Mineola
Skating Rink By Chester Fried & Kathy Ferreira
Mineola Roller Rink was located at the old Fairgrounds in Mineola, Long Island, New York. From July 2, 1934 until the rink closed in 1960 to make way for a parking lot for the Nassau County Courthouse complex, Mineloa was home to some of the finest roller skaters in the world. Rink Operators came from all over the United States to see the operation of Earl and Inez Van Horn and their partner Harry Bickmeyer. They had pot bellied stoves for heat and only 43 people inside, four employees and 39 cash customer—This was the Depression! In 1937, the rink was enlarged and redecorated. The rink featured a richly furnished lounge and lobby with knotty pine paneled walls and wagon wheel lights, plus many pictures of their champion skaters lined the walls. Mineola was one of the first rinks to have the new Hammond Electric Organ and Novachord installed. The rink was first to feature twin organs and a separate beginners rink.
Before air conditioning came into use, the Mineola Rink Operators installed a costly ventilation system, which in twelve minutes completely emptied the rink of foul air and replaced it with fresh air, free of dust and other impurities. During the summer months the fans were reversed, thereby acting as a cooling system by constantly keeping fresh air circulating throughout the building. The ceiling over the main skating surface was soundproofed, silver in color with blue silk draping. The main floor was illuminated with an extensive colored-lighting system.
In
1939, Mineola Rink was the site of the first official United States Roller
Skating Dance Championships. Earl and
Inez wanted to bring their skating rink up from the level of the pool hall
“Hangout” and make it a place of recreation for adults and children. They
wanted a clean image. So, they organized one of the first dance and figure
roller skating clubs in the country for the average skater. They made Mineola
the home of dance skating, and started the dance skating craze that swept the
country in the late 1930s. The Mineola Club in the 1930s had 7,000 members with
sixty individual clubs regarding the famous rink as home. Regular patrons would
sign up for memberships, Earl and Inez were top teachers, and they soon added
additional pro’s such as Jean White, 1941,42 and 46 National Champions George
and Gladys Werner, Eddie O’Donnell, Walter Bickmeyer, Donnie Mounce, Lousie
Campbell, Satch and Millie Wilkins, Gladys and George Werner—just to name a few.
Many of the dances skated were written by Mineola pros. Inez Van Horn wrote the
Collegiate. Jean White Van Horn wrote the 120 Waltz. Eddie O’Neill wrote the
Country Polka. Satch and Millie Wilkins wrote the Queens Bolero. Ozzy Nelson,
who skated for the Mineola wrote the 12 step…
In the first World Championship held in the National Arena Washington, DC, in 1947, Mineola’s tem of Fred Ludwig and Barbara Killip Gallagher (pictured at right) won the Senior Dance title. From 1941 through 1955, Mineola Skating Club won every National Senior Dance Event with their top teams. Mineola Rink and Club was truly a special place in a special time.
In the 1930s the top rinks in the country were: Mineola on the East Coast. Arena Gardens, owned by Fred A. Martin in Detroit, Michigan, and The Oaks Rink in Portland, Oregon owned by Robert “Bob” Bollinger. These were must see rinks. The Oaks is still open in their 101st years of operation. Mineola is but a memory. I was lucky to have skated sessions there and the 1959 State Championships. However, I have collected almost 80% of the photographs that adorned its walls. That’s how much Mineola impressed me over the years!