Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA. Good postcard with both exterior and interior. Source: Facebook group.
Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA. Source: Youtube.
Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA. Source: Facebook group.
Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA. Source: Facebook group.
Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA. Source: Facebook group.
Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA. Source: The Indiana Gazette - Saturday 08 September 1934.
Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA. They had quite a bit of anniversary skating annually like this one which was the 7th anniversary in 1941 which placed in May 1934 opening for first time. Source: The Indiana Gazette - Tuesday 13 May 1941.
Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA. The Disco Ball was boxed away. Source: Facebook group.
Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA. Source:The Indiana Gazaette Tuesday 13 May 1947.
Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA. Source: Billboard - 08 October 1949, page 79.
Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA. Source: Billboard 1950.
Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA. Source: The Indiana Gazette Friday, 21 June 1957.
Cicero's Crystal Ball Ebensburg, PA
Interesting name for a roller rink called Cicero's Crystal Ball. What does the ball tells us? It was in Edensburg, Pennsylvania.. Yes, I see what the ball has to say.
Oh wait, there are more! It was named after the couple's last name, the Ciceros. it was operated by James and Edna Cicero. They operated from May 1934 to 1989. That was 55 years of operating the rink. Long time.
Edna and James Cicero both were also founding member of the RSROA--the Roller Skating Rinks Operators Association.
There was a forum that someone spoke of about this rink however, that link is broken. Here is what I have captured (and edited for space, etc) --
This place was my early-mid teens hangout but I had been there as early as age 6. The place was pretty old, I think it was built in the 1940s or so. I remember seeing older folks there doing those skate waltzes to organ music when I was young. In fact Mrs. Cicero kept the old organ music going even in the rockin 1970s (interspersing organ solos with the rock n roll (or disco)) of the day.
I don't know exactly when Cicero's closed, my last visit there was 1978 though it was still there in the mid-1980s. When my great-grandmother passed away at age 96 in 1992, I went by the location but the rink had been replaced with what appeared to be some sort of strip mall. I'm guessing that sometime between 1985 and 1992, Mrs. Cicero passed on and the rink went with her. God Bless her (and her husband who are probably waltzing away on skates in Heaven).
As a teen boy my main reason for going to Cicero's, of course girls. Got lotsa stories to tell but I won't bore you all right here. Since I didn't yet have a car of my own, that was my weekend hangout from age 15-17.
01/27/09: Just received word from the Cambria County Historical Society that Cicero's had closed in 1989, about 11 years after my last visit to that rink. CCHS didn't know the reason.
James Cicero lead from May 1934 with his wife Edna till his death in 1969. Edna operated 20 more years till its closure.
The Ciceros owned two other rinks. They included the Portage Rink in Portage, Pennsylvania and Cicero's Modern Rink in Blairsville, Pennsylvania. Both operations also have ceased as well.
The Interior.
It had a Non-Painted, Clear coated Polyurethane coated, Hardwood Maple with a Fan layout of Maple wood.
Originally it was all Red Bricks the same as exterior as seen in the postcard however, they renovated as years went by by painting it White, and even Tudor appearance.
Trendy as they say.
The Exterior.
It was quite modern for its time. It hinted a little bit of Googie Architecture but only with the canopy. But it does feel Googie's. Almost actually. It had a grille-like posts supporting the canopy over the front doors on the left side. The building looked long and low-like which classified similar to 1950s Modernism, not Googie. Not Post-Modernism. It was all Red Bricks the same with interior however the interior.. another story.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Non-Painted, Clear coated Polyurethane coated, Hardwood Maple
Floor Layout: FAN.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Renovations: N/A. Demolished: N/A.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel - Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gabled.
Acres: N/A.
Organ: Likely Hammond.
Operated: (Overall)-- May 1934 to 1989. (They had annual anniversary skating night in first half of May.. however, each year the date of the anniversary skating was different. One year was the 14th, next was the 7th, 4th, so there is no way to know exact day.
James Cicero lead from May 1934 with his wife Edna till his death in 1969. Edna operated 20 more years till its closure.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
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. You can also use this form.
Sources:
Facebook - Private group. You could not see it.
