What better place to build a swimming pool than on Water Street? Meeker’s first pools were natural hot water pools outside town. Our first pool in town was located at Third and Water Street. According to the Herald issue of Aug. 11, 2012, it was built in 1957 where the animal shelter is now. It was constructed with the new sprayed concrete technology (Gunite) and then coated with an epoxy with marble dust surface. This gave it a brilliant white appearance. Its underwater lighting helped showcase a special event.
In 1962, The Water Street pool presented an “Aquacade” featuring synchronized swimming with performers wearing fluorescent makeup. Special black lights and other theatrical lighting added to the special effects. The performance was accompanied by music from the movies “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “One-Eyed Jack’s.” The song “Moon River” was appropriate. Jerry Grubbs and Jay Sullivan delighted with their comedic diving. I would have paid to see that show!
In the early 1960s, the swim team used a rainbow trout as an emblem. Many noteworthy or notorious names are associated with pool which lasted into the late 1970s: Barbie Kennedy Darnell, Paula Starbuck Armstrong, Sally Watt Smith, Bob Amick, Tom Offerle and Dale Jens, to name a few. They were responsible for generations of Meeker children and adults receiving Red Cross swimming instruction.
I interviewed Michelle Miller who prefers to be an anonymous source, so I won’t mention her name. Her mother, Yvonne Riegel, managed the pool while Michelle worked at that pool as a lifeguard. Michelle described the white cinderblock walls that separated the 25-yard pool from the kiddie pool. The pool was so close to the White River that sometimes a heavy spring melt-off would raise the water table and push up the pool. Mary K. Villa Krueger remembered the many leaves from the trees getting into the pool constantly and many sunburned kids having fun. Sparky Jensen Pappas remembers kids sneaking in after hours. Occasionally someone would leave fish in the pool. Sparky had to swim to the bottom of the deep end to retrieve them. One of them burst when it came out of the water. The kids said it smelled like broccoli. Rotten, for sure.
As a lifeguard, Michelle loved to swim, do water ballet, and especially teach. She went on to manage the second town pool on School Street which I will talk about in my next pool story. If anyone has any personal pictures of the Water Street or School Street pool exteriors, we would be grateful if you shared those with us.
By ED PECK
I love the articles in the Meeker Herald! My other was born and raised there.
When I was a kid I spent many summers there with family. I love Meeker to this day