The Rainbow Roller Rink of Monmouth

Ryan Larson
Central Junior High School, Monmouth

The citizens of Monmouth have for a long time taken indoor roller skating for granted. But the tale of Monmouth's only roller-skating rink shows that it was quite an event when this leisure activity came to this western Illinois town.

In 1939 a portable roller-skating rink located along the Knoxville Road in Galesburg had a hardwood maple floor and a tent-like canopy. The owners, Gilbert Scott and Glen Algren, decided to permanently move the rink to Monmouth. The rink was in the process of coming to Monmouth in the early 1940s when the canopy tent was ruined in a hail storm. Scott and Algren had to change their plans. Unable to replace the canopy, the owners were forced to store the floor. They were convinced that they would have to build a permanent structure to house the valuable skating floor. That task was finally completed in May 1956 when the Rainbow Roller Rink opened at 405 North 11 Street. The title for the rink came from the song "I'm Skating On a Rainbow," a popular tune in the 1930s.

George and Dorothy Schweigert purchased the roller rink on October 1, 1964. George Schweigert had long enjoyed roller skating and had become a friend of Algren's. In an interview with George Schweigert he said that buying a roller-skating rink was a dream of his. And just like many other people of his generation, he met his future wife at a roller-skating rink.

In 1980 the Rainbow Roller Rink was featured in Roller Skating Business, as one of the best rinks in America. Not long after that the Schweigerts entered a contest and found out that they had the second oldest hard-maple floor in the United States. The oldest floor was built in 1935.

Recently the Schweigerts decided to sell the roller rink to Robert K. Schisler. They will leave with many good memories. During the time they have owned the rink they have featured special skating events where skaters did the "Limbo," the "Hokey Pokey," and "Moonlight Skating." They have held special parties and had many double sessions of skating. Throughout the years many generations have found countless hours of entertainment at this establishment.

The Schweigerts plan to retire. They said they will miss the people who have skated at their rink for the past thirty-two years. They have sponsored skating for many groups of people, even including sessions where blind people were brought in to enjoy skating. The Schweigerts have watched generations of families grow up before their eyes. Some of the children who go to the rink even call them Grandma and Grandpa.—[From Carol Clark, "Schweigerts Rolling into Retirement after 32 Years," Galesburg Register Mail, Aug. 24, 1996; student historian's interview with George Schweigert, Sept. 23, 1996; Jeff Rankin, ed., Born of the Prairie.]

20 ILLINOIS HISTORY / DECEMBER 1996