Location: 211/209/201 W 8th St (Charnelton) Eugene
The Winter Garden was a popular dance hall / ballroom in the heart of Downtown Eugene for over 20 years. The venue was advertised as, “Eugene’s finest, largest Ballroom with 10,000 sq ft of Eastern Maple Flooring – Smooth as Glass”. It was just four doors down from the W.O.W. Hall and as the story goes, dancers would stroll from venue to venue when out for an evening of dancing.
Building History
Originally listed as a Stating Rink & Dance Hall with concrete construction and a Truss roof. “The structure will be one of the largest of its kind in the state, the dance floor measuring 162 x 65 feet. Portland decorators will start tomorrow, putting in a series of mural paintings on the walls. The balcony, for onlookers, will hold 300 people.” (Source: RG, Sept. 2, 1924)
The building is still standing today – it is the long one-story building running from the north-west corner of 8th and Charnelton to the back ally. One article references a balcony and gargoyles.
- Sept. 26, 1924 – Opening of the New Winter Garden, the big amusement hall erected at Eighth avenue west and Charnelton by Sid Woodhouse and M.A. Ballow.
- Jan 29, 1926 Winter Garden New Skating Schedule. Dance Every Saturday night. Also called the Winter Garden Pavilion, and the Spanish Ballroom.
- Sept 10, 1927 Winter Garden re-opening under the new management of dance aficionado and entrepreneur Montrose Ringler. Montrose was the original owner (1914-1921) of the historic Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon.
Montrose Ringler was the original owner of the Crystal Ballroom in Portland Oregon - March 19, 1928 – Mack Amusement Co. applied for business license
- Nov 3, 1928 Ad states, “The largest crowds and finest orchestra in all Eugene. John Robinson’s Band. Dance lessons by Sid Woodhouse. Sid Woodhouse was a well-known dance teacher in Eugene.
- Dec 29, 1929 Ad states, “Dance Hall taken over by Mack Amusement Company.” Register Guard article states, “the hall will be given over exclusively to skating and no more dances held there…”
- May 26, 1930 M.C. Brace applies for Dance Hall and Skating Rink license at 209 W 8th Street
- Oct 14, 1930 Anna G Baker applies for license.
- 1933 Under the management of Roy and Pearl Forncrook. The venue was listed under multiple names over the years, “Wintergarden Dance Hall”, “Winter Garden Hall”, “Winter-Garden” at 211 W 8th Street.
- 1939 – 1942 Ads refers to Wintergarden as Lane County’s Finest Ballroom. Good snappy music
- 1941 – License under Pearl Froncrook only
- 1943 – Article: Benefit Baseball Dance for A’s At Winter Garden.
- March 13, 1944 – A request from Pearl Fornbrook asking that George K Schmidt and Lawrence Jorgensen be deputized as bouncers at the Wintergarden Dance Hall (Last reference to the Winter Garden Dance Hall)
- Oct. 1958 building is listed as George A. Halton Co. 209 W 8th
- 1960-62 building is listed as Halton Automotive Parts and Service
- 1972 building is listed as Eugene Music Store 201 W 8th Ave
- For many years it was the instrument and music equipment “Buy and Sell Center” at 201 w 8th Ave. Moved to new location on W 11th.
- Currently it is the Pacific Office Automation
Music History
- Oct 4, 1924 – Garten’s Winter Garden Oregonians “The Wonder Band”
- Aug 18, 1925 – Jack Bell and his Metropolitan Recording Artist
- 1926 – Jimmy’s Yellow Jackets
- July 21, 1926 American Legion Candidate Dance with the Winter Garden “Blue Boys” – A wonderful orchestra of college boys
- Oct 1, 1926 – McMurphy’s Serenaders
- April 11, 1927 – Eugene’s own Cole McElroy and his renowned Spanish Ballroom Band of 12 pieces will play here.
- Oct 1, 1927 Robinson’s Seven Serenaders – Hottest Band in Town
- Nov. 3 1928 – John Robinson’s Band (9 piece band)
- Dec 29, 1929 – Warner Stone and his nationally known orchestra special dance engagement at the Wintergarden
- April 29, 1930 – Ebony Serenaders Here At Winter Garden
- Aug 28, 1930 Ad – Listen to our music – any dance night over KORE
- 1930’s – Herschel Davis and friends (Old Timers)
- March 16, 1932 – Policemen’s Ball Event on Day’s Program; Bands will Play – Odd Fellows band,
- June 10, 1932 – Queen Eugenia Contest – Queens Ball at Winter Garden. Abbie Green and his boys – famous dance band, known as the Midnight Sons, have been secured to furnish for the Queens Ball.
- July 15 1934 – Clare Ash Dance Orchestra and Domino Club Review
- Dec 19 1937 – Bob Ramsey’s Six-piece Orchestra
- Feb 15 1940 – Band Battle Near For Eugene Dancers – Once more Eugene Local 689 …3rd annual musician’s benefit ball to be held at the Wintergarden. …4 bands…Bob Mendenhall from Corvallis campus and from Eugene Carl Rooen, Maurice Binford, and Art Holman.and as each band swings into the groove…
- March 21 1940 – Eugene Moose Lodge to Sponsor Dance – …raise money for the Moose convention
- June 7th 1940 – Benefit Baseball Dance for A’s at Winter Garden
- Nov 5, 1940 Dale & Bailey Orchestra
- Feb 4 1943 President’s Ball to aid the national march of dimes. Roy Forncrook’s Wintergarden Orchestra is to play.
- Dec 10 1945 Smiley Miles and his Stage Riders Dec 14th. Portland’s number one cowboy band. Hot western and popular music. Dancing 9 – 12
- 1934 to 1946 – House band was the Wintergarden Band/Wintergarden Orchestra
Stories about the Winter Garden
The Winter Garden was managed by Anna Orswell, who was also the pianist for the house band. In 1934, Vera McAdams replaced her as the pianist. Vera played with the band until 1946 (12 years). “I never missed but one Saturday night. It was in 1945 during WWII when President Roosevelt died and they cancelled the dance for the night.
The nine piece band consisted of: Roy Forncrook (violin), Bonnie Harr (violin), Fred Dallas (sax), Cal Albert (trumpet), Dow Moxley (trombone), Glen Sills (base fiddle), Ole Isacson (guitar), Floyd Woods (drums and vibraphone), and Vera McAdams (piano).
“We had as many as 900 people a night. They came from everywhere such as Cottage Groove, Salem, and Camp Adair (military base) in Corvallis. There was a soft drink counter in one corner of the building. My son (Darle West who later became a fine musicians as well), ran it for many years. He sold as much as 12 cases of coke a night at 10 cents a bottle.” -Source: Vera McAdams’ Manuscript
He had to dance, sing, bird watch (Register Guard article by Bill Sarnoff – July 22, 1990)
In 1925, you had to have an audition before the manager and his pet owl, which always perched on the balcony’s ledge during audition time. The manager watched the owl, not the act auditioning. If the owl tucked his head under its wing, the act didn’t get a chance to open…They are all gone now, even the gargoyled Winter Garden theater.
“The inevitable final stop on an official Saturday Night Stag’s round. Orchestra with Aunt Esther and Sister Kate on the violin and sax, and a sign to announce the tempo of the numbers. Off the list for Oregon women. 8th and Charnelton streets.” -Source: The Ore-nter, 1944-1945