In my day job, I do many things. I’m a consultant – which is just a fancy word for I do the type of work I want to do (or can get), for who I want to work for (or who will pay), and the money I make (or don’t make) changes constantly. Similar to having several part-time jobs, and constantly juggling logistics to make them all work. At least that’s what it means looking from the outside in. Anywho, one of those jobs is a few hours a week as a salesperson in the oilfield, and part of those duties mean that I take invoices out to oil rigs, and get them signed. One of the areas I frequent in the execution of those duties is Shiner, TX and Moulton, TX. Time and time again, I have passed this area in the road, where I can see a swimming pool with no swimmers, an old building with the words “SULPHUR PARK SWIMMING POOL, est. 1930”. And while I love all things historical, I never stopped to check it out… until I did.
On this day in early April 2024, my youngest son was with me, as we’d had an appointment in Hallettsville that morning. Rather than take an hour or two to take him back home and then go to Shiner, we drove directly there. As I had him in the car, we were discussing things we enjoy, I took more note of the historical marker. We passed it on the way north, and I told him we would be making a quick stop on the way back. We discussed my love of history, his enjoyment of some of it, but not as much as I do. I did the “day job” for the time it took, and on the way back, stopped to check out a piece of history.
When we pulled into the drive, it was windy and rain was threatening from the heavy air. I took the above photo of the historical marker from the Texas Historic Commission. The text of the marker reads:
In the summer of 1930, farmer/rancher and large landowner Jake Kurtz set aside four acres of his property on the west side of the newly-paved Texas State Highway 95 between Shiner and Moulton to build a large concrete swimming pool and recreational area. He named it “Sulphur Park” after the rich sulphur-laced mineral water coming from a newly dug 73-foot well adjacent to the property on the north bank of the nearby Ponton Creek.
The pool was excavated that summer by George Jassen using horse and mule-drawn scrapers and heavy equipment. The Shiner Light Plant worked for two months that summer to extend the electrical line out to Mr. Kurtz’s Property. Measuring 120 feet long by 40 feet wide, the pool featured a deep side for diving and shallow side for wading. Outdoor wooden picnic tables were added under large trees for shade as well as bath houses, a concession stand, adjoining baseball field, a covered concrete dance floor and country store.
The pool’s grand opening, or “Splash Day,” was Sunday, August 31, 1930. Hundreds attended the opening and feasted on barbeque and enjoyed a turkey shoot sponsored by the Shiner Gun Club, baseball tournament, and music provided by Schultz Band. The pool was open in the summer months and the park area continuously in good weather and attracted thousands of people, sometimes in one day. As the only pool in the area and with family atmosphere, Sulphur Park became a haven for the community, especially during hard times. For more than sixty years, Sulphur Park was an oasis in the country for the Shiner and Moulton communities and contributed to the recreational history of the area.
The pool is fenced off and empty, but photos of times gone bye can be found at the Facebook page of Sulphur Park Event Venue https://www.facebook.com/sulphurpark/. People have shared a bit of history (check out a post from August 31, 2022), and of course, you can book an event at this site by contacting them. There are fun photos on the page of events held recently that show the interior decorated as well.
For me, this slice of history was a wonderful stop on a regular path of travel, but for many, it’s a small town in Central/South Texas that they’ve never seen.
And what’s nearby? There are several historical markers in the area that I now feel honor bound to check out… but also, I must take a trip to Spoetzl Brewery, the home of Shiner Bock, my favorite beer! Stay tuned for more Part Time Gypsy Souls adventures!
Leave a Reply