Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. 1949 advertisement showing their logo. Source: OWH archives. Digitally Remastered Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Clean up).
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Taken in 1953. This was taken from the cross road section where the pharmacy and the controversial bar was. Yes, you are seeing an electrical trolley track on this brick road. That is too bad that the major soda brand ended 7 UP soda. Source: My Omaha Obsession/Miss Cassette Collection.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Taken in 1953. Same location for the photo as above but zoomed to more center of the photo as you can see the rink on the right side. Many 1940s and early 1950s automobiles parked Source: My Omaha Obsession/Miss Cassette Collection.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Taken in October 1943. It was Nebraska's largest rink. Likely the rest were taken at the same time. Very airy, very bright thanks to light tubes. Compare that to the next photo which was rather darker, using pendent lamps and fewer. Also dark bottom half walls painted with a dark color. Source: Danny Johnson, Forgotten Omaha group Facebook
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Taken in October 1943. It was Nebraska's largest rink. Likely the rest were taken at the same time. Very airy, very bright thanks to light tubes. Compare that to the next photo which was rather darker, using pendent lamps and fewer. Also dark bottom half walls painted with a dark color. Source: Danny Johnson, Forgotten Omaha group Facebook.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Taken in October 1943. It was Nebraska's largest rink. Darker interior because of the lights. And fewer. No light blub tubes. Source: Durham Museum.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Taken in October 1943. Noticed it was very unusual ceiling and roof design? Lights are brighter because of the replacement with tubes to brighten up the interior. Source: Durham Museum.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Noticed the seats? Does that feel like you sat on them elsewhere? Yeah, airports, bus stations, or train stations back the day. Or even doctors' office. The hanging vinyl banner says Refreshment Bar. It was a postcard on the yellow part but the rest was an ad, I believe. Source: Susan Miller Collection.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. I love this postcard and the interior design that was taken in those Black-and-White photos which was watercolored (first digital remastered/photoshop!) showed Hospital ER Green and Baby Blue walls. And Hospital waiting room chairs No, not at the hopsital! It was a roller rink! Source: Susan Miller Collection.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Aerial view of the former rink. Noticed the roof design? Not Segmental Arch and not quite Gable. It was a combination of of all three including those two and Gambrel. Actually it would be a hybrid of Three Point Segmental Arch and Gambrel roof design. Noticed the building was quite long and block long. Both ends appeared to be front but the actual front is on the 24th Street side as seen in this photo. Source: Google.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Top bird view and human eye view of the former rink. Currently as Together, a homeless shelter and assistance center. It was painted in Grey. Taken in 2018. Sad it did not keep the Red Brick color. Source: Google.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Originally it was a repair shop for automobiles before it became roller rink. This was the interior of the former Crosstown Roller Rink. You can see the ceiling.. barely. OOPS! Somebody had an accident with this automobile. Must have been taken by the insurance company to show the damages of this vehicle. Rear Tire and wheel, fender, and a broken window. This was an early 1930s Ford Model T. Source: The Durham Museum. Date: April of 1936.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Originally it was a repair shop for automobiles before it became roller rink. This was the interior of the former Crosstown Roller Rink. You can see the ceiling.. OOPS! Somebody had an accident with this automobile. Must have been taken by the insurance company to show the damages of this vehicle. Rear Tire and wheel, fender, and a broken window. This was an early 1930s Ford Model T. Source: The Durham Museum. Date: April of 1936.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. This is a close up to a photo a few photos above. From left to right -- Skate cases room (those days, no lockers!), Skate rental, and the coat room. Again, no lockers available those days! This was in 1943. You can see this photo was taken likely during the middle of the day because of sunlight came through windows and front door BUT there are many skate cases still in the skate case room. Skaters back the day trusted operators and staff to leave skates there on long terms. Must be on a night of no skating because the clock says 8:25 PM or maybe 8:25 AM. Perhaps for a price kind of like a paid parking lot downtown city nearest you would do to keep you having your space. Well, same concept. I read stories operators' children or skaters would leave them there so that they do not have to carry 10 to 15 pounds cases daily. Rinks today do not do that anymore. If you need to make money, operators! Try to bring this back. I looked closely and those cases looked very modern like I bought mine from Harbor Fright in 2019! It even has sides of the cases for shoulder straps which was not normally occurred back in 1940s! Did I misread this photo? Source: The Durham Museum.