A dump truck with Weathers Construction was delivering new dirt just behind the first base dugout of Dillon Field at Propst Park two weeks ago, when one of the truck’s tires broke through what looked like part of the ground – revealing a hidden concrete chamber beneath the surface.
“When you looked at that hole, there was a (cinder) block cavity that was covered up with boards,” City Parks Director Greg Lewis told The Dispatch on Wednesday. “No one (could) actually identify it.”
Still, City Engineer Kevin Stafford took a stab at it during the city council’s Tuesday night meeting. The structure, he said, was about 6-by-6-by-30 feet, constructed of “very solid” concrete. It was covered by two-inch thick creosote boards, along with dirt and grass, which the truck broke through as it drove over the edge of the room.
“Luckily, they didn’t lose the truck,” Stafford said. “So obviously, they backed the truck up and started pulling boards off and it kept growing, and then you could see what it was.”
His first instinct, Stafford said, was that it may have been an old storm shelter that had gotten covered up, since the structure was too large to contain a septic tank. He also said it could have been a basement or a bunker of some kind.
Stafford presented a cost change to the council of $3,367.20 from Weathers Construction to fill the cavity with 52 yards of material, since having it open posed a safety risk. Stafford told The Dispatch on Wednesday that the work had been approved and started earlier in the week.
“Is there not a way we can find out what it is before we just cover it up?” Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard asked.
“I’ll contact (local historian) Rufus Ward and he can tell us probably what it is,” Lewis said.
But both Stafford and City Chief Financial Officer Jim Brigham still said the chamber had to be filled, reiterating that it was a safety issue. The work was completed Wednesday morning, Lewis told The Dispatch, and the cavity now appears like any other part of the park. The creosote boards were removed from the ground before it was refilled.
Still, during Mayor Keith Gaskin’s press conference Wednesday, City Chief Operations Officer Jammie Garrett said the city had consulted with Ward, and he had given some theories around its original uses.
“Mr. Ward thinks it may be some type of money box,” Garrett said. “So he suggested actually reaching out to the (Mississippi) Department of Archives and History.”
Gaskin confirmed with a laugh that “unfortunately” no money had been found in the box.
But the city asked Ward about the concrete room on the wrong day.
“Somebody from the city asked me what it was, and I said ‘it’s probably an old bank vault that got flooded and filled in. No telling what’s in it.’ Since it was April 1 (April Fools Day), I couldn’t resist telling them that,” Ward said. “I have no idea what it is. In reality, I had checked some old maps in the area and nothing showed up there.”
But Ward said he had another theory. Before the area became Propst Park, the north part of the property was called Lake Park. In the early 1900s, Lake Park contained a large dancing and skating pavilion, along with the end of trolley lines and workshops to repair trolley cars, he said.
“It easily could have been where a car would have been pulled over so that people could work underneath the car,” Ward said.
Stafford said he could imagine the concrete structure could have been used for that purpose.
“You never know,” Stafford said. “If Rufus says that’s what he thinks it is, I’m definitely not one to argue with it. That’s about the size of it.”
Gaskin told The Dispatch on Wednesday afternoon that he found Ward’s prank “hilarious,” once he got a call after the press conference and learned what had happened.
“If you remember correctly, when it was brought up, I looked kind of surprised,” Gaskin said. “… I thought that was funny.
“I hope we can find out exactly what it was,” he added.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 48 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
