Comments from SethG

Showing 51 - 75 of 1,411 comments

SethG
SethG commented about Delight Theatre on Jan 22, 2024 at 11:49 am

Cannot find this one on the 1912 map. It might have been an aka for something, or already closed. If anyone can say what was there before or after, I could probably figure out an address.

SethG
SethG commented about Empire Theatre on Jan 22, 2024 at 9:48 am

Very basic little concrete block structure. Does not appear on the 1907 map.

SethG
SethG commented about Iowa Theatre on Jan 22, 2024 at 7:57 am

This has been demolished. Just some cruddy little one story buildings now.

SethG
SethG commented about Strand Theatre on Jan 22, 2024 at 7:23 am

The Strand was supposedly remodeled into the Astro late in its existence. The garbage ‘Trolley Center’ was supposedly built in 1964, with an extension in the ‘70s. If the original portion didn’t destroy the theater, the extension surely did.

SethG
SethG commented about Strand Theatre on Jan 22, 2024 at 7:16 am

Address is wrong. As you can see from the picture, this was behind the post office. Must have been 910-912. That was originally the Sanderson Building, constructed between 1896 and 1900. The July 1916 Sanborn shows it ‘Gutted by Fire, Being Remodeled’ The post office was torn down in 1964, and this whole block is now covered by a really repulsive ‘modern’ one story thing, which looks like a depressing little mall.

SethG
SethG commented about Park Theatre on Jan 22, 2024 at 7:05 am

Wrong listing, the Majestic was at 1018.

SethG
SethG commented about Park Theatre on Jan 22, 2024 at 7:04 am

Wrong listing, the Majestic was at 1018.

SethG
SethG commented about Park Theatre on Jan 22, 2024 at 7:02 am

Again, bad dates. This theater first appears on the 1916 map. It was in a narrow three story brick commercial building constructed between 1892 and 1896. The 1912 map shows it as a clothing store. This was demolished ages ago, and replaced by a dumpy little one story store from maybe the 1950s or ‘60s.

SethG
SethG commented about Midland Theatre on Jan 22, 2024 at 6:35 am

Address was 822-826 1st Ave S. The building was demolished many years ago. It never reopened after the 1909 fire. The 1912 map shows a building roughly the same size and height, but divided up into multiple storefronts, mostly facing 9th St. Probably an extensive remodel, but perhaps a replacement.

SethG
SethG commented about Dodge Theatre on Jan 22, 2024 at 6:24 am

The NRHP listing for this calls it the Carter Building/Majestic Theatre. Says it was built in 1913, but it appears on the Dec. 1912 Sanborn.

SethG
SethG commented about Dodge Theatre on Jan 22, 2024 at 6:17 am

Bad dates on this one. The building was constructed between 1907 and 1912, and had a theater on the west side of the ground floor from the very beginning. It’s a three-story apartment building, quite deep. Attractive and in decent shape, but I didn’t take a picture for some reason. Current occupant of the theater space is a comic book store.

SethG
SethG commented about Rialto Theater on Jan 21, 2024 at 7:44 am

Hopefully they’ll pull that repulsive sheet metal off.

SethG
SethG commented about Chief Theater on Jan 18, 2024 at 1:24 pm

This theater is much older. It appears on the 1914 Sanborn. The building was built sometime around 1900 as a Masonic lodge, and they used the upstairs.

SethG
SethG commented about Palo Alto Theater on Jan 18, 2024 at 8:54 am

Need to rewrite the chronology of the entry. This opened Summer 1948, and burned in 1949 (twice?), 1957, and 1960. It seems to have closed after the 1957 fire. Looks like the name in the articles is always Palo Alto. References to the ‘Ruthven theater’ in those articles are clearly referring to a theater in Ruthven, not a name.

We should create an entry for the Legion theater, which looks like it opened in 1934, and burned in 1936. A new building (on the same site?) opened in 1937, and burned in 1947. There must have been a serial arsonist active here.

SethG
SethG commented about Palo Alto Theater on Jan 18, 2024 at 8:39 am

There’s a lot going on in these articles, which may refer to three different buildings, and definitely two. There is no Quonset style building remaining in town. The address does not exist. The current American Legion building is at 1602 Main. It looks like it’s an old commercial building given a very ugly sheet metal makeover. The 1933 map shows it as two stores, and has the address 406-408. The 200 block then is now the 1400 block, and never had a business of any kind. This should be listed as demolished. It sounds like it was destroyed in the 1960 fire.

SethG
SethG commented about Capitol Theatre on Jan 18, 2024 at 6:30 am

The Leese building was constructed in 1925. It incorporated parts of an earlier three story opera house, which still appears on the Jan. 1925 Sanborn. It likely contained a theater from the very beginning.

SethG
SethG commented about Pilot Theatre on Jan 12, 2024 at 5:44 am

There is no such address. Highest even 100 on the west end is 134, which quite obviously was not a theater. Going E, the highest even is 108, which belongs to a bank. 126 W Main is a possibility. It’s the right size and shape, but it does have an old fire siren on top, so it might have been municipal.

SethG
SethG commented about Grand Theatre on Jan 9, 2024 at 8:02 pm

Falke’s theater was on the second floor. The building housed his implement and auto sales operations. By 1929 it was a dance hall, which still had a stage, by 1941 it had become part of the dealership. For whatever stupid reason, I did not take a picture of it, even though I walked past it.

SethG
SethG commented about Vogue Theatre on Jan 9, 2024 at 10:42 am

Thanks for firming up the dates!

SethG
SethG commented about Legion Theatre on Jan 7, 2024 at 8:41 am

Thanks to Ken Roe for providing the theater listings!

SethG
SethG commented about Tulip Theatre on Jan 6, 2024 at 7:50 pm

The address is really confusing. I’m not sure how 8th St was decided on, but it can’t be right. There doesn’t seem to have ever been a Main St. What is now Central Ave was once called Washington. I can’t find a Tulip anywhere, either today or on the 1914 map, the most recent available online. Almost everything running N-S has been renamed and the numbered streets south of 1st St N once had people’s names. The numbered streets from 1st St N northwards always had numbers, only the N was added to distinguish them from their southern counterparts.

SethG
SethG commented about Sac Theater on Jan 6, 2024 at 3:12 pm

That means the Casino is almost certainly the building at 117 N 5th. It’s certainly big enough, and does not appear on the 1915 map.

SethG
SethG commented about Chieftain Theatre on Jan 6, 2024 at 7:58 am

Despite driving right past this on my way out of town, I did not take a picture.

SethG
SethG commented about Theatre on Jan 5, 2024 at 5:04 pm

My thought as well. That was probably an informal storefront operation. 100 tops is what I’d guess.

SethG
SethG commented about Empress Theatre on Jan 5, 2024 at 4:20 pm

There is a later Sanborn of the town, but the LoC doesn’t have it scanned. You have been able to access the Iowa State collection before (never works for me), perhaps you can answer this.