This postcard image shows the pavilion and beach at Crystal Lake in its early days as a tourist attraction, circa 1964.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown
Since 2008. A visual survey of Georgia's historic architecture and culture. 8,000 locations. 27,000 images.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 
From 1948 until it closed, I went to Crystal Lake, having lived between Fitzgerald and Irwinville a good bit of that time. Many memories of that place. One comment on the bone hanging. My grandmother said that legend had it that Mr. Bone, when ready to be hanged, said that the lake would dry up if he were not guilty of the crime levied against him. Never saw the lake go dry until the later years. But have seen Coleman pond dry on a Saturday and filled on a Monday morning. Heard of the pond called Devil’s Den in the general area, but never got to see it. I have a picture with Mr. Jehu Fletcher and Mr. Leon (we call him Len) Lewis, along with another gentlemen, sitting on the back steps of the old wooden pavilion. There was a skating rink upstairs and bowling lanes downstairs. I believe a grill and a dance floor was on the right as you entered the building from the front. Since I was a child I was never allowed in there, so can’t say for sure. I remember going there the day after it burned and while still smoking and seeing all the coins (money) melted together. Such a terrible and heart breaking sight.
My grandfather was Leon (it was pronounced Len) Lewis. I have some melted coins. Now I wonder if they came from that fire or the house fire as I was always told. I would love you have a copy of that photo.
Mandy Harp Vassey Bryant
(I am the youngest grandchild of Leon’s youngest daughter)
Jehu Fletcher was my Great great Uncle. I would love to have a copy of the photo of him and Mr. Leon.
I will see if I can find some. Who were your parents? I know “Aunt” Frances was a Gay before they married. We probably met at their house at some time when we were kids.
I had a friend who downed there during the Charlie Daniels Band Concert. I had to attend a coronary inquiry in Ocilla.
Pingback: Crystal Lake [Draft] | trippMCREEtrippMCREE
Is this on Pinetta Road? I never can remember. We went there many summers as children.
Do you know who owned the park when it shut down or who owns it now?
Pingback: Crystal Lake (AKA Crystal Beach). - WWALS Watershed Coalition
My relatives were Bussells that lived on Horseshoe Bend in Irwin county. Enjoyed spending time at the lake in the 50s.
I grew up spending summers in Tifton with my grandparents and have many memories of Crystal Lake. Jack Walker was my GGgrandfather and I can recall them telling me the stories of his murder there.
I camped, partied, went swimming at Crystal Lake all my life.. I would go exploring on the back roads and find some amazing Native American Artifacts. Morris and Adcock caught me ( I did not see any No Trespassing signs) arrowhead hunting in 1976. They were really cool about what I was doing, So, the said they had a real treat for me to see. Well; they blindfolded me and went way back in the sticks. Left turn, right turn left, right right left right!! They let me check out several Mississippian Mounds that were untouched; especially by me, dammit. I was legal age to drink alcohol. They took me upstairs of the shower and food area and we had a great time swapping lies and drinking Jack and Scotch!! Great Guys!!
WOW! Morris and Adcock did the same thing with me. I told them I was looking for Paleoindian artifacts. The took me on a blind folded search. These guys were nice. Since Crystal Lake has been shut down because of drain offs of fertilized farm land. But I think It is OK to hike there. I will find out more from Chip Morris Jr. He is a friend of mine. He has no clue as to the previous owner. But I think he will help me (you and I )
Dave, thanks for sharing, that’s an awesome memory! Unfortunately, I was born in 91 and never got to see Crystal lake as a child or gain any memories from that time. I grew up in Worth county and have always heard about it from my parents, grandparents, and other family members that it sure was the place to be! Wow, I wish some of these places would be re opened with better guidelines and more attractions near us.
I have pictures of the place when it was really popular. Family photos, several of us under the mushrooms.
Hi Deanna I would love to see your family photos if you don’t mind sharing.
My grandfather, Leon Lewis, and Jehu Fletcher owned Crystal Lake for awhile in the 40’s and 50’s. My grandfather died in 1953 and at that time my mother (Athleen Lewis Harp) and her sister (Maudine Lewis Holden) bought Jehu Fletcher’s half. Then the three sister sold the property. I am not sure, but they may have sold to the Story man. I have old photos of the Story family taken at the Lake.
