This was not where the Fox is. It was located on the E Side of the Square according to the 1914-15 American Motion Picture Directory (Probably 112 N Cedar). The 1914 map shows a garage where the Fox is. Given that the theater is slathered in trashy metal siding, it’s hard to say, but it’s possible that the Fox was a remodel of that building.
SethG
commented about
Theateron
May 31, 2025 at 11:29 am
I’ve added a map view. The theater was on the corner with Marmaton Ave, a now vanished street that ran roughly where the sidewalk on the NW side of the parade ground is today. The front of the building was about where the cloverleaf shaped planter is now.
Thanks, Joe. Here’s the comment I put on the Peoples page, and should have copied here:
In 1927, the Peoples and the Mainstreet were operated by the Harding Circuit (Capitol Enterprises). In 1928, both were operated by the Midland Theater and Realty Co. of Kansas City, although Universal owned 50% of both houses. By 1930, both were part of the massive Wesco Corporation (owned by Fox).
SethG
commented about
Theateron
May 29, 2025 at 3:38 pm
The KHRI entry: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=133-0870-00006
In 1927, the Peoples and the Mainstreet were operated by the Harding Circuit (Capitol Enterprises). In 1928, both were operated by the Midland Theater and Realty Co. of Kansas City, although Universal owned 50% of both houses. By 1930, both were part of the massive Wesco Corporation (owned by Fox).
I think I found the Grand, and I even have a picture of it. It does not appear on the 1924 map because it hadn’t been built yet. It was at 205 E Main, now an insurance office. In 1924 there was a one story wooden printing operation there.
Any idea whether the Williams Opera House showed movies? It was open in 1906, but is condemned on the 1911 map, and was remodeled into a Montgomery Ward.
I actually parked right across the street from this, but did not get a picture because it has a really weird remodel that must date to just after its closure. The top 4 feet or so are an older yellow brick building, the rest is a bizarre and clunky thing that looks like a bank. I assume, given the early name, that this building always belonged to the Eagles.
The Peoples was likely demolished. Downtown is in very sad shape.
Reminder that the changes made based on Trolleyguy’s comment need to be reverted. He was not saying that it had become a church, merely that the church runs the youth center.
About 1920, Sanborn maps switched to being maddeningly vague. Everything is just a ‘store’. Banks, garages, and a few other things are still identified. Theaters should have been noted, as they carry an obvious insurance risk.
Needs a history written up with the information Joe provided. The dates must be correct. The Jan. 1902 Sanborn shows a small wooden hotel on this corner.
The Peoples was open by 1914-15, when it is listed in the AMPD (although the address is listed as 228, which doesn’t seem to have existed, and would have been the Hetrick if it had). It replaced an airdome which is shown on the 1911 map. I’ve added a 1916 view.
The address was 220-224 E Main. The block is in pitiful shape, with only the 2 story building just to the left of the white (wooden?) building remaining. The site of the theater is a parking lot.
Not at an intersection, and not on Main. The theater is at 115-117 W Butler. Dates are wrong as well. The Star is listed in the 1914-15 AMPD. The building was originally the Apollo Hall (later Apollo Opera House), built between 1897 and 1901. The capacity of the opera house is listed as 600 in the 1905 Cahn guide. The theater was still open in 1986 when the NRHP survey for downtown was done. The building is in fairly threadbare condition. The outdoor ticket booth has been destroyed and that side of the building has been derelict since well before 2010. There was a senior center on the other side, which may now be closed.
I do not think the address is right. While 203 is indeed a taxi station on the 1917 map, it is furniture storage on the 1912 map (and an armory in 1905). I see no theaters on the east side except for the Elite at 3 S Jefferson in 1912, and moved to 1 S Jefferson in 1917.
Not sure why this is listed as demolished. The building is still there, although it’s an incredibly ugly siding box. Who knows what’s under the sheet metal?
This was not where the Fox is. It was located on the E Side of the Square according to the 1914-15 American Motion Picture Directory (Probably 112 N Cedar). The 1914 map shows a garage where the Fox is. Given that the theater is slathered in trashy metal siding, it’s hard to say, but it’s possible that the Fox was a remodel of that building.
