Comments from SethG

Showing 101 - 125 of 2,020 comments

SethG
SethG commented about Tauy Theatre on May 16, 2025 at 7:52 am

I’m sure the dates are right, but there is a gorgeous antique mirror in the courthouse, with a wooden frame holding advertisements. One is for the Tauy. Given that it is in the Eastlake style, it likely has been in the courthouse since it was built in 1892. Most of the other ads appear very old, and have 3 digit phone numbers. I don’t find any evidence of an earlier Tauy, so I suppose the card was placed in the frame around 1941.

SethG
SethG commented about Plaza Grill & Cinema on May 15, 2025 at 9:15 am

Here’s the KHRI entry for the theater, with a few bits of information - https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=059-4270-00038

If you drive the streetview car down the alley behind, the original stone walls of the Pickrell Block can be seen.

SethG
SethG commented about Plaza Grill & Cinema on May 15, 2025 at 9:13 am

As pointed out in 2018, the ‘Grill &’ part of the name should be removed. Looks like it hasn’t had a restaurant since at least 2014.

SethG
SethG commented about Rohrbaugh Theatre on May 15, 2025 at 7:09 am

The original building may have been a wooden structure which was originally built between 1884 and 1888 as the Ottawa Carriage Works. It was rebuilt or replaced between 1888 and 1893 by a wooden auditorium roughly the same size, but with a second story.

The 1905 Cahn guide gives the Rohrbaugh Opera House (also the name on the 1912 map) a capacity of 1,200.

SethG
SethG commented about Rohrbaugh Theatre on May 15, 2025 at 7:01 am

The address was 317-321 S Hickory St, almost directly across from the courthouse. This location is now a parking lot. Status should be updated.

SethG
SethG commented about Strand Theatre on May 15, 2025 at 6:35 am

This was never an event venue. It’s been a CPA’s office since at least 2008.

David was saying that the ‘new’ post office on 2nd St is an event venue. The post office had actually moved out of this building sometime between 1899 and 1905. It relocated to 111 E 2nd (now the chamber of commerce).

This was a meat market and a music store before becoming a theater. It’s still shown as ‘Music’ on the May 1912 map. Here is the KHRI entry, which contains a 2005 picture before the very nice restoration showing the building with a trashy shingle awning - https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=059-4270-00045

SethG
SethG commented about Star Theatre on May 15, 2025 at 6:23 am

Here is the KHRI entry, which doesn’t have much information, but has an older photo with a different ugly modern ground floor - https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=059-4270-00014

SethG
SethG commented about Star Theatre on May 15, 2025 at 6:18 am

The building was built between 1884 and 1888. It was originally a dry goods store, but is vacant on the 1905 map. The 1914-15 AMPD lists the address as N Main, but that is an error. In the postcard above, the Star is the building in the left foreground with the elaborate cornice.

SethG
SethG commented about New Paola Theatre on May 14, 2025 at 12:58 pm

Typo in the entry, should be ‘New Paola’. This address is pretty consistent across the various Yearbooks, so either the dates are wrong, or this cannot have been the Empress. For one thing, the December 1916 map shows 109 as a gas office. The Paola and Empress are also listed concurrently from 1941 through at least 1945.

109 also does not appear nearly large enough for 600 seats. It’s rather narrow, and not very deep. It currently uses a 111 address. It was built sometime between 1897 and 1905. It appears to have been remodeled around 1960. The ground floor office space is either vacant or an apartment, and the upstairs appears to be residences.

SethG
SethG commented about Jewell Theatre on May 14, 2025 at 12:39 pm

The name is spelled ‘Jewell’. There is no such address, and Main St runs through some tract housing well out of downtown. If it was on the square, it was on Silver, Pearl, Wea, or Peoria. It was not open in 1957. It disappears sometime around 1953. Unfortunately, the 1948 map is not available online.

SethG
SethG commented about Pittsburg Drive-In on May 14, 2025 at 11:41 am

Status should be demolished. The property has been for sale since at least 2008, and even that streetview shows nothing but a rotted section of the entry drive.

SethG
SethG commented about Mystic Theatre on May 14, 2025 at 8:58 am

Maybe 1916 was the closing date, if he lost.

