Alachua’s Lost Waters: Pinkoson-Milwaukee Springs • Rediscover FL

Pinkoson Springs: A New Destination for Swimmers

Back in 1925, Alachua County Sheriff Charles Pinkoson founded Pinkoson Springs in what was then the town of Hague, Florida. Today, you’d most likely know this area as part of Alachua – specifically the Turkey Creek neighborhood.

At the heart of Pinkoson Springs was a natural spring that fed a man-made, 100-foot-long concrete swimming pool. The water ranged from two feet deep at its shallowest to eight feet at its deepest. To celebrate the grand opening in June 1925, guests could swim for free during the first week. By July, Charles had finalized the additions of several bathhouses and springboards, offering a fuller experience for guests.¹

Gordon Adams, likely at Pinkoson Springs

Henry Allen Smith at Pinkoson Springs, 1925

The swimming season ran from April to September, with admission set at just twenty-five cents, or $1.50 for a season pass.²^,³

Thanks to Charles Pinkoson’s strong local reputation and a convenient bus route from Gainesville, the springs quickly became a popular destination. While Glen Springs remained the top swimming spot due to its central location in Gainesville, Pinkoson Springs was a close second, offering a social center just outside the city.

The springs attracted local families, Boy Scout troops, church groups, community clubs, and University of Florida students looking to cool off on hot Florida days. Many residents who grew up in the area recalled learning to swim there alongside their friends.⁴

Seeing its popularity grow, Charles continued improving the property, even adding a dance hall.

By August 1928, Charles Pinkoson proudly noted that the park was bustling with visitors every day of the week.⁵ But the real crowds came on holidays. On Independence Day and Labor Day, as many as 700 people flocked to the springs.⁶

After Charles Pinkoson’s passing, his widow, Lula Perry Pinkoson, eventually sold the property when their son, Charles “Charlie” Pinkoson, left for college.⁷

Milwaukee Springs: The Next Chapter

By 1940, the site became known as Milwaukee Springs. While documentation from this period is scarce – to include a single photograph in the State Archive of Florida – what we do know highlights its significance:

Milwaukee Springs was designated for Black visitors only.
The park served as a 4-H Club summer camp for Black children.⁸
It was proposed as a recreational center where Black soldiers could relax and recover from military training during World War II.⁹

Milwaukee Springs – Florida Memory Archive

During segregation, Black Americans were often banned from public parks, beaches, and recreational areas. Even when not explicitly prohibited, they frequently faced discrimination and hostility. That’s why places like Milwaukee Springs, and the more well-known Paradise Park in Silver Springs, were so vital. They provided safe, welcoming spaces for Black families to enjoy leisure and community, even in the face of systemic exclusion.

John C. Rawls, a former assistant principal at Gainesville’s all-Black Lincoln High School, recalled Milwaukee Springs in an interview with the Matheson History Museum in 2003. He said, “They have their golf course up there. That was very popular. It was called Milwaukee Springs. Sundays especially, and the 4th of July and Labor Day there would be all kinds of entertainment there.”¹⁰

In 1944, Milwaukee Springs was dissolved, but there is no documentation as to why.¹¹ In the same year, the spring and recreational center received its third identity: Mineral Springs Park.

The Mineral Springs Park Era

Like its predecessors, Mineral Springs Park was the place to be for holiday celebrations, birthday parties, and, of course, a refreshing swim. To keep the crowds coming, management ran plenty of newspaper ads highlighting the park’s attractions, which included:

A 5,000-square-foot skating rink and dance hall
Renovated bathhouses
An on-site restaurant

As an extra effort, the park ran special promotions to draw in guests each week. One particularly enticing ad stated:
“All skaters going to Mineral Springs Park… From Thursday on, every night there is fifty on the floor by 10:00 o’clock, a five dollar bill will be given to the best skater.”¹²

But despite its creative business tactics, Mineral Springs Park eventually closed sometime before the end of the 1950s. Just like Milwaukee Springs, the exact reason for the closure remains undocumented.

Lost in the Weeds: A Spring’s Fate

In 1961, Pinkoson-Milwaukee-Mineral Springs was abandoned, overgrown, and slowly being reclaimed by nature. That year, The Gainesville Sun ran a full page featuring two UF students wandering through the forgotten ruins. They found the pool coated in a slimy film of algae, tall weeds where visitors once lounged, and a few scattered papers left behind in the empty buildings.¹³

In 1962, the 32.7 acres of property were listed for sale by McKinney Green Deaton Realtors.¹⁴

A Fourth Chance for the Springs?

In May of 2024, after decades of Pinkoson-Milwaukee-Mineral Springs slipping into obscurity, David Wisener, the Economic Development Manager for the City of Alachua, presented a case for the purchase and restoration of the historic site. During the presentation, a field report by Water & Air Research confirmed that the spring was still actively flowing.

In response, the City Commissioners voted to refer the project to the county for potential support, taking the first step toward what could be a great victory for Florida’s living heritage.¹⁵

As of today, the city staff has reached out to the Alachua County Commission and the Alachua Conservation Trust requesting support. While both responded positively about the project, movement on the project appears to be at a standstill, as neither have volunteered funds to assist in the acquisition of the property.

This property is a fantastic opportunity to preserve a very interesting part of Alachua’s past. Restoring its infrastructure and transforming the land into a public park would help current residents care more about it by experiencing a piece of it firsthand.

Do you have any stories, photos, or documents related to the history of Pinkoson-Milwaukee-Mineral Springs? If so, I’d love to hear about them! Every bit of historical insight helps paint a clearer picture of this once-beloved landmark, and could even support efforts to bring it back to life. Alachua’s history is worth preserving, and the more we know, the better we can share it with future generations!

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