Rollaro

Rolling back to when skating was a Princeton pastime

By Bill Lamb

In 1883, when the Apollo Theater (then the Apollo Hall) was being built in Princeton, it was erected solely for the purpose of a roller skating rink or hall as skating was the rage of the country at that time. Along with roller skating, the hall was used for other purposes also. Once in awhile, they usually had a small band or some musical instrument to play for the skaters.

Many of the larger rinks in the bigger cities used the Wurlitzer band organ which used piano rolls to play. The sound was loud and beautiful and it carried well over the skate wheel noise and was thrilling to skate to.

Skating was held at the Apollo for many years and gradually combined with vaudeville and later, movies — until the latter took over the interest of the public and roller skating was forced to move out.

But, skating remained popular over the years and it seemed to go in cycles every 10 or 15 years, then seemed to die out then rejuvenate.

Lloyd Fox had a skating rink in a tent in the early 1930s at the southeast corner of the fairgrounds in Princeton. He was there for one year when Jack Conant started working for him. Fox moved his rink to Kewanee and was there for one year. He eventually moved his rink in the winter of 1931-32 to Lone Tree, Iowa.

There Jack met his wife-to-be, Mickey Green, where she worked at the rink. The rink had a small electric calliope with a small keyboard in the back of it where it could be played by hand. Mickey played the calliope for skaters in the Lone Tree rink.

Jack and Mickey were married in 1933 and got out of the skating rink business for a few years.

Buzz and Ione Lindeman owned and operated a brand new skating rink in a new tent set up at Alexander Park — a stone’s throw away from the swimming pool. They opened for business in 1938. The Conants moved to Princeton and started to work for the Lindemans in 1938. In 1940, the Conants A skating duo perform a trick in the rink at The Rollaro.

bought the business from the Lindemans.

In July 1945, during a late night skating party, a tornado went around Princeton and many of the families who were at the party were saved from awful weather that destroyed some of their homes.

A few years later, the Conants retired from the skating rink business.

In September 1949, James Borell, a former music teacher in Spring Valley, and his wife, Mary, brought the property on the east edge of town on Peru Street, next door west of the Lovejoy Homestead, and constructed a new skating rink. The building was 72-feet-wide by 200-feet-long. The rink was to be enclosed for yearround use. A committee of the new Princeton Exchange Club adopted the roller rink project as a step toward preventing juvenile delinquency.

On March 25, 1950, Bureau County’s newest roller skating rink — the Rollaro — was open to the public. A snack bar sold sandwiches, ice cream, sodas, milk shakes and any flavor of brick ice ream. A stage was built later and plans were to have name bands play for dances at regular intervals.

The rink was available for private skating parties and dances after regular skating sessions. Skating was held seven nights a week with live organ music. Taped music was used on Monday nights — beginners night. Congratulations came from all over Bureau County for such an attraction and healthy rendezvous.

Live organ music was furnished by the new Rollaro Skating Rink with Doc O’Toole from Dixon at the Hammond Organ. Doc was a fantastic organist and was superb in all phases of skating for an evening program.

The Rollaro in Princeton was built in 1950 and owned and operated by James Borell and his wife until it closed in 1960.

Dolores Gerlach from Spring Valley eventually took over Doc’s place at the organ. She, too, was an outstanding organ player which enthused the skaters. Many people just sat and listened to the organists playing all the popular tunes of the day. Dolores played until mid-1951 when Gene Kitterman took over at the console and was there until 1953. Eddie Leonard played there also for awhile.

The organist literally ran the ceremonies for the skaters during the evening, with all the controls at his finger tips — dim the lights, make announcements, etc., all while playing.

Steve Cornman always had a big interest and fascination in roller skating. Steve got started actively in competitive skating when he was 8 years old. His mother called him one afternoon when he was playing baseball and took him to the skating rink. They needed a male skating partner for the Princeton Skating Club and he was teamed with a girl from Aurora for a coming event. Steve’s intense burning desire to become a top skater was a challenge that was with him from day one. He practiced hours every day and even missed holidays to keep in trim.

He joined the Princeton Skating Club. They had meets in Chicago, Tinley Park, Aurora, St. Louis, Sandwich and many other Illinois cities. He won many medals and trophies, placing first and second in meet after meet.

One of his biggest thrills was winning a silver medal in the world competition in Ontario, Canada for the Roller Skating Association of America. Steve turned professional in 1965.

The Rollaro ceased operations in 1960, 10 years after it had opened in Princeton.

A skating duo prepare to perform.

At The Rollaro, a snack bar sold sandwiches, ice cream, sodas, milk shakes and any flavor of brick ice ream.

Members of the Princeton Skating Club pose for a photo on the rink in the Rollaro.

Winners of a skating competition pose for photos.