How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents...

I am surprised no one has mentioned the three mile pump at lateral 22 [now 91st ave] and Lower Buckeye. It was just south of Union school around the jog in the road and a little N. of the Salt River.


When I was growing up, one of the favorite family outings was going to the Three Mile Pump. Since the town [Tolleson] had no public swimming pool, canals in the surrounding area were the only places to go swimming. In the hot days of no A/C in cars, and primitive swamp coolers in the homes, the anticipation of taking a dip in the cold clear water of the Three Mile Pump was always on our minds. In the early years, we didn’t go to the “big canal” [RID] , as the larger one was called, because it was too deep and swift for young kids. So, the three mile pump was it.....since it was neither deep nor swift. I, along with my dad, mother, sister, Betty, and my dog Penny, would pile into the 1927 Model A or later the 1936 Chevy [or “Chivvy” as everyone called a Chevrolet] for the trip to ecstasy.
The three mile pump was about 5 miles South of Tolleson and was used for irrigating the fields of various crops in this rural agricultural area. Water was pumped from deep in the ground into a canal, and was quite cold. The crystal clear water came out in a large pipe about 18 inches in diameter, and the place we swam was just a short distance down stream. The water was only about waist deep, just perfect for young kids who were just learning to swim. The banks of the canal where we always went had been eroded and widened by years of use by swimmers, so that was a lot wider than the rest of the canal. It was the epitome of a “swimming hole”. It felt so good to jump in the water after the hot car ride. A few families always went, the adults sitting on the bank visiting, while the kids frolicked in the cold invigorating water on a hot summer day. Usually mother and the other women took food along and made a picnic out of the event. Jumping back into the cold water after eating was always a rush.
I can remember learning to dog paddle and open my eyes under water, discovering that feeling. One never felt scared since you could just stand up and have that safe feeling of having your feet on the ground. The adults sat on the bank and watched, offering suggestions as they saw the need. My dad always got in the water with us, but none of the other adults ever did.