Swimming Holes
The era of the old swimming hole is long past. There were many in and around Salisbury that are no longer. The main spot was the City Park by the bandstand. The water was only four feet deep and always nice and refreshing. They even had a lifeguard. The Red Cross gave swimming lessons there, and, in the summer there was always a gang of children playing there. The end came when they built the zoo. This was in the mid-1950’s. The claim that the animal effluent traveling downstream polluted the water and made the water unsafe for the children caused the powers-that-be to ban all swimming. It has remained that way ever since. I never could understand what all the fuss was since we only had two monkeys in the zoo in those days. The ducks and geese were always there since this was their natural habitat.
Another favorite spot for those in the North Division Street area was Johnson’s Lake. The lake, enhanced by the concrete dam built as only one of two WPA projects (the City Park being the other), drew large crowds in the summer. They also held boat races on Johnson’s Lake. I remember watching them, and it was thrilling. The boats were called “pancakes”, because of their flat profile. They only held one person, the driver, and could fairly fly. Nowadays, Johnson’s Lake doesn’t even have swimming as a recreation. If you want to swim, you have to join the YMCA or the Elks Club, or have access to the College pool. Opened in 1960 was Canal Park. They had a large pool, and the annual membership fee was only $35. It is also now only a memory.
Another venue was the City Park down by Picnic Island. The water above the dam, just beyond the right field fence of the Little League field, was available to the more adventuresome. I remember watching some larger boys swim there as I played at the ball park.
There was also Schumaker Pond that could refresh a body during the long, hot summer. It is a lengthy body of water that is the easterly origin of the Wicomico River. There are many parts of Schumaker. The most easterly part makes for a nice canoe or kayak jaunt. There is a park there now, but swimming is not one of the recreations. Moving west, Schumaker becomes Beaver Dam Creek, running past and through the zoo. As it continues along, it runs through the City Park past the bandstand. From there, it empties into the Wicomico River.
North of Salisbury was Leonard’s Mill Pond. A swimming area was established to the west of Route 13 at one time. That has all gone by the wayside in lieu of the Wicomico County Tourism building being the only attraction at this location. Years ago, on the other side of the highway, before Chestnut Hill development was there, there was a house there from which you could rent canoes.
I remember paddling a canoe with another boy way back in the woods. On our way back, the wind shifted and we had a hard time making it back. Ah, memories!
12 comments:
nice article george. my parents have always talked about having been able to swim in the park. for us today, it's hard to believe isn't it? it's so filthy.
i remember, i fell in the wicomico river, by the dam, while fishing about 40 years ago. and came out smelling like i'd just crawled out of a pig sty. had to throw out the clothes i was wearing.
It's a shame that the hood side of Johnson's pond became so delapidated. Any clue on how these water front properties just went down hill? I'm surprised developers didn't try to place mcmansions there during the boom.
george, thanks for this article. i remember ALL these swimming holes. they were all clean and fun growing up. many good memories.
there are also many swimming holes in surrounding counties that once offered many hours of pleasure and good clean fun for our families.
Great memories. Thanks for the mention of the Canal Park pool.
Gone, destroyed by a developer.
Soon to be the fate of old Fire Station 16.
1n the 1990's the swiming holes were still up river from the zoo and still being used, with rope swings from the trees and all. At that time the county rented kakyka's at shumaker pond and you could make it through the wetlands,under the bypass all the way out to the Air Port. In 12-15 years all is gone. Why? run off from developers (not chickens) and RAW sewage from some of the homes. We would go out each weekend and plug up their drain pipe only to have them dump raw sewage back in.
Joe Price
George thanks for the story when I was a child my family went to all these places except Johnsons. We would pack a picnic lunch and stay for hours.Those were the good old days some kids do not remember there was a Blue Law and no businesses were open on Sundays.My grandmother had a phone line called Party line and if someone was on it you could not use it until they got off.Miss it alot
Great article. Just to add that there is also a pool at the Salvation Army complex on the westside.
There was a place known as Beaver Dam in the Salisbury City Park where we used to swim in 1962.
It's sad that there are no free and easily accesible swiming areas for residents.
Thank you George for bringing back the memories. I, too, swam at all those places. I remember the first time I went to swim in City Park by the Bandstand. Seemed like such freedom at the time; it's a shame they are all gone to waste. slf
I remember swimming at Shumaker. My sister and I took swimming lessions there. Thank you for the memories.
George recalls correctly that the Red Cross began giving swimming lessons in the City Park near the bandstand. The swimming lessons effort was spearheaded by the late Betty Kay Gardner. She and her husband Fred had a small contracting business. Betty was s Red Cross certified swimming instructor and she volunteered her time and talent to teach swimming in the park. Many years later Betty was the first woman elected to the Wicomico County Council and she served 3 terms on that board. She was a visionary who believed that there was an opportunity to bring dollars to the community by promoting tourism. Her focus there was to attract tour busses and that she did. She would be proud to see the great strides made since her modest beginning efforts. Sporting events, tournaments, festivals,on and on. Tourism brings over $13 million a year into Wicomico County now and it looks like that will continue to grow. Thanks, Betty.
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