Park Avenue Walk-A-Thon
Flagpole sitting, long-distance foot races, marathon dances, and walk-a-thons-athletic contests that challenged the endurance of the human body-became popular sports in the mad decades of the 20s and 30s. The dance marathon often lasted for days; the last couple left standing won the contest. In the walk-a-then, a variation of the dance marathon, couples walked at a brisk pace around an arena, and the team that completed the most laps won. Although these contests sometimes resulted in injuries or death, they continued to attract men and women obsessed with athletic competition and the chance to win a prize.
In the early 1930s, walk-a-thon contests were held in an abandoned factory on the south side of Park Avenue in Emeryville. The block-long brick factory, built in 1929 at 1255 Park Avenue between Harlan and Haven Streets, was originally occupied by the Fisher Body Company. Fisher Body closed soon after the onset of the Depression, but the vacant plant acquired a new life when it was converted to an auditorium. Known as the New Park Avenue Auditorium, it contained a modem, well-lighted arena surrounded by bleachers on all four sides-a perfect venue for walk-a-then events.
Iron Cots and Yum-Yum Wieners
When the auditorium opened on December 29, 1932, bright banners festooned the interior. The Walk-A-Thon operated under the management of “Rookie” Lewis and Eddie Brown, who also served as Chief Master of Ceremonies. A medical unit from Oakland’s Jackson Lake Hospital, consisting of a head nurse, three assistant nurses, and a dietitian, provided care for injured or exhausted contestants. Participants received medical examinations before and during the contest to make sure they were fit to participate in the race. Those with sore feet. and there were many, received the attention of a chiropodist. Iron cots were available for contestants who needed sleep or rest. A vaudeville floor show and orchestra conducted by Goodwin Clarke provided additional entertainment for the audience. A restaurant, feature ring Yum-Yum wieners manufactured in Emeryville, served food for the spectators.
The contestants listed in a 1933 program came primarily from the Bay Area cities of San Francisco, Oakland, Hayward, EI Cerrito, Stockton, Martinez, Berkeley, Daly City, and San Mateo; a few teams came from as far away as the Midwest and the East Coast. Only one couple, Edward O’Shea and Margaret Pruett, resided in Emeryville.
Walking for Hour after Hour
The rules of the contest were simple. Contestants, dressed in athletic track clothes, had to walk continuously for 45 minutes around the arena, and after a 15-minute rest period, they returned to the floor and walked for another 45 minutes. The contest would continue for hour after hour following this routine, and the team that completed the most laps won the contest. In a typical contest, 28 couples entered the race. The program went on for 24 hours a day, while the boisterous audience at intervals cheered the favorite teams, listened to the orchestra, and enjoyed the vaudeville show. Radio station KTAB broadcast the entertainment and the progress of the race.
Although the Walk-A-Thon functioned primarily as an athletic contest, it also had a benevolent purpose. Thursday night was charity night, and part of the proceeds went to purchase food and clothing for the unemployed. Local businesses contributed to the success of the contest. Pioneer Laundry of Emeryville washed the contestant’s track suits for free. Alhambra Pure Spring Water Co. provided drinking water free of charge. The manager of Campbell’s Beauty Shop donated her time to dress the hair and manicure the nails of the female participants.
Echoes of Footsteps
The Park Avenue Walk-A-Thon stayed open for only a short time; by 1936, United Autographic Register Company occupied the building. Over the decades, numerous other businesses and corporations moved in and out, including California Industries for the Blind, Electro-Nav S. F. Inc., and Emeryville Properties. Today, 60 years after the closing of the New Park Avenue Auditorium, the monolithic brick factory stands vacant, but the relentless tramp of the walkers’ footsteps. the cheers of the spectators, and the faint strains of the orchestra still echo through the empty, cavernous building.
This story originally published in 1996 for the Emeryville Centennial Celebration and compiled into the ‘Early Emeryville Remembered’ historical essays book.