SethG
SethG commented about Fox Theater on May 12, 2025 at 4:06 pm

The marquee was removed long ago. It’s gone on the 2013 streetview. Looking at my pictures of the ticket booth from April 2010 (the marquee still up), it seems that they have restored it. The tile on the outside entry walls and on the ticket booth was covered in ‘50s fluted metal siding. Oddly, the tile walls in the lobby were left alone.

SethG
SethG commented about Cozy Theater on May 12, 2025 at 2:39 pm

Photo by John Margolies from the LoC.

SethG
SethG commented about Grand Theatre on May 12, 2025 at 11:42 am

Note that the name was originally ‘New Grand’. It’s unclear if it replaced an older Grand from somewhere else in town. The 1926 Yearbook gives a capacity of 440.

SethG
SethG commented about Grand Theatre on May 12, 2025 at 11:38 am

Here is the KHRI entry for the building: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=037-405

SethG
SethG commented about Grand Theatre on May 12, 2025 at 11:35 am

The building must have been built as a theater. The 1913 map shows a little wooden building here. This is now the local Republican Party HQ.

SethG
SethG commented about Airdome on May 11, 2025 at 10:30 am

This may have been associated with the Liberty, which was just off to the SE.

SethG
SethG commented about State Theater on May 10, 2025 at 2:31 pm

This listing needs to be rewritten to include the known history. The theater does not appear in the 1954 Yearbook, and is listed in 1957 with no capacity. It has been an event venue for some time. The capacity seems absurdly large, and the 1949 Yearbook lists it at 600. It is listed at 800 in 1952, and seems to have closed shortly thereafter. Unfortunately the 1953 Yearbook is useless, as it only lists drive-ins and circuits.

SethG
SethG commented about Liberty Theater on May 10, 2025 at 2:08 pm

The capacity was continually reduced. The 1905 Cahn guide calls this McGhie’s New Theatre, and has the capacity as 1,000. By 1926, it is 500. By 1955, it had declined to 480.

The 1914-14 AMPD also lists an Opera House. If that was not an accidental duplication of this theater, the only possibility is the old opera house, which was located at 101-103 W Maple. It does not seem to be active on the 1905 map, while the 1911 map notes ‘Old Stage & Scenery Not Used’. The building was demolished before 1918.

SethG
SethG commented about Liberty Theater on May 10, 2025 at 9:02 am

The remodeled building is called the Huston Block. I’m not sure how extensive the fire damage was, but it appears that the stage was reduced, since the fly tower now only appears on the western half of the building. Comparing with older maps, it seems that the theater lobby switched sides. The building was in terrible shape, practically derelict, with one marginal business in the ground floor. The latest streetview shows interior demolition taking place, but since the trim has been repainted, this is hopefully just a restoration. Unfortunately, the tiny little transom for the theater has been removed.

The 1911 map calls this McGhie’s Opera House, and both it and the 1918 map give a capacity of 750.

SethG
SethG commented about Oswego Theatre on May 8, 2025 at 11:19 am

This theater is much older. There was an airdome on this site in 1911, which was replaced by a one story building sometime before 1918. I’m not sure when the second floor was added. The early building was called the Star in the 1914-15 AMPD.

By 1926, it was called the Reel, and had a capacity of 450. In 1927 and 1928 a Grand is also listed, with no capacity. I think that was probably a reference to the old opera house next door to the west. That is still there, the victim of some really ugly remodeling. In 1931, the name was changed to the New Era. The capacity was reduced to 350. It was renamed the Oswego in 1941. It’s still listed in 1957, now with 400 seats. It probably didn’t close until much later.

It appears to be used as an auction venue, and the auditorium is largely intact (although shabby), or was when I visited in 2010. I recall being told that they use the stage to display items, and patrons bid from the seats.

SethG
SethG commented about Independence Cinemas on May 6, 2025 at 11:44 am

This theater was open by at least 1988.

SethG
SethG commented about Beldorf Theatre on May 1, 2025 at 11:34 am

I’ve added a 1923 Sanborn view, which gives the capacity as 1,000. The 1916 view shows a slightly different balcony shape.

SethG
SethG commented about Empress Theatre on May 1, 2025 at 8:59 am

The Star name must have been moved. The July 1916 map shows a theater at 215 N Pennsylvania with a large extension being considered, and the 1923 map shows that building much larger.