July 4, 1920

In 1916 a number of townspeople, led by John Beadle and Bill Kuhner, petitioned the county to regain use of the park and lake for the general public. A suit was filed, and after a lengthy court trial, Judge C. H. Andrews ruled that the park and the lake were public property. It was returned to the county and rededicated in 1920. Since 1924, the county has maintained the lake and its grounds.

Gay's widow sold the Inn to C. A. Judson in 1920 with the stipulation that it be demolished. In the same year, Judson demolished the Inn and donated nine and a half acres to Lindo Lake and Park making the total area 54 1/2 acres.
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Adding to the natural growth of the park, John Beadle planted many of the trees after the legal dispute. These trees consisted of peppers, Australian  oaks, locusts, tamaracks, willows, eucalyptus, pines, and cottonwoods. Other varieties have since been added. John's son, Wesley, although assisting his father previously, was officially made caretaker of the Park in 1932, containing a variety of 50 bushes. The lakeshore was a riot of color. The garden and lake proved to be a very popular attraction.

Droughts in the 1940's found the lake bed almost dry. The building of Chet Harritt Dam across Quail Creek upstream blocking the principal water source, evaporation of the water, and lack of rainfall were all part of the problem.
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In 1950, plans were made to sink a number of test holes in and around the lake bed to try to find a good place to drill wells. R. E. Anderson Well Drilling of Lakeside was commissioned to drill the wells. Three wells were drilled near the lake. One of these is still functioning. A fourth well was built near Cactus Park, which adjoins El Capitan High School property.

The story as told by Ralph Anderson is that a diviner of good reputation was called in to locate a site for the Cactus  Park well. Against the advice of Mr. Anderson, the well was dug at the selected location. However, the amount of water per minute was insufficient to merit placing pipe lines from that point to Lindo Lake.
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At one time plastic sheeting was placed on the lake bottom. This did not solve the problem, as puncture holes in the plastic prevented the retention of water. Another time Bentonite clay was placed on the lake bottom. This also did not work. Attempts to stabilize the lake for the most part have been unsuccessful. Pumping water to the lake is presently aiding in maintaining a good water level.

One note of interest not found in historical papers available to this writer. "It is claimed that Los Coches Creek once flowed naturally into Lindo Lake. With building of new construction in the area many years ago, this flow was changed. If this is true, what problems could have been eliminated in Lakeside's history of flooding of Los Coches Creek and parts of the downtown business district, not to mention the many homes built on the creek."

Lake and Racetrack
1910