Change is a constant on the old road, and you need to get a move on to get your fill of the aging and ever evolving Rt. 66 attractions. The Coliseum Ballroom in Benld, Illinois was built in 1924 before there was a Route 66, and it was gone in a flash, destroyed in a recent fire. As a 66 attraction, this place had it all. Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Chuck Berry, Louis Armstrong and Jerry Lee Lewis all performed here. Tommy Dorsey and some of the other big bands of the 1930's and 40's also played here. According to some old-timers, Chicago gangsters, including Al Capone, used to hang at the Coliseum, and if all this wasn't enough, the building itself was said to be haunted! This photo is from my 2006 trip. Weird looking place, wasn't it? Log Book: 247 miles motored on old 66.
No comments:
Post a Comment