Swimmin' Holes

[klsm54]

Did any town have more swimming holes, all within a short walk or bike ride?......

Already mentioned, in some other threads, were the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, along with the Paddycar and Mudhole.

How about Kirkpatrick's That was quite the place. Sadly gone before I was old enough to really appreciate it. Maybe some of the members a little older than me can tell more about it.

I-80 took Kirkpatrick's, but it gave my generation the reservoir behind the Dutch Pantry. After it was no longer used as a water source, it made a great swimming hole. Remember walking through the "tunnels" that ran underneath I-80?

[longbeard]

We always went to Dusch's ..... Tom was really a good guy

[klsm54]

Mar 23, 2009 17:34:38 GMT -4 longbeard said:

We always went to Dusch's ..... Tom was really a good guy

Geez! That was another one I forgot about.

[pensrock]

I remember going through the tunnels under I-80.

[brucie2000]

Dush's and the I80 reservoir were the best places.....more room. I never did anything in the 1st or 2nd but fish. I did skinny dip in the 3rd a few times, but there wasn't a lot of room there either. Windlers when we got our license.

[pensrock]

Anyone ever fish at the reservoir along I-80?
There has to be fish in there but what kind?

[klsm54]

Mar 27, 2009 16:51:11 GMT -4 pensrock said:

Anyone ever fish at the reservoir along I-80?
There has to be fish in there but what kind?

I put 16 brook trout in there in '71 or '72. They'd be monsters if they were still alive... But it got drained for a period of time a few years back, so I doubt there are any fish in today, unless somebody else stocked it.

[shadylady]

I remember going out to Kirkpatrick's swimming. Usually we'd walk out but sometimes take our bikes. Everyone went out at that time. I usually went with Patty Schmidt and Cindy Garthawaite. Anyone remember those two gals? Haven't seen them for years. Sometimes when my dad's workplace had a party, they'd have it out there also. Nice place for family gathering.

[grady]

I remember Kirkpatrick's had a floating platform about 10 feet out from shore,it seemed to me that it was at least 100 yards away. The first time I made it to the platform I think they could hear me celebrating in town. They had at least one pavillion back on the other side of the pond.Another swimming hole a little further from town we should all remember was Phathoms. Remember picking leeches off yor legs when swimming in the little pond in the center of the big stripmine pond. Maybe in his travels old longhorn might snap a picture of what it looks like now ?

[klsm54]

I never picked leeches off my legs. Of course, grady, if there was a leech in the water, it always seemed to find you... ;D


How about jumping off the high wall at the big Fathoms... ;D

One time a guy named "Chicken" dove off...damn near met his maker too. He came so close to the high wall that he scraped the hide off his chest on the rock ledge..... .... Ouch!

[pensrock]

man I forgot all about the fathoms. I heard it was going to be leveled and filled in in the next year. I guess there are some really big bass in there.

[shamu]

I noticed tanker trucks going up Harvey's Run Road and took drive up that way to find Gov. Rendell's proud sign stating the wonderful reclamation work on back filling the fathoms. Made my gut sick, they should have left it alone till it filled itself in. Was a good source of water for Irish Run as it cleaned a lot of pollution out of the local streams. Years ago they filled in the sulfur pond which ran into it from on Walt Hick's farm. That water was cleaned and pure by the time it entered the fathoms. Sam Delp and his wife moved in with her dad William Lemmon. Sam was on disability and he and Bill Preston would canoe and fish on the fathoms. Bill kept it from being back filled in his lifetime, he'd probably roll over in his grave now.

There was a small hole down the road towards old Gype Courson's place where we use to get in the first swim of the year in late April or early May. There was a second one across the road from that one which we swam in during the 70's. We had to watch out for a snapping turtle till someone took it out with .357 magnum.

My dad use to take us swimming in the swimming hole in Wolfe Creek down below the old picnic rest stop on 219. Some evenings we took a pound of hot dogs from Bill's Market, a package of buns and a bottle of Heinz Ketchup along with some matches to start a fire. Sometimes the engineers on the B&O would hit the horn when they went by - remember those engines with the rounded nose and light up front?

[shamu]

I remember the guy who ran the planning mill next to Willards telling my dad that someone made off with one of good hardwood boards and he had followed the tracks down over the hill where he found it in use at the swmming hole at the Tannery Row.

The flow of Falls Creek mixing with Wolfe Creek made swimming there dangerous. I remember a Hayes girl drowning in there. Also remember guys jumping off the old Washing Township bridge into that hole.

Fortgot to mention - evidently they sold water from the fathoms to the fracking operations in the area.

[grady]

Reading that the Fathoms was filled in is depressing. Alot of swimming and memories from there. Also was a great hunting area around the ponds. You could kick out just about any thing you were hunting for. Maybe in his travels old longhorn might snap a picture of what it looks like now.

[davee439]

hey bro ur sis buned her feet on charcoal there. at kilpatricks