Swimming
During the early thirties, at the beginning of the Depression years, Olympia, Platon, Johnny and I were still in our childhood and living on Aubert Avenue. For us, and for all of our friends living on our street, with the end of the academic school year in June, a very pleasant experience awaited us, which we anticipated and looked forward to eagerly; Vacation Bible School.
Vacation Bible School was held at a church on the corner of Kingshighway Boulevard and Cabanne Avenue. It was free of charge to all who attended. The location of the church was well within our walking ability. On a bright, sunny morning, as we walked north on Aubert Avenue, we were joined by our friends and cousins along the way, singing, laughing, all in a happy mood. We proceeded on Aubert Avenue, in the shade of the large leafed sycamore trees, to the end of the block to Fountain Avenue, turned left and walked a short block to Kingshighway Boulevard. The church was directly across the street, on the west side of Kingshighway, and holding each other's hands, we carefully crossed the busy thoroughfare.
The church was an impressive building, built of gray stone, very solid looking. It was not an ostentatious looking building, and yet not a plain looking one either. I can't clearly recall the name of the church, but I think it was called Kingshighway Presbyterian Church.
Vacation Bible School was a treat for our group, because, even though it was a school, it was not in the traditional sense, with a core curriculum to be followed as in the public school. It's purpose was religion, and attendance required was only for half a day. The school was in session only several weeks; and it afforded us the opportunity to not only have somewhere to go for a period of time in the summer, which our parents appreciated, but the real attraction of Vacation Bible School was going swimming! The church had an indoor swimming pool. The pool was an unexpected treat, available to all the children attending Bible School. At that time, it was the only opportunity for the neighborhood children to swim in an authentic swimming facility, there was no other one available in the area. It became the high point of our summer; we eagerly went to the Vacation Bible School, in large measure for the rare opportunity, swimming in a real pool. Outside of the Forest Park Highlands Amusement Park, which was on the other side of Forest Park a distance of roughly six miles away from our homes, requiring public transportation, there was no other swimming facility available.
The teachers and personnel of the church were kind and gracious to all the children, regardless of religious affiliation. Olympia remembers that every morning all classes were begun with the singing of the song, Jesus Loves Me. All voices were raised in anticipation of a pleasant morning. Never were we questioned of our religious beliefs, even though we were a mixture of Jewish, Catholic, Protestant and Greek Orthodox.
The classrooms of the school were in the basement of the church. The entrance was from the outside of the church. The stairway leading to the lower level was on the Kingshighway side of the building. We descended about eight steps to reach the door to enter the school. The schedule for swimming, as Platon remembers it, was that girls and boys were not allowed to swim together; so the girls swam on two different days, and the boys swam on two different days. In that period of time, all girls wore the proper swimming attire regardless of age, a one piece bathing suit. Bikini swimming outfits had not entered the fashion scene yet. Johnny recalls that there was a strict rule that anyone with an open sore, or a cut , was not allowed to swim.
On our way home from Vacation Bible School we carried our wet bathing suits wrapped up in our towels. Some of the children carried their parcels as if they had won a trophy. Everyone was happy, feeling good. Our mothers welcomed us with joy on seeing us in a happy frame of mind and very pleased that we had had a good morning. After eating our lunch, and helping our mother clean up the table, we would go to the large screened back porch, get our favorite library book, and lay down on the daybed to read.
However, our swimming horizons expanded in the late thirties after my parents bought our second car, the 1937 blue Ford, Henry. By that time Olympia had learned to drive, and our swimming knowledge had expanded. We had heard that there was a very good outdoor swimming pool in Heman Park in University City. It was owned and operated by the city. Whenever we drove by the pool we got a good impression, we saw people having fun.
University City was an upscale affluent area in St. Louis County, adjacent to the City of St. Louis, with large homes and well kept tree shaded lawns. All who attended the pool had to pay an entrance fee, but by the late 30's, business at our cleaners had picked up, and the cost of admission to the swimming pool was no problem. Of course, my father never accompanied us on any of our swimming excursions, because he had to work at the cleaners.
My mother, always the adventurer and progressive in her thinking, upon learning of the Heman Park swimming pool, made plans to take us there. Since Olympia, at that time was the main driver of Henry, my mother would pile all of us into the car, Platon, Johnny and I in the back, my mother sitting in the front on the passenger side, with Olympia driving the car, and away we would go to Heman Park. Olympia would drive south for a block and a half on Aubert Avenue to Delmar Boulevard. Then she would turn right, and drive about four miles to University City. The entrance to the city was quite impressive. The City Hall, a circular building, was entered by stairs that were guarded by two stone lions. Driving on, it was a short distance to the park. For us, going to Heman Park made us feel that we were on a comparable financial level with the residents of University City.
