What to do with all of those teenagers on a Friday night? Miami decided right after the end of WWII to provide some city-sanctioned entertainment and recreation. It was called Teen Town, and it started off at the Sacred Heart Catholic church. But by 1947, it had relocated to the VFW Hall across the street from the Coleman.
Teen Town starts up at the VFW hall, June 22, 1947
The next year, the American legion volunteered to host the Friday night fun.
American Legion to host Teen Town in 1948
By 1956, the event had turned into the most popular place for a kid to be on a Friday night. They needed more adult volunteers!
Teen Town issues a call for volunteers, 1956
The first mention of a live band in the News-Record was on October 12, 1956.
A live band at Teen Town! October, 1956
There were dance competitions, including this one from 1959.
Richard Wright and Helen Swift win 1959 Sweetheart Couple at Teen Town
In 1957, the Youth Center at the new Civic Center was rechristened the Mutt Hut. Eventually, Teen Town at the American Legion hall would move over to the Mutt Hut as a fun teen spot on both Friday and Saturday nights. Teen Town stopped being mentioned in the paper after 1960, so presumably that was the end of it. But the Mutt Hut continued on, and thus Miami had a proud reputation as a town that looked after the recreational needs of its youth.