Woodlawn Beach History and past usage by the public.

[jimski2]

During the hot summer days it was a booming recreation site. Today most of it is closed to Public Usage. From a dock at the foot of Lake Avenue a ferry boat brought City Residents to spend their day swimming and picnicking. The electric trolley car on Lake Shore Road brought visitors to swim and play. With a roller skating rink and a carousel it was not Disneyland but a place to escape the hot summer days as air conditioned homes and cars were not available. Bethlehem Steel opened the land and beach to residents and general public use. Also hundreds of small fishing boats parked and launched from the sandy beach. When we returned from fishing my father had us pick and load the boat with driftwood we burned in our coal furnace at home. My Grand mother set a tent up in the trees and had her children camp there to avoid the heat day and night. Today except for the State Park site most of the precious lakeside waterfront is unused and the public is denied. It is time now for the public access is returned and developed for recreational use. All along the former slag piles and Woodlawn break wall which was a great fishing site up to the mouth of Smoke Creek  is miles of waterfront with no plan to return it to public access. Our public officials have turned a blind eye to progressive return it to Public access. There must movers and shakers that come with plans for more golf courses to be used by a few and family uses are unwelcome.

[1249er]

Very well put!