I enjoyed a concert there by Earl Scruggs Review, must have been in the late 1970s. Anyone else remember that?
Ray, I’m not sure about Scruggs but I remember Charlie Daniels one year and Stillwater another year. Wish I had list of all that performed there.
Yes, July 1977.
Wonderful memories…its so sad to see this place look this way.
I can remember many wonderful summers at crystal lake as we used to spend a week camping ther every summer. We would back and forth every weekend as well. These picture sadden my heart to see a place that was filled with smiles and laughter be so dark and dead. I would love to see it reopen as it once was. If only my children could experience a place like this.
Pingback: Crystal Lake, Irwin County | Vanishing South Georgia Photographs by Brian Brown
I worked at crystal lake starting at age 10 ,by the summer I was 15 I was a life guard… Remeber the Crystal lake rules !!! rule #1 DON’T ATTEMPT TO SWIM THE LAKE ( it is much further than you think) # 2 ALCOHOLIC BEVERSGES ARE NOT ALLOWED!! Please pour that in a cup …. And no matter what someone asked permission to do always tell that you would gladly let them
But the insurance company won’t allow it!
What good times we had ….
Growing up in Irwin County, it was the best place to spend a hot Summer Day and to swim. I have lots of fond memories and I regret that some peoples greed for money forced Mr. Adcock to close it. Too many lawsuits over nothing.
what can you tell us about the lawsuits that led to the closure
anyone who ever went swimming at crystal lake, still misses it. my father said he used to go there when in his teens, he was 84 when he passed away 7 years ago. we always spent some time there in the summers. even my kids who are grown now, loved it as kids. i have a picture of my sister, brothers, cousins and i when were quite small swimming there. it was always so much fun.
Wow just found this page very disheartening I was at Crystal Lake the day my Mom went into a coma when I got home she passed away Sept 1980 .. I since went back once but only for fishing at the other end of the lake where no swimming was permitted.
I really am thinking on going there to check it out I know its all gone but still the memories alone would be Great I wish someone could get a hold of it and reopen it I also know why people don’t so much crime these days :0(
Crystal lake looks like it was a lot of fun many years ago. Just went there today, it is very sad to see. Almost haunted feeling. The lake is all but gone and dried up. The old slides, buildings, life guard chairs are all left behind broken and rotten. To stand back and look at it is like a scarrie movie where the place use to be filled with a lot of fun and laughter. The area is all hunting grounds now.
I wish someone would reopen it I grew up there. A lot of fun memories. I was hoping to be able to take my son there.
I talked to the owner’s who inherited it after Mr.Adcock passed last year.
They said they would not reopen it because the insurance was weigh to high.I wish someone would buy it from them and reopen it.
Who are the owners and how can I contact them? If you don’t mind me asking.
The Adcock family did own it, Nancy, but I’m not sure anymore. Since Mr. Adcock died, I’ve heard that it’s been leased by a hunting club.
Thanks. I wondered who owned it. I wanted to see how it all looked now. Used to spend every weekend there with either my parent or my friends. I have such wonderful memories from there. I won’t try to go out there sine it is all hunting land now. Thanks so much for responding.
I would lover to get permission to spend a day there swinging a metal detector. That is a dream of mine
To add to Mr. Moore’s comment, the “strange creature” emptied the lake that day. It was said the swimmers left screaming about the devil coming up out of the lake. Turned out to be the body of a woman wearing a red swimsuit who had apparently drowned a good bit earlier, and gotten hung under one of the platforms. My mom told me that story many years ago… would have happened in the late 50’s or early 60’s, I think. She also pointed out the cycling of Crystal Lake and several large ponds in the area. Every few years Crystal Lake would empty overnight, and others would fill up. Underground rivers and aquifers, oh, my. 🙂
Jack Walker was my GG grandfathers brother. Or how ever many greats of an uncle it is. Pretty cool.
…And Willis Jackson Bone was my GGG grandfather…a minor discrepancy in the account above, at least from my research, but I suppose I will never know the full story…
Willis Jackson Bone was my ggg-grandfather also. He was not a Northerner, but from Elbert County. His son was a soldier in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. TheBones were Creek Indians. Most Creeks did not believe in slavery and traditionally helped runaway slaves. However, I was always told that he was hung by a troop of Yankee cavalry because he would not tell where the party that included President Jefferson had gone.
