Ritz Rink 515 Dayton Ave, Edmonds, WA. This is untouched photograph to show you the way it was. Now can you notice the new male skater is trying to skate? OK, look down and you will see he crossed his legs! Clearly he cannot skate well. That understandable but look further! You see something is not right? Yes, there is a shoe or skate there! The third one! One thing, you cannot even tell of the man has his skates on! Were they shoes, or socks on? Really odd and mysterious in that photo! Or was it just a printing mistake that they do leave blobs on just like an other one above the word Rink. Can you see it? I normally do touchup to clean up. But this one as original look to show you a goof up. Source: Edmonds Tribune-Review, likely late June 1941.
Edmonds Opera House 515 Dayton Ave, Edmonds, WA. The building currently as a Masonic Lodge. One thing I noticed, how cliché. You noticed all the cars are small models and station wagons? No pickup trucks, no large SUVs. Of course, its the Seattle Metro whereas its very.. you guess it. Source: Joe Mabel through Wikipedia. Taken 2012.
Edmonds Opera House 515 Dayton Ave, Edmonds, WA
Ritz Rink 515 Dayton Ave, Edmonds, WA
Ritz Rink 515 Dayton Ave, Edmonds, WA
Originally, it was Edmonds Opera House that was and still is located at 515 Dayton Avenue, Edmonds, Washington. The Edmonds Athletic Club was formed in December of 1908. That club became extremely popular and rapidly grew in size that made many residents happy to have some activities instead of boredom. The town was only 1,500 people. Edmonds’ entrepreneur Allen M. Yost was then persuaded to build a facility especially for the athletic club. Mr. Yost built a large building on the site of the old Socialist Hall, on the north side of Dayton just east of 5th Street. the facility was named as Edmonds Opera House. The building went on further than its use as a facility for the athletic club. Allen Yost installed gymnasium equipment and a basketball court, billiard and card tables. On Christmas night 1909, The building was dedicated. The following May, Mr. Yost expanded by adding installed two lanes for bowling. The athletic club remained successful, and for several years, the local basketball teams brought fame to Edmonds. In addition, popular boxing matches in the building were known.
Through its many years of existence, the Opera House became a very versatile building. In addition to the above named uses, it served as an auditorium, a movie house, a roller-skating rink, a dance floor and a banquet hall. It was well rounded recreational and amusement center as well as a fitness center and a venue.
In my opinion, the evidence of this being so popular because of the town being small at 1500 people and the limits of telephone and people have not been that addicted to the phones.. yet. And in fact, no computers, no televisions, and as for radio, everyone heard that all the time. This is the reason why this facility was very popular venue for anyone to meet and have a social and fellowship time there. It was a place where everybody know your name. It was a centralized or ground zero for all social gathering for this town other than churches.
But the club went decline somehow. Depression and World War Two have send families relocated and went cross town to find employment. Second of all, the War that send many men and boys overseas to fight against the Communists, and Socialists, and Nazism and Fascists. Interesting that we won the War against those very same Leftism and Liberalism that today those modern generations in the greater Seattle embraced It does not make any sense.
What interests me was that the words in the advertisement seen on top--"Carefully Supervised"... well, that was because of the nearby military base, Paine Field where soldiers would often come to the rink. The staff at the rink and the town mayor Fred Fourtner and the Edmonds City Council would observe any chance of "intermingling" between the young girls of Edmonds and the military personnel when it was still an Old Fashioned way of life back the day that the military boys are supposed to behave like men around the girls from that town. Many girls would be underaged if you get my meaning so that was a no-no. And often you hear stories that military personnel would have a bit too much fun. This occurred during World War II. The entire time of the Ritz Rink was operated. But the neighbors were complaining about the military boys and the local girls and the noises and disturbance outside of the rink. That sounded familiar. That is still a common problem with rinks and night clubs and bars today. This rink was experiencing ahead of time of what we all experience today.
The rink arranged once a week just for the military to have a skating session. Kind of like many dance halls did with the men in uniforms attend to skate or dance with the ladies. This rink even closed to the public for the military men to skate. If that was the case, no females to meet? That really sucks and may have hurt the rink because men would hear their Drill Instructors or their base XO announcing skate night at the rink and decided to skip going because of no women. That may have hurt. The evident in my educated opinion made sense because Ritz Rink closed in 1945. This is why it was "Carefully Supervised" as you saw in the ads.
To those skated there and served, thank you for defending the Constitution of the United States and I want to add, our faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Interior.
I do not know what floor material and I do not know what the original floor was in 1909. However, the current floor if it was the same when the Freemasons purchased the building in 1944. The current one showed it is a small parquet pattern on the floor. Non-painted. In the stats below, I left it as N/A. because I do not know what the original floor skaters used at the time. It was renovated many times due to the changes of ownership and what they set up each time. Likely it was straight floor, not log.
At first, it was a set of gymnasium equipment and a basketball court, there were also billiard and card tables. It was a hybrid of a fitness, gym, and recreation center combined. Later, two lanes of bowling were housed there, and many uses were there. But shortly after Edmonds Opera was opened, they even had roller skating. So, ballpark, the start of skating was in 1909 and ran throughout the years till someone who owned the Edmond Opera at the time of sale to next owner who converted to Rita Rink in 1941.
It was a roller rink exclusively from 1941 to 1944. Just 3 short years.
The Exterior.
