Click to enlarge - you must see this to believe it!
Dive in if you dare!
I first became aware of Radium
Springs in the spring of 1954. My family had just moved to Albany
from Columbus and my parents were on the alert for activities to
distract my brother and me during the hot summer to come. At the
time, Tift Park Zoo was an obvious choice since it was free and only
a mile from out new house. Not so obvious was Radium Springs.
Everyone knew of “The Springs”, as locals knew it, and everyone
recommended it as an afternoon’s distraction for kids. The down side
was that it was all the way across town. In those days a five mile
trip across town was an event to be planned weeks in advance.
Over the next eight years or so we spent many Saturday afternoons in
the cold 68 degree water of The Springs. Some of my fondest
memories from childhood were diving into the boil from the spring
board. Almost everyone in attendance could see the board from
wherever they were around the springs.
There was a huge white multi-story building that was known as the
Casino. The Casino seemed suspended above the concrete walk on one
side of the water as if it were painted on the hill side by an
artist. Across the water from the Casino was a sand beach where
families spread picnic blankets. In the middle of the springs was a
raised island surrounded by a rock wall. It was a thrill knowing
that all of the folks on the Casino patio, the sandy beach and the
island could see the boys diving from the spring board. When I say
everyone I really mean THE GIRLS!
During the years from 1962, when I graduated from high school, until
the great flood of 1994 the family atmosphere of The Springs seemed
to deteriorate. The beach was taken over by unsupervised teens and
older young people with beer coolers. Each time I visited the crowd
seemed to be more and more about partying and less and less about
family. There was a time in those years when the swimming area
didn’t even open for the summer months. In 1994 the Flint River
flooded and, for all practical purposes, killed The Springs forever.
There was always talk of rebuilding the Casino and swimming area but
the talks never really gained any traction. What little headway
toward rebuilding was gained, was again lost when a second flood
again devastated The Springs.
The second flood hit in 1998. FEMA, the Federal disaster people,
decided that putting any reclamation money into the old Casino was
not to be. The State ended up buying the seven acre property in
2000. In town there was a move to tear down the Casino and another
move to save it. Ultimately the building was demolished and the area
more or less abandoned. The rebuilding proponents remained active
behind the scenes and after some time were able to have some special
project sales tax money earmarked for rehabilitating the area. In
2004 the SPLOST that included the Radium project was passed by the
voters of Dougherty County and $2.5 million appropriated to start
the rehabilitation project. In the meantime the State deeded the
Springs to Dougherty County opening the way for the rehabilitation
project.
Bids were put out for design ideas. In the summer of 2005 an
architectural concept drawing was unveiled to the public. The new
project did not include using the springs as a public swimming area
or the rebuilding of the Casino. The concept was for the springs to
become a nature viewing area with access to the Flint River, a few
hundred yards to the west. The plans did include a ten foot wall
built in the exact footprint of the old Casino. The concept plans
were to have the rehabilitation take place in two phases over a ten
year period. Here we are in 2011 and Phase I has been completed. Phase
II is presently on hold waiting for the economy to improve. The
State still owns 85 acres surrounding the creek that connects the
spring with the river.
Phase I included extensive landscaping, the walls to remind us of
the original Casino and a temporary parking area. This phase was
opened to the public in July of 2010. Phase II will include
additional landscaping, a visitor’s center and the building of two
picnic pavilions. Permanent parking and a new gate house are also
planned in Phase II. The memories still linger. Even though the
diving board is long gone the rock tower to which it was mounted
still stands proudly. The mighty oaks that surrounded The Springs
still look as magnificent as ever. Even the white walls meant to
suggest the location of the old casino still bring back memories of
real thing.
(click to enlarge)
When I walk around The Springs with my camera in hand I can almost
hear the laughter of children playing and hear the sound of teenaged
boys plunging off the spring board into the freezing water hoping to
catch the girl’s attention. The place will never live up to my
memories but we can show The Springs to our grandchildren with hopes
that they may build memories to cherish 50 years from now.