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. This is a close up of a jet-setting futuristic air conditioning vents! Since this was a Jet-age of Mid-Century, this was truly a MCM design that showed a jet engine housing like or even a jet-setting lamp like. But that was air conditioning vent. Source: The Durham Museum.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. This is a close up of the front door. I noticed the triangle points down. This was a very common and popular shape in 1940s like the oval/ellipse in 1990s or the Starbursts in 1950s. My family business which began in that decade had that upside down Triangle as well. Still does have that along with the Industrial Green of 1940s too. Wow, a full schedule opened every day! All in evenings and Saturday-Sunday afternoon skating as well. A far cry from today which only opens on weekends now. Source: The Durham Museum.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. This is a close up of speakers. It does look homemade. But not sure. It had speakers on all 4 directions. Source: The Durham Museum.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. This is a comparative sets of photos. Above sign was at the former Crosstown Roller Rink and the photo on the right was at another rink called West Farnam Roller Rink that was in 1930s. Did Lloyd Fox purchased it from the former rink? Good question. My good friend Miss Cassette made a good point and great question. I was thinking the same. Source: Miss Cassette Collection/My Omaha Obsession.
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Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Finally this garage was up for sale. After that spring, it was sold to another business but that business went out of business a few months later then in the fall, it was sold to the Fox Brothers to open the rink. The building size was shown. Source: Omaha World Herald. March 23 1941.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Now you can see why the dimensions were displayed. It was the building size. Source: Omaha Town Assessor Office.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. The Fox Brothers paid 950 USD to get a building permit to remodel the interior on 29 October 1941. Wow, they worked fast to remodel within just a couple of weeks. Must be their contractor and themselves renovated inside real quick. Perhaps around the clock and a lot of workers. Source: Omaha World Herald. 29 October 1941. Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up, covered up surnames of other people not related to the rink).
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Source: The grand opening of the rink. Good price! From our time, hahaa. Yes, that was dirt cheap price! 36 US Cents is equal to 6.06 USD in 2021. Skating today is almost three times more expensive than this cost back then. US Dollar was much stronger during the Great Depression in my humble opinion. Omaha World Herald. 6 November 1942. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up, fixed fading black borders, lines, and fonts for easy reading).
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. This was when Lloyd Fox bought out the remaining interests from his 4 brothers for complete control of this rink in his town. Source: Billboard, October 3, 1942. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up).
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. This was when Lloyd Fox bought out the building. In 1941, Lloyd and his brothers bought the business, not the building and started the rink and was paying lease for the building then Lloyd bought out the interests and the building in 1942. Hope that is clear to you. Source: Omaha World Herald September 20, 1942. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up).
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. So we thought then they closed for a reason OR for a season (perhaps summer off) and Lloyd Fox reopened the rink on 8 September 1944. Source: Omaha World Herald September 1944. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up).
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Did the rink get into some trouble already and was up for sale already in 1945-46? This article said so. But...I think it fell through. Source: Omaha World Herald 15 January 1946. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up a little bit.)
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Advertisement with schedule in the newspapers in 1949. Source: Omaha World Herald 1949. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up a little bit.)
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Ownership for L. G. Fox of this building once again after he purchased it back from the candy company. I do not know why the candy company put up for sale that fast. They may have been short lived because of the advertisement in 1949. OR the candy company did not materialize at the roller rink location and it was back to rink then sold back the building. There was some reason we do not know why. Source: Omaha World Herald June 1950. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up a little bit.)
