Plans for Lorain Arena Take Shape – Dec. 1953

When the Coliseum on Route 6 west of Lorain burned down on the morning of May 5, 1952, the city lost both its largest roller rink and a popular dance spot. Fortunately, a pair of successful Lorain businessmen wasted little time in taking action to fill the need.

And seventy-one years ago this month, Robert Baetz, owner of Baetz Dairy and William Bauer, owner of the Park Restaurant, released the photo above of what the inside of their proposed Lorain Arena would look like. As the caption for the photo from the December 29, 1953 Lorain Journal explains, the building would be a combination auditorium, roller rink and sports arena. "The hangar type frame structure, 120 feet wide, 200 feet long, and 28 feet at its peak, will be located at the rear of the Baetz Dairy Bar, Stop 107, West Lake Road," noted the caption.

The Baetz Dairy Bar had been there since June 1949. Here's the Grand Opening ad.

An architectural rendering of the new Lorain Arena, then under construction, appeared in the Lorain Journal on November 18, 1954.

And the Lorain Arena officially opened on April 2, 1955.

I've had many posts about the Lorain Arena; some featuring the many popular musical acts that appeared there (such as Skeeter Bonn, B. B. King, and Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars); wrestling acts; auto shows; its name change to Big Moose Showcase; and its eventual closing.

I also did a four-part series (starting here) on the history of the Arena back in June 2010. Part 4 included my serendipitous look inside of the former Arena courtesy of realtor Bill Latrany, who was the listing agent for the property, which was for sale at that time.

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Here are some Lorain Arena ads from the late 1950s and early 60s that I haven't posted before.

March 8, 1957

August 15, 1958

Sept. 20, 1958

May 16, 1959

April 15, 1960

Did Bill Haley & the Comets Ever Play the Lorain Arena?

Earlier this year at the Lorain Public Library, I was asked if I had any knowledge of Bill Haley and the Comets ever playing at the Lorain Arena in his heyday.

I checked available online 1950s concert listings, which include several shows in Ohio. But even when Bill Haley and the Comets were performing nearby (such as an appearance in Cleveland on May 8, 1956) I never could find any indication on newspaper microfilm of a stopover in Lorain, either before or after. There weren’t even Journal ads for the concert in the neighboring cities.

Anyway, while scrolling around on the microfilm from the timeframe of one concert, I did find an advertisement and Journal movie review of Rock Around the Clock, which was playing at the Tivoli Theatre in May 1956. Above you see the ad and review, as well as the whole page of movie ads from May 12, 1956.

The Journal’s review is laced with hip language, Daddy-O.

If anyone has any knowledge of seeing Bill Haley at the Lorain Arena (or any Lorain venue), be sure to leave a comment!

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Anyway, judging from the full page of movie ads, there was something for everyone playing on Lorain movie screens back in May 1956. Here’s a sampling...

Jungle hi-jinks was the theme at the Lorain Theater, with Simba, Terror of Mau Mau, Tarzan’s Peril and Skabenga (1955).

Ohio Theater kept it wholesome with an all-Disney lineup of Music Land, Johnny Appleseed and The Littlest Outlaw.

Over at the drive-ins, Carlisle Drive-in had Hell on Frisco Bay, Treasure of Pancho Villa and Crossed Swords, while Tower Drive-in had Mighty Joe Young providing cinematic monkey business. Lorain Drive-in was playing the hits, with a triple feature that included James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause” and John Wayne in “Rio Grande.”

John Wayne was also flying high at the Grove Theater in The High and the Mighty.

Skeeter Bonn at the Lorain Arena – May 1956

Although the Lorain Arena is known for having hosted rock and roll revues, here’s a reminder that the popular concert facility also catered to other musical tastes.

It’s a tall ad for a big Country-Western Show and Dance at the Lorain Arena that ran in the Lorain Journal on May 19, 1956.

The headliner was Skeeter Bonn and his Pickin’ and Singing’ Boys, with Coy Martin (on steel guitar) and Sally Jo “direct from WWVA, Wheeling, W. Va.”

Courtesy JumpingFrog.com

Skeeter Bonn had a nice musical career. According to his Wiki entry, "Skeeter Bonn was a singer and guitar player on several national country music radio programs and had several singles on RCA Victor in the 1950s. He was known as the "pickin' and singing' boy."

