Bedford Glens Roller Palace Bedford OH. Most clear sticker. Unfortunately, it was warped. Source: Icollect.com.
Bedford Glens Roller Palace Bedford OH. Another version of the sticker. You can see the size of it thanks to the gentleman's hand holding it up while he took the picture. Small! Most stickers out there were or rather, are small. This one was in color unlike the Surgical Room Green background sticker shown above. This featured in White. Wordings were different too. Source: eBay.
Bedford Glens Roller Palace Bedford OH. Self explanatory. Source: Bedford, Ohio history book, page 108.
Bedford Glens Roller Palace Bedford OH. Article about fund raising against Polio. Rinks were involved to raise funds. Source: Billboard, March 4, 1944. Page 46, 1st column.
Bedford Glens Roller Palace Bedford OH. Aging match book. Source: J.K>/Facebook Ohio Forgotten Rinks of Past and Present. (original, untouched)
Bedford Glens Roller Palace Bedford OH
The Glens Ballroom Bedford OH
Bedford Glens Roller Palace Bedford OH (Rebooted)
The Glens Ballroom Bedford OH
Bedford Glens Roller Palace Bedford OH (Rebooted)
Bedford Glens Roller Palace Bedford Ohio was a beloved entertainment center in early 20th Century. And was once popular. It began life in 19th Century. It did not give specific date of opening. It was more of a recreation area and a pavilion including roller skating. They included caravel rides, picnics, strolling areas. It was owned by the Gould Family but in the year 1900, Evan Day took over operations of the area and the pavilion. Evan Day saw how ballroom dancing was becoming popular everywhere. (This was common sharing with roller rinks back the day). So the shift was from roller skating to ballroom dancing which ended roller skating at this pavilion. Evan revamped the building from roller rink into a grand ballroom palace, a grand night club type that peaked in 1910s to early 1930s. Younger generations, watch movies like Indiana Jones movie in the beginning. And some old B/W films and you will see orchestras playing music and big dance floor. Many patrons would sit at the tables and chairs watching and talking and drinking and smoking. Yes, smoking were permitted at the time. So, please watch them and you will understand how it functioned. I know it was Hollywood but they lived through it. Even newer films up to early 1960s in technicolor, you can see it. Jerry Lewis was in one of those movies or two including the Nutty Professor (Not the Eddie Murphy version).
The opening date is unknown or even the year. It only stated 1800s. Likely 1880s because many recreational parks were formed at the time before many parks became trolley parks which later became amusement parks, and today, theme parks. But there are thousands of city parks, town parks, county parks, and state or providence parks depending on where you are.
Evan Day who was the main owner and operator, Leo Maytnier (hard to read from Billboard magazine).
Evan Day's nephew, Ed Day delivered music with his band, the Ed Day and His Ten Knights Orchestra during this tenure. I love the name because Ed's (and Evan's) last name was Day as in daytime, with sunlight. And the Ten Knights. Could not call them nights but Knights. Day and nights. This should chuckle you with this unique name. I love it. I heard of this band somewhere before. Since I am Deaf, I do not listen to music, but I have heard of many musicians, bands, orchestras, singers, and more. I think they were well known in the immediate area. Well, at least to the Cleveland-Akron Metro area where this former rink was. Bedford's population was under 25,000 people at the time.
Ballroom dancing was popular well through till late 1930s which even ran well through the Great Depression. But like many businesses and recreation due to the Great Depression, things changed. In late 1930s, dancing was on decline. It was reverted back to roller rink.
With the reversal, they may may have added bowling at the same time which was in the basement.
In February 1944, this rink among many roller rinks were raising funds for the Polio effort. (During COVID-19 era, no fund raising was the same. Not quite. There were government money gave away at least 3 or 4 times to everyone plus a couple of rich celebrities gave funds to professionals who were hit hard by lockdown.)
Unfortunately, two months later, on April 18, 1944, in the height of World War II era, skating patrons were quickly escorted out of the rink as the building were on fire. No one was injured or no one was fatal. It happened when Marge Miavitz, age 15, was skating with her friend Martha Jackowski. They began to notice the smoke coming from downstairs and alerted everyone that there was a fire. Then all skating patrons and staff were escorted out quickly and the all-wood structure were perished quickly to the ground. Entirely gone.
Since it was from the basement. It was a bowling alley there. It could be some electrical since electric pinsetters were not manufactured till a few years after the fire. Perhaps wires or fuse boxes were to be blamed. Unless someone did smoke down there.
The owner/operator decided not to rebuilt and only it was a lasting memories for thousands of patrons of roller skating, bowling, and dancing throughout the years it was operational.
The Interior.
For sure it was Maple flooring. It was all wood even the trusses. They went though at least three versions. First roller rink, then grand ballroom, then reverted back to roller rink again. Likely the stage for the orchestra was installed then removed. No photos I know so far was available.
Being this rink before it burned down in 1944, it had air conditioning! A rarity in this time period.
The Exterior.
This building was unusual. It had a Monitor Roof style building. It was a wood built with trusses. Even columns support to hold up the Monitor Roof style. It gave that atrium feel to it. It was common during Roman Empire. Today, it is common with farmhouses and some industries/factories. I have seen those as barns, a factory, and a building at the state fair near me. In fact, that one of factory is right cross the street from the State Fair.
It was all wood built. It had vertical wood walls at this place which gave it very country feel to it. This park was clearly countryside.
