Warm weather brings memories of Wellsville’s Veterans Memorial Pool
A COLUMN By Kathryn Ross
Summer is well underway especially with the recent hot, Hot, HOT weather. I remember back in the middle-ages of the 20th Century when I was one of those lucky Babyboomers who had a poolside seat for those hot days. My sister would get me up early in the morning and we’d ride our bikes through a shady Island Park and down the cindered road past the high school to the Veterans Memorial Pool. There I learned to swim, hanging onto the side and kicking my feet in the cool water while the sun headed higher in sky and the temperatures rose. When I got older, I would bike to the pool with my friends. We’d spread our beach towels on the concrete. The smell of chlorine drenched, warm, concrete brings back those memories.
It seems that every summer when the thermometer starts climbing the conversation arises that Wellsville needs an outdoor pool because the one in the elementary school just doesn’t cut it for many reasons. Recently Facebook was rife with accusations, as to why the old Veteran’s Memorial Pool was torn down. The conversation pools around the idea that Wellsville needs a pool. Kate Murphy put it best, saying, “Well, someone or many need to make a plan. Where would it go? How much money is needed? What about maintenance costs? Insurance costs? Fundraisers to make it happen? You want it, make it happen. Otherwise, the complaints won’t do a thing.”
A couple of years ago in the Thelma Rogers Genealogical and Historical Society newsletter, after researching the information in the museum’s archives, I explained what happened to the pool.
“World War II had barely ended in 1945 when the Wellsville War Service Tribute Association, Inc. announced on Oct. 1, 1945, a drive to raise $50,000 to construct a pool to honor the town’s men and women who served in the armed services during the war.
That the war had only ended in Europe in May and in the Pacific only 28 days earlier when the pool was announced, suggests that planning for the monument had taken place months prior to the signing of the surrender documents. According to the Daily Reporter, “It was a lack of a suitable swimming site and many obstacles and expenses encountered that crystallized the opinion that a swimming pool was of prime importance at a meeting called by the Community Youth Council early in 1945. There were 25 representatives of various organizations in the village and town at the first meeting where the general consensus seemed to be that a swimming pool paid for by popular subscription would serve two purposes; give the youth of the community a safe and sanitary place to swim and be a splendid tribute to all Wellsville men and women who served during World War II.”
The group decided on constructing a reinforced concrete, two-story, open air Bintz Ovoid pool, with a 60 by 90 feet water area, holding 180,000 gallons of water, 3 to 11 feet deep, including a slide, low and high diving boards, an 8 by 20 feet wading pool and a 14.5 feet wide walkway. It was estimated to serve 1100 bathers daily or 356 bathers at one time. It would take 60 to 90 days to complete and cost $38,000.
A subscription drive to raise the estimated $50,000 it would take to engineer, build and equip the pool was announced October 1st . Two weeks after the initial announcement, over half of the money had been raised. By December $43,000 had been pledged. Air Preheater Corporation, Sinclair Oil Corporation and Worthington each gave $4,600 to the drive.
On June 13th1946 the contract for the pool was let to the L.C. Whitford Company with work expected to begin immediately. On August 20th1947 a civic holiday was declared to open the Veteran’s Memorial Pool.
What happened to the Veteran’s Memorial Pool? Many will say the pool was destroyed by the ’72 Flood or that it fell victim to the construction of the Arterial. Neither reason is entirely true. The pool stood during the flood, but the Pearl Street bridge fell. Rather than rebuild the bridge on the same site, it was decided to construct a new bridge at the end of Madison Street.
However, in a July 1970issue of the Reporter, two years before the flood, the dye was already cast. In an article entitled “Four Local Boards Discuss Construction of New Pool, the story quotes Mayor Robert Gardner explaining that discussions were ongoing to construct a swimming pool on Tullar Field. He stated, “Village officials realized that the swimming pool, due to be demolished next spring (1971)must be replaced.” The article also says that the state Department of Transportation purchased the pool for $150,000 because the pool will be demolished in the second phase of the Arterial construction.
The Veteran’s Memorial Pool opened in 1947 and was demolished less than 25 years later after being dedicated to the memory of the veterans of World War II.”
Neither the town nor village are going to build a pool. If residents want one, they have to build it themselves, like they did 78 years ago.
Kathryn Ross is a lifelong Wellsville writer, journalist, and columnist. Contact her anytime about the good old days, she also is a steward of the local historical society! kathr_2002@yahoo.com
