Page 115 - San Angelo

hen most people think of water lilies; what comes to mind are exotic density-defying blooms, large green water-skimming pads, and Claude Monet’s brilliant paintings. Despite the harshness of the fckle West Texas weather and unsuspecting landscape, San Angelo harbors its very own International Water Lily Collection thanks to the hard work of two men with a vision.

Located at the Civic League Park on the corner of Beauregard and South Park Street, the water lilies are housed in large concrete tanks in the sunken display area surrounded by scaffolding brick layers of vibrant fora and foliage. Though the current state of the water lily pond is meticulously maintained, the aesthetic appeal was not its most alluring feature two decades ago. In 1934, the pond was built as a refection pool. However, after years of neglect, the pond became a conglomerate of algae and goo until Jimmy Rodgers, the City Parks Director, requested the city council to pass an “Aquatic Beautifcation Act”. With the help of Ken Landon, the mastermind behind the international collection, the men worked together to create what is now a world renowned collection of endangered beauty.