THIS IS CBS 2 NEWS AT 5:00. THE NUMBER ONE SPORT IN THE 1940S WAS ROLLERSKATING. CHICAGO WAS AT THE EPICENTER. BUT TODAY, IT IS DYING. WE ARE TELLING YOU THIS BECAUSE A NEW MUSEUM EXHIBIT IN THE SUBURBS IS ABOUT TO OPEN. THE ELMHURST HISTORY MUSEUM, CLOSE YOUR EYES, AND YOU CAN
PRACTICALLY IMAGINE YOU ARE AT A DIFFERENT PLACE AND TIME. THE CLASSIC AMERICAN ROLLING. I STARTED AS A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL. I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT RIGHT AWAY. SOMETIMES WE FELT LIKE WE WERE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD. WHEN YOU SKATED AROUND THE RINK, YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE IN DISNEY WORLD. EVERYONE FITTED.
IT WAS THE THING TO DO. Reporter: HE LITERALLY WROTE THE BOOK ON IT. IT’S CALLED CHICAGO RINK RATS. IT WAS LETTERS FROM THE GIRLS, CIGARETTES, AND ROLLERSKATES. AT ITS PEAK, SOME 5000 ROLL RINGS THRIVED. ROLLERSKATING WAS AS PERVASIVE AS CELL PHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY. I WAS WHAT THEY WOULD CALL A
ROUND AND ROUNDER. WE SPOKE TO DAN BARTLETT IN FRONT OF A GIANT MAP WITH MANY OF THE BELOVED ROLODEX HIGHLIGHTED. HE HELPED GATHER ALL THE OLD SKATES INCLUDING THIS ONE FROM THE 1800S. PLUS THE COSTUMES, THE 1940S ARE REPRESENTED ALONG WITH THE 60s, AND THE HAIR DEFINITELY SAYS 80s.
MUCH OF THE STUFF CAME FROM WEST SUBURBAN RESIDENTS. ONCE THE WORD HITS THE STREET, PEOPLE WANT TO BE A PART OF TELLING THE STORY. THE RINK RAT EXHIBIT OPENS TOMORROW. WHILE ROLLERSKATING IS DYING, IT IS NOT DEAD. CHECK OUT A REGULAR AT THE RINK. I USED TO HANG OUT AT RANK
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