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5/18/2006 |
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Wading pool in Taft's Park was
built in 1930 by the Women's Club. |
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A wading pool in Taft's Park
Pat Baker
It was unbearably hot. Humboldt was sweltering in
the heat. The Weather Department in Washington, D.C.
reported that July 1930 was the hottest July (so
far) in Iowa history. One could see the heat waves
radiate from the ground. It was a common sight to
see a group of children trying to cool off in the
neighbor's back yard, under a spouting hose or in a
washtub of water.
As the story goes, one local woman saw such a scene
and the idea flashed in her mind, "Why can't
Humboldt have a wading pool for the children, such
as Algona and Fort Dodge?" She immediately started
to work on the project and the kiddies had a pool by
the middle of August.
On July 22 the Civic Committee of the Woman's Club,
with Mary H.S. Johnston as chairman, announced a
project to build a wading pool in Taft's Park. They
recommended that the club give $300 to start the
ball rolling, and more if necessary. She was
assisted by Bernice Smith and Mida Doan.
Other organizations, including the Commercial Club,
American Legion, Business and Professional Women,
P.E.O., Legion Auxiliary, Women's Relief Corps, and
Rotary were approached and were in favor of helping.
Most of these organizations were pledged to do some
community service each year, and they felt that the
pool was an opportunity for service.
The pool would cost $1,200 and needed to comply with
all state board of health laws. Members of the City
Council showed a great deal of enthusiasm for the
idea. They said the town could probably donate the
ground in Taft's Park, and furnish the water.
The only objection encountered about the plan was
that "we should not spend money now since the town
needs a swimming pool which could be used for
adults, as well as children."
Could Humboldt afford to build a pool with taxpayer
money in the depths of the depression? No way. Mrs.
Johnston, who was also the Mayor of Humboldt, said
"it was impossible now to bond the town for 25 or 30
thousand dollars that it takes for a swimming
pool, and moreover, it is impossible to build it
with the present sewer system. So, the wading pool
is the next best thing."
Club members drove to other towns to see what had
been done for the children. The one at Algona was on
Highway 169, and Fort Dodge's attractive wading pool
was in Oleson Park.
According to plans, the pool would be an oval
concrete structure 30 x 50 feet and of a depth
suitable for wading. It would be placed in a sunny
spot in Taft's Park, north of the fountain, in the
space in the aisle of trees.
Roy Snyder and K.J. Smith drew up the plans. Snyder
took charge of the construction that began at once.
It would be deep enough at one end to accommodate a
sliding board, and a spray would also be placed at
one end of the pool.
The Woman's Club was in charge of pool supervision.
They hoped that mothers would take an interest in it
and accompany their children to the pool to watch
over them. Seats would be built in the shade for
mothers. The club women drew up a set of rules.
Gladys Lovrien, a college student, was selected to
supervise the pool. She was on duty every morning
(except Sundays), from 10 to 12, and every afternoon
from 2 to 5. Any children going in at other times
did so at their own risk. The other rules:
1. No bicycles or little carts allowed on sidewalks
around the pool.
2. No trash shall be thrown into the pool.
3. Penalty for violation of above rules will be
staying out of pool for one week.
The committee suggested that if girls and boys must
come a distance through town to the pool and have to
walk, that perhaps it would be a good idea for them
to wear a smock or coat of some kind over their
swimming suits.
The pool opened Aug. 22, exactly one month from the
day that plans were first announced. The newspaper
reported, "every afternoon the kiddies throng to the
park to splash about in the water."
A wide sidewalk leading from the sidewalk to the
edge of the pool was added. The Business and
Professional Women's Club voted to pay for the
building of a platform at the west side of the pool
for an entrance into the pool and to eliminate the
carrying of grass and dirt into the water.
The original plan of the pool was to have the pipe
for the pool connected with the fountain drainage to
keep a constant stream of water flowing in at one
end and out of the opposite end. After the
youngsters used the pool about two weeks, the outlet
pipe seemed to be clogged and the water did not flow
out. It was found that the inch-and-a-half pipe in
use was not large enough to care for the drainage,
so a four-inch pipe was installed.
The Humboldt Republican and Independent announced in
an editorial that they were in favor of building the
kiddies wading pool if it could be done through
means aside from municipal funds:
"We need a wading pool, portions of which should be
deep enough to allow teaching the kiddies how to
protect themselves in deep water....
But swimming pools are another matter...
Swimming pools cost money.
If every year was like this year a swimming pool
would undoubtedly pay for itself..... Swimming
pools are usually very popular for a season or
two and then attendance seems to drift away.
It must be remembered that admission is always
charged...
The drawbacks to swimming pools are as
follows:
A hint of contagion in the water will kill
attendance. Here it is very necessary to limit the
bathers to people of known respectability.
Rowdyism is a menace to pools....
They are something of a fad.... We have no knowledge
of a pool that has proven popular for a long period
of years.
A properly constructed and equipped pool runs into
big money and its upkeep is big."
