In 1920, the first paved road in rural Black Hawk County opened. It was Rainbow Road between Cedar Falls and Waterloo, and yes, it was a rural road at the time. The road went past the National Cattle Congress and its brand-new arena, the Hippodrome.
The Hippodrome was the home of the only major professional sports team in Iowa and, a few years later, was where the public heard about a superhighway that would never be built. In 1965, it was renamed McElroy Auditorium.
Now, the auditorium is going back to the Hippodrome name, the Waterloo Courier reports. It won’t bring back the NBA team, and it won’t restore Cattle Congress’ glory days, but at least there’s a history lesson here, right? Right?
A hippodrome, according to Miriam-Webster dictionary, is an oval stadium for horse and chariot races in ancient Greece or an arena for equestrian performances.
Miriam-Webster dictionary
*head explodes*