West Liberty History 1838-1938

Source: One Hundred Years of History
* Commemorating a Century of Progress in the West Liberty Community * WEST LIBERTY, IOWA
SWIMMING HOLES

West Liberty lies between two branches of the Wapsinonoc Creek, Wapsinonoc being the Indian name meaning "crooked". Vague lore informs us that the Indians declared there never would be a cyclone anywhere near the lower end of this picked tract.

However, the question, of cyclone is not the theme, as it has to do with the swimming holes afforded by this Wapsinonoc creek. The largest and most noted of all of the swimming holes was used by Franklin Barnes, Simeon Barnes, and Charles Barnes, and others, (Charles Barnes was the father of our townsman Byron W. Barnes). It was located in section three of township seventy-eight, range four, being close to the north edge of Muscatine County and in the west fork of the Wapsinonoc creek. Along the east fork of the Wapsie, slightly north of its junction with the west branch, was a hole known as "White's", which for years served the youths of the town and entire countryside. This swimming hole lacked nothing of thrills if the sanitary conditions were not one hundred percent, and the bathing suits altogether missing. Traveling upward on the east fork of the Wapsinonoc at different times the following swimming holes could be named "Black's" almost directly east of the Whitacre farm; "Round" immediately east of seventh street in West Liberty; "Steep Bank," immediately north of the old Muscatine-Iowa City road, and the "Square" swimming hole about one-half mile farther to the north.

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