Strand Theatre
114 N. Broadway Street,
Toledo,
IA
52342
114 N. Broadway Street,
Toledo,
IA
52342
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This theatre first appears on the 1915 Sanborn, in a two story brick commercial building constructed sometime between 1892 and 1899. The 1906 map shows this location vacant, although it had previously been a dry goods store.
This was a successor to an earlier Bijou Theatre, which closed when new operators Morgan & Erickson purchased it and moved the equipment here. It opened as the Grand Theatre on September 4, 1914. The theater closed briefly in 1920, and reopened late that year as the Gem Theatre, under the ownership of Alvern Robertson.
At some point, the name was changed to the Cozy Theatre, which appears in the 1926 listings with 240 seats. This theatre was renamed the Strand Theatre on January 27, 1928 under new owner H.H. Kirkman. The theater appears to have closed in early 1930 after the return of the Robertson family.
The building today is in decent shape. It seems to be used as a residence.
Contributed by
Seth Gaines
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
If this house did become the Cozy, it had gotten that name by early 1922, when it was mentioned in the January 7 issue of Moving Picture World.
However, another theater name which might be another aka for this house or a different theater has surfaced. An item datelined Toledo, Ia, in the December 22, 1917 issue of Moving Picture World said that “Grand theater, formerly operated by W. B. Persons, has been taken over by J. J. Fomey.” The Grand is also mentioned in the October 14, 1916 issue of Motography.
F.G. Haworth opened here with 160 seats in 1911 but extended to 220 due to demand in 1912. The Bijou closed in 1914 after being purchased by Morgan & Erickson. They moved the operation to the East Side of the Courthouse into the R.B. Lichty Building ending the Bijou’s brief run.
The new theater replaced Giger & Whitley’s Feed Store complete with 240 seats, gold fibre screen, and a $160 curtain. It reopened as the Grand Theatre on September 4, 1914. It remained the Grand to 1920 closing.
Alvern Robertson and family took on the venue late in 1920 renaming it as the Gem Theatre. H.M. Kirkman was next through the door opening on Jan. 27, 1928 as the Strand Theatre with Tom Mix in “Outlaws of Red River.” It failed to wire for sound and the Robertsons came back in October of 1929. Their closing date appears to be in early 1930.
Are you saying that this was not the Bijou, but the Grand? ‘Here’ means Toledo, presumably, since this is on the east side of the square, where the operation moved to.
When I wrote it, I was just trying to separate the Bijou from the Grand, Gem, Cozy, Strand. But if pressed, yes, this location appears to be that of the Grand, Gem, Cozy, and Strand and not the Bijou.
The way it’s reported in the newspaper, the Bijou was open from 1911 to 1914 and moved to the East Side R.B. Lichty Building which appears to be the still-standing structure. There, it closed on its fourth name and fifth owner unable to convert to sound.
Thanks. I just wanted to correct it correctly!