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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Guide Weather Subscribe Contact Us February 14, 2005 Natatorium plunged out of existence By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings Ashland is now famous for theater, but its townspeople once had grand plans to capitalize on the area's natural springs and become a world-class mineral water resort. When the ashland natatorium opened in 1909, its proprietors and city officials hoped that the landmark building would take its place among the world's most renowned mineral water resorts. The site would later become Twin Plunges, a pair of outdoor pools that drew kids from miles around. Submitted photo Out of that vision grew the Ashland Mineral Springs Natatorium. Built in 1909, the natatorium failed to become the global epicenter of mineral spring resorts, but it did generate happy memories for generations of local children. It was later called the Twin Plunges because of its two pools and operated until 1977, when the owners had to close the operation for financial reasons. "It was a real gathering place for kids in Ashland," recalled Edith Willstatter, who with her husband Al, was the last owner of the pool before it was demolished to make way for a Heritage Bank branch. "They kind of lived with us all summer. We were kind of the town babysitters." According to a 1978 Tidings article, "vestiges of the past" that included slides, diving boards, a diving trampoline, 300 swimming suits and other items were sold off at a public auction that marked "the end of an Ashland institution." "We were sad," Willstatter recalled. "We felt sorry for the kids. This was their summer home." The Ashland Food Cooperative now stands on the site. Grand hopes In a paper entitled "From 'Nat' to Now: A History of the Twin Plunges" based on Tidings articles, Willstatter details the lifespan of the pools. As many as 35 pick, shovel and wheelbarrow-wielding men at a time worked to excavate the pools and retaining tanks. Upon its opening on a Saturday in October of 1909, Ashland Mayor R. N. Snell exhorted residents to make of the day "a grand gala" and called on every man, woman and child to devote at least one hour to visiting the "grand natatorium." Visitors discovered an east pool for men and a west pool for women, spring boards, slides, high dives, trapeze rings, a balcony around the pools with room to seat 500 people and a maple dance floor that doubled as a skating rink. That evening, residents could pay a quarter each and be amazed by the swiming and diving feats of the world-renowned Professor Oberdorf of Seattle. But competition among the area's pools and spas seems to have split the customer base. By the late 1920s, the building surrounding the twin pools was torn down and the property was sold as a tax foreclosure. The business reopened with outdoor pools after a renovation in 1931. The Twin Plunges was the scene of bathing beauty contests, a fashion show with models parading between the pools, swimming classes, dances and other activities. Later owners - needing winter income and inspired by an article on plastic pool covers in Popular Science magazine - erected an air-inflated plastic cover over the pools and held a grand opening on Dec. 31, 1958. "Winter indoor swimming was short-lived that season, however," Willstatter wrote in her history. "A wind storm on January 8 blew shingles off a nearby house and hit the tautly inflated bubble. The reaction was much like a can opener." An experiment with a Mylar bubble also proved unsuccessful when the material deteriorated after one season. Closing days The Willstatters operated the pool for 11 years, working 12-hour days seven days a week during the five-month season, Edith Willstatter recalled. In addition to slides and diving boards, kids enjoyed pinball machines, a jukebox and other features, she said. Youngsters from all over the Rogue Valley and northern California visited the pools. "The towns of Hornbrook and Montague (California) would empty out and come up here for school skip days," Willstatter said. "That was always fun. They would spend the whole day here in Ashland and picnic in the park." In the 1970s, the couple were awakened in the middle of the night to find a group of beer-drinking transients skinny-dipping in the pools with kids and dogs in tow. "My husband started chasing them with a two-by-four," Willstatter recalled. Financial risk and fatigue from the long work days eventually led the couple to sell the property to the bank. They had first offered it to the city and county, but had been turned down, according to Willstatter. "It was no longer economically feasible to operate it," she said. "There were insurance costs for one thing. We didn't want the exposure." The Twin Plunges did exact a revenge of sorts on the demolition crew as the facilities were being torn down and the pools filled in. "They wrecked a couple pieces of machinery trying to bring it down," Willstatter said. "There was so much rebar. There were also two wells and an artesian spring. They had to deal with the water until it could be rerouted somewhere else." Terry Skibby, George Kramer, Southern Oregon Historical Society staff, Edith Willstatter, Kay Atwood, Southern Oregon University library staff and Steve Gies provided information and assistance for the creation of this series on Ashland's lost buildings. 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