Since this very poor listing only supplied a bad address, all I can add is that this theater was not there on the 1916 map. No later maps available online.
Address is absolutely wrong. There’s almost nothing on Main St. This was at 109 or possibly 111 N 3rd. It’s now a vacant lot south of the newspaper office.
There definitely was no building where the Barrymore is in the early 1900s, but that doesn’t prove anything either way. If the Emmert did not burn or something, the Barrymore is almost certainly separate. The current facade for the Barrymore definitely dates to the 1930s. It’s used as a senior center. The address would be 102 or 104 E 2nd.
This was one of the first theaters in town. The building was very old, and dated to before 1883. The theater was the northernmost storefront in a two story brick building. The 1902 map shows the Daily Press and print shop operating there, but the August 1908 map shows the theater. The building on the corner, and at least part of the building containing the theater were demolished around 1918 for the bank building which is still on the corner. The theater probably would have been either right next door to the bank or one door further north. It’s now a parking lot.
The fire was a lot earlier, and seems to have ‘closed’ the theater. This portion of the building was demolished afterward, and an ugly little one story storefront replaced it. The incident in 2016 was the collapse of the old building on the corner. The theater was never converted into a nightclub, it was demolished after the fire. The other 2/3 of the building was incorporated into the bar, and given a disgusting dryvit remodel.
This should be listed as demolished. It was probably demolished after the fire. The ugly little one story building on the site of the theater, which used a 130 address, has itself now been demolished. The remainder of the building has had the tacky and awful remodel stripped off, revealing the tile facade. There is a typo in the listing, saying it was the Olympic in 1915. That should be Olympia.
From an old postcard, it’s clear a third floor was added. The second floor had very ornate hoodmoldings that appear to be brick, while the third floor had much simple and taller windows. There was a pent tile roof, under which hung large globe light fixtures.
The front was much older. First built between 1892 and 1896, as a two story triple storefront for a wholesale grocer. By 1901 it was either enlarged or replaced with a building of the same shape, but three stories.
Information posted by Joe on the Empress listing sheds some new light. The Happy Hour was opened by a Mr. Ferris, who sold it to Sisk and James in July of 1916. He kept the Happy Hour name and moved it to the Empress, which he had just purchased. Sisk and James supplied the new name, but the US didn’t enter the war for another year. This makes two Americans, and two Happy Hours!
I don’t know where the AMPD got that 338 address, but it was wrong. There was no 300 block at all. Numbers went from 200 east of the railroad to 400 west of it. The theater does not appear on the December 1914 Sanborn. There were two theaters one block to the west. One must have been the Empress, since it was nearly at the end. The other, two doors to the east, must have been the Happy Hour. The history needs to be clarified, and the AKA removed. As Gustafson wrote years ago, this theater was built 1920-25.
I guess James and Sisk explains the JS monograms over the side entrances.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Mar 24, 2024 at 8:01 am
Since we know the other early theater was the Majestic, this either has to be the Electric, or the Electric was one door to the south in the Briggs Block, and came and went between maps.
I’m not sure we have the ID right. A 200 seat theater would have fit just about anywhere. There are a lot of buildings missing. The bowling alley looks more like an old dealership or garage, and is really big to only have fit 200 people. 350-375 seems like a different building from a 200 seater. That larger capacity makes a little more sense for the bowling alley. Frustratingly, there do not seem to have been any Sanborns made of Jewell, even though it was close to 1,000 people by 1900.
Since this very poor listing only supplied a bad address, all I can add is that this theater was not there on the 1916 map. No later maps available online.
Address is absolutely wrong. There’s almost nothing on Main St. This was at 109 or possibly 111 N 3rd. It’s now a vacant lot south of the newspaper office.
There definitely was no building where the Barrymore is in the early 1900s, but that doesn’t prove anything either way. If the Emmert did not burn or something, the Barrymore is almost certainly separate. The current facade for the Barrymore definitely dates to the 1930s. It’s used as a senior center. The address would be 102 or 104 E 2nd.