I’ve added a map view. The theater was on the corner with Marmaton Ave, a now vanished street that ran roughly where the sidewalk on the NW side of the parade ground is today. The front of the building was about where the cloverleaf shaped planter is now.
KHRI link with some historic photos: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=011-1830-00067
The building dates to before 1884, and by 1906 it was a department store of sorts, along with the building to the south.
Here’s the KHRI page, which does have the wrong construction date: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=011-1830-00045
Again the obsession with corners. The first sentence should be deleted, this is halfway down the block.
Thanks, Joe. Here’s the comment I put on the Peoples page, and should have copied here:
In 1927, the Peoples and the Mainstreet were operated by the Harding Circuit (Capitol Enterprises). In 1928, both were operated by the Midland Theater and Realty Co. of Kansas City, although Universal owned 50% of both houses. By 1930, both were part of the massive Wesco Corporation (owned by Fox).
The KHRI entry: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=133-0870-00006
In 1927, the Peoples and the Mainstreet were operated by the Harding Circuit (Capitol Enterprises). In 1928, both were operated by the Midland Theater and Realty Co. of Kansas City, although Universal owned 50% of both houses. By 1930, both were part of the massive Wesco Corporation (owned by Fox).
I think I found the Grand, and I even have a picture of it. It does not appear on the 1924 map because it hadn’t been built yet. It was at 205 E Main, now an insurance office. In 1924 there was a one story wooden printing operation there.
Any idea whether the Williams Opera House showed movies? It was open in 1906, but is condemned on the 1911 map, and was remodeled into a Montgomery Ward.
I actually parked right across the street from this, but did not get a picture because it has a really weird remodel that must date to just after its closure. The top 4 feet or so are an older yellow brick building, the rest is a bizarre and clunky thing that looks like a bank. I assume, given the early name, that this building always belonged to the Eagles.
The Peoples was likely demolished. Downtown is in very sad shape.
Reminder that the changes made based on Trolleyguy’s comment need to be reverted. He was not saying that it had become a church, merely that the church runs the youth center.
About 1920, Sanborn maps switched to being maddeningly vague. Everything is just a ‘store’. Banks, garages, and a few other things are still identified. Theaters should have been noted, as they carry an obvious insurance risk.
Needs a history written up with the information Joe provided. The dates must be correct. The Jan. 1902 Sanborn shows a small wooden hotel on this corner.
Again, not at a corner, and the listing has the wrong closing date, since it was demolished in 2006.
The Peoples was open by 1914-15, when it is listed in the AMPD (although the address is listed as 228, which doesn’t seem to have existed, and would have been the Hetrick if it had). It replaced an airdome which is shown on the 1911 map. I’ve added a 1916 view.
The address was 220-224 E Main. The block is in pitiful shape, with only the 2 story building just to the left of the white (wooden?) building remaining. The site of the theater is a parking lot.
Surely we can have a better main photo than a terrible blurry picture of one corner of the screen?
Link to the KHRI entry for this building - https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=207-6010-00033
Not at an intersection, and not on Main. The theater is at 115-117 W Butler. Dates are wrong as well. The Star is listed in the 1914-15 AMPD. The building was originally the Apollo Hall (later Apollo Opera House), built between 1897 and 1901. The capacity of the opera house is listed as 600 in the 1905 Cahn guide. The theater was still open in 1986 when the NRHP survey for downtown was done. The building is in fairly threadbare condition. The outdoor ticket booth has been destroyed and that side of the building has been derelict since well before 2010. There was a senior center on the other side, which may now be closed.
That makes sense. The new Empress was supposedly a remodeled commercial building, but he could have used the name here first.
The map is from 1916, so you may well be right. I got my information from one of the other listings, which I felt misidentified the Empress.
Trolleyguy’s comment was misinterpreted. The church runs the youth center. The changes should be reverted.
I do not think the address is right. While 203 is indeed a taxi station on the 1917 map, it is furniture storage on the 1912 map (and an armory in 1905). I see no theaters on the east side except for the Elite at 3 S Jefferson in 1912, and moved to 1 S Jefferson in 1917.
The building is in good shape, although the ground floor is pretty ugly. It’s a CPAs office.
Not sure why this is listed as demolished. The building is still there, although it’s an incredibly ugly siding box. Who knows what’s under the sheet metal?