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Advertisements in the newspapers in 1956 including the rink were Tinder's Restaurant, Caniglia's Drive-in restaurant a familiar boy you may know of, the movie theaters with "Witcha" and "Trouble with Harry" playing, and an amusement park, Playland Park (they did not have any roller rinks at this park). Source: Omaha World Herald 1949. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up a little bit but rest is raw as it was).
Lloyd G. Fox passed away pretty young at the age of 59 years. This was December 1958. Omaha World Herald December 1958. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up a little bit and darkened fonts).
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. The bus ride to the rink! Source: Omaha World Herald April 1959. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up, fixed or replace lines, fill in fonts, darkened).
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. The sad news they were closing. Source: Omaha World Herald November 14, 1962. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up, fixed or replace lines, fill in fonts, darkened).
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. The sad news they were closing. Source: Omaha World Herald November 21, 1962. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up, fixed or replace lines, fill in fonts, darkened).
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Sadly, it was not a roller rink anymore. After Lloyd's death, it was sold to the furniture store which lasted about 20 years at this location. Source: Omaha World Herald April 1959. Digitally Remastered and copyrighted by Dead-Rinks (Cleaned up, fixed or replace lines, fill in fonts, darkened).
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. A sticker with a tease. It looked like a rail road sign but with some twists. Instead of X, its a cross "t". Clever. Source: Miss Cassette Collection/My Omaha Obsession.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE. Wow, a history preserved on the rear! That is why I saved this photo for last. You can see both parts on the wall were garage doors. That was part of the Crosstown Garage. Yes, you are seeing the faded name on the wall. Can you see it? I can. Source: Miss Cassette Collection/My Omaha Obsession.
Crosstown Roller Rink 812 S. 24 Street, Omaha, NE
Crosstown was a rink on 24th Street in Omaha, Nebraska. They were around from Tuesday, 11 November 1941 to Tuesday, 21 November 1961. Exactly 20 years and 10 days but not perfectly straight operational because they had several closures.
They were beautiful rink in that first half century. Lloyd G. Fox and his brothers opened this Gabled roof stylish Dark Red Brick building with very ornate Art Deco frontage of this building. The Fox Brothers opened in November 11, 1941. Before that, it was Crosstown Garage (also once known as International Motors Corp.) from 1916 to March 1941 then a brief garage and car wash for a few months before they gave up. Then the roller rink.
The Fox Brothers purchased the building for the price of 30,000 USD. That would mean 476,094 USD (2020) which is kind of an average for a mid-size or small rink today but not for a large one. A large one, my dear friends? That is very cheap because a large rink like this one would cost a tune of about 2 million dollars in today's money with that decorative design on front. No kidding! That is cheap and wise move on the Fox Brothers. They were already long time experience in roller skating business and roller skating having said they owned five rinks in Minnesota and Illinois before Crosstown Roller Rink in Omaha, Nebraska.
Two generations ran the rink. First Lloyd Fox and his brothers ran it till his death and his son, Ralph Fox operated the rink along with Harlan.
Lloyd G. Fox died in December 1958 at the young age of 59 years. The article I read said he was ill for quite a while. This is why he was trying to sell and pass down the rink business to his son, Ralph.
I have no idea why they went out of business. Beautiful building and they closed. The front was remodeled when the Fox Brothers bought it and Lloyd bought out the rest of the interests from his brothers as they split ownerships and Lloyd completely owned the building rather than lease from the old Crosstown Garage owner in 1942 and made more renovations such as removing old floor that skaters skated on that was part of the garage! Maple wood floor was installed in 1942. That was fortunate to do so as it was a shortage due to the World War II in 1940s.
It was sold in 1961 with having Omaha Furniture Mart purchasing the building in November so the rink closed for good on Tuesday 21 November 1961. In fact, Ralph Fox used the rink as the headquarters for his city council campaign. The furniture store began in August of 1962 after renovations. But in September 1981, the store went out of business and left the location empty for a while till a series of automotive mechanics/garages, welders, a third-party presorted mailing firm and manufacturing businesses made use of the space. Then it is now a homeless shelter called, Together when they purchased the building in year 2000.
