Bijou Theatre

The Bijou was a small, new-build vaudeville house designed to house the Kohl & Castle Vaudeville Circuit which catered to women and children. The family-friendly Bijou opened December 4, 1905 to a capacity crowd. By 1908, movies were decimating the Bijou’s business and it closed on February 28, 1908 reopening for shows sporadically in March, April and, finally, May 2, 1908. Based on the lack of operation in the summer months for the entirety of the Bijou’s lifespan, it was undoubtedly a ventilation-challenged building.

Nels Clong took on the venue after more than six months of vacancy opening it on December 26, 1909 as a movie house closing early in 1910 with too many nickelodeons already in the market. H.A. Underwood took on the dormant theatre reopening it on December 16, 1911 and also running it as a nickel cinema.

The Bijou Theatre was closed for nine months reopening by Samuel Bates in 1913 after a refresh as a popular price movie theatre with two Powers 6 projectors and a new piano. He closed in 1914. After being dormant for many months, the Bijou was relit in August of 1914 by N.M. and W.A. McLaughlin who got the Mutual Film Studio contract running it until May of 1915 - and likely end of lease. C.A. Wylie moved into the location as a feed store. The building was demolished many years ago, and the location is a parking lot.

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