This cache placement is part of the Garland History GeoTour v2.0. Should you wish to download the GeoTour 2.0 passport to earn our beautiful new GeoCoin, you can find the GeoTour page here. The log will contain a secret word which you must enter on your passport in the appropriate slot.
Long before Garland’s Parks and Recreation Department built the public pools we enjoy today, Garlandites could swim in Garland’s first “swimming pool.” The popular swimming hole was known as Lake Garland and was located in current-day Central Park where Duck Creek runs through the park. A dam at the lower end of the creek made a pool form near the intersection of Ave F and Garland Road. Lake Garland opened on August 9, 1921, with an attendance of 6,000 people. The swimming hole and surrounding park were owned and operated by D. Cecil Williams, former Mayor of Garland. The pool did not have a filter; it was fed with fresh spring water and chlorinated daily by boat.
The park was fifty acres and equipped with picnic tables, and special arrangements could be made for camping parties. A concession stand, referred to as a “Hamburger Stand,” stood next to the pool for visitors to enjoy while swimming. Lake Garland’s slogan was “A nice place for nice people.” At the time, Garland was a small town with a little over 1,000 people but the pool brought visitors from many neighboring towns. Because it was one of the only pools in the area, most visitors were from Dallas. Many big Dallas companies would host their annual picnics at the park. Lake Garland Park was so packed on holidays, like the Fourth of July and Labor Day, that there was barely any standing room. Lake Garland closed in 1938 and it wasn’t until 1952 when the pool at Central Park opened by the Parks & Recreation Department.