When this rustic 1500-seat arena opened in 1934, at the intersection of Route 1 and Draper Avenue, it became a venue for the Marathon Dance craze then sweeping the country. The announcer hired by Witchi to preside over the marathoners was an unknown kid from Indiana named Red Skelton (1913 to 1997), who was years away from his stardom in movies and television.
During the "Big Band" era of the late 1930s and early 1940s, Witchi's played host to such headliners as Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway. Country singers such as Hank Williams and Johnny Cash also played there during the 1950s.
Witchi's is best remembered for the weekly wrestling cards it held every Friday night (except Good Friday). Wrestlers with names such as Killer Kowalski, Gorilla Monsoon, Chief Jay Strongbow, and George the Animal Steele were among the attractions.
Jack Witchi's Sports Arena burned to the ground on September 26, 1979. It was one of the most spectacular fires in the history of North Attleborough. For most of the 1980s, a flea market occupied the former Witchi's site. Later, during the massive retail development at the junction of Route 1 and Route 295, an auto dealership was built on the site where Red Skelton, Glenn Miller, Johnny Cash, and Killer Kowalski once packed them in.
