Page 12 - Robeson Living Spring 2019

“The only swimming facility was Lumber River where began to subside, “Once again young people will be having
the water was less contaminated than it is today. Many old daily picnics on its banks, others will be swimming. Some
timers will remember McMillan Beach, Hecks, Rock Bot- will just be enjoying the refreshing coolness of the beau-
tom, and Cypress in The Middle as being favorite spots tiful clear water stream and sandy bottom. Sportsmen will
where they went swimming. Not many present day Lum- be coming out with canoes and spend months fishing in the
bertonians are aware of the fact that approximately 60 waters full of trout, bream, red breast and jackfish abound.”
years ago, our town for a few years enjoyed a distinction it
does not now have, and which few towns had at that time. Jennings’ and McMillan’s Beach
The distinction came when our town commissioners about
1911, made provision for a municipally owned and oper-
ated swimming pool by the conversion of an existing res-
ervoir of cement construction and possibly 20 by 30 feet
in size for use as a pool. It was a part of the light and wa-
ter plant then operated by the town and was located at the
site of the present water plant at a point about due west of
the dead end of West 6th Street. Its water supply was raw
water pumped from the river by steam operated pumps. It
had a roof, probably to keep leaves from nearby trees from
falling into it, and the side walls above the cement were
louvered to keep out the leaves and to give privacy to the
bathers. A narrow wooden platform was provided around
the edges of the pool and a dressing room was constructed.

“My recollection which is shared by several people who Bill Gray’s painting of McMillan’s Beach.
were then youngsters, is that the pool was provided for
girls only. The girls wore the flowing bathing suits of that The first mention of Jennings’ Beach that I found was in
day which contained so much cloth, it must have been dif- the May 20, 1917, issue of the Wilmington Morning Star
ferent to swim in them. in which the writer tells about accompanying G.E. Rancke,
Jr., to Jennings Beach located 2 miles west of Lumberton
“Boys had a choice of several places where they went on the Lumber River. It was managed by his father G.E.
swimming in the river in the nude, by shedding their Rancke, Sr., who advertised it as “the pleasures of the sea-
clothes on the river bank. Often when after a swim, they side at home.”
prepared to dress, they found that some of their devilish
companions had tied their clothes into knots. Rancke advertised in 1918 that he had adult and children
bathing suits for rent as well as candies for sale. That year,
“Abi’s cove, several hundred yards below the railroad he also offered to donate half of the proceeds of the bus-
bridge, and the upper sand bar, now known as McMillan’s iest day during the next three weeks to the Red Cross. In
beach were used mostly by beginners and non-swimmers 1921, he was alone at the beach when he became sick and
as the sand bars provided shallow water. “Rock Bottom,” knew that the only way he could get to town was to lay in
which was located near the present junction of Jenkins a boat and let it float to downtown. He was 86 at the time.
Street and Riverside Drive was comparatively deep and In 1922, E.L. Whaley and John G. Proctor, Jr., swam the 3
was used by those who were good swimmers. miles from the beach to the Sixth Street Bridge in an hour
and 10 minutes.
“Heck’s Swimming Hole,” located further up the river at
a point near the old Goat Club, or the Mrs. S.S. Small res- The July 6, 1933, Robesonian told that Jennings’ Beach
idence was another favorite place used by swimmers de- was renamed McMillan’s Beach. In 1934, there was an ad-
siring deep water. These places provided privacy for the vertisement for the site stating the charges for the season.
nude bathers, as the area between the Carthage Road and The cost for admission was ten cents. If you planned to
the river was an undeveloped open field and woodland.” use the bathhouse, the cost increased to fifteen cents. For
twenty-five cents, you got admission, the use of the bath-
The Charlotte Observer’s August 12, 1916, edition com- house, and the rental of a wool bathing suit. The ad also
municated that the Maxton Beach on the Lumber River for talked about season passes being available and that the site
weeks had been victim to North Carolina’s Great Flood of was well lighted for night swimming. The manager of the
Page 11 1916. The Observer reported that when the flood waters property at that time was Frank A. Wishart.