It has a very large school-house/church appearance. I do not know what the original look were. It is all in the Freemasonic lodge's hands that you have to ask special permission to see and all. Usually they do not let you. All I can say I know what the current building is like. They have that Fairly Dark Cold Gray paint on wood siding. It has three pillars with a canopy. I know how Masonic works with some of the architectural details. The three pillars would represents the three Godheads as said in 1 John 5:7 King James--
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Underlined to emphasize the counts.
Anyway! the place was updated to have modern appearance including new windows for sure.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1909. Demolished: Still standing, renovated heavily.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- Christmas night in 1909 to 1944.
Edmonds Opera House: Christmas night in 1909 to Tuesday, July 1, 1941
Ritz Rink: Wednesday, July 2, 1941, 7 PM to 1944.
Reason for Closure:
Edmonds Opera House: N/A.
Ritz Rink: Neighbors complained due to noise, loitering surrounding the Ritz Rink.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
My Edmond News.
Wikipedia photo file.
Old Edmonds Opera House.
Date of issue: 16 June 2021.
For office use only: 2 p. (1 np, 1 p.)
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.
Through its many years of existence, the Opera House became a very versatile building. In addition to the above named uses, it served as an auditorium, a movie house, a roller-skating rink, a dance floor and a banquet hall. It was well rounded recreational and amusement center as well as a fitness center and a venue.
In my opinion, the evidence of this being so popular because of the town being small at 1500 people and the limits of telephone and people have not been that addicted to the phones.. yet. And in fact, no computers, no televisions, and as for radio, everyone heard that all the time. This is the reason why this facility was very popular venue for anyone to meet and have a social and fellowship time there. It was a place where everybody know your name. It was a centralized or ground zero for all social gathering for this town other than churches.
But the club went decline somehow. Depression and World War Two have send families relocated and went cross town to find employment. Second of all, the War that send many men and boys overseas to fight against the Communists, and Socialists, and Nazism and Fascists. Interesting that we won the War against those very same Leftism and Liberalism that today those modern generations in the greater Seattle embraced It does not make any sense.
What interests me was that the words in the advertisement seen on top--"Carefully Supervised"... well, that was because of the nearby military base, Paine Field where soldiers would often come to the rink. The staff at the rink and the town mayor Fred Fourtner and the Edmonds City Council would observe any chance of "intermingling" between the young girls of Edmonds and the military personnel when it was still an Old Fashioned way of life back the day that the military boys are supposed to behave like men around the girls from that town. Many girls would be underaged if you get my meaning so that was a no-no. And often you hear stories that military personnel would have a bit too much fun. This occurred during World War II. The entire time of the Ritz Rink was operated. But the neighbors were complaining about the military boys and the local girls and the noises and disturbance outside of the rink. That sounded familiar. That is still a common problem with rinks and night clubs and bars today. This rink was experiencing ahead of time of what we all experience today.
The rink arranged once a week just for the military to have a skating session. Kind of like many dance halls did with the men in uniforms attend to skate or dance with the ladies. This rink even closed to the public for the military men to skate. If that was the case, no females to meet? That really sucks and may have hurt the rink because men would hear their Drill Instructors or their base XO announcing skate night at the rink and decided to skip going because of no women. That may have hurt. The evident in my educated opinion made sense because Ritz Rink closed in 1945. This is why it was "Carefully Supervised" as you saw in the ads.
To those skated there and served, thank you for defending the Constitution of the United States and I want to add, our faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Interior.
I do not know what floor material and I do not know what the original floor was in 1909. However, the current floor if it was the same when the Freemasons purchased the building in 1944. The current one showed it is a small parquet pattern on the floor. Non-painted. In the stats below, I left it as N/A. because I do not know what the original floor skaters used at the time. It was renovated many times due to the changes of ownership and what they set up each time. Likely it was straight floor, not log.
At first, it was a set of gymnasium equipment and a basketball court, there were also billiard and card tables. It was a hybrid of a fitness, gym, and recreation center combined. Later, two lanes of bowling were housed there, and many uses were there. But shortly after Edmonds Opera was opened, they even had roller skating. So, ballpark, the start of skating was in 1909 and ran throughout the years till someone who owned the Edmond Opera at the time of sale to next owner who converted to Rita Rink in 1941.
It was a roller rink exclusively from 1941 to 1944. Just 3 short years.
The Exterior.
It has a very large school-house/church appearance. I do not know what the original look were. It is all in the Freemasonic lodge's hands that you have to ask special permission to see and all. Usually they do not let you. All I can say I know what the current building is like. They have that Fairly Dark Cold Gray paint on wood siding. It has three pillars with a canopy. I know how Masonic works with some of the architectural details. The three pillars would represents the three Godheads as said in 1 John 5:7 King James--
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Underlined to emphasize the counts.
Anyway! the place was updated to have modern appearance including new windows for sure.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1909. Demolished: Still standing, renovated heavily.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- Christmas night in 1909 to 1944.
Edmonds Opera House: Christmas night in 1909 to Tuesday, July 1, 1941
Ritz Rink: Wednesday, July 2, 1941, 7 PM to 1944.
Reason for Closure:
Edmonds Opera House: N/A.
Ritz Rink: Neighbors complained due to noise, loitering surrounding the Ritz Rink.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
My Edmond News.
Wikipedia photo file.
Old Edmonds Opera House.
Date of issue: 16 June 2021.
For office use only: 2 p. (1 np, 1 p.)
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.