Beautiful architecture! I love this Art Deco in Red Bricks. This is gorgeous. Art Deco design usually use different materials but this is in bricks. It is a simple form of Art Deco though. But the art in the front showcased the Art Deco theme. The rink was in the lower level. You can see the lower level on the left side of the photo which is downhill from the front. Easy to spot. Photo courtesy of Jim Van Orsdol. Watermarked by D-R. Below is the art work that has Art Deco theme.
Courtesy of Jim Van Orsdol. Sticker. The names you see on the sticker-- Bob and Lois were Jim's parents' names.
Beatrice Daily Sun, Sunday, 23 Nov 1947, Page 1. Thanks Jim for the clip! This helps!
Van's Roller Rink 100 4th Street, Beatrice, NE
Van's Roller Rink was in Beatrice, Nebraska. It was opened in 1943 by Bob & Lois Van Orsdol. They ran for a year but rebooted after resurfaced again in 1947 with new plastic masonite floor they lay down that year. Then reopened that year and operated for a few years. They sold the rink to a new owner in 1955 and the family moved to Wisconsin in order to build a new rink.
The Van's Roller Rink was operated in the lower level of the Beatrice Armory. The entrance was in the center of the Red-Brick Bricks building under the beautiful Art Deco Motif. It is a beautiful building.
The name, Van's came from their last name, Van Orsdol. The only other Van's that name reminded me is the famous seafood chain restaurant, Van der Kamp's that featured windmills atop of their restaurants back in early 20th Century. They are still around, you can find those delicious fish sticks and patties in the freezer department of your favorite grocery store.
There is not much other information but after the rink was closed, the Beatrice Fire Department took over the lower level in 1965 below the City Auditorium which took over the former Armory.
In 2019, they wanted to seize all properties in the 6th Street between Bell and Scott Streets which is a few blocks away so the Armory will be saved. Can be qualified soon to be on National Historical Register to meet 100 years of age to qualify.
Here is what Jim Van Orsdel has to say in the rest of the email that might find you of interest. Wait till you read especially in a few paragraph.
My parents we married in 1940 and at that time my dad was the manager of the Crosstown Roller Rink in Omaha which you also have listed. After the war they bought a portable rink which they operated in a park in Beatrice for period of time before moving into the Armory.
My maternal grandmother’s maiden name was Grace Fuchs. Her brother Carl, who later changed the spelling of his name to Fox, started the company which made the portable rinks which my parents bought. Carl later ventured into ballrooms and was the builder of the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa which, as you know, was the location of the last performances of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and "The Big Bopper" [J.P. Richardson].
There were additional rinks in the Midwest owned by extended family members. My mother’s brother, Darwin Udesen, owned and operated the Ing Skating Rink in Rockford, Illinois. My grandfather, Martin Udesen, and my uncle, Harold Udesen, owned and operated The Curling Club in Duluth, Minnesota which offered indoor roller skating in the summer and then converted to indoor ice skating in winter. There were also curling lanes operated during winter. My mother’s cousin, Lloyd Fox operated a roller rink in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but I cannot remember the rink’s name.
Wow! Did you read that!? This is something! The same ballroom where those biggest names in Rock-n-Roll played together for the last time before that fateful snowstorm night they flew and crashed into the ground on February 3, 1959, the day the Rock-n-Roll died. I knew that but forgotten the name of the ballroom till Jim mentioned it. If you want to see the photos of the crash that the media took, warning with graphic contents. There are a lot of photographs circulated with that crash and the bodies.
Update--
Jim found the clip which dates further back to 1943 but the article was 1947. See and read article above. This truly helps alot more.
The Interior.
About 6,000 Square Feet was used in the basement where the rink was held in the Armory. The floor was Plastic Masonite floor. That is, Masonite was wood but thick plastic.. Very similar to Polyurethane coats that rinks use today. It is very soft liquid like water but surface it and it gets hard, harder than a pottery clay.
The Exterior.
Beautiful Red-Brick Bricks Art Deco style building that was an armory although the rink was in the basement or lower level of the armory. It was a National Guard Armory. It is ashamed that the city wants to tear it down and built a new fire department. After the rink closed, the fire department used the basement level as "fire station" and fire trucks were parked else where. Wow, disorganized I think.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Plastic Masonite and likely placed over concrete. Floor Layout: Plastic Masonite.
