of 2010. He said they originally had the idea of building a home on property, but instead decided to donate the land with the intention of having a memorial park.
While it took the city a couple of years to secure the proper funding for the project, the city is honoring the agreement by developing the property to be a scenic park which will include a gazebo, a millstone-themed fountain and paved walking paths and landscaping improvements.
While the city has received the funding from a Community Development Block Grant worth $750,000, City Manager Brian Watkins said there is no set date as to when construction will begin. He said the city is currently in the midst of completing the necessary paperwork in order to get the project started and will next need to seek a grant administrator and a contractor in order to begin construction.
The seed for the overall concept of the passive park was planted by former Mayor Guy Thompson. While adding to the beatification and historical significance of Milton, Thompson said it is also a fitting memorial for the Gill-Bass family.
“They have deep, deep roots in this area,” Thompson said. “This will be a fitting display for a family that has contributed to the community for so long.”
Once completed, Thompson said the park will not only provide a beautiful square for those to visit, but it could also entice visitors to consider making the city their home.
“I am elated to see this come to fruition,” Thompson said. “This makes the city look much nicer.”
Another former city official elated to see the park finally get funded is former Public Works Director Jerald Ward.
“I think it’s great. I was able to help them out here and I am glad it was able to work out,” Ward said. “It’s a project where I can drive by and say, ‘I had a piece in that.’”
Ward, who was employed with the city for five years, worked with Thompson in designing the concept for the park. Ward suggested adding some historical significance to the project.
“Everybody wants something unique to the area,” Ward said. “It’s just putting back a piece of history.”
The piece of history came in the form of two millstones which are linked to the mill site at LocklinLake, which is considered to be the origin of where Milton began in 1829. Currently, Watkins and other city staff are looking at options in order to display the two millstones at park once it is completed.
The city plans to attain three more millstones in the near future for a themed fountain. Ward said they will only help the park stand the test of time
“In building something like this, you look for durability in something that would last,” Ward said. “The stone will be there and they have lasted for a lifetime, so build the infrastructure around it that will last.”
In addition to memorializing the family of Gill’s first wife Bertha from whom he was married to for 55 years, he said the park also recognizes his family, which includes his mother Pearl Riley, his grandparents Stephen Riley Bass and Martha Bass. The park is also dedicated to his great grandfather William Henry Bass, who served as a longtime county surveyor. The park also recognizes the Carter family and family friend Fred Bailey, who according to Gill, maintained the property, among others, at no charge.
While Gill anticipates seeing the park completed, he takes comfort in knowing the park will be enjoyed by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and the future generations of local residents for years to come.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Former city officials, family thrilled about Gill-Bass Park progress