75 Years Ago
The September 6, 1951 Colorado Transcript suggested that Golden create a fishing pond for kids.
REMEMBER last year we passed on a suggestion that some of the little ponds around Golden be stocked with perch, crappie and other such fish that are good to eat and have fishing restricted to youngsters. It would give a wholesome, entertaining form of amusement for boys and girls who love to fish and who want to catch something once in awhile.... If you’re recreation minded, think over this idea.
Three years later, Golden had its fishing pond.
In December of 1953, several citizens decided the kids needed a skating pond, so they dug a shallow pond in what would later become Lions Park. The ice skating was a hit with all ages. The following spring, people realized that the new skating pond could double as a fishing pond. Every year, the state came and stocked the pond with thousands of fish, so kids could catch them.
The community began holding annual fishing derbies, which made for many happy children. The derby was repeated every year through 2009. By that time, we had a significant problem with geese overrunning the park. The geese were cute and fun to watch, but their droppings made the park unwalkable. The pond itself was full of e. coli. In 2012, City Council reluctantly voted to fill in the ‘ol fishing pond.