If you know anyone who needs help in the Omaha, Nebraska area, please contact Together today. (Click on their name). Update: This is the first rink becoming a homeless shelter long before the Trebek Center opened in Northridge Skateland in Northridge, California.
UPDATE! --
On 12 October 2021, I read this email from someone who read this lengthy article about the town around that area as seen in photographs. It was an essay about her family ran the pharmacy which was in the corner next to the roller rink! Unearthed history all around in that photograph. Including the tire shop that has Quonset Hut which is still standing today, the pharmacy and the controversial bar called Gay Times Bar which was shut down by law enforcement for serving alcoholic beverages to minors, to criminals that are not allowed to go to the bar, and the operator of that bar himself was a criminal for stealing tires! Both the bar and the drug store are demolished. They widened the road so the bar was demolished for the road and the drug store is now a gas station in the corner but the roller rink building remains.
Upon more information I read really helpful. It gave size, and date of built. This building is already more than a hundred years old. Did the roller rink even open that far back? No, it was Crosstown Garage where they fixed automobiles in the infancy days of automobiles. When they went out of business, it became roller rink in 1931. I have information that the rink was opened in 1931 and closed in 1959.
Funny thing, the front of the garage was in the rear on 25th Street! It even had faded name on it saying, International Motors Corp. It must have been original name before Crosstown Roller Rink. The rear remained the same since it was operating as a mechanic garage! After it was closed, the rink then the homeless shelter center the rear remains the same. You can see the actual color of brick. Dark Red or Brownish Red.
I have more proof that the rink did not open in 1931. it was in November 11, 1941. Because the article as stated about the rink that the famous Crosstown Garage was going out of business in March 1931 leading to a car wash company buying and closed few months later because the name change which hurt that business. The new owner-- the roller rink operator changed name back to Crossroad. The author of this article in My Omaha Obsession said that brought her mind that the name Crosstown has to do with everything. There were Crosstown Garage, Crosstown Roller Rink, Crossroad this or that led further back to the railroad naming the area Crosstown for trains. Please read more details in My Omaha Obsession. That is very detailed and very thoroughly essay.
I highly recommend you to read in full details in My Omaha Obsession for further and deeper information.
The rink was without controversy of course. It was back the day discrimination was paramount in America as it was everywhere else in the world. But this was mid-century America that the rink operator Lloyd Fox did not want Blacks to attend the rink. He heard no complaints from the Caucasians as known as Whites about the Blacks but he noticed when he allowed Blacks in, pretty much the Whites left the rink and avoided altogether because of the Blacks were allowed in the rink! So, he had to ban the Blacks in order to allow the Whites in. It worked. HOWEVER, he did only allowed Blacks to come once a week to skate kind of like a "Black Skate Night" in their minds as I am in Fox's shoes.
This presented a problem. He was breaking the law. Many rinks did. I read articles about rinks in Ohio, elsewhere in Nebraska, Washington, DC, and more.
This is very true about the problem with laws that allowed anyone but it will NOT balance or what that is called, Equal Opportunity. That sounded like employment thingy and yes, that is true but with the imbalance of all races, you will find more of Blacks at Rinks today. I see a lot of videos in past two years especially due to Covid and just before Covid, I see on YouTube so many Blacks are skating! Too few Whites. Why? Whites can see that and avoid like plagues. Where are the equality? It is thrown out of the window. Sure, laws are flawed everywhere. And the way they are passing laws are really are not supportive for the people but against the people. Hence the problems with anti-discrimination. And the abusers of the laws. Allowing can backfire. Political subject like this another day another time another website.
