Rex Theatre

Turner Hall was a 19th Century, three-story frame building that was a fraternal and activity hall. It was created as part of the Turnverein Movement for German residents for gymnastics and gatherings. Turner Hall was built on what was South Street (later Birch Avenue) just south of the Northern Pacific Railway tracks.

In Downtown New Salem, the Empire Theatre had opened in 1915 playing silent movies. Locals say that it moved in the early-1920’s to Turner Hall. But the operation at Turner Hall was best known as the Rex Theatre under different operators which had a short run into 1925. The Rex Theatre was a silent movie house with local events. New operators came in and renamed it the Grand Theatre running here for three years. But a superior building - the City Auditorium - was built in 1926. And, on May 26, 1928, the Grand Theatre scooted to that two-year old Auditorium conducting its shows there. It’s assumed that it took the Grand sign with it and the old Rex Theatre sign returned to Turner Hall.

The Rex Theatre resumed operations mostly with live events, dances, and speeches. Meanwhile, two local residents formed a consortium to get the Grand Theatre / City Auditorium wired for sound becoming the place for movies.

The Rex Theatre at Turner Hall got one more shot being wired for sound in 1937 - a theatrical exhibition venture that was short-lived. New Salem had soared past 800 residents… but shy of 900 making two-theatre operations nearly impossible.

The Rex Theatre continued as a party space, dance hall and live events space into the early-1940’s. During World War II, Emil Keller bought, moved and disassembled the former Turner Hall turned Rex Theatre turned Grand Theatre and back to Rex Theatre. Not surprisingly, the material for the building was of such high quality, that Keller turned it into a two-story home.

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