"He was born in 1923 in Sugarville, a small settlement in Fulton County, Illinois. At age 13 he left the family farm for nearby Canton. He joined the United States Navy in 1942, married Mary Louise Strode of Canton in 1945, and received an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946.

"He won a singing championship in Illinois in 1949, and by 1951 he was on the Iowa Barn Dance Frolic on WHO (AM) in Des Moines, Iowa. After that he was a regular on the WLS National Barn Dance from Chicago, WLWMidwestern Hayride from Cincinnati, and WWVA Jamboree from Wheeling, West Virginia. 

"In addition to his ten or so singles on RCA Victor, he also had a single on Sims Records, No. 325 "Let Me Be The One", backed with "Off To Vietnam (In The Green).”

Here’s Skeeter performing “Rock-A-Bye Baby.” It’s pretty catchy (and not the same tune that Jerry Lewis performed).

How about some more Skeeter? Here he is performing "Yodelin’ Bird” from 1955.

Skeeter passed away in November 1994.

Also appearing on the Lorain Arena bill was Pie Plant Pete from Cleveland radio station WGAR, and Slim Luse and his Swinging’ Raiders.

Click here for a nice biography of Pie Plant Pete in the www.hillbilly-music.com website. He was so popular on WTAM in Cleveland that his show was broadcast coast-to-coast.

Here he is performing "Over Yonder Over There" with his sometimes partner, Bashful Harmonica Joe.

Popular local talent Slim Luse was mentioned on this blog before, as he performed at the Grand Opening of Johnny’s Country & Western Bar in Lorain (which I wrote about here).

A blurb in the November 13, 1954 edition of Billboard notes, “Slim Luse, former fiddler with Pee Wee King and the WSM “Grand Ole Opry,” now has his own unit, the Swingin’ Raiders, doing a regular Saturday night jamboree show over WEOL, Elyria, O., in addition to playing dances and shows in the area.”

All in all, it sounds like it was a great show at the Arena back in May 1956.

Former Baetz Dairy Bar – “New" Then & Now

Since I started doing this blog back in 2009, I’ve done lots of “Then & Now” photo compositions.

I guess that it’s inevitable then, that sooner or later I would be updating some of the “Now” photos – relegating them to lowly “Then” status!

Here’s a good example. Baetz Dairy Bar and the Lorain Arena has long been a favorite topic on this blog since 2010, when the property was for sale.

Over the years, I've found several photographs of the buildings, showing how the property evolved.

Here’s the Grand Opening ad for Baetz Dairy Bar, which ran in the Lorain Journal on June 9, 1949.

 Here’s an ad that ran in the Journal a few months later, in Sept. 1949.

And here’s a 1955 aerial view, after the Lorain Arena was built right behind the Dairy Bar.

Here’s how both buildings looked when the whole complex was for still for sale in 2011 (below).

Today, the property has been home to Rockwell Metals since May of 2012. Happily, the company has removed the Kerr Beverage signage and given the building an attractive makeover.

Big Moose Showcase Ad – Sept. 22, 1967

Back when the former Lorain Arena was for sale in 2010, I did several posts about it – including a four-part series (that began here).

During the following years, additional Arena posts featured an 1955 aerial photo, a 1956 Auto Show, a 1959 appearance by the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars, a 1960 wrestling match, and a 1961 concert by B. B. King.

The Arena was converted from a skating rink/concert venue to industrial use in 1968, which was reported in this post. But before that happened, the Arena had briefly changed its name in an attempt to try something new.

And that something new was the Big Moose Showcase of Lorain.

The change in name and management seemed to have occurred around in 1966, with the change reflected in the November 1966 Lorain Telephone Directory.

Here’s an ad for Big Moose that ran in the Lorain Journal in September 22, 1967.

At that same time, a new business strategy was being put in place, which was explained in the article below which ran in the Sept. 21, 1967 Journal.

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New Manager Plans Big Changes at The Big Moose

By PHYLLIS PATCH
Entertainment Writer

THERE ARE BIG CHANGES ahead at The Big Moose Showcase on W. Erie Avenue.

Harold Crosby, 19, of Mansfield had joined the Big Moose staff as general manager and has brought with him some innovations.

