Postcard courtesy of Salem Public Library.
Photo courtesy of Salem Public Library. Two passerby oversees the floating rink building crashing against the bridge they are on. It was an overnight photograph since it is night time as you can tell in the photo with bright flash. You can see how deep the flood was because the waters were almost to the roof of the rink and already cresting or near the bridge road.
Google Map. The circle represents where Mellow Moon used to be located roughly that area where a phone store is now located. Then you can see roughly the path of the rink was floated toward the river but was blocked by the bridge roughly that location where the arrows pointed. It was dynamited to destroy to save the bridge. Two men were drowned. Exact location is roughly educated due to modern man-made geographic area.
Mellow Moon Pavilion, 400 Edgewater Street NW (Approx)., West Salem, OR
Mellow Moon Roller Rink, 400 Edgewater Street NW (Approx)., West Salem, OR
This page is dedicated to the two victims who worked to destroy the rink to save the bridge: Archie Cook, age 33, of Woodburn and Michael Mauer, age 27 of Stayton among others who drowned in the 1942 flooding.
This was bit interesting but sad historical story about this rink. The rink was not from the start. It ran at a later time. Originally it was a Pavilion. A dance hall that two men, owners Mills and Albright at the west end of the Marion-Polk county bridge in West Salem was built in the summer of 1925. They had a contest for naming the place with a first prize of 25 Dollars. The winner was Mrs. Alma V. Henderson of Chemawa, OR who sumitted the name, Mellow Moon because of the music that was a waltz, a dance music. The owner loved that name because of the soft lights in the place that would be like stars at night and soft moon in there (perhaps that diamond ball?)
The dance hall were only opened on Wednesday and Saturday nights with a very unusual admission price of $.10 for ladies and $.50 for gentleman. They had popular bands and orchestras such as Jack Bell and His Melody Pirates that would travel the dance hall circuit across the country. Big names were playing at the Mellon Moon Pavilion for years making it a big name for itself.
So, the place was originally a popular dance hall and it was changed hands a few times until 1939, the dance hall become a roller skating rink under the ownership of Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Hansen just three short years. They were expecting it would have continue longer but it was a fateful night of New Year’s Eve 1942 that many did not become aware of. Since Mellow Moon Rink was right by the river and this bridge, the water rose quickly as 3 inches per hour due to weather that year.
While people celebrating the New Year of 1942, a few experts were concerned about the river and weather happening and it was dwelling and already reported some death down south of the river. In the morning after New Year's ushered in, Charles Hansen checked on the Mellow Moon and found water flowing several inches over the floor. The engineers inspected the building at his request and assurance that it would stand secure in the rising tide. given that it had survived floods in the past. But by 1 p.m. Friday afternoon, the river gauge read 27.5 feet and the water was gaining at the rate of 3 inches an hour. Evacuations had begun in the lowlands north and south of Salem. Fifteen minutes after Hansen left for the day, the little bridge connecting the Mellow Moon to Edgewater Street washed away. That bridge would damaged anything or other way around.
Around 6:30 p.m. that same evening, the old Mellow Moon rose from its foundations and swept north in the river current, slamming into the west approach of the Marion-Polk county bridge. It already has caused damages but itself was still floating as if it was still in shape.
At 10:30 p.m., Down the river log rafts from the Oregon Pulp & Paper Mill broke loose and hit the the skating rink. The skating rink was close to the breaking point, but the bridge stood solid. All three were made of wood-the bridge, the rink, and the loose logs. However, the rink would be the weakest and could cause damages further.
Besides that, they feared that the rink would damage the bridge so Gov. Charles A. Sprague commanded the highway department to take all possible steps to save the bridge, therefore dynamiting the Mellow Moon building if necessary. R.H. Baldock, chief highway engineer, expressed his confidence that the bridge would stand fast during the night.
"We are going out at daylight and try to tear it down or blow it up.”
With the river rising at 30.5 feet by Saturday morning, Jan. 2, a 12-man state highway crew went to work using dynamite and cables, expecting to have the debris cleared away in a few hours. At 10:30 p.m. that night, the wreckage finally broke apart and headed downstream beneath the shorn bridge piling.
There were conflicting stories that the four men went in the water with dynamites and were roped in however because of the current and condition, two men disappeared, assumed drowning. The victims were Archie Cook, age 33, of Woodburn and Michael Mauer, age 27 of Stayton. None of the men wore life-belts.
The water receded, damages were tallied, the bridge repaired and opened a week later, and the Hansens would go on to open another skating rink in Salem on the other side of the bridge. But life had changed forever for the families of these two men who were on the front line to protect the lives and property of their fellow citizens. All the words with some revisions are taken from Stateman Journal, Kaylyn F. Mabey, Special to the Statesman Journal Published 10:52 a.m. PT Jan. 15, 2016 | Updated 2:56 p.m. PT Jan. 15, 2016
So, with that, the rink was exploded in the river to save the bridge. The map today showed modern steel and concrete bridges. It totally changed the landscape. It is not the same if you attempt to find exactly where the popular dance hall/rink was established at. The address you can find showed a little bit off of the river, not by the river. Geographically changed completely for infrastructure, streets, and buildings in that area.
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Maple? For sure it was wood. Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: 1925. Destroyed by Dynamites to save bridge in 1942.
Roof: Quonset-hut style (raised domed)
Operated: Entire history: 1925 to 1942
As Dance hall: 1925 to 1939
As roller rink: 1939 to January 2, 1942.
