Historic Hood River
“For Health Sake, Roller Skate”
11-12-2024
Notes
From Madeleine:
This pair of vintage Chicago Imperial roller skates must have been well-loved – I can imagine skating indoors would’ve been quite a popular activity on rainy November days. The case they are housed in is decorated with various colorful stickers, including one inside (not pictured) that says, “Everybody skates at the Hood River Skating Rink, In Hood River–On the Heights / For Health Sake – Roller Skate.”
I know there was a roller rink on Cascade Avenue in an earlier era, but I do not know where this rink “on the Heights” would have been. Does anyone have an idea?
Category: Downtown Hood River
Tags: artifact, Heights, Hood River Skating Rink, Madeleines Mondays, roller skates, skating
Tags: artifact, Heights, Hood River Skating Rink, Madeleines Mondays, roller skates, skating
Jeffrey Bryant
The Hood River Glacier, 1926-09-23, page 5 has an article about W. J. Davidson starting several early skating rinks, but no mention of one on the Heights.
https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1926-09-23/ed-1/seq-5/
BethH
I know they had roller skating in the gym at the old May Street school…
We had roller skating in Parkdale in the school gym. It was run by a club called the Parkdale Specialist Club. My grandfather, Eric Gordon, was part of it. They were trying to provide a variety of activities for the young people of the upper valley. My mom and her twin sister were great dance skaters and my mom had a blue case for her well worn white roller skates. They kept the trucks, on the skates, loose -to do dance moves.
I grew up skating there – with my own skates-along with many my age here still remember the fun- holding hands with that boy during “couples only” or being picked during “spot light”. I still have an old skate key that was used to tighten the rental skates onto your shoes. I helped run it when my kids were growing up. The skate closet in the Pdale gym was finally passed to the Parkdale PTO – as it got harder to find volunteers.
L. E.
The expression “roller skate for health’s sake”, seems to appear about 1938 and became very popular in the early 1940’s.
In 1900 there was roller skating at the HR armory, but I assume that was downtown.
In 1906 W. J. Graham owns the Armory building and has turned it into a roller skate rink.
In 1907 the HR roller skating rink has heated floor and lessons are given. It doesn’t say where.
I couldn’t find much more after that other than roller skating marathon held on July 5th celebration. I assume that was outside.
Cecelia Goodnight
I grew up roller skating at the skating rink on the Heights. It was located on 11th St. between June and Pine in building that I think is a martial arts school today.
Arthur Babitz
Thanks Cecelia– with that info I was able to confirm on the Sanborn map. 1014 11th Street was labeled “Skating Rink and Dance Hall” on the 1942 map.
James Gray
I agree with Cecelia, The Brick Building Was a Skating ring in the fifties, Later Slot Car Tracks in the Sixties, A Plumbing Business later after that.
LMH
I remember going to Barrett School in the 1950’s for roller skating. As I recall there was a small gym in center of the brick building with classrooms extending to east and west side of the school building.