CROSBY PLANS TO “bring the Showcase down to earth. We want to have at Big Moose what the kids want.”

First step toward this goal is lowering admission prices.

“We hope to appeal to a larger group instead of a selected few. This, we feel, will better serve the area by giving a bigger crowd of teenagers a place to go and something to do.”

WILLIAM ERB, one of the owners of Big Moose, said teen entertainment during the week is in the planning stages.

Crosby said instead of trying to have a big name band in every weekend, the Showcase will feature Ohio area bands and big name groups occasionally. “This will help us keep the lower admission prices,” he said.

This Friday night, however, the Showcase will feature Jay and The Techniques of New York City.

CROSBY SAID LOCAL bands wanting to perform at Big Moose may contact him at 673 Armstrong Ave., Mansfield, during the week or at the Showcase on weekends for auditions.

Crosby has been in the teen dance promotion business for two years. He is a student at the Ohio State University branch in Mansfield with a major in sociology.

A graduate of Mansfield High School, Crosby has worked in this area at the Elyria Roll Arena and with the Elyria YMCA on teen dances.

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I’m not sure where the name “Big Moose” came from, but it’s interesting that the Arena’s roller rink predecessor – the Coliseum – was built by the Lorain Moose Lodge and was often referred to as the Moose Coliseum.

B.B. King Visits Lorain – 1961

Famed blues guitarist, singer and songwriter B.B. King passed away last month at the age of 89 after a career that began on radio in the early 1940s.

But did you know that he brought his orchestra to Lorain back in late 1961?

The above ad appeared in the Lorain Journal on October 26, 1961, announcing the appearance of B.B. King and his 10-piece Orchestra on the 29th of that month at the Lorain Arena. The bill also featured the Royal Jokers, the Young Magnolias and Irma Holsey, and a 65-year-old exotic dancer named Estalla Caledonia. Comedian Jim Danny was the emcee.

The smaller ad at left had appeared in the paper a few days earlier.

The Wiki page on B.B. King explains that while working as a singer and disk jockey, he received the nickname "Beale Street Blues Boy." It was later shortened to "Blues Boy," and finally to just "B.B."

The Royal Jokers were a Detroit group that had enjoyed much regional success in the 1950s, 60s and 70s despite personnel and managerial changes. Click here to learn more about them.

Here's a recording of B.B. King performing "Someday Baby" in 1961, just to give you an idea of what the crowd at the Lorain Arena enjoyed that day 54 years ago this fall. (It sure would be nice today if Lorain had a huge facility to host major musical acts.)

And here's the Royal Jokers performing "Red Hot" from that same time period of 1961.

Lorain Auto Show Ad – March 21, 1955

The Cleveland Auto Show just ended (I went for the first time ever), so this post is kind of appropriate.

Above is a great ad for the 1955 Lorain Auto Show that appeared in the Lorain Journal on March 21, 1955. The big event was held at the Lorain Arena and was the inaugural event for the about-to-be-opened venue.

The illustration of the family in the Journal ad really epitomizes the optimism and postwar prosperity of the 1950s. When I first saw it, it reminded me of something – and then I remembered.

Whether by design or coincidence, it's an updated version of the American family depicted in the famous 1930s billboard (below) that was part of a campaign for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

I wonder what the equivalent ad would look like today?

Grand Opening of Baetz Dairy Bar – June 10, 1949

Several years ago I did a whole blog series about the former Lorain Area skating rink when it was for sale. The property eventually sold, including the distinctive building in front with the curved corner.

Today the building is known as being part of the former Kerr Beverage property, but it started out as the home of Baetz Dairy Bar, an offshoot of Lorain's Baetz Dairy. The ad above from the Lorain Journal announces the Grand Opening on June 10, 1949 – 65 years ago this month.

My mother remembers getting ice cream there in the 1950s.

September 1949 ad

The Dairy Bar became part of the Lorain Arena complex in 1955, and later housed the Arena Restaurant, as well as a few other businesses (which you can read about here).

I drove past it this past weekend to see if the building had undergone any changes since Rockwell Metals Company LLC purchased it. The new owners have a small sign up, but otherwise it looks the same. It's still a great looking building with a lot of style.

