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Swimming in the Buckeye in the 1920s

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Here's a classic Bluffton swimming pool photo. Originally a 2 1/2 by 4 inch snapshot, we've enlarged and enhanced for Icon viewers to study closer. The period is the early 1920s.

This is north side of the Buckeye, just to the west of today's shelter house. The man on the pier is probably Steiner Geiger, who was the life guard and swimming teacher. The bath house is behind him. Notice the diving boarrds and the rope that crosses the quarry. The rope divided the "shallow" end from the "deep" end.

Young swimmers had a rope tied around their waste and were tossed in the water, according to conversations with some of the swimmers.

We welcome other observations from Icon viewers. (From the collection of Fred Steiner)