Tulsa history question. Can you help solve the mystery?

[Fatfinger]

Hello all.

I have a question about Tulsa's past that I'm hoping someone here can answer.

Somewhere around 50-60 years ago my father-in-law and his family spent a few days in Tulsa.

He said they camped at a lake near downtown (not Keystone or anything that far away). I have lived in Tulsa for 20 years now and in that time FIL has visited on several occasions. On some of these trips we have driven around trying to look for his lake, but he can't find anything that looks familiar.

I have heard that there was a recreational lake (possibly created by damming the Arkansas River?) years ago that is now gone, but have not been able to confirm that.

Anyone familiar with Tulsa history know anything about what lake this could have been?  FIL is sure it was a recreational lake (not just the river) not far from downtown.

Thanks!


Edit: Zink Lake obviously fits well geographically, but FIL described all kinds of recreation including fishing, boating, and swimming, which suggests there was quite a bit more to it than the wide spot in the river we have today.  Did Zink Lake used to be something much more "back in the day"?

[Ibanez]

I wonder if it was Sand Springs Lake?

https://goo.gl/yWrfgR

I seem to remember hearing that there was camping there at one time or another.

[carltonplace]

or possibly white water park below the dam

[dsjeffries]

Or Lake Yahola?

[Hoss]

Or Lake Yahola?

Yahola isn't really close to downtown or the river for that matter.

[dsjeffries]

Yahola isn't really close to downtown or the river for that matter.

Yahola is only 5-6 miles away from downtown, and at one time, its docks were open to the public. They could've camped out there.

[AquaMan]

Could be Funspot Skyline lake out near Jenks. It had swimming fishing camping and some carnival type rides including a great wooden roller coaster. It is now an event center surrounded by housing. Or perhaps Shell Lake in Sands Springs.

[AquaMan]

Just a thought. 60 years ago ranch acres was not developed. There are a couple of ponds in that area that may have been used for recreation.

[patric]

Swan Lake?   It was bigger than it is now.

[Conan71]

Swan Lake?   It was bigger than it is now.

May have still been called Orcutt Lake at that time.

[AquaMan]

1955 Swan Lake was fully developed. Most of those homes were from the 20's and 30's.

I can't really place anything from that time period near downtown. Maybe something west of down town like Crystal City?

[swake]

What about that little lake at 31st and Gary? Those houses look like they are from the 50s and 60s

[rdj]

Surely not the pond at Owen Park?  That used to be a recreational area.

[Conan71]

The boating part, with any of the locations we have discussed, would have to have been paddle or row boats.  I too had wondered about the pond at Owen Park, but the camping doesn't sound right.

[AquaMan]

Pretty old area. There is a small creek that feeds into it (usually dry). That sounds like the best guess.