The view this past weekend

1956 Auto Show at Lorain Arena

For many years, the Lorain Automotive Dealers Association held an annual Auto Show. This full page ad promoting the 1956 edition of the event appeared in the Lorain Journal on January 11, 1956 – 57 years ago this month. (Click on the ad for a larger, readable view.)

The big show was held at the old Lorain Arena ( a favorite topic of this blog).

In addition to the new car models, the show had entertainment for everyone. Performing artists included the Tracey Twins (who were from Cleveland), Henry George and his Recording Orchestra, and Stanton and Peddie.

Danny Stanton (left) and Eddie Peddie

Stanton and Peddie? Who were they, you might be asking? (I know I was!)

According to the Arena ad, they were a song and dance, comedy and novelty team who had appeared at the Cleveland Auto Show. They were also leaving for a Las Vegas appearance after their Lorain gig.

This website provides a pretty comprehensive account of Stanton's career. Although his stage name was Danny Stanton, his real name was Pete Argiro. In addition to his partnership with Eddie Peddie, he enjoyed success as a jazz pianist and club operator. He passed away in 2005.

The post-Lorain Las Vegas job must have gone well, as they enjoyed a long run at the Flamingo Hotel, according to the same website.

Anyway, the Arena ad also provides a nice listing of Lorain auto dealers from that era – as well as some bizarre 1950's clip art of a female herald to go with the strange castle and curtain graphics.

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Here's another photo of the comedy team of Stanton and Peddie. This one appeared in the January 5, 1956 Lorain Journal along with a short article.

The article noted, "Eddie Peddie, the senior member, is a native of Cleveland. He is a singer and plays a number of musical instruments in addition to being a natural born comic.

"He spent considerable time looking for a partner for a floor show act before he found Danny Stanton, the junior member of the comedy team.

"Stanton and Peddie have appeared with Sophie Tucker and were co-stars on the Page One Ball with Phil Silvers and Johnnie Desmond. They have appeared at Cleveland's Alpine Village many times."

The Dick Clark Caravan of Stars comes to Lorain

Just as Tom McCartney – who was there at the concert – confirmed in a comment on yesterday's post, The Dick Clark Caravan of Stars came to the Lorain Arena on Wednesday, October 7, 1959.

On the day before the big concert, the ad above appeared in The Lorain Journal. What a classic ad with terrific typography! Check out the ticket prices: too $2.00, $2.50 and $3.00!

A short promotional article also was included elsewhere in the same paper, with a small photo of Paul Anka and listing all 13 recording stars.

I checked the newspaper editions from several days following the concert to see if there was any sort of review or photos, but there were none to be found. Too bad – looking back, it was a big day in Lorain pop culture history!

Lorain Arena Sold

I was happy to see this SOLD sign on the former Lorain Arena last week. It was way back in June 2010 (here) that realtor Bill Latrany gave me a tour of the place. Every time I've driven by it since then, I've looked to see if it had been sold yet.

I'm happy for Bill. He came oh-so-close to selling the property several times, but this one looks like the real deal at last. If you missed it, here is the link to the Morning Journal's story.

Speaking of that story, I was out of the town for the weekend and read the newspapers a few days late. I almost missed seeing my name in the article. (It sure is strange to see your name in the paper when you're not expecting it.)

Once again, congratulations to Bill Latrany for adding yet another Lorain icon to his list of 'sold' properties.

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Ironically, I was working on an Arena story late last week. I had found an article in a Lima newspaper (of all places) that said that The Dick Clark Caravan of Stars was coming to Lorain on October 7, 1959. Scheduled to appear was Annette Funicello, Paul Anka, Lloyd Price, Duane Eddy, Jimmy Clanton, LaVern Baker, The Coasters, The Drifters, The Skyliners, Bobby Rydell, Phil Phillips, The Jordan Brothers and Arnold Dover as master of ceremonies.

Here's probably what the program looked like for that lineup.

I'll hit the microfilm later this week to confirm that the concert took place that day.

1949 Baetz Dairy Ad

This 1949 ad for the Baetz Dairy Bar caught my eye, because it shows the building in its earliest form, before it was modified, and before the Lorain Arena was built behind it. I still think it's a handsome building.

