John Bowman
“Mayor Wagner will dig a swimming pool for boys,” announced the Aspen Democrat-Times on Aug. 12, 1909. “Yesterday a bunch of urchins approached Mayor Wagner with the request that he permit them to take a swim in Hallam Lake, but the mayor very wisely refused the request owing to the fact that the lake is somewhat dangerous and is too public to be used as a swimming pool. But Mayor Wagner proved his heart was in the right place by promising the lads that as soon as possible he would dig a swimming pool on Hallam grounds and make it of graduated depth that all sorts of swimmers might be accommodated. In speaking of the matter the mayor stated that an ideal spot could be found on Hallam Lake ground on which to make a swimming pool, one that the boys could thoroughly enjoy and at the same time not be in any danger of being drowned. Go to it, Mayor Wagner, you are on the right track!” The image above shows Hallam Lake, circa 1910.
This photo and more can be found in the Aspen Historical Society archives at aspenhistory.org.