Remember those carefree summer days? Picture yourself splashing in a sparkling pool. That was Indian Springs. Nestled in a La Cañada Flintridge canyon Indian Springs wasn’t just any pool. It was a community hub a place where memories were made.
Indian Springs opened in 1928. Charles Bowden a visionary transformed a natural spring and oak woodland into a recreation paradise. He wanted to preserve Native American traditions. The Tongva people had lived there for thousands of years. The spring had been a sacred site for them.
The 40 by 140 foot pool was a marvel. It was modeled after Brookside Park’s pool in Pasadena. Families flocked to Indian Springs. It offered a snack bar picnic areas dance halls and even tennis courts. Lyle Draves who ran the place in the 1950s trained Olympic divers there. His wife Vicki a two-time gold medalist trained there too. They even performed in water shows with Buster Crabbe and Johnny Weismuller the first Tarzan.
Indian Springs was special. It was known for being racially inclusive. People from all backgrounds enjoyed the pool. It was a truly beloved community gem. But progress marched on. In the 1960s the land was sold. The canyon was filled in. A shopping mall now stands where the pool once sparkled.
Vicki Draves remembers the beauty and tranquility. She is saddened that Indian Springs is gone. The spring’s water still flows underground though a hidden reminder of this special place. Indian Springs may be gone but its legacy lives on in the memories of those who knew and loved it. It’s a story of community of family of Olympic dreams and of a cherished place lost to time.