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Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Swimming vs Surfing

The historical marker where the Wildwood Park swimming pool lies buried.This is a gravesite - here lies the Wildwood Pool.

The sign says:
Wildwood Pool, 1929-1964
For thirty-six years, a swimming pool provided Radford with water recreation at this location in Wildwood Park, to give a place "in which to avoid bad habits". The opening of the pool and a dance on Independence Day in 1929 attracted over 10,000 people from Radford and surrounding area.
The pool was 200 feet long and for a while received its water, described as "always cold", directly from Connelly's Run. The complex also featured a bathhouse, concession stand, ticket booth and a parking area. The pool was filled in and closed in 1964. Portions of the west wall can be seen beyond this marker.


I've commented on this before. There are so many places today where swimming is not permitted.

So many pools gone.

And so many swimming places under-utilized, like my own beloved Izaak Walton park.

No swimming or boatingI suppose instead of swimming, people today spend all their summer indoors, with a/c, surfing the internet.

Rather a shame.

Of course, sometimes there's a good reason not to swim.
Santee State Park, SC, closed bathing pavillionThis pavillion at Santee State Park in South Carolina indicates that swimming used to be popular there.
Don't feed the alligatorsBut I'm not even tempted to feed the 'gators.

3 comments:

  1. When I was a kid my family went to The Beach on a regular basis - The Beach being one or another of 4 public beaches on Lake Michigan's shore near our house. Last time I visited My Home Town it was beautiful beach weather, a Saturday & all 4 public beaches were nearly empty. I don't understand - God's Wonderful World and we're too busy to go and enjoy it.

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  2. didn't know there were gators there in Santee....gee...yes it is a shame in many ways. Insurances for towns was one reason, pollutions another, uv rays another. It's amazing that many of us made it to adulthood using these places years ago. Makes you wonder what came first...?...thanks for this. My culture link to the world

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  3. I guess there are too many factors as to why things like these happen. Pollution is the main reason. But it is still fun in the beach.

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