Collinsville,
Oklahoma
July 21, 2014 Early Day Collinsville Swimming Pool |
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(email questions/comments to wrightted@aol.com). Ted Wright -- last update 7/21/2014 (HaddockParkPool1916.html) www.cvilleok.com Copyright 2014 -- Collinsville, Oklahoma |
Ted Holman (CHS 1969
Grad) and grandson of the Holman Seed Farm founders pointed out the walls
(in 2013) that still remain from a swimming pool built in 1916 by John
Haddock as an additional feature for his Haddock Park just east of Collinsville.
I was unable to find much follow up info after the August 1916 opening
so would guess it was not a successful long-term (private) venture by
Mr. Haddock. -- Ted Wright 7/21/2014 The Collinsville City Park that exists today was not created until 1921 and the swimming pool there was operated from 1958 - 2005 and was removed in Feb. 2010. Oscar & Katherine Holman started Holman seed farm here in 1944. According to Ted Holman the old pool has never held water during his lifetime but said his Dad (Bill Homan) or Grandad (Oscar) had once run a water line from the light plant in an attempt to fill the pool (in the 1940s or 50s) but it would not hold water. Most of Collinsville's early day swimmers used the coal pits or near by rivers where many drowned. A wading pool was built in City Park in 1922 (likely part of the creek near the 16th street entrance). The boy scouts held a swim meet at the Ted Colpitt (private) pool in 1942. A public concrete pool was "built" at the city light plant (50x50 feet) ... actually a conversion of a water pool formerly used for cooling the oil engines there at 5th and Broadway. |
Most Collinsville
residents have driven within a "stones throw" of this 1916 pool
without being aware of it's existance. If you look closely you can barely
see it from the road through the trees along the creek on the west side
of 129th Street just before you cross over the bridge heading north towards
the Holman Seed Farm. Note: this is on private property so don't go there without permission. |
More of the remains of the 1916 Haddock swimming pool adjacent to the creek on the Holman property. |
Ironically -- It appears the owner of the 1916 Collinsville pool above drowned in 1924 ... but from an auto accident ... not swimming. |