Former mayor left legacy in Milledgeville, Baldwin

Alexander Cain
The Union-Recorder

May 10, 2008 12:54 am

— Many Milledgeville residents have met current mayor Richard Bentley, and many of them have even had lunch with or shook the hand of former Milledgeville Mayor Floyd Griffin, Jr. or even James Baugh.
But these days with the exception of some of Milledgeville’s long-term residents or historians, few may know of Walter B. Williams, Jr. save for the recreational park area that now bears his name.
Walter B. Williams, Jr. park houses the Baldwin County Recreational Center between Ga. Highway 22 and Ga. Highway 212.
The park is so named for Williams because of the extensive amount of work, dedication and resolve shown by him as part of his many improvements and restorations of the local community, according to the inscription on a plaque visible behind a glass casing that stands as a tribute to Williams inside the Center’s lobby.
“From 1959 to 1977, Mayor Williams brought about many changes in Milledgeville. He was very instrumental in the paving of all streets in the City, establishing a retirement system for city employees, the doubling of city water facilities, establishing a much needed sewerage treatment plant, organizing the Oconee Area Planning Commission, establishing a City-County Industrial Park, acquiring many new jobs in new industry, publishing the first city budget, expanding recreation opportunities through development of new recreation facilities, modernizing the City Police and Fire Departments, and the balancing of the City budget for the first time,” the plaque reads in part.
Born in Quitman, Georgia, Williams moved to Jones County at an early age and grew up on the family plantation only a short distance away from the former capital of Georgia that would soon catch his interest.
He moved to Milledgeville in 1942 and not long after was a graduate of Georgia Military College.
His life would soon become as big as his personality — at the time of his death on June 5, 1981, Williams had been a member of the Georgia Legislature, the Milledgeville Board of Aldermen and Mayor of the City of Milledgeville, a post he held from 1959 - 1977.
Williams passed away only five days after former Congressman Carl Vinson, and just with Vinson hundreds were present to say good-bye to the man who brought Milledgeville economic and social prosperity for nearly 20 years.
Gus Pursley, Jr., then a member of the city council, was one of the many in attendance that hot June day.
“There were many sides to Walter. There were many good charitable things he did, not only publicly but personally that no one knows about. I don’t think we’ll ever (again) see a person of his caliber and ability,” Pursley was quoted as saying.
The recreational complex is named after Williams due to the aggressive stance the philanthropist and businessman took in finding funding sources for one of Milledgeville’s largest recreational facilities.
“It’s a huge part of our community and draws people in from all across the state,” Heather Kennedy, event coordinator with the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said. “It’s also a great place for people to come and play sports. It’s become part of the heartbeat of our community.”
If Williams were around today, he would probably smile and humbly nod his head in agreement.
“He was generally concerned with young people. He was a shaker and a mover in recreation,” then-city councilman Ed Robinson stated.
Today Walter B. Williams Park is one of the more publicly accessible areas in Central Georgia for recreational purposes and includes a swimming pool, tennis courts, a walking track, baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts and playgrounds for recreational purposes while many organizations such as square dancing clubs use it for meeting purposes.

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