44° F | Schenectady, NY
Westlawn pool rules in '60
Boys’ night out means carousing.
In 1960, boys’ day in meant cannonballs.
The guys were at Schenectady’s Woodlawn Park swimming pool on Kings Road. High heat was in town for summer, and the free swimming pool attracted dozens of water fans.
The crowds were too large. Because so many boys and girls suited up for the cold stuff, Woodlawn supervisors adopted a rule. Boys were allowed cannonball splashes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Girls were in the swim on another three days in the week. Posted on June 13, 2011.
Lifeguard Harvey Rapp tells five disappointed young ladies they can’t swim in Woodlawn’s swimming pool in 1960. That summer, a system was set up in which boys and girls got the water on separate days — and it was the boys’ turn.
A young girl might not been allowed to swim in the Woodlawn pool during a summer day in 1960, but she could still help a boy find his way around the wet stuff.
Boys clown around during one of their days in the sun at the Woodlawn swimming pool. Because of large crowds, boys took over the water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Girls were in the waves on another three days of the week.
Boys — and a few girls — sit and splash in the Woodlawn pool in 1960.
A crowded bicycle section at Woodlawn Park meant a crowded swimming pool.
