Princess Theatre

203 S. Jefferson Avenue,
Iola, KS 66749

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Additional Info

Previous Names: Parkola Theatre

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The Parkola Theatre opened May 8, 1909. Of the 1,489 names suggested, Parkola was used as a combination of Parker, operator of the theatre, and Iola.

The Iola Register noted on opening night the theatre was filled to capacity with the only problem being a lens that was a little short in range for the length of the building. That was to be corrected before the next evening.

The Parkola Theatre went out business in January 1910 and a receiver was appointed. It was sold to S.M. Kellogg who opened it as the Princess Theatre on March 21, 1910.

The theatre was generally closed during the sweltering Kansas days of July and August but was open by September.

The Princess Theatre closed in early-1917 and was remodeled into a taxi station.

Contributed by Ron Pierce

Recent comments (view all 1 comments)

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 24, 2017 at 7:33 pm

Do we have the correct address for the Princess? An item in the February 28, 1910, issue of The Iola Register ran this item:

“PARKOLA THEATRE SOLD. Wichita Firm Buys East Side Amusement Place. The Parkola theater, on the east side of the square, has been sold to Wichita men who will take charge of the place a week from tomorrow and conduct it as a moving picture theatre. The new management is experienced and is financially able to secure the best of entertainment maintaining the high reputation of this amusement place.”
203 S. Jefferson is in the block south of the square, not the east side of the square.

If 203 S. Jefferson actually is the correct location, then the building is a theater again, being both a rehearsal space and secondary performance space for the Iola Community Theatre group, though their web site doesn’t mention anything about the building having once housed a movie house, and I think it would have been mentioned if it had (and they knew about it.)

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