The summer of 1931 was equally hot. The wading pool
was supervised by a new volunteer method, with the
church circles, the Woman's Club, Legion Auxiliary,
the Women's Relief Corps, Royal Neighbors, and the
P.E.O.'s asked to furnish a week's supervision. The
newspaper reported:
"As many as 69 children were at the pool at one time
last week and they were in their glory. Several
grown-ups were in their glory the same evening,
which is not as it should be for the wading pool
belongs to the children, not the adults of
Humboldt."
The teenagers and adults of Humboldt still needed a
place to swim. Many crowded onto the beach at the
John Berkhimer farm west of town, on the Des Moines
River, to the Rutland Dam, and to the natural gravel
pit pool fed by springs at the Concrete Products
plant south of Humboldt.
Many rumors of water accidents were being
circulated. A man was pulled out of the east branch
of the Des Moines River, below the dam. Tuesday
evening a couple fell into a hole at the gravel
plant pool, but with the help of Hershel Compton,
both reached shore. A Mrs. Schlact is said to have
rescued a child at the John Berkhimer place.
Better police supervision was needed at the gravel
pit pool near Concrete Products. Edward Law of Fort
Dodge reported the loss of a pair of gold-rimmed
glasses taken from his shoe at the gravel pit. The
newspaper reported that a great deal of pilfering of
pockets and cars was done at the pit while the
owners were swimming.
The Junior Chamber of Commerce, under the leadership
of Dr. C.M. Woodard, Arch Myles and Franz Lowder,
launched plans to improve the gravel pit pool near
Concrete Products. The County Engineer, S.M.
Helgeland, designed two diving towers and swimmers
worked every Friday night cutting weeds for a
parking area, making a 40-foot beach, building a
sand dyke and a raft.
The newspaper announced, "The community will have an
ideal swimming resort, with the launching of plans
for improving the gravel pit three miles south of
town. Plans have been carefully arranged to make the
pit safe and work has actually started."
An area approximately 150 feet by 50 feet was
cleared to accommodate all cars visiting the beach.
Lights were installed as an added safely feature.
Every night the place was lighted up for about two
hours after dark. Reflectors were donated by W.B.
Franke, poles, lights and a meter, with a lock
switch, were given to the cause by the Iowa Public
Service Company, and Vonderhaar Hardware provided a
padlock for the lock switch. L. Pedrick donated his
time to building the diving tower and raft.
The summer of 1932 started out well. Attendance at
the Concrete Products gravel pit pool was steady.
The July 22 Humboldt Republican reported that a sand
pit, located on Charley Spark's farm, two and
one-half miles west of Rutland, was also proving
popular as a swimming pool during the hot
weather. "Almost every hot evening from 25 to 30
persons can be found swimming there." Harold Munson,
age 13, drowned while swimming in the Des Moines
River one mile north of Livermore.
Then it happened. On Saturday, July 30, Marvyl
Friesth drowned in the gravel pit swimming resort
near Concrete Products. She was 15-years-old. The
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R.A. Friesth, Marvyl had
been elected Humboldt County 4-H President for the
year 1932-1933. She was about to become a senior at
Humboldt High School, and her passing left a vacancy
that was keenly felt by the entire community.
The Loyalty Club of Humboldt High School announced
that the Marvyl Friesth Memorial Award would be
given at graduation ceremonies for the first time in
1933, when Marvyl would have graduated. This award,
a gold badge, honored the senior boy and girl voted
the nearest "ideal" by both students and faculty
members. Selection was based on scholarship,
character, sportsmanship, and leadership. Thus far,
146 seniors have received the Marvyl Friesth Award.
[See sidebar]
From the time of Marvyl's drowning, the swimming
resort at Concrete Products gravel pit was closed,
according to Carl Parsons, one of the regular
swimmers. Not much was written on the front page of
the local newspapers about gravel pit swimming, or
any other swimming hole. It would be 20 years before
there was a swimming pool in Humboldt.
During the 1930's volunteers continued supervising
the wading pool at Taft's Park and a larger water
pipe was added to fill the pool more quickly.
Keeping the wading pool clean was also a problem.
There was no rest room in Taft's Park, and at first
the water was changed only every five days. The
summer of 1936 was especially hot, with high
temperatures from 101 F to 110 F for 15 days in a
row.
By 1940, the Women's Club hired a college girl to
supervise the wading pool. There was a fence around
the pool. On warm days more than 100 children a day
enjoyed the water. The rules were more explicit:
"All children between the ages of four and 12 will
be permitted in the pool if each has a bathing suit
or clean sun suit. Each child should bring his own
towel. Children should be free from open cuts and
sores before entering the pool. They should not to
go into the pool if they have colds or other
ailments. Each mother should insist that the
children not remain in the pool for too long."
In 1950, the wading pool at Taft's Park was
supervised by Mrs. LaVaughn Cran, and Mrs. Charles
Daniels was the caretaker. The pool was cleaned and
drained every other day. Children under five had to
be accompanied by an adult. Various organizations
contributed to the upkeep of the pool, including the
Methodist Women's Society of Christian Service,
Lions, St. Mary's Society, P.E.O., Congregational
Fellowship, Business and Professional Women, Odd
Fellows, Rotary, Unitarian Ladies Circle, First
Lutheran Ladies, Worthwhile Club, and the Rebekah
Lodge.
