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SOUTH PARK SEEN THROUGH THE EYES
OF
BUDDY AND JANE HEBERT
Alice Keith Park
REMEMBER WHEN WE COULD SMELL THE ROSES ???
SOUTH PARK SEEN THROUGH THE EYES
OF
BUDDY AND JANE HEBERT
Alice Keith Park
REMEMBER WHEN WE COULD SMELL THE ROSES ???
SPRING WAS A BEAUTIFUL TIME IN SOUTH PARK AND AS
YOU DROVE DOWN HIGHLAND AVENUE,
YOU COULD SMELL THE AROMA OF THE BEAUTIFUL ROSES THAT WERE BLOOMING
IN ALICE KEITH
PARK.
ALICE KEITH PARK WAS CONSIDERED
ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PARKS IN THE CITY OF
BEAUMONT, WITH ITS 2,300 ROSE BUSHES ARRANGED IN 26 BEDS AROUND A 50
FOOT FLAG POLE.
THE PARK WAS ALWAYS FILLED WITH RESIDENTS JUST ENJOYING
THE BEAUTY OF THE
SURROUNDINGS.
THE CITIZENS OF SOUTH PARK FOR MANY YEARS HAD
DREAMED OF A PARK IN OUR AREA, AND
ON APRIL 14, 1931 THE CITY OF BEAUMONT PURCHASED TWO TRACTS OF LAND
OUT OF THE J.
W.BULLOCK SURVEY FROM THE UNITED CHARITIES OF BEAUMONT, ONE OF WHICH
WAS USED FOR
THE BUCKNER DAY CARE CENTER, AND 9.06 ACRES
BEING DEVELOPED INTO A PARK TO BE NAMED
FOR ONE OF THE CITY'S BELOVED PIONEERS, ALICE CARROLL KEITH, OFTEN
REFERRED TO AS 'THE
MOTHER OF BEAUMONT."
THE PARK PROPERTY WAS LOCATED AT
THE CORNER OF HIGHLAND AVENUE AND LAVACA
STREET, AND WHEN CONSTRUCTION WAS COMPLETED WAS A BREATH TAKING MEMORIAL
TO ALICE
KEITH.
ALONG THE HIGHLAND AVENUE ENTRANCE WAS A BEAUTIFUL
LAWN, TRIMMED TO PERFECTION,
AND BEYOND THE LAWN WAS THE LOCATION OF THE ROSE GARDEN. THE ROSE BUSHES
WERE
ARRANGED IN COLORFUL BEDS, WITH RED AND PINK VARIETIES MASSED.
BEYOND THE ROSE GARDEN WAS AN ELEVATED TERRACE, WITH
A WHITE SEMI-CLASSIC BRICK
SHELTER HOUSE, SURMOUNTED BY A RED SPANISH TILE ROOF WHICH HAD BEEN
DESIGNED BY
ARCHITECT, RICHARD C. HEARTFIELD. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHELTER
WAS AN OPEN STAGE, WITH
REST ROOMS BUILT ON EACH SIDE OF THE SHELTER.
FRAME ARBORS PAINTED WHITE WERE BUILT ON EACH SIDE
OF THE SHELTER, EXTENDING TO THE
END OF THE TERRACE, WITH BEAUTIFUL RED ROSES CLIMBING OVER SLENDER
WHITE COLUMNS.
MANY A ROMANTIC YOUNG COUPLE SAT ON THIS TERRACE TO HAVE THEIR PICTURE
TAKEN. IT
AS A SIMPLY MAGNIFICENT SPOT !
A WADING POOL WAS BUILT JUST TO THE NORTH OF THE
BUILDING ON THE LAVACA STREET SIDE,
WITH A SMALL ISLAND IN THE CENTER COVERED WITH GRASS. POPLAR TREES,
SPIREA, FIRETHORN
AND NUMEROUS OTHER SHRUBS AND TREES FORMED A DEEP GREEN BACKGROUND.
AN OPEN AREA SEPARATED FROM THE TERRACE CONTAINED
TWO BASEBALL DIAMONDS. AT
EACH END OF THIS SPACE WERE PLAYGROUNDS. ALONG THE LAVACA STREET AREA
WERE 15 LARGE
SWINGS, 9 SMALL SWINGS, 8 SEE SAWS, AND SEVERAL SLIDING CHUTES, AS
WELL AS CHINNING
BARS.
THERE WERE PICNIC UNITS, WITH 9 TABLES AND BENCHES,
AND 3 BBQ UNITS, AND THERE WERE 3
TENNIS COURTS. ALONG THE NORTH END OF THE PARK PLOT WERE BEDS
OF LILIES, AND IN THE
SOUTHWEST CORNER WERE GROVES OF REDBUD AND CEDAR . YOU COULD PLAY VOLLEYBALL
AND
BADMINTON, AND THERE WERE BASKETBALL GOALS - AND EVEN 2 SWINGING BENCHES.
