As West Liberty’s Kimberly Park pool celebrated its 90th birthday last month, I did some research to learn exactly how it all came to be!
Mary Wilson was born in Ireland in 1849. With her parents and siblings, she immigrated to America in 1860. They settled in Scott County, Iowa.
In 1877, the family relocated to the West Liberty area, and Mary married Amos Kimberly. Their seven children attended Springdale school in Cedar County.
Mary and Amos owned the Union Valley Stock Farm, located about where 320th Street is today. They ran a regulated mile long horse track and a boarding house and horse stalls, in addition to the stock farm.
Due to some economic setbacks, the couple later moved off the farm and into West Liberty where they resided at 501 N. Clay Street. Amos died in 1910.
His brother, wealthy Peter Kimberly of Pennsylvania, had died in 1905 and left a Kimberly family trust fund.
At the time, West Liberty was without a place suitable for children to play and for people to gather and have a picnic. In 1923, Mary Kimberly donated $10,000 from the trust fund to purchase land for the park, on what is now Park Street. A year later, another $2,500 was used from the fund for further improvements and playground equipment.
Because of her tremendous love of children and family, Mary wanted a pool to be built as well. Originally one of the family’s trustees had disapproved, but Mary was insistent and she successfully procured $13,500 from the trust fund for that purpose in 1929.
The pool was dedicated in front of a big crowd on June 24, 1930. Dr. J. A. Saathoff of the Presbyterian Church represented the Kimberly family, and Robert Brooke accepted the gift on behalf of West Liberty. Unfortunately, Mary had died earlier in the spring, at age 81.
Following the dedication ceremony, which was presided by Mayor Walter Mackey, the junior band of the high school presented a concert.
Lant Kimberly, the son of Wilson Kimberly, had the honor of being the first person to take a dip in the pool.
The pool had fountains and gargoyles, from which water flowed. The small wading pool was separated from the larger area with a cement wall.
The pool was 155 feet long and 80 feet wide (including the wading pool). It easily accommodated 300 people, and as many as 500 on very busy days.
As it was one of the earliest pools in the area, people came to swim from far and wide, including many from Iowa City who traveled by rail.
Mary Brandt, a third grade teacher, served as the first matron, with Maurice Dimon of Muscatine as the first lifeguard.
In later years, the city added tennis courts and picnic shelters to the park.
A pool renovation project was completed in 1961, and the bathhouse was replaced in 1976.
In honor of the pool’s 90th year, Mary Kimberly Rueter, the great granddaughter of Mary Kimberly, recently donated a framed photo of the pool and park’s namesake to the West Liberty Heritage Foundation. Rueter was editor of the DeWitt Observer weekly newspaper for many years.
It’s been said the pool is among the oldest park swimming pools in all of Iowa. Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city council decided not to open the pool this season – likely the first year it has ever been closed to the public, unable to cope with social distancing regulations causing health concerns.
The late Karen Cline spoke of Mary Kimberly several years ago and I think she said it best: “This was an amazing woman. She and her family had the foresight and generosity to give to our community the park and pool, a lasting legacy for children and adults to enjoy for years to come. Thank you, Mary Wilson Kimberly.”
On a side note, Mary and Amos' eldest son David, who lived in Davenport, became an Iowa State Senator and Kimberly Road in Davenport is named in his honor.