Rumors lead to tavern turned into children's dance school
Tom Peterson
You would not know it if you saw it.
At least I didn’t.
A house humbly sits up a gravel road on Webber Street above the Catholic cemetery in The Dalles.
It’s modern siding and newer porch do not seem special.
In my hunt, prompted by rumors of the original Sugar Bowl - a bar and ice cream hand out once located on Ninth Street, I had driven by it many times.
It took Jeff Minnick and the Dugick family to straighten me out. So I came to this long rectangular regular looking home on Webber Street on Thursday, Dec. 17.
This can’t be right, I thought. It looked way too modern.
However, I was soon to find out the inner boards date back to the ‘40s and have provided a space for libation, dancing even the finer points of pony school and prayer.
Nancy Hyder currently resides in the building that served both as Sugar Bowl and the Eleanor Borg School of Dance. It was a Greek Orthodox Church before she moved in 2012.
Nancy Hyder, 69, has lived there since 2012. She sleeps in the “bar” portion of the home.
She gave us a tour.
Her bed is smack dab in the center of The Dalles original Sugar Bowl, which resided on 9th Street. It was an institution for decades and its second rendition was in the current location of the Beachwood Eatery.
In the 1940s, It was a place for children to get an ice-cream cone outside and for adults to get a drink inside.
“Shorty” Osborne was the proprietor.
The building was purchased by Eleanor Borg around 1950 after the Ninth Street Shopping Center was built. And it was moved to its current location, 1520 Webber St.
Sugar Bowl original proprietor “Shorty” Osborne circa 1940s. Again, our super sleuth, Sally Fasulo came up with his photo.
Hyder and neighbor John Beck said the Borg family used it for the Eleanor Borg School of Dance. And Borg also ran a pony club. Thousands of young people likely put some ballet steps and taps on that red linoleum floor.
“Lots of people brought their children here to learn to dance,” Hyder said.
Hyder said a Greek Orthodox Church purchased the building around 2006 and ran a church there for about six years before selling it to her family.
CCCNews has only scratched the surface of this story. If you know anything about it or better yet have photos - we would like to add them to this story.
This story was sponsored by Brown Roofing, preserving history one roof at a time.
Information from Facebook posts:
I attended Borg preschool in the 80’s. A lot of fond memories dancing there!
When I was very little, I studied French there, rode western primarily, loved tap dancing, modern jazz and ballet and was challenged at acrobats. I loved performing at the nursing homes during the holidays. Many many fond memories!! We even went on a horse pack trip overnight. Mrs. Borg was also a rockette and professional equestrienne.
I took tap dance and gymnastics there in the 70s!
My daughters went to pre-school in that building in the 70's. Ginger Harrison was their teacher along with Wendy Mauck and Marilyn Ryan. They also took gymnastics from Mrs. Borg. I didn't know that it had been the Sugar Bowl until I read this.
My sisters and I attended various dance lessons there and Mrs. Borg was our neighbor on 10th and Trivette for a very long time!
Lucy Johnson Both of our children attended Mrs. Borg's School. great instruction and wonderful recitals.
This is interesting! I had no idea that Borg’s was the original location of the Sugar Bowl, did you? The old dance studio looks great and well kept by the owner. I still remember the blur your feet were when you tap danced. You were soooo good! I only took jazz at Borgs and took tap as an adult. The adult beginner version....stamp, tick-tock, seesaw.....LOL. But, Mrs. Borg was still the same. We had to pay attention, or else.Loved her though.1
We were part of the Orthodox congregation while it was there. It was a blessing not to have to drive to Portland!
My kids went there too
My youngest daughter took dance there.
When Cassie bought the Borg house in front, my oldest son went to daycare there and a few days week they went to acrobat class at the school. Wanda Kelsey started a preschool there in the late 90’s and my youngest son attended. Had no idea about the history of the building with the Sugar Bowl. The street that is now 13th will forever be known as B Road to me.
Why do I feel "B" meant Bonneville St? Of course, now it's West 13th --- off of Cherry Heights & goes one way West. Just think'n . . .
Carrie went to preschool and dance there too.
Yep I danced there too. I have visited the family that live there now, and the left over architecture in the front room is interesting. Thanks for solving this mystery for me.
Preschool and Dance school in the 80's
I danced there for years. Leslie was my teacher.
I took tap there when i was a child
Awe! I went to borgs!
My parents were about to close in on the house next to the dance hall, and were going to put a bid on the hall if the sale to the church fell through. Unfortunately they decided to back out after they had been intimidated buy the buyer of the dance hall as they wanted to purchase the house as well. Such a cute house and great history!
I took dance for years with Mrs. Borg. I loved it and her so much. Good memories.
The Brick Road was on up Cherry Heights a way, where you see the road veer and go down below road level!! B Road is now 13th street where we all rode our horses for years!!
This was my preschool and dance school from around 1986-1994! I’ll see if my dad has some old photos stored away. Leslie was my tap instructor, and Eleanor Borg would pop in from time to time to give a lesson and watch us dance. A woman named Kwan was my gymnastics and Jazz dance instructor. I have so many memories from there!
The historic photo (Below) is copyrighted by The Dalles Chronicle, part of the George Lindsay Collection donated to Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum. The negatives are being scanned courtesy of a grant by Oregon Heritage Commission. Once the project is completed, 6000 images from the 1940s through the 1970s will be uploaded to the museum’s website www.gorgediscovery.org
Borgs also ran a preschool here in the 80's! I played on their playground daily They had this outdoor wooden slide that went down a hillside.
Some girls from Klickitat attended the Borg School of Dance in the late 1970's......
I went to Borgs preschool in the early 90's and did tap jazz and gymnastics there until 199
I see many familiar faces here
CCCNews found this gem of Eleanor Borg School of Dance on Old Photos and History of The Dalles, Oregon on Facebook.
The Caption above the photo on Facebook reads: We are working behind the scenes to scan negatives from The Dalles Chronicle George Lindsay collection. This image was taken February 11, 1950. It's Eleanor Borg and her dance students. Does anyone recognize the faces of these children? Not quite sure of the location in The Dalles where the photo was taken. Who remembers taking dance, gymnastics, or horse-riding lessons from Mrs. Borg? This project is funded by a grant from Oregon Heritage Commission.
Here were some comments that followed.
William L Ritchie A lot of these kids were from the Tygh Valley area. Top row from left to right. The clown, my brother Phil Ritchie, Lavelle Webb, Janet Hofstra, Barbara Coburn. The guy on the right, behind the balloons, is Freddy Ashley. My twin Chuck and I were in that group but not in that picture. We all danced at the Granada Theater.
Tami Hougham Francis I danced and did gymnastics there from 1975 to 1981. Leslie was my tap teacher and Annette was my jazz teacher for a bit. Forget who I had for gymnastics.
Krista Kelly My sister danced at Borg's studio for years in the late '70s-'80s. Leslie Maley was her dance teacher and she was amazing. RIP
Sheri Leipzig I was a tap/acrobat and equestrian student of Mrs. Borg from 1957 until the early ’70s. Best experiences and influence of my life. Continued on with horses for many years and still a tap dancer!