The pool was spacious and outdoors. All of us would love to jump into the pool from the side, not bother walking down the three steps into the water. Jumping in was more adventurous, daring, and for me, I was eager to let others see how brave I was!
Of course, we usually played in the shallow water, because none of us really knew how to swim. Platon and Johnny, more daring than my sister and me, occasionally made forays into the deep water. My mother even had on a bathing suit, and would join us in the water. She knew how to swim, and would attempt to teach us the sidestroke. On several occasions Platon's godmother, Kiki, joined us, with her special male friend. Kiki's husband was working at his barber shop. Another friend who joined us was Annie Belesot.
Johnny recalls years later the St. Nicholas Church Sunday School had a picnic there. Dessie our cousin was a year older than Johnny. Dessie was being chased by several boys, who tried to duck her in the water. She in turn thought it would be a good idea to duck Johnny in the water. He was surprised, and said to her, AWhy did you do that?@ He says she did manage to duck him.
Our family enjoyed swimming at Heman Park for many summers, but in the meantime we had heard of another suburban swimming pool, further away in St. Louis County. One of Platon's friends, Leo Smith, told him about the pool. It was a mineral swimming pool, in Meramec Valley.
Meramec Valley was about an hours drive away from our home. It had a small river, the Meramec River, running through it, and the valley itself was composed of low lying hills. Many residents had homes built on the banks of the river, and I recall many of the homes were built on stilts. However, occasionally, the river would flood and overrun it's banks, and the home owners found themselves with a serious problem. The Meramec River was not acceptable as a good place to swim, because it had many underwater currents.
My mother, ever on the watch to give her children pleasurable activities within her ability, got the directions to the Meramec Valley swimming pool. Again, Olympia was the designated driver, with Platon, Johnny and me in the back seat, and my mother seated in the front on the passenger side. Olympia would drive down Aubert Avenue south to the corner, turn right at Enright Avenue for a short block to Kingshighway Boulevard. Then she would go left, and drive for about fifteen miles south to Gravois Boulevard. From there she would go right until we reached Meramec Valley.
Of course, the drive to this pool took longer, but not one of us minded the distance, since we were in the country and could enjoy scenery we did not see often, farms, corn stalks swaying in the breeze, horses grazing in the fields, cows gathered around rolls of straw, chewing their cud.
The pool was not very crowded. It was not as nice as the pool in Heman Park, it was smaller, but our family liked it. The pool had mineral water, a new experience for us. We all enjoyed swimming in the mineral water, it was a fun day for us, but to our dismay, we found out when we went home that we were thoroughly exhausted. We were so tired that none of us ate anything, and without exception, we all went straight to bed, and slept for several hours. We surmised that the minerals in the water had some kind of effect on the body, which made everyone so tired. Johnny and Platon remember that our mother had a problem in the water there. She knew how to swim, there was no question. She was in the deep water, and suddenly started calling for help. Several people went to her aid, and she was helped out of the water.
Our family enjoyed swimming at Meramec Valley, although we did not frequent it as often as we did Heman Park. Recalling those swimming trips to Meramec Valley, I think we all looked upon it as a summer adventure. Again, my father never came with us on our visits to Meramec Valley.
Henry had been a good transportation friend, reliable, never giving us a problem; ready, willing and able to take us anywhere we desired....and Olympia, too, was considerate, gracious, ever willing to please her siblings and mother by being a responsible and pleasant driver. As I recall, my siblings and I never quarreled, or argued about anything. It seemed so natural to be going for an outing, and everyone getting along with each other. Looking back upon those swimming times, they were happy, convivial family outings.
By now, the thirties were gone, and the forties came in, and the Depression was over!
Johnny recalls, years later, that he once went swimming in the downtown YMCA. He never went back again, because to his dismay, the boys were swimming without any suits, just naked. He did not care for that situation.
© 2003 by Jennie Constantinides Vlanton
Arrival | Alex John | Nerazakia | Backyard | Platon’s Birth | Greek School | Swimming
Fare Saved, Five Cents | Lost Money | Venetia and Niko | Tony, the Ice Cream Man | Muny Opera
The Red-Gold Flowered China | 4480 Easton Avenue | Maro | Truck Ice | College
Dandelions | Quarantine | Mission Accomplished| Picnics| Home Page