Adler Theater
150 Hewett Street,
Neillsville,
WI
54456
150 Hewett Street,
Neillsville,
WI
54456
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Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
This website has a photo of the Adler Theater dated around 1940.
Neillsville Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 7 April 1932
“OPELT WINS CONTEST
Max Opelt won first prize in the harmonica contest at Adler’s theater Friday night. Marlin Bandelow was second and John Sladek third. The contest, which was conducted by Dr. M. L. Claflin, drew a large crowd. The entertainment met with the hearty approval of the audience".
This May 1950 article in the Clark County Press mentions that William Tragdorf opened the Adler in the early twenties:
Ole Botnen was a familiar figure to all in the area who have, at one time or another, called for help with pipes, valves, traps and gadgets. He began in the plumbing trade back in 1910, when he started working in Neillsville’s only plumbing shop, operated by Tom Hommel. The shop then was located in the basement of the old Opera House, better known to present-day Neillsville-ites as the Armory.
Then years later, in 1920, Ole started working for P. M. Warlum and for the last 30 years he has been associated with this organization and its successor, Warlum-Robinson, Inc. At that time, the Warlum shop was located in what now is the annex of the Adler Theater, which houses the Neillsville Beauty Salon on Sixth Street. After a year or two, the property was purchased by the late William Tragsdorf, who established the theater. The Warlum shop and Ole Botnen with it, moved into the basement of the building, which is now the Model Laundry. At that time, it housed the Badger Theater. The stay there was not long and the Warlum concern transferred its base of operations to the building now occupied by the Moldenhauer Jewelry store.
1987 Photo
From the photo posted by LM we at least know that the Adler was still open in 1987.
The Adler theatre was a huge part of my childhood. I was a big city girl living in Chicago, but every year my family would visit my grandfather and his realitives living in Neillsville at least twice a year. If you have ever visited Neilsville in the 60,s and 70,s there was not a lot of activities but we created our own and they are some of the best memories of my childhood. The Adler theatre’s price was 35 cents for admission. Even in chicago we were charging $2.00. this was incredible for a young child and young teen. We went to the movies every night. We memorized the lines in the movies and could quote them at great length. Some of my favorites were the Impossible Years with David Niven. It was so timely, and the best was Funny Girl with Barbara Streisand. Wish I could see these movies again at the Adler.