Building Size: N/A. (Rink in basement, lower level was 6,000 SF) Built: N/A. Demolished: N/A.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Art Deco style Red-Bricks Brick-Walled Commercial - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: 1943-44, reopened again in 1947 (resurfaced) to c.1965.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Beatrice Daily Sun - City considered new fire department by tearing down old Armory but choose another spot; Orange Roofs and Golden Arches by Philip Langdon, 1986 - Van der Kamp's; Google Map; Wikipedia - The Day Rock-n-Roll Died;
(WARNING: photos contains graphic regarding the crash).
Date of issue: 20 January 2021.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.
The Van's Roller Rink was operated in the lower level of the Beatrice Armory. The entrance was in the center of the Red-Brick Bricks building under the beautiful Art Deco Motif. It is a beautiful building.
The name, Van's came from their last name, Van Orsdol. The only other Van's that name reminded me is the famous seafood chain restaurant, Van der Kamp's that featured windmills atop of their restaurants back in early 20th Century. They are still around, you can find those delicious fish sticks and patties in the freezer department of your favorite grocery store.
There is not much other information but after the rink was closed, the Beatrice Fire Department took over the lower level in 1965 below the City Auditorium which took over the former Armory.
In 2019, they wanted to seize all properties in the 6th Street between Bell and Scott Streets which is a few blocks away so the Armory will be saved. Can be qualified soon to be on National Historical Register to meet 100 years of age to qualify.
Here is what Jim Van Orsdel has to say in the rest of the email that might find you of interest. Wait till you read especially in a few paragraph.
My parents we married in 1940 and at that time my dad was the manager of the Crosstown Roller Rink in Omaha which you also have listed. After the war they bought a portable rink which they operated in a park in Beatrice for period of time before moving into the Armory.
My maternal grandmother’s maiden name was Grace Fuchs. Her brother Carl, who later changed the spelling of his name to Fox, started the company which made the portable rinks which my parents bought. Carl later ventured into ballrooms and was the builder of the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa which, as you know, was the location of the last performances of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and "The Big Bopper" [J.P. Richardson].
There were additional rinks in the Midwest owned by extended family members. My mother’s brother, Darwin Udesen, owned and operated the Ing Skating Rink in Rockford, Illinois. My grandfather, Martin Udesen, and my uncle, Harold Udesen, owned and operated The Curling Club in Duluth, Minnesota which offered indoor roller skating in the summer and then converted to indoor ice skating in winter. There were also curling lanes operated during winter. My mother’s cousin, Lloyd Fox operated a roller rink in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but I cannot remember the rink’s name.
Wow! Did you read that!? This is something! The same ballroom where those biggest names in Rock-n-Roll played together for the last time before that fateful snowstorm night they flew and crashed into the ground on February 3, 1959, the day the Rock-n-Roll died. I knew that but forgotten the name of the ballroom till Jim mentioned it. If you want to see the photos of the crash that the media took, warning with graphic contents. There are a lot of photographs circulated with that crash and the bodies.
Update--
Jim found the clip which dates further back to 1943 but the article was 1947. See and read article above. This truly helps alot more.
The Interior.
About 6,000 Square Feet was used in the basement where the rink was held in the Armory. The floor was Plastic Masonite floor. That is, Masonite was wood but thick plastic.. Very similar to Polyurethane coats that rinks use today. It is very soft liquid like water but surface it and it gets hard, harder than a pottery clay.
The Exterior.
Beautiful Red-Brick Bricks Art Deco style building that was an armory although the rink was in the basement or lower level of the armory. It was a National Guard Armory. It is ashamed that the city wants to tear it down and built a new fire department. After the rink closed, the fire department used the basement level as "fire station" and fire trucks were parked else where. Wow, disorganized I think.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Plastic Masonite and likely placed over concrete. Floor Layout: Plastic Masonite.
Building Size: N/A. (Rink in basement, lower level was 6,000 SF) Built: N/A. Demolished: N/A.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Art Deco style Red-Bricks Brick-Walled Commercial - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: 1943-44, reopened again in 1947 (resurfaced) to c.1965.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Beatrice Daily Sun - City considered new fire department by tearing down old Armory but choose another spot; Orange Roofs and Golden Arches by Philip Langdon, 1986 - Van der Kamp's; Google Map; Wikipedia - The Day Rock-n-Roll Died;
(WARNING: photos contains graphic regarding the crash).
Date of issue: 20 January 2021.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.