Link is dead, so it’s hard to say, but there’s no theater shown here on the 1923 map. The location does match some history on the Webster’s site. 504 and 506 were the original structure of the three story Grand Central Hotel, later the St. James, which was built sometime before 1885. Between 1907 and 1915, a two story building was constructed at 508. This seems to have been an annex to the hotel, and they used the second floor. The 1915 map shows it vacant, and the 1923 map shows a drugstore here. It was quite a bit deeper, and would have made a decent theater, but the timeline is not working.
The building was constructed sometime between 1892 and 1896, and was originally a furniture store. The 1915 map shows it as a harness shop. Now an antique store
Does 500 seem overlarge for a nickelodeon? Anyhow, the 1907 map has nothing on any corner of 10th & Central except a large old home on the SE corner, which had become an Ear & Eye Hospital. 1912 has the hospital SE, the Wahkonsa Hotel (1910 - still there) SW, a small one story commercial building with three storefronts NW (still there, heavily remodeled and extended in the rear), and an Airdome on the NE corner. I had listed that one separately. Do you suppose it might have been the same thing?
The 1912 map is from December, so it may well have been open earlier that year. I was in Ft. Dodge in December, and I pity the surveyor who had to spend so long outside.
Cannot find this one on the 1912 map. It might have been an aka for something, or already closed. If anyone can say what was there before or after, I could probably figure out an address.
The Strand was supposedly remodeled into the Astro late in its existence. The garbage ‘Trolley Center’ was supposedly built in 1964, with an extension in the ‘70s. If the original portion didn’t destroy the theater, the extension surely did.
Address is wrong. As you can see from the picture, this was behind the post office. Must have been 910-912. That was originally the Sanderson Building, constructed between 1896 and 1900. The July 1916 Sanborn shows it ‘Gutted by Fire, Being Remodeled’ The post office was torn down in 1964, and this whole block is now covered by a really repulsive ‘modern’ one story thing, which looks like a depressing little mall.
Again, bad dates. This theater first appears on the 1916 map. It was in a narrow three story brick commercial building constructed between 1892 and 1896. The 1912 map shows it as a clothing store. This was demolished ages ago, and replaced by a dumpy little one story store from maybe the 1950s or ‘60s.
Address was 822-826 1st Ave S. The building was demolished many years ago. It never reopened after the 1909 fire. The 1912 map shows a building roughly the same size and height, but divided up into multiple storefronts, mostly facing 9th St. Probably an extensive remodel, but perhaps a replacement.
Bad dates on this one. The building was constructed between 1907 and 1912, and had a theater on the west side of the ground floor from the very beginning. It’s a three-story apartment building, quite deep. Attractive and in decent shape, but I didn’t take a picture for some reason. Current occupant of the theater space is a comic book store.
This theater is much older. It appears on the 1914 Sanborn. The building was built sometime around 1900 as a Masonic lodge, and they used the upstairs.
Need to rewrite the chronology of the entry. This opened Summer 1948, and burned in 1949 (twice?), 1957, and 1960. It seems to have closed after the 1957 fire. Looks like the name in the articles is always Palo Alto. References to the ‘Ruthven theater’ in those articles are clearly referring to a theater in Ruthven, not a name.
We should create an entry for the Legion theater, which looks like it opened in 1934, and burned in 1936. A new building (on the same site?) opened in 1937, and burned in 1947. There must have been a serial arsonist active here.
There’s a lot going on in these articles, which may refer to three different buildings, and definitely two. There is no Quonset style building remaining in town. The address does not exist. The current American Legion building is at 1602 Main. It looks like it’s an old commercial building given a very ugly sheet metal makeover. The 1933 map shows it as two stores, and has the address 406-408. The 200 block then is now the 1400 block, and never had a business of any kind. This should be listed as demolished. It sounds like it was destroyed in the 1960 fire.
The Leese building was constructed in 1925. It incorporated parts of an earlier three story opera house, which still appears on the Jan. 1925 Sanborn. It likely contained a theater from the very beginning.
There is no such address. Highest even 100 on the west end is 134, which quite obviously was not a theater. Going E, the highest even is 108, which belongs to a bank. 126 W Main is a possibility. It’s the right size and shape, but it does have an old fire siren on top, so it might have been municipal.
Link is dead, so it’s hard to say, but there’s no theater shown here on the 1923 map. The location does match some history on the Webster’s site. 504 and 506 were the original structure of the three story Grand Central Hotel, later the St. James, which was built sometime before 1885. Between 1907 and 1915, a two story building was constructed at 508. This seems to have been an annex to the hotel, and they used the second floor. The 1915 map shows it vacant, and the 1923 map shows a drugstore here. It was quite a bit deeper, and would have made a decent theater, but the timeline is not working.
