Speaking Personally: Bailey Legacy Park: Foundations, Fundraising, and the Future

It’s June, and the sunflowers are finally blooming. 

 

Bailey Legacy Park is in daily use by families and teens. Millennials really seem to love the Willow Wings mural. The finish line of this massive project is in sight, and I’m going to devote the next three weeks to highlighting all the hard work and promises kept that turned a quiet patch of grass into a charming pocket playground. 

 

About 18 months ago, I was part of several separate conversations seeking to honor Wendell Bailey in his hometown. About 18 months ago, I started leaving our fourth child home instead of packing her to every interview and meeting. 

 

You know what they say about complaining yourself into a volunteer job? Well, I had strong feelings about what kind of project would be enough to honor Wendell, and so – this park project became my new baby. All the pockets of time I used to use chasing a toddler up and down Main Street I now pour into the park project. 

 

This is not a story of what I’ve done. That’s mostly spreadsheets, phone calls, and abysmal gardening. Instead, this is a story about how much fun it is to ask for favors on Wendell’s behalf. No one can say no. 

 

Not only did everyone say yes, but every person I asked to help poured so much more into the project than I could have imagined to ask. We do that as a community. We take ownership of projects and ideas for the good of the many, and it’s truly been an honor to see it in action. 

 

Let’s start in the beginning – with money. The first step was to find someone to manage the donations, so I approached the board of Willow Springs Community Foundation. With their enthusiastic approval, we could not only start fundraising, but all donations could be tax deductible. 

 

More than a yes vote, that board’s early enthusiasm for the project was a much-needed energy boost. The foundation’s executive director, Dean Aye and the ladies in the Ferguson Building, have been a constant support to this project. They have heard me whine about every obstacle and rejoiced with me over every little thing crossed off the to-do list. 

 

Fundraising efforts formally began in October 2025. Robert Hollis of Shelter Insurance was the project’s first donor, and has also been a constant source of support and advice. But he’s not alone. More than two dozen donors responded with outrageous generosity. A single donor, who requested to remain anonymous, funded the entire cost of the playground equipment – including installation. All other donors will be acknowledged with a plaque in the park. 

 

Though fundraising was off to a strong start, I did approach the city of Willow Springs with a request to meet the goal faster. I was determined to present this project to Wendell while he could still enjoy it himself.

 

The board of aldermen approved the request unanimously, giving $5,000 to the project, and loaning the projected another $10,000, to be repaid from the community fundraising efforts. 

 

We broke ground on November 26. From that moment, through the bitterest days of winter, Callie Letterman and Brian Meeks worked as often as the weather would allow to build the equipment, lay the cobblestones, build and paint fences, install lighting and cameras, and plant grass, and beautify the building. 

 

They laid the foundations of the playground, a strong start for all the delightful little details to pile up. We’ll talk about those details next week. The murals will get their own article, of course. 

 

For now, I want to take a moment and talk about the work there is still to do. Two small parks on Main St, no matter how charming, are not enough to honor everything the Bailey family has done for Willow Springs. The missing piece, so close now to getting started, is a sidewalk mural that will link the two parks together. 

 

Designed by Willow Springs High School alum Garrett Melby, the mural pathway will feature Missouri wildflowers. The intention is to be a curiosity. We want visitors and locals to notice the flower path on the sidewalks and ask, “Where does this go?” And then follow it. 

 

It will lead visitors past our downtown retail and restaurant district with stops to honor Willow Springs history: the Opera House, the Sass House, the Ferguson Building, Steve Norman Park, the McClellan Building, and the Welcome Plaza. With both a print and digital version of the tour, it’s fully scalable. We can keep it a simple loop with half a dozen stops. We can make it a comprehensive tour of downtown. 

 

Back in the park, there’s more to do still. The big blank board has a planned project. We’re sourcing more details and activities. Of course, there are the plaques to install as well. 

 

If you have a suggestion to make Bailey Legacy Park serve the community better, please reach out.  If you would like to volunteer to paint the flower path or maintain the garden, please reach out. Call 417-252-2123 or email editor@howellcountynews.com

 

As I mentioned, our work is not done, and fundraising is ongoing. Your tax-deductible donation can be sent to the Willow Springs Community Foundation, 127 E. Main, Willow Springs, 65793. Please note: Bailey Legacy Park in the memo line.