Obituary - Edna Cicero
Billboard - 06 July 1946, page 79
Billboard - 02 August 1947, page 84. Article: "That B.-O. Drop Ahead." (2nd and 3rd column) big article.
Billboard - 08 October 1949, page 79.
Billboard - 8 July 1950, page 81.
Billboard - 13 August 1955, page 74, 4th and 5th Column. "...Meet site pends"
Forum - Dead link.
More sources, see in pictures section.
Worth to visit:
None.
Date of issue: 11 March 2022.
For office use only: 14.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.
Oh wait, there are more! It was named after the couple's last name, the Ciceros. it was operated by James and Edna Cicero. They operated from May 1934 to 1989. That was 55 years of operating the rink. Long time.
Edna and James Cicero both were also founding member of the RSROA--the Roller Skating Rinks Operators Association.
There was a forum that someone spoke of about this rink however, that link is broken. Here is what I have captured (and edited for space, etc) --
This place was my early-mid teens hangout but I had been there as early as age 6. The place was pretty old, I think it was built in the 1940s or so. I remember seeing older folks there doing those skate waltzes to organ music when I was young. In fact Mrs. Cicero kept the old organ music going even in the rockin 1970s (interspersing organ solos with the rock n roll (or disco)) of the day.
I don't know exactly when Cicero's closed, my last visit there was 1978 though it was still there in the mid-1980s. When my great-grandmother passed away at age 96 in 1992, I went by the location but the rink had been replaced with what appeared to be some sort of strip mall. I'm guessing that sometime between 1985 and 1992, Mrs. Cicero passed on and the rink went with her. God Bless her (and her husband who are probably waltzing away on skates in Heaven).
As a teen boy my main reason for going to Cicero's, of course girls. Got lotsa stories to tell but I won't bore you all right here. Since I didn't yet have a car of my own, that was my weekend hangout from age 15-17.
01/27/09: Just received word from the Cambria County Historical Society that Cicero's had closed in 1989, about 11 years after my last visit to that rink. CCHS didn't know the reason.
James Cicero lead from May 1934 with his wife Edna till his death in 1969. Edna operated 20 more years till its closure.
The Ciceros owned two other rinks. They included the Portage Rink in Portage, Pennsylvania and Cicero's Modern Rink in Blairsville, Pennsylvania. Both operations also have ceased as well.
The Interior.
It had a Non-Painted, Clear coated Polyurethane coated, Hardwood Maple with a Fan layout of Maple wood.
Originally it was all Red Bricks the same as exterior as seen in the postcard however, they renovated as years went by by painting it White, and even Tudor appearance.
Trendy as they say.
The Exterior.
It was quite modern for its time. It hinted a little bit of Googie Architecture but only with the canopy. But it does feel Googie's. Almost actually. It had a grille-like posts supporting the canopy over the front doors on the left side. The building looked long and low-like which classified similar to 1950s Modernism, not Googie. Not Post-Modernism. It was all Red Bricks the same with interior however the interior.. another story.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Non-Painted, Clear coated Polyurethane coated, Hardwood Maple
Floor Layout: FAN.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Renovations: N/A. Demolished: N/A.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel - Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gabled.
Acres: N/A.
Organ: Likely Hammond.
Operated: (Overall)-- May 1934 to 1989. (They had annual anniversary skating night in first half of May.. however, each year the date of the anniversary skating was different. One year was the 14th, next was the 7th, 4th, so there is no way to know exact day.
James Cicero lead from May 1934 with his wife Edna till his death in 1969. Edna operated 20 more years till its closure.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
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. You can also use this form.
Sources:
Facebook - Private group. You could not see it.
Obituary - Edna Cicero
Billboard - 06 July 1946, page 79
Billboard - 02 August 1947, page 84. Article: "That B.-O. Drop Ahead." (2nd and 3rd column) big article.
Billboard - 08 October 1949, page 79.
Billboard - 8 July 1950, page 81.
Billboard - 13 August 1955, page 74, 4th and 5th Column. "...Meet site pends"
Forum - Dead link.
More sources, see in pictures section.
Worth to visit:
None.
Date of issue: 11 March 2022.
For office use only: 14.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.