This theater is shown on the October 1913 Sanborn. It was constructed sometime after 1902, replacing a bowling alley shown on that map (a small wooden thing labeled ‘cheap structure’).
There was an earlier theater, the M.P. It is listed in 1914-15, but nothing is listed in 1926. Annoyingly, there are no Sanborn maps for this town, so I have no idea where it was.
Looked very shabby in 2010, when it was the Uptown Supper Club. Must have been a forerunner to Spanky’s. At that point, the facade was some sort of cinderblock, or possibly painted over glazed brick. I think there must have been a storm/tornado at some point, because nearly all of downtown on this side of the street is now gone. Only this end of the block and two buildings at the other end are left.
The building may possibly have been older, but the theater does not appear in any directories until 1929. The building seems to have been built sometime between 1901 and 1910 as a furniture store. It was very deep, and had a hall on the 2nd floor, with a very deep balcony at the rear. The 1929 guide lists it with 1,000 seats, while the 1937 guide lists it as 800.
Opening date needs to be corrected, per DMTs information from long ago.
It seems that 112 was originally a the western half of a commercial building constructed between 1888 and 1894. The 1910 map shows a bakery and restaurant here. The 1921 map shows 112 used as the lobby for an auditorium located behind the storefronts. It seems from the main photo that 114 (the east half) was remodeled or replaced at some point before the 1940s.
If the address is correct, this has been demolished. 12 was originally a storefront in the Independent Block, a two story brick commercial building with four storefronts constructed before 1884. This building appears to have been remodeled ore replaced sometime after 1921, with a three storefront building replacing the 10-14 addresses, and 16 either retaining the old facade or being remodeled separately. After the 2018 tornado, 10-14 was apparently damaged. It still appears on the 2019 streetview, but now only the piece that is at 14 remains.
That said, I suspect this address is wrong. Both the 1901 and 1910 maps show a dry goods store at 12.
The address for this one must be wrong. 6-8 was the Boardman building, and was a large store. It was destroyed by a tornado in 2018. There is a theater on the 1910 map at 11 W Main. 9-11 is (was?) a two story building constructed before 1884. It was either remodeled or replaced at some point, as the facade, with some really horrendous modern storefronts, appears to be from about 1910-20. 11 has been incorporated into a jewelry store next door.
If the address is right, this was in a very old three story storefront. It appears on the 1884 map, but was likely a fair bit older. 1910 has it as books, 1921 shows electrical supplies. I guess this didn’t last very long. At some point, the top floor was hacked off, and it has a rather ugly mid-century front. It was a longtime record store, but that closed late 2023.
The October 1883 Sanborn notes that this is ‘Being Built’. It was a very basic wooden building. It’s amazing that the two brick theaters burned, while this antique firetrap survived until the ‘60s.
Oddly, the gas station to the south of where this was located appears to have been a Phillips. The seedy vacant building on this lot looks like a dry cleaners or something. Address was 400 State St.
This was at about 220 W 3rd St. That whole side of the block is ugly newer buildings, but matching footprints on the lots puts it about there. The building was a low and wide one story brick building with a concrete block front. It does not appear on the 1906 map, so it was likely built to house the theater. I’ve added a 1915 map view.
Doesn’t appear in movie listings until 1928, when it is shown with 400 seats. Disappears in 1930, and the 1931 through 1933 directories list a Whiting (sic) with 240 seats, which was the capacity of a small theater on the square.
I think this has to be the theater at 232 Main St. It’s the only one on the 1917 and 1935 maps. It was located in the northern storefront of the old Trues Opera House, which was built in 1879. The March 1909 map shows a harness shop here. The building is in decent shape today. This space may be a bar.
As far as I can tell, this was originally the right 1/3 of the W.H. Schliep building, which was constructed in 1883. It’s not clear if it’s a remodel or a replacement, and the roof does appear to be different in the satellite view. The front appears to be from the mid-‘20s. Yenchay’s is gone, but the building is still an oriental grocery. Both the 1909 and 1920 maps show this building vacant. The historic address was 118.
It seems that this was a very early, and quite short-lived theater. The building appears on the 1886 map, although the current appearance likely dates to around 1920-1940. The 1899 map shows a billiard hall here, and the 1909 map shows a ‘Moving Picture Show’, and the building modified by the addition of a one story extension in the rear. This theater does not appear in the 1914-15 listings, and the 1920 map shows a battery charging business here. Note that the historic address was 129, at least through 1942.
I see no theater here on the 1909 or 1920 maps. There is a Pastime listed in the 1914-15 American Motion Picture Directory. No address is given. It appears to have closed before 1925. This contributor is frequently in error on locations, etc. This building is not on a corner, it’s in the middle of the block.
Original capacity was 700, but it was 500 by 1938. The 2023 streetview shows that the Main Street Cinemas marquee is unchanged, but it is indeed run by Eisentraut, who call it the Temple on their website.
This theater is shown on the October 1913 Sanborn. It was constructed sometime after 1902, replacing a bowling alley shown on that map (a small wooden thing labeled ‘cheap structure’).
There was an earlier theater, the M.P. It is listed in 1914-15, but nothing is listed in 1926. Annoyingly, there are no Sanborn maps for this town, so I have no idea where it was.
There is no Main St in Gladbrook, so the map marker is up in Lincoln. This was likely somewhere on 2nd St.
