In that more repressed era, mixed bathing (men and women sharing a pool) was still considered scandalous by many and even the all-covering wool swimsuits of the era were held shameful and indecent. Most women were uncomfortable with the whole idea.
In the park's early days, in an attempt to redress the gender imbalance, management took to offering female patrons the princely sum of $2 ($43 in 2006 money) to swim in the pool for 20 minutes. Even so, there were few takers.
As late as 1915, Indianola was still struggling to lure female bathers to the pool. That summer, the park had twice weekly women-only swimming lessons with a female coach as a way to lure girls into the pool.
By the 1920s, mores had changed enough that the park had no more need of gimmicks to entice women to the pool.
In 1922, Indianola hired the first female lifeguard in the city. |