ABOUT TWICE A YEAR THE PARK ARRANGED FOR CITIZENS
TO RECEIVE CUTTINGS FROM THE
ROSES, AND ON CERTAIN SATURDAY MORNINGS THE PARK SUPERVISORS WOULD
BE ON HAND TO
GIVE OUT THE ROSE CLIPPINGS, AND CITIZENS FROM ALL OVER BEAUMONT WOULD
ARRIVE TO GET
ONE OF THESE CLIPPINGS. AND IN 1951, I WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE RESIDENTS
IN LINE TO GET A
ROSE CLIPPING - MY VERY FIRST ROSE GARDEN.
SOUTH PARK RESIDENTS SPENT MANY A SUMMER DAY WITH
THEIR FAMILIES IN ALICE KEITH
PARK, HAVING A PICNIC, TAKING THE YOUNGSTERS TO WADE IN THE WADING
POOL, OR JUST
SITTING IN THE PARK ENJOYING THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL.
FOR YEARS THE CITY HAD PROMISED SOUTH PARK A SWIMMING
POOL FOR THEIR PARK, AND ON
AUGUST 15, 1936 THE CITY ANNOUNCED THAT A SWIMMING POOL WOULD
INDEED BE BUILT IN
ALICE KEITH PARK, WITH SUBMERGED LIGHTS AND A FILTER PLANT. THE CITY
HAD MADE
APPLICATION TO THE WPA (WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION)
TO PROVIDE THE COST OF THE
LABOR, AND AFTER THE PLANS AND DESIGN WERE FINAL, ON OCTOBER
26, 1937 GROUND BREAKING
FOR THE POOL WAS HELD.
FRANK HELMKE WAS ON LOAN FROM HIS COMPANY
TO OVERSEE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
POOL, WHICH WAS BUILT BY A LANSING, MICHIGAN COMPANY. THE POOL
WITH ITS POURED
CONCRETE FACADE FEATURED THE STARK ANGLES AND STYLISTIC TOUCHES OF
THE LATE ART
DECO PERIOD.
NO ONE IS SURE WHY BEAUMONT OPTED FOR ABOVE-GROUND
POOLS, BUT SOME POOL EXPERTS
SUGGEST THAT ABOVE GROUND POOLS WERE CHEAPER TO BUILD OR THAT SOIL
PROBLEMS OR A
HIGH WATER TABLE MADE THEM EASIER TO BUILD IN BEAUMONT. ONE POOL HISTORIAN
SUGGESTED
THAT IT MIGHT BE THAT THE WPA HAD AN EXCELLENT ARTIST, AND THOUGHT
THAT AN
ABOVE-GROUND POOL WOULD BE A WAY TO SHOW OFF HIS WORK. RECORDS INDICATE
THE COST
OF BUILDING THE POOL WAS $45,000.00.
THE POOL WAS DEDICATED MAY 26, 1938, AND MADE ALICE
KEITH PARK EVEN MORE OF A
GATHERING PLACE FOR THE LOCAL RESIDENTS. IT
WAS SORT OF A SOCIAL HUB FOR THE AREA,
AND DURING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS, THE POOL AND PARK WERE A REFUGE FOR
THOUSANDS.
THE CITY SPONSORED A SUMMER PROGRAM AT ALICE
KEITH PARK (AS WELL AS OTHER
BEAUMONT PARKS) WHICH BEGAN JUNE 3 AND RAN THROUGH AUGUST 23, DAILY
FROM 9:00 AM TO
11:30 AM AND 2:30 TO 5:30 PM. DURING THE SUMMER, A CHILD COULD SPEND
ALL DAY AT HIS
FAVORITE SPORT - RECESS. THE CITY PARKS AND
RECREATION DEPARTMENT COULD KEEP YOU
BUSY ALL SUMMER. THERE WERE ARTS AND CRAFTS CLASSES, FREE
SWIMMING LESSONS,
SOFTBALL, VOLLEYBALL, BOX HOCKEY, BASKETBALL, TENNIS,
GYMNASTICS, PET SHOWS AND A
CYCLE DAY. AND THERE WAS EVEN A SENIOR CITIZEN'S PROGRAM. AND
ON SPECIAL DAYS,
FIELD TRIPS AND HORSEBACK RIDING. THE SUMMER
RECREATION PROGRAM WAS A SUPERVISED
PROGRAM, WITH TEACHERS OR LAMAR STUDENTS LEADING THE YOUNGSTERS
IN SPORTS, TABLE
GAMES, ARTS AND CRAFTS, TUMBLING AND FIELD TRIPS.