Harriet (Housel) Kepler recalled, "the polio
epidemic in the 1940's was probably the reason I
wasn't allowed to go to Taft's Park pool any more.
Before the present pool was built, and after the end
of gas rationing, my mom and sometimes Blossom Baker
or Jeannette Tigges would drive a carload of kids to
Clarion or Eagle Grove to swim. Also, busloads went
to Eagle Grove to take lessons."
Sidenote of this article:
Marvyl Friesth Award Winners
The Marvyl Friesth Award is given in memory of the
15-year-old girl drowned at the Concrete Products
gravel pit swimming area south of Humboldt. It is
presented by the Humboldt Community High School to
honor a senior boy and girl as voted on by the
students and faculty. Selection is based on
scholarship, character, sportsmanship, and
leadership.
Winners were as follows:
1933 - Marjorie Helvick and Dwight Lennon;
1934 - Olive Swanson and Kenneth Johnson;
1935 - Frances Lennon and Robert Lane;
1936 - Alice Sleiter and Arthur Vonderhaar;
1937 - Esther Bertelson and Roy Brandsgard;
1938 - Marjorie Edge and Adrian Vonderhaar;
1939 - Dorothy Hart and Paul Reasoner;
1940 - Florence Hart and Emmett Weigert;
1941 - Ragnhild Endahl and Neal Samuels;
1942 - Donna Nelson and Cecil Parsons;
1943 - Helen Ross and Bruce Ehmke;
1944 - Patricia Hull and Gene Edge;
1945 - Marilyn O'Connell and Leonard Jacobsen;
1946 - Maxine Cran and Allan Smith;
1947 - Colleen Patton and Robert Manship;
1948 - Shirley Clapp and Richard Naeve;
1949 - Joyce Sorlien and Verle Larson;
1950 - Pamela Stevenson and Phil Naeve;
1951 - Ruth Nelson and Larry Fellows;
1952 - Mary Wogen, Nancy Johnson and Lawrence
Jensen;
1953 - Carolyn Saul and Robert Lehman;
1954 - Gayle Price and Craig Miller;
1955 - Janyce Kirchhof and Richard Strachan;
1956 - Barbara Nelson and Mike Baker;
1957 - Janette Blanchard and Gene Ernst;
1958 - Janice Bennett and Bruce Coltvet;
1959 - Joyce Blanchard and Gaylen Decker, Garlen
Decker;
1960 - Sonnie Linton and Alan Stone;
1961 - Janet Henderson and Dick Lane;
1962 - Janet Miller and Dick Blomker;
1963 - Suzanne Coffin and Dale Arends;
1964 - Paula Hart and Phil Carter;
1965 - Frances Hood and Jim Reinertsen;
1966 - Martha Holt and Gary Lewellyn;
1967 - Diane Staubus and Jon Hart;
1968 - Julie Ruble and Tom Swearingen;
1969 - Alecia Edge and Keith Abens;
1970 - Terry Mealiff and Mark Brandsgard;
1971 - Mary Jo Colwell and John Blanchard;
1972 - Pam Duffy and Duane Nelson;
1973 - Ann Bottelson and Randy Berka;
1974 - Karen Mickey and Randy Moench;
1975 - Linda Northup and John Bogaard;
1976 - Jeanne Giddings and Gary Westphal;
1977 - Ann Barnes and Mick Greene;
1978 - Sheila Husted and Dana Webb;
1979 - Paula Petras and Randy Rich;
1980 - Janet Moench and Mark Christensen;
1981 - Kathy Hanisch and Willy Baker;
198 - Sherri Robinson and Bret Crowl;
1983 - Sandy Ford and John Jergens;
1984 - Melanie Noack and Steve Goetsch;
1985 - Michelle Havlik and Alan Goetsch;
1986 - Cheryl Strachan and Bill Jorgensen;
1987 - Michelle Smith and Jeff Panek;
1988 - Nancy VerSteeg and Jason Heinz;
1989 - Mindy Hendrickson and Chris Curran;
1990 - Jill Waring and Scott Guenthner;
1991 - Rhonda Stolle and Ted Swenson;
1992 - Molly Havlik and Scott Bancroft;
1993 - Tami Thompson and Anthony Kapustka;
1994 - Megan McClannahan and James Abens;
1995 - Shanlee Loftus and John Panek;
1996 - Sarah Sandblom and Ty Sleiter;
1997 - Abby Arends and Trent Biederman;
1998 - Erin Erpelding and Kristopher McBride;
1999 - Alecia Julius and Ross Heider;
2000 - Kari Moritz and Ryan Hartford;
2001 - Jamie Greene and Casey Hundertmark;
2002 - Janet Heider and Anthony Dvorak;
2003 - Angela Haverly and Michael Loney;
2004 - Amanda Ropte and Nate Conlon; and
2005 - Kaitlyn Wiener and Jacob Short.
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