Long the premier dancing mecca of Central Illinois, the Hub Ballroom in Edelstein lies in ruin after a fire June 24 destroyed the 70-year-old business.
Akron-Princeville firefighters responded to the scene about 2:55 a.m. to find the building in flames.
Due to the building’s age and the amount of wood involved, the Hub’s demise was quick, said A-P fire chief Jeff Troutman,
“Our main goal was to protect the houses to the west of it and the shed on the southwest corner at the back of the Hub,” said Troutman.
Troutman said the tenants who were renting the apartment in the Hub's lower level, as well as the most recent proprietor running the Hub, were all evicted about two weeks ago.
He said owner Lee Hoffman, who also operates International Supply Co., told him he had been in the building the day before, as remodeling work was being done in anticipation of leasing the business.
The Chillicothe Fire Department was one of seven departments, along with three ambulance services, responding to the call, made by a neighbor.
Chillicothe Fire Chief John Myers said Logan, Trivoli, Limestone and Elmwood fire departments were on standby at Princeville covering the Princeville area and helping fill tankers.
“We responded at Princeville’s request and took two engines, an aerial ladder and a tanker,” said Myers. “We were there about five hours, with about 21 or 22 firemen from Chillicothe.”
Troutman said he wished to thank all the departments for their help.
“No one was injured, and everyone did their jobs correctly,” he said. “We all worked well together.”
The fire remains under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office.
From Deere to dancing
Bert Potter envisioned a farm implement showroom when he built what became known as the Hub.
Driving hours back and forth in 1938, the 47-year-old Potter hauled I-beams and floor joists from the Deering Building in Chicago, which was being torn down.
Their support would surely withstand the weight of heavy farm equipment he planned to showcase at Potter Implement Co. Inc.
By March that year, construction began, with an opening in August.
As a piano major in college, Potter was easily convinced by the public to hold one dance in the building to make use of the hard maple flooring.
That free dance, on Aug. 18, 1938, led to a second packed-house dance. This time, admission was 25 cents.
It was then that Potter thought of holding dances upstairs and showing farm implements on the lower level.
Thanks to Martha Marshall of Speer, the Hub got its name in a contest.
By December the next year, Potter contracted Lawrence Welk to make his first of many visits to the Hub.
An addition in 1941 enlarged both the seating capacity and the dance floor, and a five-room apartment graced the enlarged lower level.
Potter and his wife, Grace, lived in that apartment upon moving to town.
Eventually, Potter gave up his International Harvester dealership for a John Deere franchise.
In 1956 when Potter retired, his son, Jim, took over the Hub, and his son-in-law, Bob Pierson, ran the implement business.
Potter had decided he wanted no part of selling alcohol at the Hub, which was in Jim’s plans.
Then, in 1975, Ray and Earlene Hanlon bought the Hub and continued the ballroom tradition.
Hubbub
For many Chillicotheans, the Hub provided a venue for dancing and, often times, for working.
Betty Heiden’s brother, Gene Behrens, worked for the man who installed the original hardwood floors before it opened.
“We used to go there a lot,” remembered Heiden. “They had big bands like Guy Lombardo, Lawrence Welk, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and Tiny Hill, all the big-name bands then.”
She and some friends, or a date, “whoever happened to be around and wanted to go,” dancedthere every weekend.
“Downstairs they had tables and chairs and you could get food there,” she said.
Former Hub employees, Don and Rosemary Griswold, worked there during 1961 and 1962, Don as a bartender and Rosemary as a waitress.
‘We danced and took ballroom lessons from Bill Rexford,” said Rosemary.
“When we first started going there, there wasn’t any air conditioning. They’d open the windows on the side. There was a bar in the basement, which was air conditioned. Later they put in the big bar upstairs.
“On Saturday night, they had country/western dancing, and Sunday was ballroom dancing. They always had a nice New Year’s Eve party with a buffet with hors d’oeuvres and drinks.
“Jim Potter was running The Hub then. When my mom went there about 1945, I was in first grade and they were having a tractor show and were having dances on the floors.”
Remember when
Virginia Pierson, now 87, Bert’s daughter, and her nephew, Craig “Fred” Potter, son of the late Jim Potter, tell many stories of days spent at the Hub Ballroom throughout the years.
“I didn’t have to work at the Hub until I was married in 1941,” said Pierson. “There was always work to be done, and I worked wherever I was needed — selling tickets, in the coat-check room.”
Ed and Kate Phillips of Edelstein once ran the lunch room, later called the Rim Room.
“Then Helen Rench, my sister, was in charge and we helped her when needed,” said Pierson. “They only served chili hot dogs and baked ham sandwiches and soft drinks and coffee. In 1955, Helen moved, and I inherited the lunch room.”
Pierson attended the opening dance, along with hundreds of other dancers.
“Moving was a problem with that many people,” said Pierson. “There were no tables and just a few chairs around the walls.”
Potter, at age 9, had his first work experience at the Hub.
“The first time I remember at the Hub was when they remodeled the bar downstairs in 1956,” said Potter.
“I painted the heads of the nails so they didn’t show.”
“My dad really was a perfectionist,” said Pierson.
Throughout high school, Potter worked at the family business.
After returning from the Air Force and while working at Caterpillar Inc., he spent many weekends working at the Hub.
“I got off working one weekend and went to Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs at the Hub, about 1966, and took a date,” said Potter.
“The Hub was a good time. It wasn’t that hard to get people to work there. It was a combo — fun and work.”
The closest the Hub came to destruction was when an old building not far from it burned one night.
Another problem was torrential downpours, when the water flowed off the hill and the Hub’s drainage tile could not handle all the moisture.
“It’d back up in the basement and the electricity would go off sometimes,” said Potter.
“The sump pumps couldn’t keep up with it. You’d have family down their with squeegees and mops. Then we had to air and dry it out.”
Year after year during its glory days, the Hub hosted one famous big-band group after another, then added rock-and-roll, country western and, lately, more modern music venues.
Gone are the days when people like Tiny Hill drew the biggest crowd ever at the Hub — 2,200.
“The amazing thing about the Hub is how many people’s lives it’s touched,” said Potter.
“It amazes me on how many people that have their own memories of the Hub, from people remembering the opening dance, or, “We got engaged there,” or, ‘We had our wedding reception there,’ or, ‘We always went there for the rock-n-roll in the basement,’ or, ‘We loved the line dancing,’ or, ‘We loved those big-name bands,’ but the one that really stand out is, ‘I used to work there.’ Yeah, it was quite a place.”
Pierson looks at the many years her father, brother and other family members put their hearts and souls into the Hub.
“We were there at the beginning and had many good years and the memories that go with them,” said Pierson.
“And then in 1975, we sold it to Ray Hanlon and his wife, Earlene. They kept it as a ballroom, which we were really happy about.
“I think if Ray Hanlon was still alive, we’d still have a ballroom. We’ll always remember it as it was.”
Chillicothe, Ill. —