I am sure Lloyd Fox was a nice man who literally trying to balance the issues with ethnic (colors of skins) that but he shown proof that such imbalance needed to be balanced. Today it is out of balance everywhere that the modern day groups out there are demanding for their full control. They cannot do that. Have you read the e-news? Did you read on both sides, such as liberal and Conservative side of the media? You will understand.
The reason for the rink was sold is because of Lloyd's death and his son Ralph and the family needed to settle the estate and sell the building due to a controversy involving discrimination. And that was when the court in 1962 ordered the rink closed permanently.
The Interior.
It had All-Fiber originally in 1941 for the rink carried over from the car repair shop then in 1942, Maple wood floor pretty much covered the entire building but had steel pipe rails and they had straight pattern floor. The front window lights brought in more lights than just tubular lights on the ceiling. They had Steel Free Span truss over the brick walls. It did feel very open and airy because it was a large rink. Walls perhaps were Light Blue and makes it very spacious feel there.
The Red seats, looks either leather or velvet with cast chrome armrests and it has those seating in arrangement like as if they were at the airport or train or bus station. They had snack bar but it was called, "Refreshment bar" on their sign as seen in the postcard. The Snack bar and seating areas walls and the snack bar counter walls had 1930s Pale Goblin Green color. (compared to a color chart from 1930s online).
The rest areas including where the seating and the refreshment bar was likely had Light Grey carpet.
And that was the description based on the earliest--the postcard.
The later years apparently was painted lighter color but it was in Black-and-White photos. Hard to tell but it was painted entirely in one color. Could have been either White or Light Blue color. Carpet may have been removed and exposed Maple wood. Hard to tell in that photo.
Originally the floor was Concrete but then it became All-Fiber then a year later after the Fox Brothers bought the building to convert into roller rink, Lloyd lay Maple wood floor down.
They had Hammond Organ to play music.
The Exterior.
It was during the height of Art Deco color that the style was the norm during those days. The rink was opened during the Great Depression that it was amazing that they made it successful through hardship of the Depression and World War II.
The Stats:
Rink Size: 80' x approximately 220' inside rails (NHL size).
Floor: Originally All-Fiber (1941 to 1942).
Maple (1942 to 1961),
Floor Layout:
All-Fiber - Unknown
Maple - Straight.
Building Size: 20,126 SF / 270' x 80' Built: 1916
Renovated: 1941, again 1941, 1942, 1962, 2000, and most recent 2013.
Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Store-front style Art-Deco-style Dark Red Brick Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Organ: Hammond Electric.
Operated: November 11, 1941 to Tuesday, 21 November 1961
Reason for Closure: To settle the Estate of Lloyd Fox that they had to sell the building due to a controversy involving discrimination. And that was when the court in 1962 ordered the rink closed permanently.
Wanted: Information -- just photos! Full newspaper clippings.
Sources: Together
Billboard October 3, 1942
Forgotten Omaha Facebook group (Danny Johnson)
My Omaha Obsession - The Clue of Crossroad Roller Rink.
Date of issue: 2020. Updated: 12 October 2021.
For Office Only: 36
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
They were beautiful rink in that first half century. Lloyd G. Fox and his brothers opened this Gabled roof stylish Dark Red Brick building with very ornate Art Deco frontage of this building. The Fox Brothers opened in November 11, 1941. Before that, it was Crosstown Garage (also once known as International Motors Corp.) from 1916 to March 1941 then a brief garage and car wash for a few months before they gave up. Then the roller rink.
The Fox Brothers purchased the building for the price of 30,000 USD. That would mean 476,094 USD (2020) which is kind of an average for a mid-size or small rink today but not for a large one. A large one, my dear friends? That is very cheap because a large rink like this one would cost a tune of about 2 million dollars in today's money with that decorative design on front. No kidding! That is cheap and wise move on the Fox Brothers. They were already long time experience in roller skating business and roller skating having said they owned five rinks in Minnesota and Illinois before Crosstown Roller Rink in Omaha, Nebraska.
Two generations ran the rink. First Lloyd Fox and his brothers ran it till his death and his son, Ralph Fox operated the rink along with Harlan.
