Rancho Theatre

107 W. Pecan Street,
Coleman, TX 76834

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Long Theaters

Architects: W. Scott Dunne

Styles: Italian Renaissance

Previous Names: Howell Theatre

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1947 photo credit Roy Winstead. Courtesy of his son James Winstead.

The Howell Theatre was opened October 8, 1928. By 1950 it was operated by Long Theaters. On March 10, 1953 it was renamed Rancho Theatre. It was destroyed by fire in 1967.

Contributed by Don Lewis

Recent comments (view all 5 comments)

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on December 18, 2017 at 3:45 pm

This article about the B. C. Howell family says that the Howell Theatre in Coleman opened on October 8, 1928. The building was partly destroyed by a fire in 1967 and subsequently demolished. The family had sold the theater in 1945.

dorstar
dorstar on October 19, 2022 at 8:33 pm

The Coleman Democrat newspaper on 10 March 1953 explains that the Howell Theatre’s name was changed to “The Rancho Theatre”. The old Howell Theatre was located in downtown Coleman, on West Pecan Street. The name change was marked with a large neon sign, replacing the former Howell downtown sight.

dorstar
dorstar on October 19, 2022 at 8:47 pm

By 1953, the Howell Theatre’s name had changed to “The Rancho Theatre.”. The Coleman Democrat on February 15, 1966, shows the Rancho Theatre building fire started on Sunday night, 13 February 1966 in the projection room area in the north part of the building. The blaze possibly started in the generator room under the projection room. The theatre building was owned by Wright Howell of Dallas, grandson of the late B.C. Howell, operator of the Theatre since the late 1920s and operated the theatre as the Howell Theatre. Roland Duus owns and operates the theatre and has been operating the theatre as “The Rancho Theatre”. The fire gutted the theatre.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on October 20, 2022 at 3:06 am

Is there anything on the site now?

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