AND ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS BENCHES WERE SET
UP ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE
TERRACE SHELTER, A BIG MOVIE SCREEN WAS IN PLACE, AND MOVIES ALONG
WITH CARTOONS
WERE SHOWN TO THE CROWD EACH NIGHT. NOT ONLY DID THE KIDS ENJOY THESE
MOVIES, MOST
OF OUR MOMS AND DADS MADE THE TRIP TO THE PARK FOR THE MOVIES. WHAT
GREAT FUN
WE HAD !.
THE SWIMMING POOL WAS NOT ONLY A GREAT PLACE TO COOL
OFF, BUT IT WAS ALSO A
FANTASTIC PLACE FOR THE KIDS TO HANG OUT AND MEET EACH OTHER. THERE
WERE TWO DIVING
BOARDS AT THE POOL, ONE EXTREMELY HIGH (BELIEVE ME) AND A LOWER BOARD.
MANY OF THE
YOUNGSTERS WERE EXCELLENT DIVERS, AND ONE IN PARTICULAR - FRANKIE KOKENES
PROVIDED
US WITH MANY NIGHTS OF GREAT ENTERTAINMENT
WATCHING HIM PERFORM HIS BEAUTIFUL
DIVES. AND DURING THOSE DAYS, PARENTS NEVER HAD TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR
YOUNGSTERS
WALKING TO THE POOL AND BACK HOME LATER THAT NIGHT.
THOSE SUMMER MONTHS WERE WONDERFUL TIMES FOR US YOUNGSTERS GROWING UP,
AND MY MEMORIES GO BACK TO THOSE TIMES OFTEN!
IN JANUARY, 1952 GULF STATES UTILITIES INSTALLED
LIGHTS THROUGHOUT THE PARK, AND ON
MARCH 2, 1958 A YOUTH CENTER WAS DEDICATED. NOT ONLY DID BUDDY AND
I ENJOY THE
FACILITIES OF THE PARK WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP, BUT THEY PROVIDED MANY
HOURS OF
ENTERTAINMENT FOR OUR SON AS A YOUNGSTER.
BY 1980 THE
PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT IN THE PARK
HAD DETERIORATED GREATLY, AND
FOR SAFETY ALL THOSE WONDERFUL SWINGS, SEE SAWS, SLIDING BOARDS AND
EQUIPMENT WERE
REMOVED, AND A SMALLER PLAYGROUND WAS INSTALLED.
WHAT WE PREVENT NEEDS NO CURE....
OVER THE YEARS THE COST OF TAKING CARE OF THOSE
BEAUTIFUL ROSES,THE LILLY BEDS AND
OTHER LANDSCAPING HAD BECOME TOO EXPENSIVE, AND THE ROSE
BUSHES WERE REMOVED
FROM THE PARK.
I DO NOT RECALL JUST WHEN THE SUMMER RECREATION PROGRAM
STOPPED, BUT I DO KNOW
THAT IN 1970 IT WAS STILL BEING HELD. IN 1989 CONCERTS ON THE MOVE
IN THE CITY PARKS
BEGAN, PROVIDING SOME GREAT MUSIC FOR RESIDENTS,
AND IN 1995 NEIGHBORS IN THE PARK
STARTED.
BUT NOW OUR ALICE KEITH SWIMMING POOL, THE
GRAND OLD LADY OF BEAUMONT'S WATER
RECREATION PROGRAM, AND PERHAPS THE NATION'S LAST DEPRESSION-ERA,
ABOVE-GROUND
MUNICIPAL SWIMMING POOL, HAS FALLEN ON HARD TIMES AND WILL SOON BE
JUST ANOTHER
MEMORY. THE CITY HAS PURCHASED THE PROPERTY
NEXT TO ALICE KEITH PARK TO ENLARGE THE
PARK AND BUILD AN IN-GROUND POOL FOR THEAREA YOUNGSTERS, AND LEWIS
HILTPOLD, PARKS
MANAGER, HAS ADVISED THAT CONSTRUCTION ON THE NEW POOL WILL
BEGIN ON MONDAY, JUNE
8TH.THE NEW ADDRESS FOR THE POOL HAS EVEN BEEN RECEIVED 4070 REED.
AND IN ADDITION,
THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE STEINHAGEN
FUND IN THE AMOUNT
OF $40,000.00 TO BUILD A LARGER PLAYGROUND AREA, WITH BETTER EQUIPMENT
FOR OUR LADY,
ALICE KEITH.
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