ST LOUIS PAST PART FOUR !!!!

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

You and I remember this St Louis landmark as the Checkerdome however prior to the purchase by Ralston Purina it was simply the St Louis Arena.
My memory goes back to the forties and I remember a Police circus around 1945 and a huge thunderstorm that at age six I thought the roof would blow off or collapse. For many years after I dreaded attending events at the old barn [a nickname] yet I went and saw a Rodeo that had Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger as intermission entertainment. In addition I remember going right after the end of WW2 with my father, grandfather, and uncle to see a boxing match when the temperature was at least -8 below zero and we did not know the meaning of wind chill. I was about eight and of course the old car had no heater and it did not start.
In my teen years I remember my Uncle Bob taking me to a world championship boxing event that included Archie Moore,Willie Pep, and a St Louisan by the name of Virgil Adkins. In my young adult years my fiance Nancy and I saw an NBA all star game That included Oscar Robertson, Bob Petitt, Bob Cousey, Bill Russell, and many other legendary basketball players.
Over the years the Arena was home to the St Louis Bombers [pro.basketball] Flyers [minor league hockey] Blues [ NHL] Spirits [ABA] Steamers [indoor soccer]. In addition many other events including NCAA [basketball] Boxing, Wrestling, Harlem Globetrotters, concerts, [like Neal Diamond] and other events too numerous to remember.
I doubt when the Savis center comes to its end that it will have hosted as many varied and big events that the old barn hosted.