Wigwam Theatre
1 Court Street,
Muskogee,
OK
74401
1 Court Street,
Muskogee,
OK
74401
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Pathe's Weekly Wigwam Newsreel Theatre
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In early-1913, advertisements ran in the Central High Yearbook for Pathe’s Weekly Wigwam News Theatre. Billed as “Knows All, Shows All the News of the World, Every Friday and Saturday, Afternoon and Night”.
Contributed by
Lauren Grubb, Jeff Chapman
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
The Wigwam must have been in operation prior to 1921, when the March 18 issue of The Film Daily published the following item:
An ad in the May 15, 1915 issue of the Muskogee Times-Democrat touted the summer season openings of the “Wigwam Airdomes.” The Wigwam #1 was on Court Street and the Wigwam #4 was on 4th Street. Wigwam #1 would show only movies during the summer season, and the Wigwam #4 would have stock companies and musical comedies.
It might be that the Wigwams had both indoor and outdoor houses at each location, with the indoor theaters operating only during the cooler seasons. The ad also noted a program of movies at the New Yale Theatre, N. 2nd Street, for five and ten cents, and movies at the New Gaiety Theatre.
The April, 1912 issue of The Typographical Journal makes a reference to “… the Muskogee Amusement Company, which operates the four Wigwam theaters in this city….” What became of the other two Wigwams by 1915 I haven’t discovered.
There were only five listings at Muskogee in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, the only Wigwam listed being the Wigwam Theatre #2, 218 N. 3rd St. The directory also lists the Yale Theatre, at 200 N. 2nd Street and the Gaiety at 322 Court Street, as well as a Pastime Theatre, no address given. The Muskogee Amusement Company is also listed, without an address.
The original Wigwam Theatre and Penny Arcade launched with 625 seats on November 17, 1909 with both motion pictures and films. Persons of color had their own entry and seating area. In 1911, the Wigwam launched an adjacent Airdome for more comfortable screenings in 1911. The Wigwam Circuit opened four venues in the 1910s in downtown Muskogee including Wigwam #2 in the Barnes Building launching February 12, 1910 and taking over the Lenhart Theatre on March 2, 1912. While the Wigwam Airdome closed after the summer season of 1917, it appears that the Wigwam Theatre to closed in 1921.