In July 1936, nine-year-old Harold French and six-year-old Ronald McCallum drowned after venturing off to pick wild strawberries.

In July 1936, nine-year-old Harold French and six-year-old Ronald McCallum drowned after venturing off to pick wild strawberries. It is believed they decided to play on a raft that capsized on a pond at an old brickyard site at the southwest end of Mitchell.

The idea for a public swimming pool and a local chapter of the Lions Club to create it came from this heartbreaking event. A Mitchell Advocate editorial marking the club’s 75th anniversary in 2011 noted that they “essentially formed after a pair of youngsters drowned swimming in a place they really shouldn’t have been swimming in. The club’s membership decided that a pool was needed with proper fencing and lifeguards, greatly ensuring such a tragedy would never happen again. World War II intervened, and the Lions’ efforts were diverted to........

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