The building was constructed sometime between 1892 and 1896, and was originally a furniture store. The 1915 map shows it as a harness shop. Now an antique store
Added the ghost. Can’t read all of it, and there was something else to the right that had been painted over.
Turns out I do have a picture of a ghost ad for the theater.
Does 500 seem overlarge for a nickelodeon? Anyhow, the 1907 map has nothing on any corner of 10th & Central except a large old home on the SE corner, which had become an Ear & Eye Hospital. 1912 has the hospital SE, the Wahkonsa Hotel (1910 - still there) SW, a small one story commercial building with three storefronts NW (still there, heavily remodeled and extended in the rear), and an Airdome on the NE corner. I had listed that one separately. Do you suppose it might have been the same thing?
The 1912 map is from December, so it may well have been open earlier that year. I was in Ft. Dodge in December, and I pity the surveyor who had to spend so long outside.
So looks like a 1908 opening? Thanks for that.
Theater was on the right.
Cannot find this one on the 1912 map. It might have been an aka for something, or already closed. If anyone can say what was there before or after, I could probably figure out an address.
Very basic little concrete block structure. Does not appear on the 1907 map.
This has been demolished. Just some cruddy little one story buildings now.
The Strand was supposedly remodeled into the Astro late in its existence. The garbage ‘Trolley Center’ was supposedly built in 1964, with an extension in the ‘70s. If the original portion didn’t destroy the theater, the extension surely did.
Address is wrong. As you can see from the picture, this was behind the post office. Must have been 910-912. That was originally the Sanderson Building, constructed between 1896 and 1900. The July 1916 Sanborn shows it ‘Gutted by Fire, Being Remodeled’ The post office was torn down in 1964, and this whole block is now covered by a really repulsive ‘modern’ one story thing, which looks like a depressing little mall.
Wrong listing, the Majestic was at 1018.
Wrong listing, the Majestic was at 1018.
Again, bad dates. This theater first appears on the 1916 map. It was in a narrow three story brick commercial building constructed between 1892 and 1896. The 1912 map shows it as a clothing store. This was demolished ages ago, and replaced by a dumpy little one story store from maybe the 1950s or ‘60s.
Address was 822-826 1st Ave S. The building was demolished many years ago. It never reopened after the 1909 fire. The 1912 map shows a building roughly the same size and height, but divided up into multiple storefronts, mostly facing 9th St. Probably an extensive remodel, but perhaps a replacement.
The NRHP listing for this calls it the Carter Building/Majestic Theatre. Says it was built in 1913, but it appears on the Dec. 1912 Sanborn.
Bad dates on this one. The building was constructed between 1907 and 1912, and had a theater on the west side of the ground floor from the very beginning. It’s a three-story apartment building, quite deep. Attractive and in decent shape, but I didn’t take a picture for some reason. Current occupant of the theater space is a comic book store.
Hopefully they’ll pull that repulsive sheet metal off.
This theater is much older. It appears on the 1914 Sanborn. The building was built sometime around 1900 as a Masonic lodge, and they used the upstairs.
Need to rewrite the chronology of the entry. This opened Summer 1948, and burned in 1949 (twice?), 1957, and 1960. It seems to have closed after the 1957 fire. Looks like the name in the articles is always Palo Alto. References to the ‘Ruthven theater’ in those articles are clearly referring to a theater in Ruthven, not a name.
We should create an entry for the Legion theater, which looks like it opened in 1934, and burned in 1936. A new building (on the same site?) opened in 1937, and burned in 1947. There must have been a serial arsonist active here.
There’s a lot going on in these articles, which may refer to three different buildings, and definitely two. There is no Quonset style building remaining in town. The address does not exist. The current American Legion building is at 1602 Main. It looks like it’s an old commercial building given a very ugly sheet metal makeover. The 1933 map shows it as two stores, and has the address 406-408. The 200 block then is now the 1400 block, and never had a business of any kind. This should be listed as demolished. It sounds like it was destroyed in the 1960 fire.
The Leese building was constructed in 1925. It incorporated parts of an earlier three story opera house, which still appears on the Jan. 1925 Sanborn. It likely contained a theater from the very beginning.
There is no such address. Highest even 100 on the west end is 134, which quite obviously was not a theater. Going E, the highest even is 108, which belongs to a bank. 126 W Main is a possibility. It’s the right size and shape, but it does have an old fire siren on top, so it might have been municipal.