Lloyd G. Fox died in December 1958 at the young age of 59 years. The article I read said he was ill for quite a while. This is why he was trying to sell and pass down the rink business to his son, Ralph.
I have no idea why they went out of business. Beautiful building and they closed. The front was remodeled when the Fox Brothers bought it and Lloyd bought out the rest of the interests from his brothers as they split ownerships and Lloyd completely owned the building rather than lease from the old Crosstown Garage owner in 1942 and made more renovations such as removing old floor that skaters skated on that was part of the garage! Maple wood floor was installed in 1942. That was fortunate to do so as it was a shortage due to the World War II in 1940s.
It was sold in 1961 with having Omaha Furniture Mart purchasing the building in November so the rink closed for good on Tuesday 21 November 1961. In fact, Ralph Fox used the rink as the headquarters for his city council campaign. The furniture store began in August of 1962 after renovations. But in September 1981, the store went out of business and left the location empty for a while till a series of automotive mechanics/garages, welders, a third-party presorted mailing firm and manufacturing businesses made use of the space. Then it is now a homeless shelter called, Together when they purchased the building in year 2000.
If you know anyone who needs help in the Omaha, Nebraska area, please contact Together today. (Click on their name). Update: This is the first rink becoming a homeless shelter long before the Trebek Center opened in Northridge Skateland in Northridge, California.
UPDATE! --
On 12 October 2021, I read this email from someone who read this lengthy article about the town around that area as seen in photographs. It was an essay about her family ran the pharmacy which was in the corner next to the roller rink! Unearthed history all around in that photograph. Including the tire shop that has Quonset Hut which is still standing today, the pharmacy and the controversial bar called Gay Times Bar which was shut down by law enforcement for serving alcoholic beverages to minors, to criminals that are not allowed to go to the bar, and the operator of that bar himself was a criminal for stealing tires! Both the bar and the drug store are demolished. They widened the road so the bar was demolished for the road and the drug store is now a gas station in the corner but the roller rink building remains.
Upon more information I read really helpful. It gave size, and date of built. This building is already more than a hundred years old. Did the roller rink even open that far back? No, it was Crosstown Garage where they fixed automobiles in the infancy days of automobiles. When they went out of business, it became roller rink in 1931. I have information that the rink was opened in 1931 and closed in 1959.
Funny thing, the front of the garage was in the rear on 25th Street! It even had faded name on it saying, International Motors Corp. It must have been original name before Crosstown Roller Rink. The rear remained the same since it was operating as a mechanic garage! After it was closed, the rink then the homeless shelter center the rear remains the same. You can see the actual color of brick. Dark Red or Brownish Red.
I have more proof that the rink did not open in 1931. it was in November 11, 1941. Because the article as stated about the rink that the famous Crosstown Garage was going out of business in March 1931 leading to a car wash company buying and closed few months later because the name change which hurt that business. The new owner-- the roller rink operator changed name back to Crossroad. The author of this article in My Omaha Obsession said that brought her mind that the name Crosstown has to do with everything. There were Crosstown Garage, Crosstown Roller Rink, Crossroad this or that led further back to the railroad naming the area Crosstown for trains. Please read more details in My Omaha Obsession. That is very detailed and very thoroughly essay.
I highly recommend you to read in full details in My Omaha Obsession for further and deeper information.
The rink was without controversy of course. It was back the day discrimination was paramount in America as it was everywhere else in the world. But this was mid-century America that the rink operator Lloyd Fox did not want Blacks to attend the rink. He heard no complaints from the Caucasians as known as Whites about the Blacks but he noticed when he allowed Blacks in, pretty much the Whites left the rink and avoided altogether because of the Blacks were allowed in the rink! So, he had to ban the Blacks in order to allow the Whites in. It worked. HOWEVER, he did only allowed Blacks to come once a week to skate kind of like a "Black Skate Night" in their minds as I am in Fox's shoes.
