January's Historic Artifact of the Month: Muzzys Lake

January's Historic Artifact of the Month, sponsored by The Peoples Savings Bank. Muzzys Lake sign.

January's Historic Artifact of the Month, Muzzys Lake sign", sponsored by The Peoples Savings Bank.

Story submitted by Champaign County Historical Society Museum. 
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In the Urbana area during the early 1960s private clubs such as Muzzys Lake did not admit people of color. Forcing those wanting to swim to find places that weren’t provided with the protection of Lifeguards. Gary Whetsel, 14, who was going to be a freshman at Urbana High School in the fall, and his cousins were some of the youths simply trying to cool off and have some fun on a warm summer day. 
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The place they chose was a commercial gravel pit off Old Troy Pike. Unfortunately, this resulted in the drowning death of Gary Whetsel.[1] His death led to a community call to action. In the June 28, 1963 edition of the Urbana Daily Citizen, an opinion piece read, “We do think that a community the size of Urbana should have a public place for young fellows like Gary to swim where they can receive adequate protection and even a little swimming training. Our community needs a public pool where every citizen of the community who wishes to swim can do so for a modest fee.”[2] On Tuesday, July 2, 1963 at the regular meeting of the city council, Stokes stated, “Last week, the drowning of one of Urbana’s sons has moved all of us greatly. Had democracy been working here that precious life might not have been lost – that lad could have been swimming with a Life Guard present at a public licensed recreation site.”[3]  Even though there were recommendations made at this same council meeting for a public swimming area that would have been in place the following summer the new public swimming pool wasn’t open for several more years.

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[1] In Our Opinion. "A Place to Swim." Urbana Daily Citizen, 1963: s.
 Daily Citizen . "Funeral Services Scheduled Friday For Boy Who Drowned In Gravel Pit." Urbana Daily Citizen, 1963: 1.
[2] In Our Opinion. "A Place to Swim." Urbana Daily Citizen, 1963: s.
[3] Urbana Daily Citizen. "Advisory Panel Adopts Civil Right Agenda; Negroes Ask Council For Equal ." Urbana Daily Citizen, 1963: 1.