Speedway Auto Theatre
293 Eidson Road,
Greenville,
OH
45331
293 Eidson Road,
Greenville,
OH
45331
2 people
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A 1957 aerial does show a speed track, possibly a go kart track just south of the drive in. By 1981, the track was long closed and overgrown. Today, that area is quite overgrown with trees. But you can see the outline of the track.
A 1994 aerial is not very clear, but it does appear that the screen is gone. If that is the case, then it would be hard to believe that they would set up the screen after the 1987 tornado only to tear it down again a few years later. Although that possibility cannot be discounted.
Opened On September 11, 1946 With “Greenway Village” Along With Two Shorts: “Night Club Boom” And “Peace Time Football”.
The Speedway Auto Theatre Was Notable For The July 27, 1967 Death Of Cashier Ms. Carole Brinkman After Being Shot And Killed By A Suspect. 24-Year-Old Brinkman Was The Cashier Of The Drive-In, Who Was Alone At The Time Of The Shooting (10:20 PM EDT) As She Managed To Grab A Phone Connected To The Projection Booth, Which Were Screening A Double Feature, “Arrivederci Baby” And “Alvarez Kelly”, On That Day. “Alvarez Kelly” Was Running At The Time Of The Shooting. Theater Workers Immediately Told Authorities That They Could Only Make Out A Mumble Over The Phone And They Rushed To Investigate. Afterward, They Found Brinkman Wounded On The Floor. She Was Later Pronounced Dead From Her Injuries Shortly After Being Taken To Wayne Hospital In Downtown Greenville. Greenville Police Said That It Is Possible The Shots Came From An Passing Unknown Model Car On Eidson Road They Say, As The Cashier Booth Is 150 Feet Away From The Highway.
Four Days Later, The Speedway And the Nearby Wayne Theatre Closed For Only A Single Day In Connection To Pay Tribute To Brinkman. One Week Later, A Reward Has Been Given From The Advocate And Now-Defunct Radio Station WDRK-FM (Defunct Since 1989) By An Estimate $1,000+ By Second National Bank.
The Suspect Has Not Yet To Be Found Since A Decade Later.
The Theater Closed In The 1990s But However, Traces From The Drive-In Were Still Visible.
Opened on 11/9/1946 with “Greenwich Village”.
Was there a speedway there too?
did it ever reopen after the storm because the 1990 topo map lists the drive-in and i want to know if it reopened or if it’s a mistake.
the ramps are barely visable though the outline is clearly visable all other traces aren gone except for the concession stand which still remains that withing the past 10-15 years got a repaint on the roof!
The correct address is:293 Eidson Road
This is about 9 years too late, but the sign at the Henry Ford Museum is for the Douglas Auto Theater in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Approx. address for this drive-in was 411 Eidson Road.
John Tabor, who operated the Speedway, operated under the name Jodi Theatres.
The Speedway Auto Theatre was hit by a tornado in 1987 and the center section of the tower was blown in on the field. The box office was still standing after the storm. I have run across some photos that were sent to me after the storm. I was there for a visit before the tower came but can’t find any photos just video.
Lots of photos on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/5jh66j
I seem to recall that the neon sign that once advertised this drive-in, which was shaped like a car, was on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.