Friends of the Trails Endowment

Bill Klingner was a visionary who saw the need for bike and pedestrian trails in Quincy long before they became popular. Bill served as the engineer and planner for the Quincy Park District for more than 60 years, donating many hours to Quincy’s parks and recreational facilities, including the designs of Moorman, Wavering, and riverfront parks.

Although Bill developed a plan for a series of trails to connect Quincy’s parks in the 1940s, it wasn’t until 1999 that the Quincy City Council adopted it. In 2000, Friends of the Trails was formed with the purpose of raising the funds necessary to ensure the plan becomes a reality. In 2013, the growing series of multi-use paths was dedicated in Bill’s honor as the Bill Klingner Trail.

As of early 2019, with two out of six planned phases of the Bill Klingner Trail complete and two underway, Friends of the Trails’ goal is to complete the path from the banks of the Mississippi River to 36th and Kochs Lane along the wooded Cedar Creek Corridor.

The Friends of the Trails Endowment was established by Bill’s son, Michael Klingner and his wife, Barb, to provide funding for ongoing extensions and maintenance of the Bill Klingner Trail. Further, the Friends of the Trail Endowment provides a means to continue Bill’s vision for future generations.