History: Silver Dome Ballroom, Neillsville, WI

Transcriber: Janet

Surnames: Appleyard, Dopp, Dux, Ellington, Filitz, Hayden, Hoffman, Keller, Kessler, Kolbeck, Labor, LaFond, Lautenbach, Lautenbach, Moen, Munkkolm, Munkkolm, Nemitz, Opelt, Rhode, Schwantes, Schwellenbach, Steiger, Sturtz, West

----Source: Clark County Press, 27 Augl 1992

Silver Dome Ballroom

Pine Valley Township, Clark Co., WI

The Silver Dome Ballroom, located along Hwy. 10 west of Neillsville, WI (1992)

The last of the four Clark County ballrooms to be built during the late 1920's - early 1930's era was the Silver Done in 1933. Of the four, it is the only one still in existence, located west of Neillsville on Highway 10.

Al, Paul, Walter and Herb, four of the Keller brothers, natives of the Neillsville area, made the decision to build the ballroom. They hired Cornel Moen, also of Neillsville, as carpenter on the project.

      Cornel Moen, the carpenter

        who built the Silver Dome.

Cornel's parents were Christ and Ronnag Moen. Chris was an immigrant from Norway; Ronnag was from Germany. A nephew, Herman Moen, resides in Neillsville. The late Ray Moen was also a nephew.

A German patent for the arch style roof was purchased for $1,000 royalty fee. The arch-dome style of the structure is very unique and thought to be the only ballroom of it's kind in Wisconsin or America.

Some changes were made with the building plan. It had the squared off ends under the domed roof design. The Kellers wanted the dome effect followed through on the ends and sides. So, Cornel and the Kellers were able to come up with the adjustments to get the desired style.

The arch pattern extends across from one side to the other, with the design following down to the concrete footings the supports rest upon. There are over 100 of those footings around the building.

When you stand inside the structure and look up at the ceiling, you see the precise, intricate positioning of beams brought together in such perfection, so the arch could be realized.

It boggles the mind, wondering how it was done. That style of roof eliminated any support posts inside the building and yet accommodates a large dance floor free of posts to interfere with dancing. Several tons of nails and bolts were used in the construction.

The arch-done roof provides great acoustics which enables the music's sound to travel across the large floor and hall, sounding the same on all sides of the floor.

Total cost of the construction was $12,000, which was a big investment for that time during the 30's.

After Cornel Moen had accepted the offer to be the carpenter, he made plans for the job ahead of him. He realized the project required cutting many thick joists and beams. At that time, there wasn't the availability of electricity at the site. So, Cornel made a table saw, which was powered by a gasoline engine. He mounted the table saw on a platform and placed the four cylinder motor of an old model "T" Ford car on the same platform. The model "T" motor provided the power needed to run the table saw. The rear axle with rubber tired wheels was mounted under the platform, enabling it to be portable to move to and around the work site.

Not only does the Silver Dome still exist, but so does that table saw which Cornel assembled.

Cornel Moen and his wife lived at 102 Hewett Street for some time after the Silver Dome project was completed. One day, his wife's sister and brother-in-law (Lester Zoba) stopped at their house for a visit. (Cornel and Lester were married to the Wildish sister, Aline and Hope.) As Cornel and Lester stood in the backyard, Lester asked Cornel, "What are you going to do with that table saw you built? I see you have it setting in your garage." Cornel answered, "Well, Lester, I have been saving it just for you. It's yours." Lester accepted Cornel's gift and took it home.

Asking Lester, recently, about the saw, he said, "Yes, that table saw is setting, resting in my garage. One of these days, when I can get a couple of fellows to help me, we are going to pull that old table saw out of the garage so I can use it to saw some lumber." Lester lives in the Hatfield area.

The Keller brothers were also accomplished musicians, sometimes playing for dances in their hall.

The Keller brothers and their wives built and started "The Fireplace" supper club business near the ballroom. It was later named the Silver Dome Supper club. The three couples operated both businesses and had living quarters at the Supper Club building, also. The Fireplace was renowned for its excellent food and pleasant dining atmosphere, which drew customers from near and far.

Of the Keller brothers, Herb is the only one still living. Herb and his wife, Elva, live in retirement not far from the Silver Dome near Snyder Park. Starting in 1947, Herb played with the Howie Sturtz Orchestra, playing for many years. Once a day, he takes the saxophone from its case and plays for half an hour. He still enjoys the music, which has been so much a part of his life.

Bands, which played in the area ballrooms, were many. There were popular Big Bands such as Duke Ellington, whose band played at the Silver Dome. Also, there were some of the New Ulm, Minnesota bands, such as Whoopee John, the Six Fat Dutchmen and Fezz Fritchie. The Wisconsin Old Tyme bands were Lawrence Duchow, Romy Gosz, Blue Denim Boys, Bernie Roberts, Jerry Gilbertson and more.

There were several local bands: Wally Ives, Art and Louis Nemitz, Pat Lautenbach and Vasity Band, the Merrymen, Jack Kolbeck of Marshfield, Vic Carpenter Band of Abbotsford, Rhode Bros. of Greenwood, the Pine Valley Dutchmen (Melvin and Dale Appleyard, Bill West, DeWayne Dux, Louie Hoffman and Terry Schwantes), Howie Sturtz Band, (Howie, Ertz Steiger, Herb Keller, Gene LaFond, Wesley Hayden, and Leland Dopp.) A band in long existence has been the Dux orchestra, which started in the late 20's. Members were Otto Dux (violin), Marth (Opelt) Lautenbach (piano), Fred Dux (guitar), Carl Opelt (drums and bells), and Bill Schwellenbach (trumpet). Today, the orchestra is down to the tow or three; Dewayne (Tiny) Dux, Frankie Filitz and occasionally Jerry Opelt.

Kellers sold the ballroom in 1940. Owners since have been Fred and Irna Mae Munkholm, John and Edna Labor, Wayne and Terry Johnson, and presently, Louie and Shirley Kessler.

As we remember, the years of our teens and twenties, a family's phrase was "Who's playing at the ballroom Saturday night…is there a dance Friday night? Everyone went dancing on Saturday night, for sure. During the months of June, the month for weddings, there often were four or five wedding dances per week at every ballroom with big crowds every night. Asking one woman if she ever danced at the Dome during those days, she said, "Yes, that's where we girls went to find our husbands." Though it was said in jest, there are many couples celebrating their 40^th or 50^th wedding anniversaries, who met for the first time, on the dance floor.

What happened to the enjoyment of dancing? Did it wane because we started hiring baby-sitters to stay with our children, while we went dancing? Those of us in the 50's and older, remember going with our parents to the dances. We learned to dance then too, knowing how to waltz by the time we were six or seven. Next, we learned the polka, fox trot and Schottische. The word "baby-sitter" wasn't in the vocabulary yet at that time. However, there are so many other things to do entertainment wise. We have the availability of many other "recreational activities" and our affluent society enables us to participate in our choice of those.

But, maybe, just maybe, dancing will be re-discovered as a "fun exercise and recreation" which will bring people back to the ballrooms.

If not, a part of our heritage will disappear and die with those of us who danced and remember the joys of those time. One of the most graceful performances of the Living Arts is a dancing couple waltzing around a dance floor (after years of dancing together). They have learned the steps and rhythm coordinating with the music's beat. Let's hope it makes a comeback and isn't lost forever.