Will you swim in pure water?
I love this ad for Olympic Beach in 1939. “Of interest to the ‘bathers’ of Northern Columbus is the care and precaution the management of the Olympic Pool is taking so that our families may swim in perfectly safe water, free from impurities and its dangers…“ Shortly after the pool was built, the Olympic Amusement Corporation, headed by Orr Zimmerman, assumed ownership of the pool. For many years the O.S.U. swimming and diving teams practiced there and many contestants for the summer Olympics came from all over the United States to train at the pool. Several national championships have been held there. Early on, only male lifeguards worked at the pool.
Here, someone does a kamikaze dive off the tallest tower. (Photos courtesy of the Zimmerman family)
January 12th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
How could I forget working with Mike Hagley (of North High football fame) all summer around the pool. I remember the Hasen brothers and I were members of Mike’s ‘scum gutter club’, and each day we cleaned all the gutters around the pools in the early morning hours. And dove for the change on the bottom of the diving pool. There was always a chlorine smell coming from the leaky pipes and valves under the walkway between the pools, where Mike adjusted for proper chlorination.
My fondest memories are of ‘jive night’, a tuesday evening (?) of juke box favorites for dancing during the war that could be heard all the way down to the Indianola theatre. We enjoyed it while sitting out in the back yard waiting for the house to cool down in the evening.
I remember Mike himself taught me how to swim in those wonderful early morning classes, and taught me water safety too. I lived at the pool, coming home only for lunch and for dinner, in those years when they were open until 9 or 10 in the evening. And seven days a week …..
What a kid’s paradise that was……
Thank you Mike Hagley……