The Atwater, California Plunge

The Last Day of the Atwater Plunge

An Atwater Historical Facility Destroyed by a Long Forgotten City Council of No Vision, No Plan, No Interest.

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[erod1944]

A Quote from a Merced Sun-Star Article:

"Manuel Bairos, 76, a 36-year city employee and former parks superintendent, said the Plunge was demolished because the pool was leaking and city officials at the time didn't care to repair it. "Whoever made the decision to tear it out didn't really look at the whole situation. That's what happened with our pool, it went to the dump," Bairos said."

.

[crispycream]

Where in Atwater was this located?

[erod1944]

@crispycream It was located on 3rd street just north of the Atwater Library. The site is that park next to the library parking lot.

[Ranger337]

I really miss the plunge. I was just 11 when they closed and destroued it. I learned how to swim there.

The thing I will most remember is the rough floor in the shallow end. I guess the state of the direpair was one of the reasons for closing the Plunge. I had forgotten what it looked like. Thank you for the stroll down memory lane. If possible I would like for you to send me the pictures you have of the old plunge.

[erod1944]

My personal memory of the Plunge is that of getting my finger stuck in the bottom drain at the 9ft level and having to decide that "even if the finger had to go" I was getting back to the surface. I put my feet on the bottom and pushed off and luckly the finger came with me. I was about 9-10 years old.

[WizardOfChicamunga]

I used to swim there in the 1950's.

[MrMpayton]

i lived there from 1959 to 1968 and i remember going thereduringsummer school at mitchell. i, too, learned how to swim there. great place.

[nornd]

I lived here from 67 to 73 and enjoyed swimming at the Plunge, sad to see it's no longer there.

[stevenbritton11]

My first memory of the Plunge was seeing and hearing it from Carol's front yard when I was about 4 years old. I then remember going there as a class from Mitchell Elem. walking to the Plunge from the school. Had to have been 1st grade. There was a "cool" lifeguard there who drove a '57 T-bird that had the opera window in the hard top. All of the girls swooned over him and all of us boys wanted to be him, I think it was because of the car. Hahaha. Earned all of my swimming cards there, too.

[GreatHawk1]

Hi, Carol, 'ol neighbor! Nice to hear from you...

[cjbbrussels]

@GreatHawk1 Hi Les, living behind the plunge and across the street, we also heard the chatter of kids and the PA system. It was the norm for our days growing up. It was sad that the plunge hadn't been updated as it was a tradition. But, as Greg said, it was too costly to maintain. Carol Britton

[GreatHawk1]

Yes, a swimming pool IS the "coolest place in town" when you live in a city that can get upwards of 110 degrees in the summer. Problem with having to live at 1698 Third Street, though, was that you'd have to live with my Dad.

[golzack]

@erod1944 Thanks for providing these great historical pictures of an Atwater landmark. It was a large part of many of our lives growing up in our small valley town. I would like to give you some insight about why the pool was removed. I was Mayor of Atwater from 1980-84. Unfortunately, the average daily attendance was 10-20 kids as they were going to the newer Atwater High pool, the pipes were leaking about 10,000 gallons a day, and we could not get parts for the pump anymore. Greg Olzack