By Frank Benjamin
The old and now torn down Boston Garden had many memories. It opened on November 17th 1928 with a boxing show. Dorchester’s Honey Boy Finnegan a local featherweight favorite wins the world’s featherweight title by upsetting the champion Andre Routis.
Three nights later the Montreal Canadians shutout the home town Bruins by a 1- 0 score. On January 4th 1929, it was professional wrestling at the Garden with the heavyweight Championship on the line. Ed “Strangler” Lewis was defending his title against Gus Sonnenburg and after a grueling match, it was Lewis losing two falls to one to pass his title to Sonnenburg.
On March 5th 1929, the Bruins hockey team beats the NY Rangers to win their first Stanley cup ever. April had The Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus playing to a full house. It was a three-ring circus and was playing at the Garden for the first of many engagements in the Hub.
A monster political rally was the next huge event and the crowd attended to back James Michael Curley who aspired to the position of Mayor of the City on November 3rd of the same year 1929. Many political pundits felt the circus clowns, monkeys and politicians should have played the Garden together but feared the voters would have trouble telling one from the other.
On January 13th 1930 it was high school hockey taking to the Garden ice as the Greater Boston Scholastic Hockey League and it was the first time the high schoolers displayed their talent in the Causeway St. building.
A six-day national bike race was the next attraction in April of 1933. A year later in April of 1934, the largest indoor man-made lake in the world covered the parquet as part of a large hunting and fishing show. Amazing you say!
How about this? In December of 1935 they erected inside this building a five-story ski jump as part of the winter sports carnival.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football Team took on the 1935 College All Stars and won a close game 10-9 in what must have been the first ever football game played in a domed stadium. It was also the only football game played at the Garden.
Sonia Heinie a great Olympic Swedish beauty and a future movie star appeared at the Garden in her professional skating debut and all who attended left with a bounce in their step after seeing a lively performance. The show was billed as the Skating Carnival of 1936.
Tex Rickard a huckster started at the new building in 1927 and was a boxing promoter and the Don King or Bob Arum of his time. Rickard died in 1928 and his partners Dick Dunn and Harold Dibbles took over his controlling interest.
Walter Brown later became the General Manager of the business after one Harold Lapham bought controlling interest he also owned the Boston Arena and Madison Square Garden which he merged with the Boston Garden. Brown named his dad George as his Boston manager.
In 1936 midget racing cars took over on the Garden floor. 1938 had a swing concert with the “King of Swing’’ Benny Goodman and his band sold out the place and featured a raucous jitterbug contest.
Rudy Vallee a crooning heartthrob of the day was an added attraction. The Bruins copped their 2nd cup beating Toronto 3-1.
They played pro softball inside this building in June of 1939. Baseball was played there in November of the same year.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt held a huge political rally in the Causeway St. building on October 30th 1940.
Gene Autry and his beautiful horse named Champion starred in a rodeo also in 1940.
The Ice Capades and Joe Louis beating Al McCoy on a 6th round TKO rounded out 1940.
In 1943 in May the “we will never die” anti-Nazi rally drew sellout crowds and the Tech Tourney featuring High school hoopsters made its debut.
Roy Rogers and his beautiful steed a palomino named Trigger delighted the crowd for a 10-day rodeo engagement.
The United Fund Rally co-starring legendary comedian Jimmy Durante and Oscar winner for her role in “Mrs. Miniver”, the vivacious Greer Garson, hosted the event. They were accompanied by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
George Burns and his comedic wife Gracie Allen whose “Say good night Gracie” line still makes people smile today, hosted the same rally the next year.
The Toronto Huskies won the first of many NBA games to be played in the future. The score was 53-49 on November 16th 1946. Oh, yeah, the losers the Boston Celtics.
