Niles Daily Times 6.20.29
Bathing Pool May Become a Reality Soon
Ideal Spot on Mosquito Creek
Expect Owners to donate land
Project may be complete in a week or 10 days

A swimming pool with real sand beach is no longer a dream, but will become a reality through the efforts of interested citizens and Mayor George Marshall. Within in a week or ten days, the project will be finished, it is predicted.

For many months, Harry Yencer has allowed children and adults to swim in Mosquito Creek, using his property as a beach. His private dock has been used by bathers for several years.

Mr. Yencer interested other residents along West Street in donating a portion of their property, bordering on the creek, to be used as a beach. One family erected a tent, at their own expense, for a dressing room for children who used the creek at the foot of their property.

Mayor Marshall, with a Times reporter, yesterday made an inspection and found the creek, at a point just above the Federal Street bridge, ideal for swimming purposes. While the water is somewhat discolored, there is no acid in it and children can swim there without ill effects.

It is the purpose of the mayor, however, to have a chemist’s report on a sample of the water so that parents will have no fear in allowing their children to use the creek for swimming.

The property of Harry Yencer will be graded and filled and a sand beach will be made for the bathers. Today the mayor will meet with other property owners regarding donation of a strip of property for about 100 yards along the creek, for bathing purposes.

In this manner, a bathing place will be available for the children and adults at a time when the city is financially unable to provide one. The mayor expects that final arrangements can be made today and that the filling and grading can be started within a week.
In the meantime, hundreds of boys and girls and quite a few adults, are making use of the Yencer property daily for a bathing beach.

Mayor George O. Marshall

Niles Daily Times 6.21.29

For many years Niles has realized the need of a swimming pool. But there the matter ended. A survey was made and two spots along Mosquito Creek were tentively picked as likely spots to dredge a pool.

It was the plan of Mayor George O. Marshall to have a hole dredged along the banks of the creek, either near the dam or below Central Park. Water was to be furnished by the City and the overflow to enter Mosquito Creek.

Then came the hitch (There always is one, you know). The State Board of Health refused to allow such a project unless certain specifications were observed regarding purifying the water weekly.

Equipment for this purpose would have run into thousands of dollars, so naturally this project had to be abandoned, for the financial condition of the city at this time would not permit such an expenditure.

Attorney Sam Mango

But, where there’s a will there’s a way! Harry Yencer, West Street, came along and said that he would be willing to donate the lower portion of his property along the creek for a beach if the city would see that the water was not polluted by the mills.

Investigation was made and it was found that the stream is not polluted, but that the water is merely discolored. There is no acid or impurities in the water according to city officials who have made tests.

Then Mr. Yencer stated that he believed that other property owners along the creek would donate portions of their property for a bathing beach.

Two days ago an inspection tour with Mayor Marshall found that, with a little grading and filling, a beach could be had with little expense.

Attorney Sam Mango donated his services, and went with Mayor Marshall to interview the property owners. As a result, the properties of Caruso, Mutch, Annunzito, Watkins, Yencer and Siegfred families, have been donated to the public for a beach.

The service Department trucks and laborers have been donated by Bert O’Connell, service Director, and work will be started early next week. Bert Holloway, superintendent of the Water & Light Department, will furnish sand for the beach.

But there still was another problem. What about supervisors and guards? The city could not pay to employ men without red tape and legislation. People wanted the pool and beach now.

So Mr. Yencer arranged with the Boy Scouts to work with him in supervising and guarding the beach. All this service was donated to the public.

Ropes will be placed to cut off the upper portion of the creek where the water is deeper than it is in neighborhood of the proposed beach. All danger will be eliminated and every precaution will be taken to make it safe for even the youngest children. Tests will be made of the water frequently to make sure the water supply is free from all injurious imbalances.

Never has there been actions on the part of city officials, and citizens, working in co-operation, than in this endeavor. Too much praise cannot be given to Mayor Marshall, Samuel Mango, Harry Yencer, service and water departments heads and the families who have donated their properties.

This is an example of what could be done in this city if the city officials and people would work together harmoniously. Niles was backward in getting started on a beach and swimming pool, but now it is possible to have a beach 500 feet long. Few cities can boast of that.

Niles Daily Times July 3, 1929
Although yesterday afternoon was far from warm, many local people wended their way to the Mosquito Creek bathing beach. Much to the surprise of visitors, the beach was filled with laughing, playing bathers, but few of the were kids. Few in comparison, it might be said, for the beach was crowded with kids from 17 to 70.

Some were tossing beach balls while quite a few were just sitting in the sand with their eyes closed, trying to make themselves think they were at Atlantic City. Others were swimming up and down the creek.

The sand has greatly improved the location as a popular swimming place for all the people of Niles. Further up the stream, the bank will be graded and filled and topped with sand.

Soon the swimming beach will be in condition to accommodate at least two thousand local people daily, according to those who have made this beach possible.

146 West Street

Niles Official City Directory 1933-1934
Published December 10, 1933

140 West Street...........................................................Harry Yencer
146 West Street.........................................................Angelo Caruso
152 West Street................................Mary Mutch (Samuel Petrolia)
208 West Street................................Joseph Gioiello (L Annunzito)
220 West Street..............................................John Vargo (Watkins)
222 West Street..................................................Mrs. Pearl Watkins

152 West Street

208 West Street

Houses along West Street were built in the H.H. Mason addition.

146 West Street, built 1900; 152 West Street, built 1910;140 West Street, built 1913.

220 West Street became the property of the City of Niles as a land bank in 2010.

Most of these houses remain as single-family dwelling with the house at 152 West Street having been converted into a duplex.

Waddell Pool was dedicated July 25, 1934

Waddell Pool

In July 1929 Jacob D. Waddell, vice president of Empire Steel Corporation, presented the city with 52 acres of land to be used as a municipal park. It was located just outside the city limits between Park and Warren Ave. and on both sides of Lovers Lane. It was hoped that a swimming pool might someday be added to the park.

With the Great Depression of the 1930’s in full effect, the federal government announced a public works program offering to pay 30% of the cost of projects that would give work to the needy. The idea of a swimming pool and bath house in Waddell Park began to take shape.

The first concrete was poured in February 1934 and work began as soon as construction material arrived.

The pool was dedicated Wednesday July 25,1934. The newspaper stated, “to several thousand swimming enthusiasts of the city, today marks a noted change from an unsanitary dirtied water creek swimming hole to the most modern and up-to-date pool.”

Thus ended the story of the Mosquito Creek Beach