Rollerland - Oakland

from Oakland Tribune June 27, 1930 ¹

Rollerland was a roller skating rink at 5411 Telegraph Avenue from 1930 to 1972. It featured a maple floor for skating, and until 1963, was an "R" rink... ^1,2An 'R' rink is one under the RSROA (now RSA) with the 'A' rinks being the other association... both had competitions. A label from an unknown year also shows a Rollerland Junior at Grand and Webster. ⁶ The 1941 directory lists it at 111 Grand, which was the Ali Baba Ballroom. It only appears in Tribune mentions from 1939-1941, so it was apparently short-lived. ⁷

It opened February 28, 1930, with special guest, WAMPAS Baby Star and actress Caryl Lincoln. ¹ It was operated by George L. Small; his wife ran the soda fountain, and their 3 daughters acted as cashier, checkroom girl, and one as an instructor. Admission was 35¢. ² (NB: the 1972 article says it opened in 1929 ², but the article for the opening is dated 1930 ¹.)

Companies that worked on the construction include Maxwell Hardware, McGrath Steel, R.W. Durant Plumbing, B. Mork Sheet Metal, Rex Floor Company, Scott-Buntner Electrical Company, and Henry J. Christensen, general contractor. ¹

During Easter weekend in 1937, John Peters and his future wife Viola Houser met at Rollerland. ³ Circa 1939, it was run by Bert Griffin, and there was also a Rollerland Junior at 111 Grand near Webster. ⁴ From 1948 to 1967, Rollerland was co-owned and managed by Frank Kastner (Casner?). ^2,5

The building was torn down in 1972 to build apartments, after the popularity of roller skating had waned. ²

opening ¹1930 adcourtesy Eric Clausen1950 Sanborn excerpt