This presented a problem. He was breaking the law. Many rinks did. I read articles about rinks in Ohio, elsewhere in Nebraska, Washington, DC, and more.
This is very true about the problem with laws that allowed anyone but it will NOT balance or what that is called, Equal Opportunity. That sounded like employment thingy and yes, that is true but with the imbalance of all races, you will find more of Blacks at Rinks today. I see a lot of videos in past two years especially due to Covid and just before Covid, I see on YouTube so many Blacks are skating! Too few Whites. Why? Whites can see that and avoid like plagues. Where are the equality? It is thrown out of the window. Sure, laws are flawed everywhere. And the way they are passing laws are really are not supportive for the people but against the people. Hence the problems with anti-discrimination. And the abusers of the laws. Allowing can backfire. Political subject like this another day another time another website.
I am sure Lloyd Fox was a nice man who literally trying to balance the issues with ethnic (colors of skins) that but he shown proof that such imbalance needed to be balanced. Today it is out of balance everywhere that the modern day groups out there are demanding for their full control. They cannot do that. Have you read the e-news? Did you read on both sides, such as liberal and Conservative side of the media? You will understand.
The reason for the rink was sold is because of Lloyd's death and his son Ralph and the family needed to settle the estate and sell the building due to a controversy involving discrimination. And that was when the court in 1962 ordered the rink closed permanently.
The Interior.
It had All-Fiber originally in 1941 for the rink carried over from the car repair shop then in 1942, Maple wood floor pretty much covered the entire building but had steel pipe rails and they had straight pattern floor. The front window lights brought in more lights than just tubular lights on the ceiling. They had Steel Free Span truss over the brick walls. It did feel very open and airy because it was a large rink. Walls perhaps were Light Blue and makes it very spacious feel there.
The Red seats, looks either leather or velvet with cast chrome armrests and it has those seating in arrangement like as if they were at the airport or train or bus station. They had snack bar but it was called, "Refreshment bar" on their sign as seen in the postcard. The Snack bar and seating areas walls and the snack bar counter walls had 1930s Pale Goblin Green color. (compared to a color chart from 1930s online).
The rest areas including where the seating and the refreshment bar was likely had Light Grey carpet.
And that was the description based on the earliest--the postcard.
The later years apparently was painted lighter color but it was in Black-and-White photos. Hard to tell but it was painted entirely in one color. Could have been either White or Light Blue color. Carpet may have been removed and exposed Maple wood. Hard to tell in that photo.
Originally the floor was Concrete but then it became All-Fiber then a year later after the Fox Brothers bought the building to convert into roller rink, Lloyd lay Maple wood floor down.
They had Hammond Organ to play music.
The Exterior.
It was during the height of Art Deco color that the style was the norm during those days. The rink was opened during the Great Depression that it was amazing that they made it successful through hardship of the Depression and World War II.
The Stats:
Rink Size: 80' x approximately 220' inside rails (NHL size).
Floor: Originally All-Fiber (1941 to 1942).
Maple (1942 to 1961),
Floor Layout:
All-Fiber - Unknown
Maple - Straight.
Building Size: 20,126 SF / 270' x 80' Built: 1916
Renovated: 1941, again 1941, 1942, 1962, 2000, and most recent 2013.
Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Store-front style Art-Deco-style Dark Red Brick Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Organ: Hammond Electric.
Operated: November 11, 1941 to Tuesday, 21 November 1961
Reason for Closure: To settle the Estate of Lloyd Fox that they had to sell the building due to a controversy involving discrimination. And that was when the court in 1962 ordered the rink closed permanently.
Wanted: Information -- just photos! Full newspaper clippings.
Sources: Together
Billboard October 3, 1942
Forgotten Omaha Facebook group (Danny Johnson)
My Omaha Obsession - The Clue of Crossroad Roller Rink.
Date of issue: 2020. Updated: 12 October 2021.
For Office Only: 36
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