man talk about memories. hell back in late 60s we had a little band put together before Freedom Express wad formed and we pkayed upstairs fir practice and to get some recognition. man great years before Uncke Sam got hold of my young ass! lol
I love how after it closed and was filled in they built a church on top of where the lake used to be and then it burnt down. Shows how that the lake was sacred ground and was not meant to have anything in it's place.
I practically lived at Rock Lake growning up with my siblings. I had my first kiss there in the picnic area. Still have the picture! It was a double dare! My mom grew up in the area and used to swim in the rock quarry lake before it was made into a pool. My sisters were on TV on Dick's show one time and we all had good laughs over that. Sure wish it could be put back to original because it was an original! I loved the trapeze and big slide but the curvy slide was great too. Remember the boat?
Thank you so much for this video posting. It made me feel like I was there again. It is sad that it is gone because it was such a wonderful place to be in the summer time. I remember we used to dance on the dance floor to the same songs over and over again. R-E-S-P-E-C-T and Shotgun were always favorites. Shows you how old I am. Again thanks for the memories..
Can't believe I was watching this with a big grin remembering what a great pool it was when I realized who posted it. Thanks Rick. I don't remember our group ever going there together. Once I met your buddy we always went to Wevaco since he and then we were members. But it sure wasn't as fun as Rock Lake.
I worked at rock lake pool in the late 40's and early 50's. This video brings back a lot of memories. I worked there 5 years. I lived on Ohio St. in front of the pool.
I went there swimming in the 80s & golfing in the 90s & 2001. There was this churning sternwheel that I loved in the 80s. They closed it down bz Drug recruits were getting kids hooked on drugs. I know one kid, who was only 12 years old, that met the wrong person there & got hooked on drugs. Poor guy, screwed up his life.
Thanks so much for sharing. Could you tell me what year this was? when I was in Jr.High I walked to the pool almost everyday, and I got a job later on working in the resturant if you want to call it that (LOL) I knew both owners that were brothers. My sister also worked there. I missed going there so much, and its a shame it closed.
This is wishful thinking, but I thought I saw myself on the video. Do you know anyone that was in the pool area swimming? Thanks again!!
You guys are so lucky! I just got to see it as a putt putt and now its just taking up space because a church bought it and hasn't done anything with it. Such a same
I believe the slide still exists somewhere along the Kanawha River somewhere in South Charleston. I remember reading an article about a man (Dr?) who was fixing up his riverbank and the fix-up included adding the slide.
great shots of the a "bygone era" worked at this place in the mid 50's .. Also did a few dives off the cliff for the Dick Reid tv show on Saturdays..must have been out of my mind.. (50 ft into 8 ft of water and a concrete bottom.. oh well I am now 70 and still have great memories of the fun times working.. The Wylan brothers owned it back then.. They were a demanding three-some... but I learned a great work ethic from my time there (earned a whopping 35cents/hr) .. thanks for the video.
Thank you so much for posting this video. It brings back such wonderful memories of spending my summer days at the pool. There will never be another one like it. I can still hear certain songs, and be transported back instantly to that dance floor, with the jukebox playing.
My brother and sister went there many times. I took my last life guard lesson there. We used to ride our bikes across the Dunbar bridge. It was pretty fun. The last time I was there was the early 90's with my own to children and it was a putt-putt course. My brother and sister, wife, kids, we all met up there for a evening after Thanksgiving.
Yes, I remember all that. I watched Dick Reid's show on TV and on Saturdays they did the show from Rock Lake. It was our local version of Band Stand. I was always impressed when the life guards dove off the cliff. They would pan the camera over the pool and catch the dives. There may be some footage at the TV station. My favorite thing was the water slide. I saw more than one person lose a top of their trunks when they hit the water at the bottom.
Thanks, for posting this utube...my husband Mike Kight was a lifeguard there in the early 60"s. He used to climb up the clifts in the back and dive into the 6 foot water. He said he often did it when they had Sock Hops there. Anyone remember that? I have always wished we had a picture or video of that.
Well, I didn't have a wide angle lens for my ancient Beta video camera at the time. It was trick for its day but now most cell phones have a better camera.
I knew living in St. Albans was always better than Nitro! GGG!
This is so comprehensive but there is one thing wrong. The video makes it look smaller than it really was. It was so huge. What a great place to swim. If you rode the bus to get home to Nitro it was easiest to walk across the Dunbar bridge and catch the Nitro bus there. If you caught the St. Albans bus on McCorkle you had to wait 55 minutes at the St. Albans bus station to get the Nitro one.
I was there in 59, 60,61 and 62. Went to the Air Farce in 1963.
ricknorris6943 1 week ago
man talk about memories. hell back in late 60s we had a little band put together before Freedom Express wad formed and we pkayed upstairs fir practice and to get some recognition. man great years before Uncke Sam got hold of my young ass! lol
weewoo6952 1 week ago
Wow this really brings back some great memories!!! Thanks for sharing!
pennyms3 1 week ago
I love how after it closed and was filled in they built a church on top of where the lake used to be and then it burnt down. Shows how that the lake was sacred ground and was not meant to have anything in it's place.
gustaylor6 2 months ago
I practically lived at Rock Lake growning up with my siblings. I had my first kiss there in the picnic area. Still have the picture! It was a double dare! My mom grew up in the area and used to swim in the rock quarry lake before it was made into a pool. My sisters were on TV on Dick's show one time and we all had good laughs over that. Sure wish it could be put back to original because it was an original! I loved the trapeze and big slide but the curvy slide was great too. Remember the boat?
cfm722 4 months ago
Thank you so much for this video posting. It made me feel like I was there again. It is sad that it is gone because it was such a wonderful place to be in the summer time. I remember we used to dance on the dance floor to the same songs over and over again. R-E-S-P-E-C-T and Shotgun were always favorites. Shows you how old I am. Again thanks for the memories..
