Lyceum Theatre

The first movies in town were shown in the Wyoming Opera House. But three nickelodeon-era theaters soon co-existed in town. Frank Warren and Pauline Terwilliger operated four theatres in the area - one in the Swan Building in Wyoming, one in Toulon, one in Princeville, and the Airdome in Wyoming. L.A. Castle operated another nickelodeon. “Doc” Harvey and Lawrence Higbee operated the Princess Theatre in the existing Liggett Building on East Williams Street launching on November 2, 1912.

The Lyceum moniker was first ascribed to entertainment shows in Harty’s Hall circa 1911. Higbee opened the Lyceum Theatre beginning regular operation in 1913 with motion pictures. The Lyceum moved here beginning with showtimes on May 31, 1916 becoming the survivor of the nickelodeon shake out that occurred not only in Wyoming but many small Illinois towns. Its 350-seat capacity was larger than the other hardtop theaters.

Higbee hired 12-year old Marion Bodwell as his projectionist - clearly in a different era. Bodwell would create his own theatre, the Paramount, at the Lyceum’s genesis of Harty’s Hall in 1923. The present-day Lyceum suffered from the Paramount’s competition and superior marketing efforts.

Final Lyceum operators, Mr. and Mrs. E. Cox announced shows for the first week of August 1924 but were gone before those playdates - headed with all their equipment in hand toward Camp Point, Illinois. They must have caught wind that Peoria-based T-Man Frank Imes was en route with a padlock and a lien order against the Coxes and the quickly closed Lyceum. This was said to be the first such Internal Revenue action in Wyoming’s commercial district. It would not be the last.

The local newspaper moved into the former Lyceum building, staying for decades. And, as of the 2020s, the former Lyceum building was still standing and in use as an insurance office.

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