A big bathhouse/swimming pool in south Sacramento. Never saw an indoor pool in Sacramento. Opened in 1909, supposedly the only bathing facility within 50 miles when it opened. Closed in 1950s when the owners refused to integrate in response to a NAACP lawsuit. Taken from the interesting California History user group on Facebook.
Why should I care? I stopped when I saw the address, 3600 Riverside Blvd. Across from Land Park. Could it be? Yes. That site was bought by Congregation B'nai Israel, a reform Jewish congregation. They destroyed the pool and the building and built a new religious facility. I was there, with my family, from kindergarten and high school graduation. 1957-1970. Nobody EVER talked about the history of the site of the building. It seemed pretty contemporary and why would I think to ask? Certainly I never heard anything about a pool and bath facility closed due to racial discrimination. Who would think of it. As mentioned below, in the 1960s, they built a second building with classrooms and a chapel. I remember that land, what was leftover was used as a gravel parking lot. Even during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, nobody ever mentioned it.
Here's a then contemporary picture of B'nai Israel likely soon after it was built. Pretty early, I think, without the second building to the left in the picture.
Some comments on Facebook suggested that the phrase "Love Thy Neighbor" on the side of the building referred to the segregated pool. Maybe, could be. But wouldn't it have been mentioned somewhere if that was the case?
Sometimes things are covered up and sometimes people (like myself as a child) just wasn't paying attention.
I'm always interested in sites and places. What became of places important to people and what did they mean before?
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