East Lake Park

From Bhamwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is about the park surrounding a man-made lake. For other uses, see East Lake (disambiguation).
East Lake Park
East Lake Park postcard 1911.jpg
Bham Park and Rec logo.jpg Birmingham City Parks
Years 1886present
Location 8101 4th Avenue North, (map)
North East Lake
Area 100 acres
Website facebook.com

East Lake Park is a 100-acre city park anchoring Birmingham's North East Lake neighborhood, between 1st Avenue North and 3rd Court North and between 80th and 84th Street North. It adjoins Lynn Park across 4th Avenue North.

The park was first developed in 1886 as a private attraction for the East Lake Land Company. The 45-acre lake, originally called Lake Como was created by damming Roebuck Springs and Village Creek. A. W. Haskell was the engineer responsible for the design of the 2,200 by 800-foot artificial lake, which ranges from four to 14 feet in depth.

"Shoot the schute" postcard, c. 1909

The East Lake Railroad began bringing visitors to the newly-developing area on June 14, 1887, though the basin was not filled until after the water was turned on at noon on November 25. The next Spring the lake was able to fulfill its function of attracting day trippers from Birmingham, who might then be tempted to purchase home lots or businesses in the company's newly-developed subdivision.

The company constructed various recreational facilities in the park, including a resort hotel, a dance pavilion, and pleasure boat docks. Additional attractions, including a ferris wheel, shooting gallery, and the East Lake Casino theater followed soon after. Over the years a golf course, a baseball field, a stern-wheel paddle boat, a petting zoo and bumper cars were added to the popular amusement park. In April 1892 the zoo reportedly exhibited "a bald eagle, a wolf, two pelicans, two deer, a ground hog, two coons, two white rabbits, a kangaroo, seven prairie dogs and a South American anteater."

The 1908 edition of Julius Cahn's Official Theatrical Guide listed G.F. McLaughy as park manager.

John L. White's Great Alabama Minstrels, who made their East Lake debut on August 20, 1910, were the first African-Americans to perform at the park. The park's dance pavilion hosted a Potlatch Powwow and Ball in April 1913.

The City of Birmingham purchased the property for $65,000 on July 14, 1917 and dedicated it as a public park on May 10, 1918. The city kept many of its attractions open over the next decades while adding other recreational facilities.

Over the next few years, some of the new features included a caterpillar ride, seaplane, "The Whip", the "Rolling Mill" and the "Old Mill" along with a riding academy, pleasure boats, playground, barbecue stand and other food and drink vendors. Prior to the summer of 1922 the city doubled the size of the bathing beach and expanded the bath houses with new lockers. Miles Bradford managed the attraction for the city.

For 1923 $40,000 in new attractions was invested, providing for a "Dodgem" ride, and what was then the longest roller coaster in the South was constructed at the park; 1/4-mile long with 14 dips, including one of 54 feet. On November 20 of that year, Wahouma's Nathan Bedford Forrest Klan No. 60 inducted 2,100 new members at a torchlit ceremony in the park. The city invested another $75,000 on improvements during the winter of 1923-1924, highlighted by a $25,000 merry-go-round completed with a calliope and 1,380 electric lights. The bathing beach was expanded and rebuilt with new diving wells dug into the lake bottom. Also added were a miniature railroad and other rides.

During the Great Depression workers from the Civil Works Administration drained a swampy area north of lake, regraded picnic and bathhouse areas, and constructed 3 tennis courts and 11 barbecue pits. The Works Progress Administration constructed an East Lake Community House and East Lake Auditorium at the park.

In the 1950s, the operation of fishing and boating privileges at East Lake was given to the Jefferson County Sportsmen's Association which fertilized and stocked the lake. A new $150,000 swimming pool was constructed by the city in 1954.

The city widened sidewalks, repaired the dam, and installed picnic shelters and new landscaping in a 1972 renovation. The pipeline from Roebuck Springs was replaced in 1976. Additional landscaping and new parking areas were completed in 1978. The path around the lake was resurfaced with crushed stone in 1980.

The city displays the flags of the home countries of its sister cities on the 1st Avenue edge of the park. In 2012 East Lake Park was listed on the Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail. In 2022 the city replaced the park's tennis courts with a $250,000 "outdoor gym" with accessible workout equipment.

1904 photograph of the East Lake Aquatic Theater

May Hawes

The body of 8-year-old May Hawes was discovered floating in the lake by two boaters on December 4, 1888, starting an investigation that led to the discovery of the bodies of her sister and mother in Lakeview and the conviction and execution of her father, Richard Hawes.

According to area residents, there have since been sightings of a little girl playing at the lake's edge, swimming, or slipping below the water at dusk. Called the Child of the Lake or the East Lake Mermaid, the apparition is attributed to May's spirit.

References

External links

Locate with
Google Maps