I like the combination of photography and illustration in the ad. Is that Pippi Longstocking with her back to us?

Realtor and blog chum Bill Latrany is still working hard to find a new owner for the building above and the whole former Kerr Beverage complex. It's come down in price a bit since it was first listed. With the economy improving somewhat, hopefully some business will realize its great location and snap it up soon.

The building as it looks today

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As long as I'm on the subject, I might as well post this article by Tom McPheeters from the September 3, 1968 Lorain Journal. (Click on it if you are interested in reading it.) It's another piece of the puzzle about the good fight that some local roller skaters put up to try and keep the Lorain Arena from closing and being rezoned for light industry.

Of course, as this article explained, the zone change did occur, bringing a temporary end to roller skating in Lorain until Skate World opened.

Lorain Arena Restaurant Grand Opening November 1959

Keeping the Lorain Arena theme going...

I found this ad on microfilm by accident at the library on Wednesday night, so I quickly scanned it and cleaned it up a bit. It's a full-page ad that ran in the Friday, November 13, 1959 Lorain Journal, promoting the opening of the Arena Restaurant, located in the stylish building in the front of the skating rink (I've mentioned it before on this blog back here.)

One thing I've noticed after looking at a lot of old Journals on microfilm is that grand openings of restaurants and other businesses in Lorain back in the 1930s, 40s and 50s used to be something really special, almost always warranting a full page or at the very least a half page newspaper ad. (I'll bet the Morning Journal is nostalgic for those days!)

Giving something away – in this case, orchids – seemed to be a popular gimmick too.

The ad above is also typical in that it shows a photo of the person responsible for keeping their customers happy. That's the way it should be.

Along with the grand opening ad, there were always a bunch of other ads in the same edition congratulating the new business. These were usually taken out by some of the contractors and other well-wishers. Seeing all these ads together really created a lot of curiosity and interest for the new business. It also united the community a bit to pull for the success of the new endeavor.

Nowadays, new restaurants open with barely a peep in the newspaper – maybe a small ad at best. Is it that surprising that a lot of them fail?

The Last Days of the Lorain Arena – 1968

I haven't mentioned the former Lorain Arena for a while in this blog. It's still for sale (here), and still listed by blog reader Bill Latrany.

The other day on microfilm I found the article at left, which fills in a bit of the history when the building was making its transition from skate arena to industrial use. The article is from the September 17, 1968 Lorain Journal.

Rather than make you squint at it using the unpopular Blogger viewer, I've transcribed it below.

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Council Sounds Death Knell On Lorain's Skating Arena
by Tom McPheeters
Staff Writer

Pleading that they are not really "nasty old men", Lorain City Council last night approved a zone change to allow light industry to operate in the Lorain Arena.

At a public hearing before council's meeting, the rezoning faced opposition from roller skaters, who will now lose the one roller rink in Lorain.

The skaters were aware that their real argument was with the owners of the Arena, who maintain that they must close down because business simply is not good enough to continue.

So some of the sharpest questions from the audience were aimed at finding out why the failure, and why the city had done nothing to save a valuable recreation facility.

Mrs. Jesse Ceja, of 2110 Homewood Drive, Lorain, who had been active in organizing opposition to the closedown, asked the owners, "why couldn't you come to us and ask for help."

She maintained that the Arena had never been run in a way that would make it attractive and that skaters had put in many hours of work over the years helping to keep it going.

"Give us a chance to help you make your business what it should have been when it started out," she said.

Speaking for the owners, lawyer Ray Miraldi agreed that "perhaps there has been some mismanagement." To be realistic, he said, it is necessary to recognize that the owners have never gotten a return on their investment, still have a large debt, and simply can't afford to subsidize recreation.

Asked why the city never stepped in, Mayor Woodrow Mathna replied it had never been asked, and probably would have been reluctant to spend the money if it had been asked.

Councilman-at-large Michael Bulzomi added that the Youth Center had considered the Arena as a home at one time, but found it unacceptable. They had also considered roller skating at their present building, but lack of space and money to make it feasible at present, he said.

Council, obviously anxious to see that the roller skaters had their full say, allowed an hour for the public hearing. However, said Councilman William Parker, "we cannot control, through zoning, what goes out of an arena. We can only control what goes in."

