Our Past Is Present February 13, 2018

February 13, 2018

            This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Well, it is Tuesday and that means our story today will contain more information about the history of the Opera House. This information comes from a text written by Rob Stevens for a course he took at Kansas State University.  You may remember from last week that there were some struggles with where to get the money to do the restoration project after voters rejected an $840,000 bond request to remodel the Opera House.

            Here is some more of what Rob wrote: “The Opera House Committee conducted numerous fund raising events, which included a yard sale, a celebrity auction and wrote and staged an original musical, marking the Central National Bank centennial  The foundation directors suggested selling “box seats” in the newly renovated building for $10,000 each as an incentive to major donors.  Permission was granted by the city, but money for only one of these was pledged.  The problem of funding became more critical and the city had committed no more money to the project since the money had been given to replace the roof.  Although business was actively working on downtown renovation, no business leader came forth with help or money for the project with the exception of Ed. J. Rolfs, Chairman of the Board of the Central National Bank.  A major donation came on April 10, 1985, when an anonymous donor gave $20,000 to the city for a new clock for the building’s tower. 

            There is more to come and although it may not sound like it – we know that the good things will happen in the end.   Be reading next Tuesday for more of the process to save the C.L. Hoover Opera House on “Our Past Is Present from the Geary County Historical Society.