A ceremony commemorating the renaming of Herculaneum City Park will be held next month.
The park has been renamed the William C. Haggard City Park after former Mayor Bill Haggard, who died on May 17 following an illness and hospitalization.
A sign featuring the new name will go up before the ceremony, set for 11 a.m. Saturday, July 20, at the Herculaneum Amvets Post 42, 555 Joachim Ave.
The ceremony will include speeches by several of Haggard’s longtime friends.
The event, which is open to the public, will be preceded by a free luncheon.
Haggard was a 1969 graduate of Herculaneum High School, earned an associate degree in 1971 from Jefferson College and a bachelor’s degree in education with a biology major in 1973 from Southeast Missouri State University.
He retired in 2005 after teaching high school biology for 32 years in the Hillsboro R-3 School District. He served on the Dunklin R-5 Board of Education from 1978-1994.
He was a 50-year volunteer of the Herculaneum Fire Department and served as chief for 35 years from 1982-2017 and after his retirement continued to serve as a historian of the fire department.
Haggard served as a Herculaneum alderman from 2004-2010 before he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the mayoral position in October 2010.
He ran for his first full mayoral term the next year and won six consecutive two-years terms as mayor, serving as mayor for 13 years until 2023.
Herculaneum Ward 1 Alderman Dennis Tesreau proposed the ordinance to change the park’s name, and the Board of Alderpersons voted 4-2 on April 1 to approve the new name.
Tesreau, Mike Burlage, Chris Baker and Edwin Edwards Jr. voted in favor of the change. Aldermen Israel Clayman and Norm Seithel voted against the change.
Clayman said his constituents told him they weren’t in favor of the name change.
Tesreau said Haggard was aware that the board voted to change the park name before his death, adding that Haggard was proud and pleased to hear about it.
Tesreau said Haggard deserved the honor because he worked tirelessly for the city, even before he was elected to serve on the Board of Aldermen and then as mayor.
“I was a city attorney since about 1981, and I did that for 40 years,” Tesreau said. “I saw everybody who came through. He did an amazing job.”
Tesreau said Haggard was involved in countless community events and improvements including: starting several recurring events, like An Evening with Santa, the city’s Easter egg hunt, the veteran’s celebration parade and Tree City USA.
He chaired the Herculaneum Historical Society and the Herculaneum Bicentennial Committee in 2008, and he put together the Herculaneum History Book.
He was a member of Herculaneum Today and Tomorrow; chaired the Jefferson County Fire Engine Rally since its inception in 1994; was on the Herculaneum Comprehensive Master Plan Committee; was the president of the Jefferson County Fire Fighters Association; chaired the Herculaneum Cemetery Association and was a member of the Herculaneum Tree Board and Park Board.
He organized an all-school reunion during the Herculaneum High School 100th anniversary.
Haggard was named to the Blackcat Hall of Fame in 2013; was named the Jefferson College alumnus of the year in 2013; was named Herculaneum Citizen of the Year in 2008; created newsletters for the city to keep residents informed and played a large role in creating the All Bark Village dog park as well as fundraising for Kade’s playground.
He also helped create the program to get banners featuring military veterans or current members of the military hung on the Herculaneum city street light poles.
He coordinated solar eclipse watch parties for the city in 2017.
Haggard started the city’s electronic recycling program and the city’s farmers market; and served on numerous other committees and clubs.
Despite all his community service, Tesreau said, Haggard was humble and didn’t seek praise for his work.
Tesreau said Haggard was a good leader who knew how to calmly diffuse disagreements.
“He really kept things moving forward. If he planned something, and obviously he had help, but man, he did it,” Tesreau said.
“He was the one who really got the jobs done.”