As a kid, I grew up in Adna, but my mom worked at Lewis County Juvenile Court as a probation officer — right next door to the outdoor pool in Chehalis. So, every summer, we did swimming lessons at the Chehalis Swimming Pool, long before it was the Gail & Carolyn Shaw Aquatics Center.
Looking back now, as a mom raising two boys of my own, I feel so thankful that Chehalis has such wonderful public water recreation options in the spray park and outdoor pool. But even as a kid myself, sitting there shivering in the pool for 9 a.m. swimming lessons in the summer, I remember distinctly wishing there was an indoor pool.
I was always jealous of the kids who got to swim at the indoor Centralia Community Pool.
Of course, I’m far from the first person — child or parent — to appreciate the availability of a year-round, indoor pool. It was around the 1960s when citizens, city and school officials started discussing the possibility of bringing an indoor pool to Centralia. It’s worth noting that the outdoor Pearl Street Pool, built in 1947, was open and operating in the summer. But Centralia residents wanted more water recreation accessibility for kids, specifically.
It was also around this time that the late Dr. Kenneth Mallery, beloved former Centralia School District Superintendent successfully negotiated the split of the Centralia High School campus from Centralia College. This had been an arduous process that involved state legislators. But was also reportedly the pinnacle of Dr. Mallery’s career.
Dr. Mallery was ultimately successful, and campaigns and discussion surrounding the prospect of a new, standalone high school campus at the end of Borst Avenue progressed in earnest.
As plans for the future of the school district were formed, Dr. Mallery began advocating for building an indoor swimming pool to the new high school. Mallery’s idea quickly gained steam with citizens. Residents of Centralia began writing letters to the editor to The Chronicle, detailing the importance of “drown-proofing” students as part of their physical education, and highlighting swimming’s superior exercise benefits.
The discussion to build a swimming pool as part of secondary educational complexes was not a unique one during the 1960s and 1970s. Around this same time, Mark Morris School District chose to include an indoor pool in their new high school campus plans, according to Chronicle archives.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck unexpectedly before Dr. Mallery would ever see construction of the new Centralia High School. One day, in late March of 1967, Dr. Mallery stopped by The Chronicle for a meeting in the newsroom. On his way out the door, he requested a copy of a Legislative brief from The Chronicle — he collapsed suddenly in the lobby of The Chronicle as he was waiting. He would never regain consciousness.
Dr. Mallery’s sudden death sent ripples through the community. He had been a respected and revered man in the community. In his memory, the Dr. Kenneth Mallery Memorial Swimming Pool Fund was founded. Citizens began to collect funds to bring an indoor swimming pool to Centralia High School in Dr. Mallery’s honor.
Students organized dances and events to fundraise for the cause and alumni of Centralia began donating proceeds from their class reunion events, as well. The fund gained a modest amount of money into the 1970s.
Ultimately, an indoor swimming pool was not included as part of Centralia High School’s new campus. Eventually, a citizens group formed, which included former prominent Centralia attorney Ralph Olson (former partner in Olson, Althauser, Samuelson & Rayan, today known as Althauser, Rayan, Abbarno). It was under Olson’s direction the Centralia Citizen’s Pool Committee utilized funds from the Mallery Swimming Pool Fund to order and purchase a study by Renton consulting firm ORB to explore the financial feasibility of a publicly-owned indoor pool.
The study indicated that a community pool could be successful if the school district and city were to partner on the project. The school would have physical education classes part-time at the facility, and it would be open as a community pool the rest of the time, making swimming education and water recreation available year-round.
Also supporting these efforts at the time was then-Centralia School Board Member Dr. Joel Toothaker (Jr.). Dr. Toothaker was Lewis County’s only pediatrician at the time, and practiced medicine at (then known as) Centralia General Hospital. By all accounts, Dr. Toothaker was a well-known and beloved member of the community. He suddenly passed away in June of 1975, at his home, during these efforts. He was 47 years old.
Following Dr. Toothaker’s death, there was a renewed sense of purpose in the push to bring a pool to Centralia. And, in December of 1977, both Centralia School District and the Centralia City Commission formally announced their support of the project. The City of Centralia provided the land (which had also been considered as a location for a new fire hall), and the school district agreed to backing the financial bond, should voters approve the project.
Rather than presenting this project to Centralia voters as a school swimming pool, it was designed to be a community swimming pool, complete with a therapeutic whirlpool (hot tub) and sauna.
Voters approved the project in 1978. Construction on the Centralia Community Pool began in 1979. The pool formally opened to the community in May of 1980 — 38 years ago this month.
In my “dive” through the archives on this topic (see what I did there?), I also discovered that the Centralia Community Pool was modeled after — and is nearly identical to — the Lynnwood Recreation Center. The only difference? The Lynnwood complex had a removable canvas roof (the Lynnwood Recreation Center is still in operation today, as well).
Today, the Centralia Community Pool operates under a successful three-way partnership, between the Centralia School District, the City of Centralia, and Thorbeckes Athletic Club. The updated partnership, going on more than a decade now, has brought an expanded schedule of swim lessons, fitness classes, swim teams, and swimming recreation opportunities to the community.
The future of the Centralia Community Pool is bright. The new owners of Thorbeckes, Matt and Andrea Noren of Chehalis, have been actively exploring potential upgrades to the community pool, along with Centralia School District.
When I walk past the plaque in the lobby today, inscribed with “Centralia Community Pool built in memory of Dr. Ken Mallery and Dr. Joel Toothaker, Jr.,” I can’t help but think they’d be proud to see what their dream has grown up to become.
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Brittany Voie is the marketing director at Thorbeckes Athletic Club and a columnist for The Chronicle.
