On January 20, 1907 there was a major fire that destroyed the building that this theater was located so we would have to figure that it was in operation prior to 1/1/1907. The newspaper article doesn’t mention the theater, but then the bigger news was that two major department stores were destroyed.
Just discovered that this theater had the same address as the Hippodrome Theater not that the two were one in the same, for they weren’t, but it does help locating it on the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map.
Chris, I don’t know how familiar you are with Youngstown, but the area on Wilson Avenue, aside from a couple of small businesses was residential, just as was the case of the Lincoln Theater on Himrod Avenue. Both were East Side neighborhood theaters. Wilson Avenue was and still is a main street that connects Youngstown and Campbell, and have always been mixed use streets with commercial and residential areas. There were two theaters on Wilson Avenue. The Wilson, and another theater on Wilson Avenue and Center Street.
What made the Market Street Theatre unique was the fact that unlike other neighborhood theaters, it was fully equipped to present live shows … a large stage that was fully outfitted … and dressing rooms, and was managed by a member of the Shagren family who was heavily involved in theaters all over the city including the Grand Opera House; the Park Theater; the Strand Theater; to name a few. One of the Shagren’s would join the Warner brothers by becoming manger of a number of Warner stars.
On the theater page of the Vindicator for 1923, there is an ad for a Broadway Theater at the location of the Wilson. Now point of clarification, this section of Wilson Avenue was primarily residential according to Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, which leads me to wonder how the name change came about and when it was changed back to the Wilson Theater. I’ve put a copy of the ad in the photo section for this theater.
A 1923 ad in the Youngstown Vindicator theater page had an ad for a Broadway Theater at this location, yet this name doesn’t appear in later ads and the ad’s revert back to the Wilson Theater. Does anyone have any further information that could clear this up. A copy of the 1923 ad is in the photo section of this theater.
Could someone who is an authority on the Warner Brothers holdings in Youngstown please advise on any connection that they had with the Bijou Theatre. I understand that they had a connection with a Bijou theatre here in Youngstown but since there were two at different Bijou Theatres we need to know which one it was. We thank you for any help you can be.
This theater was located on West Federal Street in the downtown section, but we haven’t been able to find the full address. If anyone can fill in the gaps we’d be greatful. Unfortunately the newspaper ads for this theater were sporatic so that we have little to go by.
There was a theater that was opened in the 1970’s at the corner of West Federal Street and Belmont Avenue that had the name “New Park Theater” that was a burlesque and XXX rated movie theater, but it had absolutely no relation to the old Park Theater. This theater was mob owned. At one point, one of the dancers set fire to the theater. It eventually went out of business and the building was demolished.Today a large plasma bank stands in its place.
This theater was also home to a local theater group, and what is interesting is in their newspaper ads, they were linked to the Bell (Campbell) and the Ritz (Struthers).
I’m a little confused. in 1917 there was a Nixon Theatre at 1030 Poland Avenue in Youngstown, but in a search of the Vindicator I didn’t come across a Nixon in Campbell. Does anyone have a street address for a Nixon in Campbell?
Thank you ERD. In case you didn’t know it, the Warnerswere from Youngstown and were not only in various businesses, but some ofthe brothers were active in various theatrical businesses. Sam Warner brought movies to the Grand Opera House; Jack Warner was active in one of Youngstown’s stock companies that performed at the theater in Idora Park as well as the Grand Opera House. The warners also had a financial interest in several of Youngstown’s early movie theaters such as the Rex and Bijou, and later the Dome before finally building the Warner Theater that was built in memory of Sam Warner.
This year this jewel is celebrating it’s 84th birthday, and it’s original splendor stands as a monument to the Warner’s and the men that built her. March 14,1931 saw theater goers attending the opening night show in cloths worthy of those attending the crowning of a king.
Guess what folks, the Victory Theater and the Fox Theater both were at the same address, so here is the delemma, since there were ads on the theater page of the Youngstown Vindicator at different dates of course, what further details can we come up with to get a clear picture of the theater? We do know that as the Fox Theater its ads indicate that it was owned by Peter Wellman, since I doubt that he would have allowed a competitor theater to have an ad clearly joined at the hip with his theaters.
In trying to compile a reasonably accurate history of the movie theaters in Youngstown it takes twelve sluths, and a hand full of assistants to get the job done, because the local newspaper leaves a lot to be desired.
During World War Two, the price of admission for children was two crushed tin cans to aid in the war effort according to older residents who remember the theater.
So far as can be determined, this was Youngstown’s first Drive-In. It didn’t last long, but it set the stage for other local Drive-In theaters thanks in no small portion to Peter Wellman who built most of our Drive-In Theaters.
The actual date for the opening of this theater is in the photo dection for this theater so regardless of name changes the Milliken Theater was the original name for the record, therefore the opening date was 1915. When it reopened as the Center theatre it was an old building.
Mr. Vogel, I want to take this opportunity to thank both you and Ken for all the help that you’ve been in compiling so much information on all our theaters.
Can anyone help me, I stumbled across an ad in the theater page of the Vindicator for the Outdoor Auto Theater – a Drive In that was located on Rt. 62, Youngstown Hubbard Road. Can anyone tell me about this theater. I only saw it once and never saw it in the listings in the newspaper.
On January 20, 1907 there was a major fire that destroyed the building that this theater was located so we would have to figure that it was in operation prior to 1/1/1907. The newspaper article doesn’t mention the theater, but then the bigger news was that two major department stores were destroyed.
Just discovered that this theater had the same address as the Hippodrome Theater not that the two were one in the same, for they weren’t, but it does help locating it on the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map.