Closed July of 1975. This was built from the start as a theater, the May 1916 map shows that corner empty. Site is now a desolate little park.
Closed 1961, demolished 1963, to add to the giant desert of surface parking that makes up about half of downtown.
This was one of the first theaters in town. The building was very old, and dated to before 1883. The theater was the northernmost storefront in a two story brick building. The 1902 map shows the Daily Press and print shop operating there, but the August 1908 map shows the theater. The building on the corner, and at least part of the building containing the theater were demolished around 1918 for the bank building which is still on the corner. The theater probably would have been either right next door to the bank or one door further north. It’s now a parking lot.
The fire was a lot earlier, and seems to have ‘closed’ the theater. This portion of the building was demolished afterward, and an ugly little one story storefront replaced it. The incident in 2016 was the collapse of the old building on the corner. The theater was never converted into a nightclub, it was demolished after the fire. The other 2/3 of the building was incorporated into the bar, and given a disgusting dryvit remodel.
Should be ‘Cozy’ within the listing, not ‘Cosy’, unless that was an aka.
That makes sense. This was not a big town, and having two across the street from each other was silly.
This should be listed as demolished. It was probably demolished after the fire. The ugly little one story building on the site of the theater, which used a 130 address, has itself now been demolished. The remainder of the building has had the tacky and awful remodel stripped off, revealing the tile facade. There is a typo in the listing, saying it was the Olympic in 1915. That should be Olympia.
From an old postcard, it’s clear a third floor was added. The second floor had very ornate hoodmoldings that appear to be brick, while the third floor had much simple and taller windows. There was a pent tile roof, under which hung large globe light fixtures.
The front was much older. First built between 1892 and 1896, as a two story triple storefront for a wholesale grocer. By 1901 it was either enlarged or replaced with a building of the same shape, but three stories.
Torn down many years ago. Was a large three story building fronting a two story auditorium. Replaced by a cheap and drab little mini-mall.
Run by Krull now, not sure when that changed. Website should be: https://krullcinemas.com/Locations/Main%20Street%203
The name is especially dopey because Sheldon has no Main St at all.
Information posted by Joe on the Empress listing sheds some new light. The Happy Hour was opened by a Mr. Ferris, who sold it to Sisk and James in July of 1916. He kept the Happy Hour name and moved it to the Empress, which he had just purchased. Sisk and James supplied the new name, but the US didn’t enter the war for another year. This makes two Americans, and two Happy Hours!
Sounds like the Family was a short-lived operation. Maps here are from 1899 and 1909, leaving a gap that it must have existed in.
Interesting. So it looks like the information about the renaming was incorrect. Some of the Happy Hour/American history will have to be changed.
Based on an old postcard, I believe this was the Wonderland.
Minor correction - According to the NRHP listing for downtown, the replacement is from 1974. Not clear if the earlier building lasted that long.
This is a better website (links direct to this theater): https://www.fridleytheatres.com/movie-theater/cherokee-american3
I don’t know where the AMPD got that 338 address, but it was wrong. There was no 300 block at all. Numbers went from 200 east of the railroad to 400 west of it. The theater does not appear on the December 1914 Sanborn. There were two theaters one block to the west. One must have been the Empress, since it was nearly at the end. The other, two doors to the east, must have been the Happy Hour. The history needs to be clarified, and the AKA removed. As Gustafson wrote years ago, this theater was built 1920-25.
I guess James and Sisk explains the JS monograms over the side entrances.
Since we know the other early theater was the Majestic, this either has to be the Electric, or the Electric was one door to the south in the Briggs Block, and came and went between maps.
The 1916 map gives a capacity of 442. I wonder if the balcony being closed accounts for the difference.
I’m not sure we have the ID right. A 200 seat theater would have fit just about anywhere. There are a lot of buildings missing. The bowling alley looks more like an old dealership or garage, and is really big to only have fit 200 people. 350-375 seems like a different building from a 200 seater. That larger capacity makes a little more sense for the bowling alley. Frustratingly, there do not seem to have been any Sanborns made of Jewell, even though it was close to 1,000 people by 1900.