Growing up in Irwin County and having a Grandfather that had a farm near Crystal lake, I spent many happy days at Crystal Lake. During college, I was offered a summer life guard job by Mr. Adcock, but decided to attend summer school. During the late 50s , I actually water skied behind my Uncle’s boat in Crystal Lake. There was always a rumor that there was a possible suction in the middle of the lake that would cause you to drown. I swam every inch of Crystal Lake many times and never experienced any problems. The thought of Crystal Lake brings a smile to my face and gives me many great memories.
Like my father, Ray, I can remember so many summers having fun with friends and family on the “beaches” of Crystal Lake. My teenage years of going to the lake with my classmates from Tift Co High are my fondest memories of growing up. I’ll always cherish my last trip there, June 1986. About to turn Sweet 16 and celebrating with childhood friends! So sad that future generations will miss out on this South GA landmark.
Do you remember who owned it in the late 50’s? My mother and her sisters sold it sometime after their father, Leon Lewis passed in 1953.
Visited Silver Lake while a student at ABAC Good memories.
That’s right where my lifeguard stand was. You know I read all those stories about Bone Lake when I was about in the sixth or 7th grade.
Glad all my memories of Crystal Lake are good.
That’s right where our stand was…don’t get greedy 🙂
I have many wonderful memories from times spent at Crystal Lake. I remember the Fourth of July Fireworks and when camping was allowed…early 80’s. Where is Lake Spivey?
Lake Spivey is just east of Jonesboro, Ga.
Oh the memories!!! Crystal Lake and Lake Beatrice
all summer long when my brother and I were growing
up. Summers full of fun. Thank you for reminding me of
those great times!
This posting brings back a lot of memories. I had a summer job right after High School with a surveyor. We surveyed that property and followed some blazed tree markings from the mid 1800’s. Also I made a skydive there and landed on the beach. It was jump # 486, made on July 4, 1970. Another posting merntioned, Lake Spivey. I made some jumps onto that beach also.
My friends and I would go to Crystal Lake now and then in the mid ’50’s during the summer but prefered Lake Beatrice because of the additional recreational facilities. During the ’80’s when the water slides were open my wife & I would drive over from Albany several times a summer with the kids and their friends to enjoy the lake and to picnic. I had heard it was drying up several years ago. Sad.
There is also the story of the grist mill sinking over night and some stange sightings of a strange creature rising in the middle of the lake. About the time this picture was made, I and a group of college students from South Georgia College went scuba diving in the lake. Since there was supposedly no enrance or exit for the water, we did find what appeared to be the main source of water about 25 feet down on the east side of the lake. Also about the same time there was a lake in Coffee county that formed over night in a farmers field. The farmer drove his tractor over the pasture one day and the lake former via a sink hole the next day. There are several sink holes in the area including one in Crisp county near the town of Arabi.
I worked there for a time also. Actually I grew up in Irwinville. I lived just up the road from Crystal Lake. I have so many great memories. My family was friends with family that lived there at one time in the 80′s. Do you know anymore about the history? Fascenated. I remember hearing a story about some divers exploring the lake at one time. Supposedly they surfaced very afraid and said they would NEVER go in the lake again. Never would say what they experienced. I miss it. I really wish it would be reopened.
A lot of histroy packed into one picture. These “beach” lakes were popular up until the sixties; many were abandoned during integration. One such was located on the north shore of Lake Spivey. It was revived during the Olympics as a site for beach volleyball, and is now in use by the public.
WOW!!! So cool to find out about the history of this great lake! I grew up in Moultrie, Georgia during the 70s and 80s and no summer was complete without at least 2 camping trips to the GREAT Crystal Lake! That postcard brings back so many great memories (as well as the sting of some BAD sunburns!). I found the recent pictures of the lake HEARTBREAKING… My last great memory of Crystal Lake was when a friend and I got called out on the P.A. for attempting to swim across the lake too close to the mouth of the spring, circa ’87! Good times… I MISS YOU CRYSTAL LAKE!!!