Left- Mt. Vernon's Dance Hall as it looked as the Mt. Vernon Creamery
Mt. Vernon's Dance Halls
The Mt. Vernon community members have never had to travel very far to find musical entertainment. In the 1800's there was the Coronet Band, and the Choir, and there was at one time a dance hall called Allen's Hall. Then, in the 1900's there was John Eichelkraut and his wife, Anna, and a son, Marvin, who operated a farm south of Mt. Vernon on County Trunk U. John played the bandonia and Marvin played the drums. The dance hall in Mt. Vernon was a popular weekend gathering spot, and John and Marvin provided much of the dance music. Anna accompanied them to every dance to enjoy their music and to dance. John's bandonia had been imported from Switzerland and no amplifiers were needed. Before Marvin died, he revealed that he was never allowed to handle the bandonia as long as his father was alive. Myron Floren, of the Lawrence Welk Show, once offered to buy the bandonia for seven thousand dollars, but it was not sold.
The dance hall in the 1900's was a two story building with the top floor being the dance hall, and the downstairs being a pool hall. It was once owned by Eli Koppervick, and at one time it was run by Doc Mitchell. The building had originally been the old creamery. The dance hall accommodated square dancing and polka bands and wedding dances. Some other bands who performed at the hall were, the Bill Schmid Orchestra with Ken Zahler on vocals, Gemplers Band, and the Bill & Clara Smith Band. Dinners and beer were sold downstairs on the nights of the dances and the admission to the dance was 25 cents and girls got in free. The dance hall also was used for Farmers Institute meetings and as a lecture hall by the school. Herbert Hankel recalled one school lecture in which the lecturer, Mr. Ole Merlin, suddenly fell ill and died right there. That was one lecture Herbert never forgot. The dance hall was converted to a residence and its top floor was removed in 1971. It is now the home of Donald and Francis Way.