There was once a time when thousands of people escaped to the cool water of Hart Park’s swimming pool. Constructed in 1935, the Kern River Park pool, as it was originally known, was not your typical concrete pool. It was filled with water from the Kern River, which flowed in and out. Measuring from 18 inches to 10 feet deep and covering just under 2 acres, the pool easily accommodated the large crowds. The non-chlorinated murky water added to the uniqueness of the pool, but it also attracted many critters, including frogs and snakes. In 1961 the pool was closed for swimming as it could not meet state health and safety standards.