Pops Willow Lake (Los Angeles, Burbank, San Fernando: rent, homes, buying)

[garydew]

My father Garry Dewhirst was the [manager] at Pops Willow Lake arround 51 or 52. As a youngster I have many fond memories, the security guard mac, one of the female lifeguards I think her name was rita who would swim the pool with me on her back, the old show car made of 2 front ends wielded together so you couldn't tell the front from the back, the old house we lived in on the property, rowing a boat arround the lake

[patnpatty]

We used to go to Pops Willow Lake in the late 40's ..I was about 5 yrs old then and i thought that it was so big and pretty there..I will ask my brother where it was and we must have some photo's of it in my Mom's photo's..will post if i find out anything.

[nmnita]

Boy does that bring back memories: it was one of our favorite hangouts when we were in our teens. That was the early to mid 50s. I haven't thought much about it in years.

Nita

[paul skillman]

I am 72 yrs old. My Dad use to take my sister & me to Pops Willow Lake when I was 6 & she was 9. That always marked the beginning of Summer. I t was a long swimming pool with slanted sides you could slide down into the water. It had a boating lake next to it. I use to catch pollywogs & misquito fish. I remember once I got badly sunburned & when my sister started to peel of the skin there where frickle undernith. I always wondered where the pool was & what happened to it.
That was before vidio cameras. My Dad died back in 84 & I am sure we had some great pictures of Pops Wilow Lake, But unfortunately no one thought to save them. There are only memories now.
Nice to hear that some one else remembers it too. Take care,
Paul Skillman

[onlyonejudy]

Originally Posted by paul skillman

I am 72 yrs old. My Dad use to take my sister & me to Pops Willow Lake when I was 6 & she was 9. That always marked the beginning of Summer. I t was a long swimming pool with slanted sides you could slide down into the water. It had a boating lake next to it. I use to catch pollywogs & misquito fish. I remember once I got badly sunburned & when my sister started to peel of the skin there where frickle undernith. I always wondered where the pool was & what happened to it.
That was before vidio cameras. My Dad died back in 84 & I am sure we had some great pictures of Pops Wilow Lake, But unfortunately no one thought to save them. There are only memories now.
Nice to hear that some one else remembers it too. Take care,
Paul Skillman

I am also 72, Paul, so we were probably both there in the same era - I remember the slanted sides and the lake area where you could paddleboard and the pollywogs and lots of yellowjackets. Large grassy areas for picnics.

[S.T.History]

The first Pop's Willow Lake was on Wentworth on the East side of the wash in a old rock quarry. When it was washed out it was rebuilt on the West side at Orcas off Foothill. The pool appeared to be a large hole that was roughly finished with gunite with rounded sides and a Beer Garden at the West end. I believe J P Morgan, from S/T, got her start there. The pool, at least in later years, was chlorinated and was shut down for a period of time because of a chlorine gas leak. There are pictures of the first Pops Willow lake but not sure of the Orcas site. Lloyd at Bolton Hall Museum, Tujunga

[Charles]

Originally Posted by S.T.History

it was rebuilt on the West side at Orcas off Foothill. The pool appeared to be a large hole that was roughly finished with gunite with rounded sides and a Beer Garden at the West end.

Is this it?

NETR Online • Historic Aerials

[S.T.History]

S.T. History
Sorry, I could not open aerial photo. Lloyd

[Fleet]

Originally Posted by S.T.History

S.T. History
Sorry, I could not open aerial photo. Lloyd

The link should work... I just tried it.

Here is the one I used:

NETR Online • Historic Aerials

[Tom Gilfoy]

Originally Posted by garydew

My father Garry Dewhirst was the [manager] at Pops Willow Lake arround 51 or 52. As a youngster I have many fond memories, the security guard mac, one of the female lifeguards I think her name was rita who would swim the pool with me on her back, the old show car made of 2 front ends wielded together so you couldn't tell the front from the back, the old house we lived in on the property, rowing a boat arround the lake

Hello to daughter of Garry Dewhirst. I write short monthly historical stories for a historical society in Tujunga, CA and wondered if you might have any pictures of Pop's Willow Lake that you might like to donate to the society and that I might use to accompany my next story, which will be about Pop's. For a place that was once so popular pictures are in very short supply. So far have only four and they're not all that good.

Tom

PS Do you perchance know the year Pop's closed.