Rain! Quick, while the creeks are grinning bank to bank and the spillways are gargling: Here are the five great lakes (of the West Side).
Lake Como. Created in 1889 to provide water to cool the generating plant of the Arlington Heights streetcar line to Fort Worth, the lake also was a popular resort, having a pavilion and roller coaster. Como Lake may have been named after the city in Italy, birthplace of two early Romans, Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, who, just to befuddle future genealogists, were uncle and nephew, not father and son.
Luther Lake. (Nearby is Bal Lake, but Bal is surrounded by homes with no public access. It can be glimpsed in only a few places between houses.)
City Lake. At least that is what I am calling it because the street on each side is named “Citylake Boulevard.” East of Bryant Irvin Road and south of I-20.
French Lake in Candleridge Park. Fed by storm drain runoff, this pretty little lake shows what can be created when raindrops unionize.
Willow Lake. Owned by the homeowners association. Willow Lake is another product of storm drain runoff. Look for the union label.
