Looking Back: Pla-Mor Roller Rink had short but popular life
The Pla-Mor Roller Rink opened July 27, 1943, in what was then called the Brooks Building at the northeast corner of 10th and Dakota. The establishment was operated by Fred W. Bang, who had worked in the Argus Leader’s advertising department for the 18 months before.
The Pla-Mor was on one of the upper floors of the building, its entrance on 10th Street across from the old Carnegie Library. Bang renovated the space with a specially built maple floor and recreational lighting. An RCA sound system was installed to play the traditional Hammond organ-based skating music loved by those who enjoyed the healthful recreation of roller skating. There would be waltzes, fox trots and games presented for the skaters’ enjoyment.
On its opening night, the Pla-Mor had stiff competition from Louis Armstrong and his orchestra, who happened to be playing at the Arkota at the same time.
The Pla-Mor offered matinee pricing for children — only 18 cents — every afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. Evening hours were from 7 to 11 p.m. and ran 30 cents per person.
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The new rink was popular enough that, by November of the same year, Bang had to add 1,500 square feet to the skating area to accommodate the crowds. The rink’s hours of operation were expanded to 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. to attract swing shift workers – employees whose hours were from afternoon to midnight. Bang’s ad said, “No matter when you work, you still have time to skate!” He also increased the musical selection to include less traditional music in the ASCAP library like boogie-woogies from Tommy Dorsey. Skating games played included ensemble skates, bell-trios, gentlemen’s tag, topsy-turvy trios and couples waltzes, among others.
By February 1944, still more skating surface was added, making the total area 5,000 square feet. There were 108 pairs of skates added to the rink’s stock, and still more Hammond organ tunes added, to ensure that nobody got tired of the selections.
The increased traffic at the rink was partly because World War II had brought the airbase to town, and soldiers and supporting workers needed recreation. The ads for the Pla-Mor promised that “hundreds of charming girls” skated there regularly, which no doubt helped business.
On Dec. 31, 1944, the Argus Leader reported that the Pla-Mor had been leased for the duration of the war as a club for black soldiers. Sioux Falls had a fair amount of diversity before the air base, but there was never an established policy of segregation in the city as there was in the southern United States at the time, which made this an unusual step. The club was established by the USO, the United Service Organization, and it’s likely the segregation was the organization’s own and was not instituted or endorsed by the city.
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By October 1945, the lease on the club had been given up and the business became Smitty’s Pla-Mor Club, a dining and dancing establishment open to members only. Memberships were available to civilians, officers and enlisted men, and steaks and southern fried chicken were available every night from 5 to midnight. Smitty’s broadcast the party on KELO radio every Tuesday night between 10:30 and 11 p.m., featuring Dave Rogers and his Men of Melody.
Smitty’s boasted more than 2,000 members and enough seating for 600, but maybe the upstairs club vibe wasn’t working for them. The Pla-Mor Club closed within a year.
Eric Renshaw of Sioux Falls has written the book "Forgotten Sioux Falls" and gives a historical perspective on his website GreetingsFromSiouxFalls.com.