Miller Family Gives Large Tract to City For Nature Reserve

The city of Washington has been deeded more than 67 acres of land west of Grand Avenue to be maintained forever as a nature reserve.

The donation likely is the largest gift of land ever made to the city of Washington.

Officials have said they arent aware of any city the size of Washington that has such a large nature reserve.

City council members voted Monday night to accept a special warranty deed for the property from Miller-Post Property LLC.

The property will be called the Miller-Post Nature Reserve and be used for the purpose of retaining and maintaining land and water areas in their natural vegetative, scenic, open or woodland condition and to retain such areas as suitable habitat for fish, plants or wildlife, according to the deed restrictions.

Jacqueline D. Miller, manager of Miller-Post Property LLC, told the council that the seed for this decision was planted over 50 years ago.

Basically, we are the stewards of this gift of nature from God. It is up to us to take care of it and to nurture it, she remarked in addressing the council.

Miller said she, her late husband Dr. Frank Miller, and her late father, Dr. John Post, always wanted to keep the land in the natural state as a refuge for wildlife. Basically, that is what it is today.

She said other ideas for using the property were suggested but she rejected the idea of developing the land.

Miller said an article in The Missourian regarding tree restoration in the parks department started the thought process toward the idea of a nature reserve set aside to educate, acquaint our young people with nature and its marvelous attributes, learn about plants and animals.

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Miller Family Gives Large Tract to City For Nature Reserve