Looked very shabby in 2010, when it was the Uptown Supper Club. Must have been a forerunner to Spanky’s. At that point, the facade was some sort of cinderblock, or possibly painted over glazed brick. I think there must have been a storm/tornado at some point, because nearly all of downtown on this side of the street is now gone. Only this end of the block and two buildings at the other end are left.
Website is dead and should be removed. This is now a county school district building.
The building may possibly have been older, but the theater does not appear in any directories until 1929. The building seems to have been built sometime between 1901 and 1910 as a furniture store. It was very deep, and had a hall on the 2nd floor, with a very deep balcony at the rear. The 1929 guide lists it with 1,000 seats, while the 1937 guide lists it as 800.
The 1925 directory lists this as being operated by the Hostettler Amusement Co.
Opening date needs to be corrected, per DMTs information from long ago.
It seems that 112 was originally a the western half of a commercial building constructed between 1888 and 1894. The 1910 map shows a bakery and restaurant here. The 1921 map shows 112 used as the lobby for an auditorium located behind the storefronts. It seems from the main photo that 114 (the east half) was remodeled or replaced at some point before the 1940s.
If the address is correct, this has been demolished. 12 was originally a storefront in the Independent Block, a two story brick commercial building with four storefronts constructed before 1884. This building appears to have been remodeled ore replaced sometime after 1921, with a three storefront building replacing the 10-14 addresses, and 16 either retaining the old facade or being remodeled separately. After the 2018 tornado, 10-14 was apparently damaged. It still appears on the 2019 streetview, but now only the piece that is at 14 remains.
That said, I suspect this address is wrong. Both the 1901 and 1910 maps show a dry goods store at 12.
The address for this one must be wrong. 6-8 was the Boardman building, and was a large store. It was destroyed by a tornado in 2018. There is a theater on the 1910 map at 11 W Main. 9-11 is (was?) a two story building constructed before 1884. It was either remodeled or replaced at some point, as the facade, with some really horrendous modern storefronts, appears to be from about 1910-20. 11 has been incorporated into a jewelry store next door.
If the address is right, this was in a very old three story storefront. It appears on the 1884 map, but was likely a fair bit older. 1910 has it as books, 1921 shows electrical supplies. I guess this didn’t last very long. At some point, the top floor was hacked off, and it has a rather ugly mid-century front. It was a longtime record store, but that closed late 2023.
The October 1883 Sanborn notes that this is ‘Being Built’. It was a very basic wooden building. It’s amazing that the two brick theaters burned, while this antique firetrap survived until the ‘60s.
Oddly, the gas station to the south of where this was located appears to have been a Phillips. The seedy vacant building on this lot looks like a dry cleaners or something. Address was 400 State St.
This was at 220 W 3rd St. Now replaced by a cinderblock newspaper office, which could well date to about 1950.
This was at about 220 W 3rd St. That whole side of the block is ugly newer buildings, but matching footprints on the lots puts it about there. The building was a low and wide one story brick building with a concrete block front. It does not appear on the 1906 map, so it was likely built to house the theater. I’ve added a 1915 map view.
Doesn’t appear in movie listings until 1928, when it is shown with 400 seats. Disappears in 1930, and the 1931 through 1933 directories list a Whiting (sic) with 240 seats, which was the capacity of a small theater on the square.
Not demolished, and the correct address is 129. Not sure why some of the information is missing, but this has been an auto parts store for many years.
A postcard from about 1910-15 shows the entry was typical for the era. Recessed arched entry with an outdoor ticket booth.
The 1914-15 directory lists a Majestic on Main St. Given the size of the town, this was probably the same thing.
I think this has to be the theater at 232 Main St. It’s the only one on the 1917 and 1935 maps. It was located in the northern storefront of the old Trues Opera House, which was built in 1879. The March 1909 map shows a harness shop here. The building is in decent shape today. This space may be a bar.
As far as I can tell, this was originally the right 1/3 of the W.H. Schliep building, which was constructed in 1883. It’s not clear if it’s a remodel or a replacement, and the roof does appear to be different in the satellite view. The front appears to be from the mid-‘20s. Yenchay’s is gone, but the building is still an oriental grocery. Both the 1909 and 1920 maps show this building vacant. The historic address was 118.
It seems that this was a very early, and quite short-lived theater. The building appears on the 1886 map, although the current appearance likely dates to around 1920-1940. The 1899 map shows a billiard hall here, and the 1909 map shows a ‘Moving Picture Show’, and the building modified by the addition of a one story extension in the rear. This theater does not appear in the 1914-15 listings, and the 1920 map shows a battery charging business here. Note that the historic address was 129, at least through 1942.
There are only two Charitons in the US. Iowa and Missouri. There’s a Sheridan, Illinois, but it’s a tiny village.
I see no theater here on the 1909 or 1920 maps. There is a Pastime listed in the 1914-15 American Motion Picture Directory. No address is given. It appears to have closed before 1925. This contributor is frequently in error on locations, etc. This building is not on a corner, it’s in the middle of the block.
Original capacity was 700, but it was 500 by 1938. The 2023 streetview shows that the Main Street Cinemas marquee is unchanged, but it is indeed run by Eisentraut, who call it the Temple on their website.
By the way, thanks for firming up the dates. Hopefully Ken will update the listing.