Clarick Theatre

2200 Main Street,
Baker City, OR 97814

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Additional Info

Previous Names: Baker City Opera House

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The Baker County Library notes the Baker City Opera House was built about 1900. It cost $35,000 and originally seated 1,077 with three balconies contained in the four-story structure. In 1925 owners K.L. and Jack F. Burk renamed it the Clarick after Clara and Fredericka, their relatives.

As noted by the Eltrym Theatre, while owned by Frank and Myrtle Buckmiller since 1928 the Clarick Theatre was destroyed by fire November 12, 1937, leaving the Buckmillers with their Empire Theatre and Orpheum Theatre. Myrtle passed away in January 1940, but was remembered by a clever twist to her name for the Eltrym Theatre, which opened in June 1940.

As a movie theatre Film Daily Year Book 1926 listed the Clarick Theatre with 600 seats and then later with 650, perhaps because the balconies were closed.

The former location can be found today by the now fading Art Deco style Safeway market, later built on the site.

Contributed by Ron Pierce

Recent comments (view all 1 comments)

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on December 31, 2017 at 3:09 pm

The 1909-1910 Cahn guide lists the Baker Opera House as a ground-floor theater with a stage 30 feet deep from footlights to back wall and 59 ½ feet between side walls. There were 400 seats on the orchestra floor, 302 in the balcony, and 375 in the gallery.

The September 13, 1900, issue of Engineering News reported that the contract had been let to Grant & Haines for construction of the new opera house at Baker City, but no details were provided. A late 1900 opening is possible, but early 1901 is as likely.

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