SALEM, Va. – Patchwork 250 is a new initiative from WSLS 10 that tells Virginia’s story, one piece at a time. Like a quilt made of many patches, every person, story, and tradition adds something special to our history. Join us as we celebrate 250 years by sharing the stories that make our region unique, one patch at a time.
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Opening up all the way back in 1920, the Lakeside Amusement Park was the destination for families, complete with a massive swimming pool and even a rollercoaster.
The park got its start on the outskirts of Salem with a swimming pool so big that it was deemed a swimming lake.
Under H.L. Roberts in the 1930s, the park started to get a family-friendly reputation as thousands of people flocked to the park from across the country, and live music was played from the likes of Hank Williams, Jr., and Conway Twitty.
It wasn’t always a smooth ride, though, such as the time Roberts considered burning down his rollercoaster or when a local judge found it “immoral” that “half-naked” swimmers were there on a Sunday and took the park’s owners to court over it.
“They had a surprising person come to their defense because they came in, and the local sheriff comes and says, ‘You know what? Actually, we’ve caught fewer skinny dippers in the Roanoke River since Lakeside opened. So it’s actually a better thing for them to be there in their bathing suits,’” Salem Historical Society Museum Executive Director Garrett Channel said. “
Eventually, the park would be integrated in 1964 thanks to the work of Reverend Dr. Raymond R. Wilkinson.
“The story goes that they came that day, the NAACP local chapter gathered, and they marched on Lake on Lakeside,” Channel said. “When they came, the workers who were there—and we have them telling this story—they just opened the gates and sold their tickets as if it was nothing.”
Unfortunately, the pool would close in 1986. Local myths blamed desegregation, something Channel said isn’t true.
“Use of the pool is down, attendance for people who are not buying ride tickets, and they’re just riding, you know, [or] they’re just buying access to the pool.”
Many factors went into the closure. An accident involving a worker in 1985, the rise of other parks, and especially the Flood of 1985, which caused $1.2 million in damage to the Lakeside Amusement Park.
The park may be closed, but its legacy will live on forever.
“It’s important to remember this landmark that was here that was bringing all these people to the Roanoke area,” Channel said. “Giving them a good time, giving them great memories of this area.”
Want to discover more stories that make Virginia unique? Visit the Patchwork 250 page to explore the full quilt of our region’s history, one patch at a time.