Archived Topics

OLD SWIMMING PLACES

Posted By: Vince
Date: Tuesday, 8 May 2001, at 7:42 p.m.

In Response To: gin joints, bars and taverns (Ted)

I was brought up on the west side of town. Across from Arnolds L ane next to the Willimantic River, was our swimming place. In fact this is where I had my daily bath with soap like a couple of dozen other kids did, Right in back of the capital Theater was a another great place for kids because of the tarsan swing. If you didn't want to wear a bathing suit up the river a little further across the Conn Light Power there is a basin where we all would go skinny dipping. This was when the Willimantic river was clean.Boy do I miss those days. 

Re: Old Swimming Holes

Posted By: Ted
Date: Saturday, 5 May 2001, at 9:42 p.m.

In Response To: Old Swimming Holes (Phil Skewes)

1950-- mansfield hollow park. think its all been expanded and changed now. once it was just a few tables and the river. we used to see lots of trout in there/ 1940s --gil flynn's ( across street from eastbrook mall) it was in back of what once stood as butler's dairy bar...think there is a car dealer there now. there was a swing that was attached to a huge tree and we use to get on it and drop off into the river on a hot august afternoon. it was a neat place.

1950s -- brown's pond. this place was in back of brown's ice house at the junction of high and ash streets. it is all gone now --there is a rte 6 exprsswy. there. the place was full of huge frogs and some water snakes too. swmiming was at your own risk and if ole man brown saw ya he might blast off his shotgun. he was a weirdo alright.

1950s hosmer mtn reservoir-- in the late 40s a bunch of us would sneak up there and take a dip. if the willi pd came we had a look-out to watch and would skiddo. i could not attest to the purity of drinking water after that bunch got out of the tank.

that about it on this end. 

Posted By: Jules <pjcorn@capecod.net>
Date: Sunday, 6 May 2001, at 4:37 p.m.

In Response To: Old Swimming Holes (Phil Skewes)

In the 40's we swam in the Natchaug River down by Rec park just north of the bridge over Rt 14, Brick Top Road. (If I remember the name of the road correctly.) It was clean and just down from my grandfathers store. I also remember swimming in a pond behind a factory on Machine Shop Hill in S. Windham in the 50's. 

Posted By: Ernie <egflys@aol.com>
Date: Tuesday, 8 May 2001, at 6:40 p.m.

In Response To: Old Swimming Holes (Phil Skewes)

Columbia Lake had to be one of the best swimming holes anywhere. Back in the forties we used to Hitchhike there from Willimantic when I was about 8 or 9 years old. (Something that no kid should try today). There was a pier that we used to dive off from and a floating raft which was a little too far for me to swim to back then. There was a snack bar and a large grassy lawn with shade trees to lay out on. An older lady and her son ran the marina and they treated the kids great. I don't remember their names but I still remember the good times there.