Motor Homes Inc., the new tenant, is very satisfactory, he said. He emphasized that the operation, fitting insides to camper vans, is very "light" industry.

According to Ray Tripp, who will manage the plant, work on alterations should start in the next few days, just as soon as workers can be hired.

Plans, which were approved at a special meeting of the Planning Commission earlier yesterday, call for sales and accounting offices to be built in the front of the present Arena structure after the canopy and sign have been removed. The front lot will be landscaped and provide 11 visitor parking spaces.

There will be 25 employee parking spaces on the west side, allowing an access lane for fire trucks, and 76 spaces for the camper units on the east side of the building, enclosed by a cyclone fence.

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Speaking of the Lorain Arena, here's a link to a great article about by award-winning writer Alana Baranick about Jeanne Krenek of Lorain, who was well known in the skating world and who sadly passed away in September. She skated and trained/coached many others at various Lorain County roller rinks, including the Lorain Arena and Lorain Skateworld. (Contrary to what the article says, however, the Lorain Arena was not built on the site of the Coliseum.)

The article also includes a great vintage photo gallery of Jeanne skating and performing.

Wrestling at the Lorain Arena

On March 5, 1960 (51 years ago tomorrow) this Lorain Arena ad appeared in the Lorain Journal. (Give it a click so you can read it!)

As Bill Latrany (listing agent for the building, currently for sale) can tell you, the Lorain Arena wasn't just for roller skating. Many different types of events were held there, including concerts and wrestling matches as seen here.

In this case, the main event of the evening was Fritz & Waldo Von Erich versus the Gallagher Brothers. This wiki entry reveals that (gasp) Waldo Von Erich was only the stage name of Canadian wrestler Walter Sieber. He is not really related to his wrestling 'brother' Fritz.

As for the opening match that night, here's a link for information about Baron Gattoni on the www.onlineworldofwrestling.com site. His opponent that night, Tony Marino, has a page as well, if you click here.

That's what's so great about the internet, you can find out something about just about anything!

Maybe fans of these particular wrestlers will find this post someday and get a kick out of it.

1955 Lorain Arena Aerial Shot

Here's another ad from that Clem Rice newspaper ad from 1955 that I mentioned yesterday. It's a nice aerial view of the Lorain Arena, which opened that year.

The caption of the photo read, "Mr. Rice is proud to be the builder of this million dollar Arena. It is one of the most up to date in this part of the country, located on Routes 2 & 6, just west of the city limits."

(Back here in June, I did a series of blogs on the Lorain Arena, and was given a tour of it by Bill Latrany of Coldwell Banker Hunter Realty. Bill has been a great supporter of this blog, providing me with all sorts of ideas, personal anecdotes and vintage photos. Thanks, Bill!)

Anyway, a comparison between the vintage photo and one from this past May (below) reveals some minor structural modifications of the former Baetz Dairy Bar building (consisting mainly of reducing the two large windows in front and expanding the left end of the building).

The Lorain Arena Part 4

Recently I was invited to take a look inside the former Lorain Arena (which is currently for sale) by Bill Latrany, the listing agent. Bill has a pretty good connection with Lorain's roller skating heritage, as he was the Disc Jockey at Skate World in Lorain for 14 years.

It was good to get an up-close look at the former Baetz Dairy Bar and later Arena Restaurant (below). I had admired its unique styling for a long time, and wondered why it was connected to the larger barn-like building. Now I know why; this building was there first and the Arena was added later.

The former Lorain Arena and its entrance are to the west of this building. (See photo below and click on it for a closer look.)

Although I had never been inside the Lorain Arena when it was still open (my generation went to Skate World), I was happy to get a tour. While Kerr Beverage, the last tenant of the property, did enlarge the building complex to fit their needs, they did not change the Arena portion very much at all. Here are two views of the interior.

At the time of the Arena's opening, the maple floor was described as costing more than $40,000 for material and labor. According to the Lorain Journal at the time, it was laid by the Cincinnati Floor Company.

The floor is still in pretty good shape as well. Here's a close-up of its unique curved design. A little TLC and it would be ready for another generation of Lorain roller skaters!

Special thanks to Bill Latrany for the opportunity to take a look at a unique bit of Lorain history. I know that he would love nothing better than for someone to purchase the property and put it to use once again for the public's enjoyment. (For a link directly to this real estate listing, click here.)

