The 1951 Sanborn shows a construction date of 1948. The entire block was built between 1948 and 1951, replacing a few wooden houses. After a paper mill opened in 1937, there was a huge increase in population (748 1920 to 6,437 1960).
Address is wrong. Looks like it’s 107 S Lynch. The 1921 map shows a single story general store in what looks like the same location. That may have been converted to the theater.
Before remodeling, this was the Iowa Automobile Company dealership, built in 1920 by the Woerpel brothers. The garage at rear, largely intact, became a tavern, which is the current use.
The address for the Lyceum is confusing. Elm St is called Main on the old maps. Main is also Main on those maps, except the block between Elm and Williams, which is called Elm. Anyhow, what is now Elm is all houses where a 101 would be, except a small old store on the corner with 7th, but it faces 7th.
Main Ave is very clearly not terribly ‘main’. On the old maps this area is a collection of mostly wooden buildings (a big lumberyard, the waterworks, livery stables, etc.). There was also a railyard with 5 tracks where the Rock Island, which ran diagonally behind downtown, met up with the CB&Q. Seems an odd neighborhood for a theater, but it would have had to have been 101 N, perhaps where the green shed is now. That entire half block is empty on the 1913 map, with the exception of the house at 111.
Looking through my pictures, I just noticed the little stone up at the top. I can’t quite make it out, but it looks like it might say ‘Cafe of Light’ with a ‘191x’ under it. Strangely, it doesn’t show up on the one older photo we have, which also shows the brick to be light with dark spots. Maybe that was a veneer? Was the roofline lowered before the tornado, or because of it.
Good possibilities for upstairs use would be the masonic lodge on the NE corner of Williams and 7th, a dance hall at 109-111 E Williams, or last, a small hall at 114 E Williams.
This has not been demolished. It’s clear from the satellite view that the building has been covered in that cheap and awful facade along with a neighbor. In fact, the theater building portion has an obvious gap between the front of the building and that tacky plywood mess.
The building was constructed sometime between 1898 and 1909, when the map shows it as vacant. Still vacant, and in bad repair on the 1918 map, but a store on the 1933 update.
As Joe mentioned on another theater listing, this theater was a 1940 remodel of Rose’s Opera House, which was a large square single-story building located on S Broad behind the Rose House Hotel, which was on the SW corner with 5th. Both buildings were constructed sometime before 1888. The hotel seems to have been notably unsuccessful, and the 2nd and 3rd stories are listed as vacant on several maps.
The opera house appears to have stayed in operation up to 1913 at least. The whole complex was demolished for the new offices of the First National Bank of Lacon.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Mar 23, 2022 at 10:36 am
Hard to say what was what. This could have been the Gem, or the Gem may already have folded, and this was the Star.
Not sure when it got the second story, but the 1913 map shows this as one story, with small storefronts on either side of the entrance. The upper story is Prairie style, which would have been popular in the ‘teens.
While the opera house was originally 3 stories, by 1913 it had been cut down by ten feet, and the only three story building in town was the Santa Fe Club building, well out of downtown. The ground floor was a roller rink, and the opera house was upstairs.
In addition, it seems like a film was shown at the theater in March 1967 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Lacon Tornado, so the closing/demolition date is dubious.
No, the theater was new construction, replacing a large feed/livery operation. The roller skating rink was at 314-316, the later location of the State (it had the same footprint as the theater, down to the two story building in the little nook, but appears to have a different construction).
Not sure where that address came from, but it’s ridiculously wrong. This is almost certainly the theater that appears on the Oct. 1939 Sanborn, at 109-111. At some later point, the addresses were changed, and the address is now 110. It has not been demolished, but has been butchered down to a dull flat-fronted box. It appears to be used as a residence.
The history is inaccurate. The 1913 map shows this as The Star, offering moving pictures but also a stage and scenery. The cigar factory is located on the second floor. I don’t know that it was ever a bank, that was probably a mixup with the little thing on the corner. From 1886 to 1907 it appears as a general store with offices and a store room on the second floor.
The only vacant space on the 1910 map for W 3rd was 110, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. That was a much denser area than the desolate wasteland of vacant lots and surface parking there today.
Comm. House is likely Commercial House, a hotel. This might possibly have been the Stanley Hotel at 116-118 W 2nd, which was known by 1910 and through 1916 as the Hotel Whitney. I don’t find an American Steel Wire on the 1916 map, but the area between 2nd and the river was a massive industrial complex (International Harvester, nut and bolt factory, box factory, etc.). Not sure how using one of those as a theater would have worked.
The 1951 Sanborn shows a construction date of 1948. The entire block was built between 1948 and 1951, replacing a few wooden houses. After a paper mill opened in 1937, there was a huge increase in population (748 1920 to 6,437 1960).
