Strand Theatre

According to the National Register of Historic Places, the Wagoner building, home to the Strand Theatre, was constructed in 1903. As early as 1907 the Sanborn Insurance Maps list an opera house at this location on the second floor. The Woodland Daily Democrat reported on October 6, 1916, that W.S. (Stuart) Webster of the Woodland Strand Theatre had returned from Dunsmuir where he had just opened another Strand Theatre. Moving Picture World reported in November that the Strand Theatre was previously called the Lyric Theatre. It was also noted that Mr. Webster also operated the Strand Theatre in Sacramento and in 1917 he opened another Strand Theatre in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Apparently Mr. Webster entrusted the Dunsmuir Strand Theatre, which is nearly 200 miles from Woodland, to the local manager. The Daily Democrat reported on September 29, 1917, “W.S. Webster left this morning for Dunsmuir, to oust the manager of his Strand Theatre. One of the Pinkerton force has been trailing the Dunsmuir man for several days, with the result that he notified Webster that it would be to the best interests of his pocketbook to change the management".

In August 1921 more drama entered Mr. Webster domain when his other theatre in Dunsmuir, the Auditorium, burned down sustaining a loss of $18,000. He had owned the theatre less than two years and the building was insured for only $3,000.

By 1922 Mr. Webster still operated theatres in Dunsmuir, Dixon, Vacaville, and Woodland but in November of 1923 the Daily Democrat reported that Mr. Webster had sold his Granada Theatre and Strand Theatre in Woodland to the National Theater Syndicate of California. Apparently at around that time he gave up all of his theatre interests. It was reported in December that he and his wife were going to South America for a year where he would represent the Metro Pictures exchange.

A later operator of the Strand Theatre and contributor to Exhibitors Herald was Clay H. Powers, who sent in his movie reviews until around 1924. Although the new California Theatre in Dunsmuir opened in 1926, the National Register of Historic Places notes that the Strand Theatre, located on the second floor, was still located there in 1928, but closed in 1929.

The Wagoner building has been drastically remodeled over the years but still exists. The publication “Images of America Dunsmuir” has a photo of the building, circa 1924, with the ‘Strand Theatre’ sign barely visible.

Recent comments (view all 2 comments)

50sSNIPES on December 18, 2025 at 7:58 pm

Closed in October 1929.

dallasmovietheaters on June 21, 2026 at 11:30 am

The new Opera House in Dunsmuir opened with a live play on October 17, 1903 called “Shooting the Chutes.” Saloon operator J.C. Wagoner also operated a tavern in the multi-use, two story building. The Opera House scuffled as the G&L Theatre and the Auditorium were counter programming effectively with movies. One of the last events under the Opera House moniker was a game called “Basket Ball” featuring two teams showing great speed and skill in 1916.

A new operator took over the venue on March 1, 1916 and it became the Lyric Theatre. Better operators Creque and Webster came along later in the year renaming it the Strand Theatre on September 30, 1916 with more favorable films and better projection.

In 1922, the entirety of the building was given over to the Strand with a second floor balcony and a main floor. In October of 1926, a three manual Robert Morton pipe organ improved film presentations as the theatre tried to fend off the new-build California Theatre.

With sound an issue, the Strand changed owners three times between 1928 and 1929 - a bad sign. And the Strand appears to have closed following the October 5, 1929 showing of “Captain Cowboy” and an episode of the serial, “Police Reporter” and a George LeMaire comedy short. The Strand basement flooded following heavy rains and W.A. Waschau’s license to operate the theatre expired in early 1930… and that was that.

The space was converted to the Strand Cafe in 1931 and housed J.C. Wagoner’s second-hand furniture store beginning in 1934.