Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Our Past Is Present February 27, 2018


February 27, 2018
            You are reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.
            It’s Tuesday and that means more about the history of the C.L. Hoover Opera House.  I have been hearing that there is interest in this continued series and we are glad to bring it to you each Tuesday as a way to celebrate this beautiful “Gem on the Prairie” as it has been called.
            Last week we left off at a point when much frustration had been experienced with road block after road block to try to restore the Opera House.  The late Rob Stevens wrote that “Very little was done on the project until a November 11, 1985 fire destroyed the front third of the 18th Street City Building, which housed the Junction City Little Theater.  (Note that this building is now across from the Buffalo Soldier Monument and is used by a church.) There was an idea presented to sell that building, use the insurance money and sell other excess city property to begin work on the Opera House. 
The “Daily Union” newspaper did not waiver from its initial stand that public money should not be used for the project.  KJCK still firmly back the project.  On December 17, 1984, the radio station aired an editorial which in part said: “Today we give our strongest endorsement to a quality renovation and restoration project for the Opera House or former Colonial Theater at Seventh and Jefferson Streets downtown… Perhaps the best course of action is a private and public funding to assure a top quality project the entire community can be proud of.  We join many others in supporting the move to put the Opera House renovation project at the top of the priority list…”.
            The momentum began to pick up and next Tuesday we will share the advances being made to move forward with the renovation project. 
            Thanks for reading today and every Monday through Friday, to “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.



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