There were a long row of windows to let light in and some other windows as well and the front door too. They had beautiful graffiti like name on the wall above. Hard to see but it showed different colors from top to bottom of each letters. Top being light colored to dark colored bottom. It does appear to be Flair/Bubble Reversed-Italic fonts which did not exist till 1960s! That style and art work was way ahead of time I tell you.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Likely Maple. Floor Layout: Likely straight.
Building Size: N/A. Built/Renovations: Appx. 1880s, maybe 1870s/1900s, c.1938.
Demolished: April 18, 1944 by fire (during a skating session!)
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Monitor.
Acres: N/A. (likely large).
Bowling Lanes: 7, 10 Pins.
Operated: (Overall)-- Around 1870s? to April 18, 1944.
First version of the rink: 1880s? to 1900.
Dance only: 1900 to c. 1938?
Rebooted version of rink: c.1938? to April 18, 1944.
Reason for Closure: Fire on April 18, 1944 during a skating session!
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos/articles. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
Bedford, Ohio History Book - single page history.
Billboard magazine - rinks had fund raising for Polio fund were acknowledged from Washington, DC. March 4, 1944, Page 45, 1st column.
Bowling Wiki - list the rink as where the bowling was.
Date of issue: 23 July 2021.
For office use only: 5p (1p, 2 s. 1 np. 1 m.)
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.
The opening date is unknown or even the year. It only stated 1800s. Likely 1880s because many recreational parks were formed at the time before many parks became trolley parks which later became amusement parks, and today, theme parks. But there are thousands of city parks, town parks, county parks, and state or providence parks depending on where you are.
Evan Day who was the main owner and operator, Leo Maytnier (hard to read from Billboard magazine).
Evan Day's nephew, Ed Day delivered music with his band, the Ed Day and His Ten Knights Orchestra during this tenure. I love the name because Ed's (and Evan's) last name was Day as in daytime, with sunlight. And the Ten Knights. Could not call them nights but Knights. Day and nights. This should chuckle you with this unique name. I love it. I heard of this band somewhere before. Since I am Deaf, I do not listen to music, but I have heard of many musicians, bands, orchestras, singers, and more. I think they were well known in the immediate area. Well, at least to the Cleveland-Akron Metro area where this former rink was. Bedford's population was under 25,000 people at the time.
Ballroom dancing was popular well through till late 1930s which even ran well through the Great Depression. But like many businesses and recreation due to the Great Depression, things changed. In late 1930s, dancing was on decline. It was reverted back to roller rink.
With the reversal, they may may have added bowling at the same time which was in the basement.
In February 1944, this rink among many roller rinks were raising funds for the Polio effort. (During COVID-19 era, no fund raising was the same. Not quite. There were government money gave away at least 3 or 4 times to everyone plus a couple of rich celebrities gave funds to professionals who were hit hard by lockdown.)
Unfortunately, two months later, on April 18, 1944, in the height of World War II era, skating patrons were quickly escorted out of the rink as the building were on fire. No one was injured or no one was fatal. It happened when Marge Miavitz, age 15, was skating with her friend Martha Jackowski. They began to notice the smoke coming from downstairs and alerted everyone that there was a fire. Then all skating patrons and staff were escorted out quickly and the all-wood structure were perished quickly to the ground. Entirely gone.
Since it was from the basement. It was a bowling alley there. It could be some electrical since electric pinsetters were not manufactured till a few years after the fire. Perhaps wires or fuse boxes were to be blamed. Unless someone did smoke down there.
The owner/operator decided not to rebuilt and only it was a lasting memories for thousands of patrons of roller skating, bowling, and dancing throughout the years it was operational.
The Interior.
For sure it was Maple flooring. It was all wood even the trusses. They went though at least three versions. First roller rink, then grand ballroom, then reverted back to roller rink again. Likely the stage for the orchestra was installed then removed. No photos I know so far was available.
Being this rink before it burned down in 1944, it had air conditioning! A rarity in this time period.
The Exterior.
This building was unusual. It had a Monitor Roof style building. It was a wood built with trusses. Even columns support to hold up the Monitor Roof style. It gave that atrium feel to it. It was common during Roman Empire. Today, it is common with farmhouses and some industries/factories. I have seen those as barns, a factory, and a building at the state fair near me. In fact, that one of factory is right cross the street from the State Fair.
It was all wood built. It had vertical wood walls at this place which gave it very country feel to it. This park was clearly countryside.
There were a long row of windows to let light in and some other windows as well and the front door too. They had beautiful graffiti like name on the wall above. Hard to see but it showed different colors from top to bottom of each letters. Top being light colored to dark colored bottom. It does appear to be Flair/Bubble Reversed-Italic fonts which did not exist till 1960s! That style and art work was way ahead of time I tell you.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Likely Maple. Floor Layout: Likely straight.
Building Size: N/A. Built/Renovations: Appx. 1880s, maybe 1870s/1900s, c.1938.
Demolished: April 18, 1944 by fire (during a skating session!)
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Monitor.
Acres: N/A. (likely large).
Bowling Lanes: 7, 10 Pins.
Operated: (Overall)-- Around 1870s? to April 18, 1944.
First version of the rink: 1880s? to 1900.
Dance only: 1900 to c. 1938?
Rebooted version of rink: c.1938? to April 18, 1944.
Reason for Closure: Fire on April 18, 1944 during a skating session!
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos/articles. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
Bedford, Ohio History Book - single page history.
Billboard magazine - rinks had fund raising for Polio fund were acknowledged from Washington, DC. March 4, 1944, Page 45, 1st column.
Bowling Wiki - list the rink as where the bowling was.
Date of issue: 23 July 2021.
For office use only: 5p (1p, 2 s. 1 np. 1 m.)
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.