Ashton Theater
Ashton,
IL
61006
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This opened as the Pastime Theatre on December 27, 1913. It was closed on March 28, 1931 for several years and then reopened as the Ashton Theatre on April 3, 1935 featuring RCA High Fidelity sound installations and woodwork in silver and black. It did suffer management problems during the mid-1950s and closed on February 4, 1957.
I worked at the Ashton theater in 1954. Clyde and Dorothy Sheppard were very good to the student employees. A real fun time in my teenage years. The building of this theater was a HUGE event in Ashton at the time. It is so sad to see it now.
Little did I know in those 1950s that when I’d watch all these movies after work, that I’d someday be an archivist for legendary actress Maureen O'Hara. I started her first official website back in 1991 when the Internet was in its infancy. It became a big success and I even traveled to Ireland in 1998 and more recently was invited to the Governors Awards – Nov 8th, 2014 – in Hollywood when Maureen was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. I have two websites – the most active being on Facebook, listed as “Maureen O'Hara Magazine on Facebook.”
I’ve posted a photo of an early theatre at 804 Main Street within the 1903 Schuchart Building in Ashton.