Childhood on Lake Erie
Summer Days and Table Rock Adventures
"Swimming was the most important activity for us."
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"As I mentioned earlier, Dunkirk is on the shore of Lake Erie. Our house was just a few houses away from the shoreline. Swimming was the most important activity for us. We would go as often as possible throughout the day, practically every day. Up north, the water temperature never got much higher than 66 degrees, but that didn't bother us. The first dive was always the worst. Our main goal was what we called 'Table Rock.' It was quite a distance from the shore. Those who could swim, would swim out and try to find the rock. Once the rock was found, everyone would gather there. It only had about a foot of water over the top. For those who couldn't swim that far, there was another smaller rock we called the 'secondary rock.' Those who weren't proficient swimmers would head for that rock first, take a break, and then continue to the Table Rock. This was a daily routine for us.”