This theater is shown on the November 1938 Sanborn. It is still operating on the July 1951 map. The address during this period was 415 Main.
Address is wrong. Looks like it’s 107 S Lynch. The 1921 map shows a single story general store in what looks like the same location. That may have been converted to the theater.
Address should be 1828 1st St.
Note that at least up until the ‘40s, this part of Main was called Elmwood. Main began somewhere west of the square.
Based on information from Ken Roe, there was a Liberty listed in 1926, which may have been this theater if it was still in operation.
Demolished by 2014, looked really ugly by the end.
Before remodeling, this was the Iowa Automobile Company dealership, built in 1920 by the Woerpel brothers. The garage at rear, largely intact, became a tavern, which is the current use.
I will create a listing for the first Paramount.
The address for the Lyceum is confusing. Elm St is called Main on the old maps. Main is also Main on those maps, except the block between Elm and Williams, which is called Elm. Anyhow, what is now Elm is all houses where a 101 would be, except a small old store on the corner with 7th, but it faces 7th.
Main Ave is very clearly not terribly ‘main’. On the old maps this area is a collection of mostly wooden buildings (a big lumberyard, the waterworks, livery stables, etc.). There was also a railyard with 5 tracks where the Rock Island, which ran diagonally behind downtown, met up with the CB&Q. Seems an odd neighborhood for a theater, but it would have had to have been 101 N, perhaps where the green shed is now. That entire half block is empty on the 1913 map, with the exception of the house at 111.
Looking through my pictures, I just noticed the little stone up at the top. I can’t quite make it out, but it looks like it might say ‘Cafe of Light’ with a ‘191x’ under it. Strangely, it doesn’t show up on the one older photo we have, which also shows the brick to be light with dark spots. Maybe that was a veneer? Was the roofline lowered before the tornado, or because of it.
Good possibilities for upstairs use would be the masonic lodge on the NE corner of Williams and 7th, a dance hall at 109-111 E Williams, or last, a small hall at 114 E Williams.
This has not been demolished. It’s clear from the satellite view that the building has been covered in that cheap and awful facade along with a neighbor. In fact, the theater building portion has an obvious gap between the front of the building and that tacky plywood mess.
The building was constructed sometime between 1898 and 1909, when the map shows it as vacant. Still vacant, and in bad repair on the 1918 map, but a store on the 1933 update.
As Joe mentioned on another theater listing, this theater was a 1940 remodel of Rose’s Opera House, which was a large square single-story building located on S Broad behind the Rose House Hotel, which was on the SW corner with 5th. Both buildings were constructed sometime before 1888. The hotel seems to have been notably unsuccessful, and the 2nd and 3rd stories are listed as vacant on several maps.
The opera house appears to have stayed in operation up to 1913 at least. The whole complex was demolished for the new offices of the First National Bank of Lacon.
Hard to say what was what. This could have been the Gem, or the Gem may already have folded, and this was the Star.
Not sure when it got the second story, but the 1913 map shows this as one story, with small storefronts on either side of the entrance. The upper story is Prairie style, which would have been popular in the ‘teens.
While the opera house was originally 3 stories, by 1913 it had been cut down by ten feet, and the only three story building in town was the Santa Fe Club building, well out of downtown. The ground floor was a roller rink, and the opera house was upstairs.
In addition, it seems like a film was shown at the theater in March 1967 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Lacon Tornado, so the closing/demolition date is dubious.
Yes, it is.
No, the theater was new construction, replacing a large feed/livery operation. The roller skating rink was at 314-316, the later location of the State (it had the same footprint as the theater, down to the two story building in the little nook, but appears to have a different construction).
Note that while the theater was operating, the address was 106. This was changed sometime after 1939.
Not sure where that address came from, but it’s ridiculously wrong. This is almost certainly the theater that appears on the Oct. 1939 Sanborn, at 109-111. At some later point, the addresses were changed, and the address is now 110. It has not been demolished, but has been butchered down to a dull flat-fronted box. It appears to be used as a residence.
The history is inaccurate. The 1913 map shows this as The Star, offering moving pictures but also a stage and scenery. The cigar factory is located on the second floor. I don’t know that it was ever a bank, that was probably a mixup with the little thing on the corner. From 1886 to 1907 it appears as a general store with offices and a store room on the second floor.
The only vacant space on the 1910 map for W 3rd was 110, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. That was a much denser area than the desolate wasteland of vacant lots and surface parking there today.
Thanks to Joe Vogel for much of the information here!
Comm. House is likely Commercial House, a hotel. This might possibly have been the Stanley Hotel at 116-118 W 2nd, which was known by 1910 and through 1916 as the Hotel Whitney. I don’t find an American Steel Wire on the 1916 map, but the area between 2nd and the river was a massive industrial complex (International Harvester, nut and bolt factory, box factory, etc.). Not sure how using one of those as a theater would have worked.