For a time, George M. Cohan had an interest in the Park Theatre, and would come here each year with a show.
Chris, I don’t know how familiar you are with Youngstown, but the area on Wilson Avenue, aside from a couple of small businesses was residential, just as was the case of the Lincoln Theater on Himrod Avenue. Both were East Side neighborhood theaters. Wilson Avenue was and still is a main street that connects Youngstown and Campbell, and have always been mixed use streets with commercial and residential areas. There were two theaters on Wilson Avenue. The Wilson, and another theater on Wilson Avenue and Center Street.
What made the Market Street Theatre unique was the fact that unlike other neighborhood theaters, it was fully equipped to present live shows … a large stage that was fully outfitted … and dressing rooms, and was managed by a member of the Shagren family who was heavily involved in theaters all over the city including the Grand Opera House; the Park Theater; the Strand Theater; to name a few. One of the Shagren’s would join the Warner brothers by becoming manger of a number of Warner stars.
The listed address above is wrong. The exact address as shown on the Sanborn Fire Insurance was 1427 Market Street, NOT 479. SEE MAP IN PHOTO SECTION.
On the theater page of the Vindicator for 1923, there is an ad for a Broadway Theater at the location of the Wilson. Now point of clarification, this section of Wilson Avenue was primarily residential according to Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, which leads me to wonder how the name change came about and when it was changed back to the Wilson Theater. I’ve put a copy of the ad in the photo section for this theater.
A 1923 ad in the Youngstown Vindicator theater page had an ad for a Broadway Theater at this location, yet this name doesn’t appear in later ads and the ad’s revert back to the Wilson Theater. Does anyone have any further information that could clear this up. A copy of the 1923 ad is in the photo section of this theater.
In February, 1909, the Edison was sold to Joseph W. Wess.
Could someone who is an authority on the Warner Brothers holdings in Youngstown please advise on any connection that they had with the Bijou Theatre. I understand that they had a connection with a Bijou theatre here in Youngstown but since there were two at different Bijou Theatres we need to know which one it was. We thank you for any help you can be.
This theater was located on West Federal Street in the downtown section, but we haven’t been able to find the full address. If anyone can fill in the gaps we’d be greatful. Unfortunately the newspaper ads for this theater were sporatic so that we have little to go by.
This ad ran on April 7, 1901 in the Youngstown Vindicator.
There was a theater that was opened in the 1970’s at the corner of West Federal Street and Belmont Avenue that had the name “New Park Theater” that was a burlesque and XXX rated movie theater, but it had absolutely no relation to the old Park Theater. This theater was mob owned. At one point, one of the dancers set fire to the theater. It eventually went out of business and the building was demolished.Today a large plasma bank stands in its place.
This theater was also home to a local theater group, and what is interesting is in their newspaper ads, they were linked to the Bell (Campbell) and the Ritz (Struthers).
I’m a little confused. in 1917 there was a Nixon Theatre at 1030 Poland Avenue in Youngstown, but in a search of the Vindicator I didn’t come across a Nixon in Campbell. Does anyone have a street address for a Nixon in Campbell?
Thank you ERD. In case you didn’t know it, the Warnerswere from Youngstown and were not only in various businesses, but some ofthe brothers were active in various theatrical businesses. Sam Warner brought movies to the Grand Opera House; Jack Warner was active in one of Youngstown’s stock companies that performed at the theater in Idora Park as well as the Grand Opera House. The warners also had a financial interest in several of Youngstown’s early movie theaters such as the Rex and Bijou, and later the Dome before finally building the Warner Theater that was built in memory of Sam Warner.
This year this jewel is celebrating it’s 84th birthday, and it’s original splendor stands as a monument to the Warner’s and the men that built her. March 14,1931 saw theater goers attending the opening night show in cloths worthy of those attending the crowning of a king.
Guess what folks, the Victory Theater and the Fox Theater both were at the same address, so here is the delemma, since there were ads on the theater page of the Youngstown Vindicator at different dates of course, what further details can we come up with to get a clear picture of the theater? We do know that as the Fox Theater its ads indicate that it was owned by Peter Wellman, since I doubt that he would have allowed a competitor theater to have an ad clearly joined at the hip with his theaters.
In trying to compile a reasonably accurate history of the movie theaters in Youngstown it takes twelve sluths, and a hand full of assistants to get the job done, because the local newspaper leaves a lot to be desired.
During World War Two, the price of admission for children was two crushed tin cans to aid in the war effort according to older residents who remember the theater.
So far as can be determined, this was Youngstown’s first Drive-In. It didn’t last long, but it set the stage for other local Drive-In theaters thanks in no small portion to Peter Wellman who built most of our Drive-In Theaters.
Actially the Wilsonian Theatre was opened in 1914. The big question is, was the Wilsonian and the Wilson one in the same theater?
The actual date for the opening of this theater is in the photo dection for this theater so regardless of name changes the Milliken Theater was the original name for the record, therefore the opening date was 1915. When it reopened as the Center theatre it was an old building.
Mr. Vogel, I want to take this opportunity to thank both you and Ken for all the help that you’ve been in compiling so much information on all our theaters.
The Idora Park Theatre was in the Idora Amusement Park near the beautiful Idora Park Ballroom and presented both film and live shows.
Can anyone help me, I stumbled across an ad in the theater page of the Vindicator for the Outdoor Auto Theater – a Drive In that was located on Rt. 62, Youngstown Hubbard Road. Can anyone tell me about this theater. I only saw it once and never saw it in the listings in the newspaper.