Colour postcard of Silver Lake (1911). Click the photo for more details.

Silver Lake is a man-made body of water that was originally called the “Mill Pond.” It was built as a source of water for Abraham Erb’s grist mill in 1807. Local historian, Ellis Little, tells us that Erb found a small beaver pond up the slope from the original water way (now known as Laurel Creek) then he widened “the margins to increase the flow of the creek,” which created better water pressure for his mill.²⁷ When Waterloo Park first opened, Mill Pond bordered the park and was part of the Snider property. In 1917, the Town purchased the complete pond property, including an additional 23 acres of land, with dreams of swimming pools and open-air rinks.²⁸

Swimming in Silver Lake (1929). Click the photo for more details.

In the early 1900s, swimming in Silver Lake was discouraged, but by 1918 the cement wall of the flood gate had been repaired and a wading pool had been constructed, popularizing the spot for swimming.²⁹ The wading pool was on the north side of the lake. It was 1.5 feet deep and had a sandy bottom.³¹ Swimming came to an end in 1950 when Dr. P.A. Voelker, medical health officer for Waterloo, declared the water unsafe after the construction of many new homes along Laurel Creek. Since sewers had not been built to support the new homes, there was the danger of the houses’ septic tanks malfunctioning and contaminating the lake. Fortunately, the Waterloo Lions Club had been raising money to build an outdoor pool in the park, which was slated to open by the end of the summer in 1950—just in time!³²

Waterloo Park Pool (c.1973). Click the photo for more details.

The Waterloo Lions Memorial Swimming Pool ended up opening in 1951. When the pool opened, admission for children under 16 was five cents, and those over 16 paid 10 cents. Those prices rose after 5 p.m. to 10 and 15 cents, respectively. The proceeds went to the Lions Club which operated the pool on a non-profit basis.³³ Throughout the 1950s additions were added, such as a diving pool and a children’s wading pool. The pool closed in 1993 and was replaced with the Lion’s Lagoon splash pad. In 2019, Lion’s Lagoon closed with the promise of a new splash pad in the park, off of Father David Bauer Drive, to be ready in the summer of 2020.³⁴