Remembering: The Swimming Pool
The city’s first public swimming pool—once home to the West Chicago Sharks swim team—stood proudly on the south side of Reed-Keppler City Park, on National Street west of Yale Street. Built in the mid to late 1950s through the sale of $100,000 in bonds, it marked a major milestone in the community’s recreational life. Though the pool has since vanished, its legacy lives on beneath the pavement—it’s now the parking lot for the new Water Park.
Photo from Facebook via Barb Alm Mazzochi.
Reid Simmons remembers:
- Mid-morning swim lessons after the pool first opened. It was a lot closer to home than the Glen Ellyn, St. Charles and Wheaton pools where my siblings and I had previously taken lessons.
- Early morning swim team practices. If the morning air temperature was 62 degrees or warmer, we had practice, no matter how many goosebumps we had! I participated in many swim-meets in this pool but have few ribbons to show for it!
- Passing my Life Saving and Water Safety Instruction test in this pool where I got my first real (money paying) job as a lifeguard. Sitting in the guard chairs, walking the deck, blowing my whistle - not a bad way to make a few bucks!
- Walking home on many warm evenings after the pool closed, with some of the other lifeguards and friends. We came from all over town but would walk down Fremont St to Tastee Freez and get something refreshing before heading off to our respective homes.
Morning swim-lessons at the northern (shallow) end of the pool. Photo from West Chicago City Museum.
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Morning swim-lessons at the southern (deep) end of the pool. Photo from West Chicago City Museum.
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Barbara Alm Mazzochi Remembers:
One of the popular snack shop items was a frozen Charleston Chew. Charged an extra penny for that. 6 cents! Dick Mell was in charge of the Snack Shop. He'd hand me the key at the beginning of the summer and pick it up at the end. In between, I kept track of my hours, paid my salary, did all the ordering and banking and even filed my own Social Security. Mr. Mell used to say that the Snack Shop was the only thing that made money. Pool itself lost money every year. Must have been because of that extra penny I charged for those frozen Charleston Chews.
One of the popular snack shop items was a frozen Charleston Chew. Charged an extra penny for that. 6 cents! Dick Mell was in charge of the Snack Shop. He'd hand me the key at the beginning of the summer and pick it up at the end. In between, I kept track of my hours, paid my salary, did all the ordering and banking and even filed my own Social Security. Mr. Mell used to say that the Snack Shop was the only thing that made money. Pool itself lost money every year. Must have been because of that extra penny I charged for those frozen Charleston Chews.
Looking SSE at the shallow end of the big pool, toward the kiddie pool and the old public rest rooms on the hill in the background.
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Looking north westly toward the kiddie pool with the old scout cabin on the hill in the background. Probably during a 'rest' period as there is no lifeguard in the chair. Photo from West Chicago City Museum.
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