Reason for Closure: Major flooding sweep the rink from foundation, smashing into bridge, in good shape so, it was destroyed by dynamites to save bridge. Owners reopened new rink elsewhere.
Wanted: Information regarding exactly when they purchased and opened. Any photos of interior?
Sources: Stateman Journal, Stateman Journal 2,
© 2019 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
Mellow Moon Roller Rink, 400 Edgewater Street NW (Approx)., West Salem, OR
This page is dedicated to the two victims who worked to destroy the rink to save the bridge: Archie Cook, age 33, of Woodburn and Michael Mauer, age 27 of Stayton among others who drowned in the 1942 flooding.
This was bit interesting but sad historical story about this rink. The rink was not from the start. It ran at a later time. Originally it was a Pavilion. A dance hall that two men, owners Mills and Albright at the west end of the Marion-Polk county bridge in West Salem was built in the summer of 1925. They had a contest for naming the place with a first prize of 25 Dollars. The winner was Mrs. Alma V. Henderson of Chemawa, OR who sumitted the name, Mellow Moon because of the music that was a waltz, a dance music. The owner loved that name because of the soft lights in the place that would be like stars at night and soft moon in there (perhaps that diamond ball?)
The dance hall were only opened on Wednesday and Saturday nights with a very unusual admission price of $.10 for ladies and $.50 for gentleman. They had popular bands and orchestras such as Jack Bell and His Melody Pirates that would travel the dance hall circuit across the country. Big names were playing at the Mellon Moon Pavilion for years making it a big name for itself.
So, the place was originally a popular dance hall and it was changed hands a few times until 1939, the dance hall become a roller skating rink under the ownership of Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Hansen just three short years. They were expecting it would have continue longer but it was a fateful night of New Year’s Eve 1942 that many did not become aware of. Since Mellow Moon Rink was right by the river and this bridge, the water rose quickly as 3 inches per hour due to weather that year.
While people celebrating the New Year of 1942, a few experts were concerned about the river and weather happening and it was dwelling and already reported some death down south of the river. In the morning after New Year's ushered in, Charles Hansen checked on the Mellow Moon and found water flowing several inches over the floor. The engineers inspected the building at his request and assurance that it would stand secure in the rising tide. given that it had survived floods in the past. But by 1 p.m. Friday afternoon, the river gauge read 27.5 feet and the water was gaining at the rate of 3 inches an hour. Evacuations had begun in the lowlands north and south of Salem. Fifteen minutes after Hansen left for the day, the little bridge connecting the Mellow Moon to Edgewater Street washed away. That bridge would damaged anything or other way around.
Around 6:30 p.m. that same evening, the old Mellow Moon rose from its foundations and swept north in the river current, slamming into the west approach of the Marion-Polk county bridge. It already has caused damages but itself was still floating as if it was still in shape.
At 10:30 p.m., Down the river log rafts from the Oregon Pulp & Paper Mill broke loose and hit the the skating rink. The skating rink was close to the breaking point, but the bridge stood solid. All three were made of wood-the bridge, the rink, and the loose logs. However, the rink would be the weakest and could cause damages further.
Besides that, they feared that the rink would damage the bridge so Gov. Charles A. Sprague commanded the highway department to take all possible steps to save the bridge, therefore dynamiting the Mellow Moon building if necessary. R.H. Baldock, chief highway engineer, expressed his confidence that the bridge would stand fast during the night.
"We are going out at daylight and try to tear it down or blow it up.”
With the river rising at 30.5 feet by Saturday morning, Jan. 2, a 12-man state highway crew went to work using dynamite and cables, expecting to have the debris cleared away in a few hours. At 10:30 p.m. that night, the wreckage finally broke apart and headed downstream beneath the shorn bridge piling.
There were conflicting stories that the four men went in the water with dynamites and were roped in however because of the current and condition, two men disappeared, assumed drowning. The victims were Archie Cook, age 33, of Woodburn and Michael Mauer, age 27 of Stayton. None of the men wore life-belts.
The water receded, damages were tallied, the bridge repaired and opened a week later, and the Hansens would go on to open another skating rink in Salem on the other side of the bridge. But life had changed forever for the families of these two men who were on the front line to protect the lives and property of their fellow citizens. All the words with some revisions are taken from Stateman Journal, Kaylyn F. Mabey, Special to the Statesman Journal Published 10:52 a.m. PT Jan. 15, 2016 | Updated 2:56 p.m. PT Jan. 15, 2016
So, with that, the rink was exploded in the river to save the bridge. The map today showed modern steel and concrete bridges. It totally changed the landscape. It is not the same if you attempt to find exactly where the popular dance hall/rink was established at. The address you can find showed a little bit off of the river, not by the river. Geographically changed completely for infrastructure, streets, and buildings in that area.
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Maple? For sure it was wood. Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: 1925. Destroyed by Dynamites to save bridge in 1942.
Roof: Quonset-hut style (raised domed)
Operated: Entire history: 1925 to 1942
As Dance hall: 1925 to 1939
As roller rink: 1939 to January 2, 1942.
Reason for Closure: Major flooding sweep the rink from foundation, smashing into bridge, in good shape so, it was destroyed by dynamites to save bridge. Owners reopened new rink elsewhere.
Wanted: Information regarding exactly when they purchased and opened. Any photos of interior?
Sources: Stateman Journal, Stateman Journal 2,
© 2019 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.