According to some history on the Webster’s site, this opened June 10, 1907. It was not a nickelodeon. Shows were 10 cents, and included some live acts. During January of 1909, there was an experiment where three days of the week were movies only, known as the Nickel Theatre. This was abandoned by the end of the month, as audiences preferred the 10 cent shows on the other four days of the week.
Overcorrection on this entry. The opening date in 1911 for the Isis was correct. There were two separate operations. Right now this incorrectly indicates that it was the Family up until 1927.
According to the Webster’s site, which has excellent capsule histories of all live and movie theaters which operated in Webster City, this was originally the Family Theatre. It seems to have operated from about 1907 until 1910. It may originally have been vaudeville only, but by 1909, they were showing movies.
The building was constructed between 1900 and 1907, and is a bakery on the 1907 map. I’m not sure how serious the fire was. The building is the same height on all the maps, but the facade does look like it might be later.
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.
According to some history on the Webster’s site, this opened June 10, 1907. It was not a nickelodeon. Shows were 10 cents, and included some live acts. During January of 1909, there was an experiment where three days of the week were movies only, known as the Nickel Theatre. This was abandoned by the end of the month, as audiences preferred the 10 cent shows on the other four days of the week.
Overcorrection on this entry. The opening date in 1911 for the Isis was correct. There were two separate operations. Right now this incorrectly indicates that it was the Family up until 1927.
Much of the information here comes from the Webster’s website.
According to the Webster’s site, which has excellent capsule histories of all live and movie theaters which operated in Webster City, this was originally the Family Theatre. It seems to have operated from about 1907 until 1910. It may originally have been vaudeville only, but by 1909, they were showing movies.
The building was constructed between 1900 and 1907, and is a bakery on the 1907 map. I’m not sure how serious the fire was. The building is the same height on all the maps, but the facade does look like it might be later.
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.