TheTrendyGirlxo 4 months ago
Can't believe I was watching this with a big grin remembering what a great pool it was when I realized who posted it. Thanks Rick. I don't remember our group ever going there together. Once I met your buddy we always went to Wevaco since he and then we were members. But it sure wasn't as fun as Rock Lake.
pisceanogre 6 months ago
Wow. The memories. That place was just awesome.
gigilarue 8 months ago
I worked at rock lake pool in the late 40's and early 50's. This video brings back a lot of memories. I worked there 5 years. I lived on Ohio St. in front of the pool.
Thanks, Barbara Angel Thompson
crisscross1526 9 months ago
The slide is Kanawha City near KMart
jbukant 11 months ago
I went there swimming in the 80s & golfing in the 90s & 2001. There was this churning sternwheel that I loved in the 80s. They closed it down bz Drug recruits were getting kids hooked on drugs. I know one kid, who was only 12 years old, that met the wrong person there & got hooked on drugs. Poor guy, screwed up his life.
lotsofgametime 11 months ago
Bingo! 1985, 4th of July to be exact. The only folks I knew then were my kids.
Glad you liked it.
ricknorris6943 1 year ago
OMG, sorry I just saw the date at the top. Was it 1985? lol
fameisnttheanswer 1 year ago
Thanks so much for sharing. Could you tell me what year this was? when I was in Jr.High I walked to the pool almost everyday, and I got a job later on working in the resturant if you want to call it that (LOL) I knew both owners that were brothers. My sister also worked there. I missed going there so much, and its a shame it closed.
This is wishful thinking, but I thought I saw myself on the video. Do you know anyone that was in the pool area swimming? Thanks again!!
fameisnttheanswer 1 year ago
You guys are so lucky! I just got to see it as a putt putt and now its just taking up space because a church bought it and hasn't done anything with it. Such a same
sceagle10 1 year ago
I believe the slide still exists somewhere along the Kanawha River somewhere in South Charleston. I remember reading an article about a man (Dr?) who was fixing up his riverbank and the fix-up included adding the slide.
chuckfrostick 1 year ago
My pleasure. We all have such great memories of the place. Great story.
ricknorris6943 1 year ago
great shots of the a "bygone era" worked at this place in the mid 50's .. Also did a few dives off the cliff for the Dick Reid tv show on Saturdays..must have been out of my mind.. (50 ft into 8 ft of water and a concrete bottom.. oh well I am now 70 and still have great memories of the fun times working.. The Wylan brothers owned it back then.. They were a demanding three-some... but I learned a great work ethic from my time there (earned a whopping 35cents/hr) .. thanks for the video.
swkjak 1 year ago
I love how there is no regulation of people jumping off or swinging off that ledge...awesome footage!!
kathleenmaelatlip 1 year ago
We all loved Rock Lake. I'm glad I got to take my kids there several times. It was a time in the past.
ricknorris6943 1 year ago
Thank you so much for posting this video. It brings back such wonderful memories of spending my summer days at the pool. There will never be another one like it. I can still hear certain songs, and be transported back instantly to that dance floor, with the jukebox playing.
IwilltrustinGod 1 year ago
My brother and sister went there many times. I took my last life guard lesson there. We used to ride our bikes across the Dunbar bridge. It was pretty fun. The last time I was there was the early 90's with my own to children and it was a putt-putt course. My brother and sister, wife, kids, we all met up there for a evening after Thanksgiving.
MrBharrison1 1 year ago
Yes, I remember all that. I watched Dick Reid's show on TV and on Saturdays they did the show from Rock Lake. It was our local version of Band Stand. I was always impressed when the life guards dove off the cliff. They would pan the camera over the pool and catch the dives. There may be some footage at the TV station. My favorite thing was the water slide. I saw more than one person lose a top of their trunks when they hit the water at the bottom.
ricknorris6943 1 year ago
Thanks, for posting this utube...my husband Mike Kight was a lifeguard there in the early 60"s. He used to climb up the clifts in the back and dive into the 6 foot water. He said he often did it when they had Sock Hops there. Anyone remember that? I have always wished we had a picture or video of that.
MrSunnylindy 1 year ago
I remember spending many a day at Rock Lake, even have baby pictures from there.
emriley1951 1 year ago
This site has some photos though:
w w w dot mywvhome dot com / rocklake dot html
rxmwilson 1 year ago
So glad you posted this video.....I'm sure there aren't too many videos out there of the pool ! Thanks!
rxmwilson 1 year ago
This is so awesome!!! Thank u for sharing!! great memories!!
pattystep 1 year ago
Well, I didn't have a wide angle lens for my ancient Beta video camera at the time. It was trick for its day but now most cell phones have a better camera.
I knew living in St. Albans was always better than Nitro! GGG!
ricknorris6943 1 year ago
This is so comprehensive but there is one thing wrong. The video makes it look smaller than it really was. It was so huge. What a great place to swim. If you rode the bus to get home to Nitro it was easiest to walk across the Dunbar bridge and catch the Nitro bus there. If you caught the St. Albans bus on McCorkle you had to wait 55 minutes at the St. Albans bus station to get the Nitro one.
shirlsjeans 1 year ago