The Lorain Arena Part 3

By the 1960's, the Lorain Arena was running this ad fairly often in the Lorain Journal (this ad is from June 1, 1960). But the Lorain Arena was not just for roller skating. Like its predecessor, the Coliseum, it hosted many concerts and big events.

According to this October 2009 article in the Morning Journal, the Lorain Arena once hosted a Dick Clark Review that included acts like the Coasters, Bill Haley and the Comets, Bobby Rydell and Annette Funicello. In the article, Bob Catalano (son of Angelo Catalano, a former owner of the Lorain Arena) offers an interesting anecdote about meeting Annette Funicello there.

Meanwhile, the distinctive building attached to the Arena at the front of the property (the former Baetz Dairy Bar) became known as the Arena Restaurant. Here's one of their ads from June 4, 1960.

I wonder what a Roller-Burger tasted like?

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Sometime in the late 1960's, the Lorain Arena finally closed, bringing Lorain's westside roller skating legacy to a temporary halt. But within a few years, Skate World opened up a little further west on Route 6 and it was time to strap on the skates once more.

The Lorain Arena's huge space apparently became desirable for a few companies in the 1970's, as it hosted a motor home business and then Penton Imports Motorcycles. Finally, it became the home of Kerr Beverage for several decades, until it closed earlier this year.

Next: Inside the Lorain Arena – today!

The Lorain Arena Part 2

Here's an ad (above) that ran in the Lorain Journal on April 2, 1955 promoting the well-known local company that served as the general contractor for the Lorain Arena, Clem Rice. The ad has a nice construction rendering of the Arena itself (the large building) and the small attached building in front (formerly the Baetz Dairy Bar building).

Clem Rice Inc. eventually evolved into R.E. Rice Inc. You can visit their website by clicking here.

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Also from the same newspaper is this ad listing the Skating Schedule for the brand new Lorain Arena.

The owners of the Arena really went all out to make sure their new endeavor was a success. To attract new skaters, they offered classes, as the following article from the Lorain Journal that day explains.

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Instructions for Skaters Available

A complete program of roller skating instructions will be available at the new Lorain Arena beginning Tuesday, April 5.

Adult classes featuring 12 weeks of basic instructions will start Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Basic Course
Tony Mayo, arena manager said the course will cover basic and foundation skating in addition to the four basic dances – glide waltz, chase waltz, society blues and collegiate.

Instructions in basic dance will be conducted every Friday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The lessons will be a continuation of the foundation class and will include the Cross Tango, "B" Waltz, Siesta Tango, Tea Step, Fourteen Step and other dances.

Children's Classes
Children's roller skating classes will be conducted from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. every Saturday, starting April 9.

Mayo said all members of classes must pay admission fees for the rink on class nights.

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Roller skating is a world that I'm not familiar with at all. I had no idea that there were actual dances to be performed on roller skates. I thought you just went around and around and around....

After reading this article, I now know why I had so much trouble the first (and last) time that I tried to roller skate (which I described here). It helps to take a class first – maybe even 12 weeks worth!

The Lorain Arena Part 1

Roller skating has long been a popular activity in the Lorain area. For those that currently enjoy this pastime, Skate World on West Lake Road (US Route 6) is the place to go, and has been since the mid-1970's. For many Lorain senior citizens who grew up in the 1920's, 30's and 40's, the well-known Coliseum (which I blogged about back here) was their generation's choice.

But there was another popular roller skating rink in the Lorain area that is often overlooked in nostalgia circles: the Lorain Arena. Perhaps this is because its heyday was from the mid-1950's until the late 1960's; too late for the Greatest Generation and too early for the last of the Baby Boomers.

The interesting thing is that unlike the Coliseum, which burned down, the Lorain Arena is still there. And it's currently for sale, too, listed by Bill Latrany of Coldwell Banker Hunter Realty. That's a photo of it above – the Arena is the large building on the right. (For the last several decades it housed the Kerr Beverage complex.

So you don't know the story of the Lorain Arena? Well, let's get things rolling with Part 1 of this series!

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The Lorain Arena owed its existence to the fact that the Coliseum burned down in 1952, leaving Lorain with no skating rink. This article, from the April 2, 1955 Lorain Journal explains.

