Hegler's Swimming Pool

Delbert (1) and Louis (12) with family pets
about 1935

When I turned 12 years old, I joined Scout Troop #2 at the Bethel Methodist Church with several of the neighborhood boys. Our church did not have a Scout Troop at this time. Piff Wallace was the assistant Scout Master to Mr. Reeves.

An arrangement was made between Hegler’s Swimming Pool and Scout Troop #3 for the troop to work at the pool in the spring to prepare it for the summer swim season. The work had to be done on Saturdays during April and May.

Ray Hegler

The Hegler family owned a farm which included a stream in which they cleared out the brush and built a dam.  This dam created a pool of water about 150 feet long and 75 feet wide which made a very nice swimming pool.  In addition to the pool, the Heglers built a bath house, diving towers and boards, parking area and fencing.  It was a great business!

The pool consisted of a dam across a ravine and a stream working its way down to the Arkansas River. It was about a half mile north of Highway #50 and ½ mile south of the Arkansas River.

The stream would bring in silt from the fields which drained into the stream all summer. So we would wash the silt out of the sand, re-sand the pool bottom, and clear out any trash or growth from the incoming stream.

We would re-sand the area on top of the dam and on the beach on the west side of the pool. We would scrape and repaint the tower, diving boards, fence, dressing rooms, and business area.  In return for our work, we could swim free all summer.


Just before the pool opened for the public, the Heglers always had a pit barbeque pig for a big meal and party for the workers.

After the first year, our neighborhood boys took over the project, and the Scout Troop dropped out of it. We continued the project and free swimming until we were well into high school, and then some boys stayed on as life guards, etc. The group stayed on and swam free until WWII broke out and most of us ended up in the service.

We often went to Hegler’s on Friday after school and slept there Friday night. We would work and play and swim as soon as the pool filled (even though the water was very cold when it first filled.) Some stayed over Saturday night, but most of us had to come home for Sunday church meetings.

We did a lot of swimming for the summer when we could talk one of our parents into driving us out there. It was about seven miles from our neighborhood.

A little internet searching led me to Ray Hegler's obituary as published in the Pueblo Chieftain:

Hegler, Raymond E.
Raymond E. Hegler, 86, passed away Jan. 20, 2005. Survived by his loving wife of 19 years, Anna Hegler; his children, Alan Hegler, David (Cathie) Hegler, Gail Hegler; grandchildren, Melissa Merrill, Michael Hegler; his stepchildren, Marge (Jim) Penrod, Janice (Larry) Crump, John (Marcella) Mravich; grandchild, Becky Penrod; special niece, Pepper (Bill) Rhinehart. Also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Mary Hegler; first wife, Jean Townley; brothers and sisters, Pauline, Herman, Frank, Fred, Theodore, Wilma, Anna and Isabelle. Ray was the owner and operator of Hegler Swimming Pool. He raised fish at the Hegler Trout Farm. Ray was a member of the Eagles, NRA, Carpenters Union, Fin and Feather Club. He also loved to dance, have fun and was a kind and loving person.