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The Roller Rink.
HUB ROLLER
RINK
4510 N. HARLEM AVE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
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Based upon this information
The skating area was probably about 275 feet long and some 95 feet
wide, and that excludes the area outside the rails that enclosed the
main rink. The Program included All Skate, Couples Only, Waltz, Fox
Trot, a few fancy dances such as Collegiate and 14 step, and then
there was the ROMP! That was when the fun began, it was wild with
groups of skaters hands joined whipping around the floor..
Then there were the Guards, Bob the head guard,
alias the Sheriff, Roy, Troy, George, Elmer, Rich, Jack etc.. and not to be
forgotten the lady guard, Murph...
BUILT IN 1950, OPENED OCTOBER 1950..
HOME OF THE GIANT WURLITZER PIPE ORGAN
The Hub was a meeting place for many young folks
from the Chicago area. Monday was party night and it was often filled to
overflow when schools such as St. Mels High School had their Parties..
The rink was open every night and had matinees Saturday and Sunday.
Weekends always found huge crowds, some who never even put on a pair of
skates. The lobby area was almost as big as the rink. It had a large
oval snack bar, probably 40 feet long, in the center of the lobby.
Around the outside walls were cloak rooms, shoe skate rentals, skate
sales, skate repairs as well as a small dance floor and a juke box. This
is what attracted the non skaters to the Hub.
Oh there were the usual games, shuffleboard, very popular then, and the
shooting gallery next to the skate repair room. the entire lobby was
separated from the rink by a two story office and cloak room with the
only access to the rink through an opening in the center.
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| THIS INFORMATION PROVIDED BY MR. CHARLIE
BENDLER |
| William (Bill) Benson, Jean's late
husband, and I (Charlie) planned the lay-out of the rink and
submitted it to a registered architect who drew up the working
drawings for the approval of the County Building Commission. We
acted as our own general contractors, with Bill Benson supervising
the actual construction. There were 15 roof trusses shipped, knocked
down, in box cars from Portland, Oregon. When assembled on the job
site, these trusses were 108ft. long. When you consider the the
trusses were 1-1/2ft. on their pilasters and the aisles on the sides
of the rink were 5ft. wide, that leaves 95ft. for the width of the
skating surface. The trusses were placed on 21ft. centers. That
means that there were 16 bays at 21ft., totaling 336ft. for the
length of the building. If you subtract 65ft. for the lobby and
check rooms and offices, you are left with some 271ft. You really
down-sized us, Frank. Bob Hageman, the one with the Corvette, made
up an album for me, probably in late 50's, with 14 picture of
various places around the rink. One of them is of Leon Berry and
some of the rules of admission. If my memory serves me right, this
is some of the work that your father done for us. I have given these
pictures to Lon for transmitting to
you. I hope that you are pleased with
them. |
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