Chicago Coliseum
[1] The second venue was located at 63rd Street near Stony Island Avenue in the south side's Woodlawn community (near the site of the 1893 World's Fair).
In the 1950s to early 1970s, the Coliseum served as a general admission venue for rock concerts, roller derbys, and professional wrestling matches.
Typical of most 19th century cities, Chicago had a flourishing bachelor subculture, which made events at the Coliseum often rowdy affairs.
Initial construction began early in 1895 on a 14-acre (57,000 m2) site of the World's Columbian Exposition, but on August 22, the incomplete structure collapsed, and builders had to start over.
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show opened the facility, and in July 1896, it hosted the Democratic Party's national convention, which nominated for the presidency William Jennings Bryan; he famously electrified the crowd with his historic "Cross of Gold" speech.
On December 24, 1897, around 6:00 PM, during the Manufacturers' Carnival and Winter Fair, after many visitors had left the exhibit for supper, a fire caused by faulty electrical wiring broke out and swept through the building.
During World War II, the army used the structure to house a radio training school which was previously in the nearby Stevens Hotel.
In June 1928, fight promoter Paddy Harmon announced plans to construct Chicago Stadium, with the Black Hawks as the marquee tenants.
As the 1928–29 NHL season approached, the Stadium was not yet ready, and Blackhawks owner Major Frederic McLaughlin had had a falling-out with Harmon.
However, they could only get ice time through January 1929; they played the remainder of their "home" games in Detroit and in Fort Erie, Ontario, across the Niagara River from Buffalo.
Canadiens superstar Howie Morenz was the last player to score an NHL goal at the Coliseum, assisted by Aurel Joliat and Johnny Gagnon, at 7:06 of the second period.
Over its history, the Coliseum featured a wide variety of other events that included the 1915 Lincoln Jubilee, which celebrated 50-years since the abolition of slavery in the U.S.;[8] sessions of the 28th International Eucharistic Congress in June 1926; bowling tournaments;[9] professional wrestling bouts that included stars Gorgeous George and Angelo Poffo;[10] circuses[11] meetings of Black Muslims;[12] Black Panthers[13] and the last convention of the radical antiwar organization Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in June 1969.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, many popular bands of the era played The Coliseum, including Cream (twice in 1968), Jethro Tull, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (December 1, 1968),[18] The Doors (November 3, 1968)[19] or B.B.
The inaugural concert was staged on Friday, October 16, 1970, featuring Humble Pie, Brethren, Chase, and the headline act, Grand Funk Railroad.
"..A group of youths, angered by the announcement began tearing up ticket counters near the door and throwing them thru [sic] the front windows.
In 1982, it was sold for redevelopment and partially demolished; however, the planned construction never took place and large portions of the outer wall facing Wabash remained until the early 1990s when it was finally cleared.