Popular Businessmen 'Fathers of Arena

Two popular Lorain businessmen, William A. Bauer and Robert L. Baetz, are the "fathers" of the new $250,000 Lorain Arena, Stop 107, W. Lake Road.

The two men, natives of Lorain, talked about the vital need for a roller skating rink and multi-purpose auditorium during a Thanksgiving Day dinner in 1953.

A few days later they began making trips to view skating rinks and auditoriums in various parts of the state.

Financial Support
Within a few months, Bauer and Baetz began getting financial support for their idea and before 1954 was out the building was well on its way to being completed with local capital.

The arena represents an investment of about $250,000 and is located on land previously owned by Baetz. The Lorain Arena, Inc., of which Bauer is president, bought the Baetz Dairy Bar building and land on which to build the arena as an addition to the dairy bar.

Bauer, as head of the Board, and Baetz, as a board member, are the spearheads of the arena operations.

Attended LHS
Bauer, known as "Bill" to his many friends, attended Lorain High School and has been a sportsman most of his life.

While serving as a manager and superintendent for Fisher Food stores in the Lorain Co. area for 18 years prior to 1944, he was instrumental in backing numerous baseball, basketball, football and bowling teams.

He purchased the Park Restaurant at the Loop in 1944 and operated it successfully until he sold it recently to his son-in-law, David (Danny) Cambararo.

Pioneer Family
Baetz, a member of a pioneer Lorain and Lorain county family, is owner of Baetz Dairy and is widely known in Masonic and fraternal circles here.

He entered the dairy business in 1935 and became owner on 1943. His parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Adam Baetz, got started in the dairy business in 1897.

Baetz was graduated from Lorain High School.

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Before the Lorain Arena officially opened on Saturday, April 2 1955, there was a preview of sorts for the building. It hosted an Auto Show on March 25, 26 and 27. Here (from library microfilm) is the full page ad promoting the event.

And here is the full page ad for the Grand Opening of the Lorain Arena that ran on April 2. (Click on it so you can read it.)

At the bottom of the ad the dress code is stated. The rules for men are interesting: "For afternoon and evening, gentlemen must wear ties with dress shirts. Sport shirts with attached collars are permissible. T-shirts, turtle neck sweaters or dungarees are not permissible."

There was quite a build-up for the grand opening. Here is one of many articles from the Lorain Journal that ran the day before, under the umbrella headline "Roller Skating Returns With Arena Opening."

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Doors Open Saturday, Large Crowd Expected

Roller skating, a popular sport here for many years until the Coliseum burned down in 1952, will stage a comeback Saturday evening when the giant rink opens at the new $250,000 Lorain Arena, Stop 107, W. Lake Road.

Tony Mayo, nationally known professional roller skating instructor and manager of the arena, said he expects a record crowd for the opening session to start at 8 p.m. The doors will open at 7:30 p.m..

There will be roller skating every night, except Monday, from 8 p.m. to 10:45 p.m.

Matinee skating sessions have been scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays and there will be morning sessions Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Auto Show Scene
The Lorain Arena, scene of the first automobile show here in 25 years last weekend, has what is described as the largest and finest roller skating floor in the state.

Floor sanders and other workers are scheduled to have the maple floor in top shape for the opening. The floor contains about 24,000 square feet of space for skating. The lobby has more than 4,000 square feet.

Hammond Organ
A glass enclosed, elevated stage has been erected on the south end of the rink for the organist, Harold Kribbs, and his $3,000 Hammond organ.

Kribbs is widely known to skaters in the Lorain-Cleveland area. He played the organ for skating at the Coliseum here before the rink building burned down and has played at Cleveland and Elyria rinks and night clubs.

The arena has a king-size snack bar, which will feature hot sandwiches and beverages, including milk products.

No Alcohol
Mayo said no alcoholic beverages would be sold anywhere on the arena premises and that loitering would not be tolerated.

The arena also has skate repair and new skate sales and rental departments. There is a large check room for skates and clothing and there are two large dressing rooms.

Mayo says the ladies will enjoy the full length mirror in the ladies powder room.

There is ample parking space for more than 800 automobiles in the rear, front and west side of the arena building.