Q: I was reading something the other day about a springs and casino near Albany at one time. It was a resort of some sort. Where was it and what happened to it?
A: The sparkling clear cool water – it stays 68 degrees year round, compared to 88 degrees at Warm Springs a couple of hours to the north — still flows at Radium Springs, which was a hot spot for generations.
The springs just outside Albany were known by Native Americans as an excellent hunting and fishing ground hundreds of years before the Europeans arrived. The water was discovered to contain small amounts of radium in the late 19th century, which led to its current name. A casino overlooking the springs and a golf course were completed by the 1920s, providing a stop for folks traveling to spend the winter in Florida.
The casino couldn’t beat the Depression and closed in the 1930s, but the locals continued to spend their summers there, swimming and socializing, and Radium Springs remains a cherished place in the memories of many who grew up in Albany. The casino building was damaged by storms and floods, including the terrible flood in 1994, and its ruins were demolished in 2003.
Visitors can stroll the grounds at Radium Springs, considered one of Georgia’s seven natural wonders, and enjoy its gardens and gazebos.
For more information, call the Albany Convention & Visitors Bureau at 866-750-0840 or email at info@visitalbanyga.com.
Q: Is former NBA star Walt Frazier from Atlanta? I remember hearing that from someone.
A: Frazier led the New York Knicks to two NBA titles in the 1970s, years after he learned to play basketball in Atlanta. He also played baseball and football, but basketball took Frazier from Howard High School in Old Fourth Ward to Southern Illinois University and then to the NBA, where "Clyde" – his nickname — was a seven-time all-star and set New York City style with a hip wardrobe.
Frazier was selected to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team in 1996 and is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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