Barbrook Memories

Wow, it seems that the years have been slipping by at a breakneck pace and most of the cool places and things that made growing up in Haltom City have begun to crumble or fade away.

As the mercury hits triple digits for the 11th day in a row, my mind drifts back to the lazy days of summer when all we had to do was soak up the sun at Barbrook. Driving down the winding road and entering in through the front gate was like stepping into another world, although Haltom City waited patiently for us at the top of the hill to make our return.

Whether you spent your time laying out on the dock, slipping down the slide or mustered up the courage to take the plunge off of the high dive into the deep cool water, you were guaranteed a good time. How many of us spent time learning how to swim in the almost artic waters of the Olympic pool at the top of the hill? Or maybe you slid down the big water slide the came down the hill, before it burned down.

I feel sorry for the kids of today's generation, who will never get to enjoy the Barbrook experience. The will never be able to eat one of those greasy hamburgers from the snack bar or play foosball in the wet sand by the locker rooms.

It is a shame that the last owners of the park did not do enough to keep the park safe and open for future generations to enjoy. The last time I was there, the floor of the pool had huge cracks in it and it was covered with dirt and slime. Not long after that, there was a little boy who apparently got trapped under the dock and drowned. It took several hours of diving to find him due the murky water. I guess the subsequent lawsuit and repair costs were too much for the owners to be able to open the park back up. We have lost a great resource for our community and I, for one, am saddened to see it gone.

Let me know about your memories of the pool and if you happen to have pictures I would love to see them.