Strand Theatre
1119 Jackson Street,
La Crosse,
WI
54601
1119 Jackson Street,
La Crosse,
WI
54601
1 person
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Reopened on December 25th, 1946 after being closed since 1942. Grand opening ad posted.
Strand theatre reopening Tue, Dec 24, 1946 – 17 · The La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States of America) · Newspapers.com
This opened as “New Jackson Street Theatre” on November 25th, 1915 and renamed Strand on December 4th, 1915. Both grand opening ads posted.
The March 13, 1915, issue of The Construction News had an item that was about the Strand Theatre, though it had not yet been named. It said that plans were being drawn by local architects Parkinson & Dockindorf for a 450-seat moving picture near the corner of 12th (now West Avenue) and Jackson Streets. A.E. Parkinson, the architect, was also the owner of the theater.
Mr. Parkinson was involved in a lawsuit over the theater’s management a few years later, and the record of the suit revels that the Strand opened about Thanksgiving Day, 1915 (November.) It also reveals that Parkinson also owned a house called the Casino Theatre in La Crosse.
my family moved to the corner of west avenue and jackson in 1953, a half block away. (present site of taco john’s)>>> the strand closed soon after, i believe. it was located on the alley, with “gladys' variety shop” just to the east. lots of toys within. it may have been a candy store at an earlier time. next to that was “ruud’s drug store” on the corner of west ave. >>> before building demolition c. 1970, the theatre was variously a jesus people church and indoor archery range, then vacant for many years. right before it was torn down, i walked inside the open door and obtained two glass exit signs for my collection. >> a snapshot exists in the collection of the university of la crosse murphy library, area research center. (branch of wi. hist. soc.) just ask for photos of west ave. and jackson st. corner. it was taken from the gas station lot on southeast corner looking over at the theatre. unfortunately, it is a partial, indirect view.>>>
Until today I didn’t even realize it existed and I’ve worked 2 blocks away for over a decade. I’ll be on a mission to find a picture to post! :–)