May 29, 2018
You are reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical
Society.
Today’s story
comes from a thesis titled “A History of the Junction City Opera House In
Junction City, Kansas: 1880-1919”. The
work was written as a thesis and submitted in 1970 in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for a Master of Science degree in the Speech Department at
Kansas State Teachers College of Emporia. The author was Marvin Jonason.
Mr. Jonason
wrote that “The Junction City Opera House was one of the most centrally located
opera houses in Kansas and the Midwest since it was the stopping point for most
of the traveling companies between Kansas City and Denver, Colorado. The traveling stock companies riding the
Union Pacific Railroad often stopped in Junction City for a break in the long
trip from Kansas City to Denver. One
night performances by large companies stopping over in Junction City was not
uncommon. Also, the location of the Fort
Riley Army Base was a strong drawing card for the larger stock companies and
for stars who traveled the circuit. Mrs.
Fred Durand, in an interview on July 14, 1970 said that many of the people at
the base had money to buy the better and more expensive season tickets for the
various traveling shows that came to the opera house. Many of these people had lived in other parts
of the country and had been exposed to various cultural events and were willing
to spend between seventy-five cents and a dollar and a half for good
seats.
The annual
season at the opera house usually lasted from late August to the middle of
May. Occasionally during the summer
months there would be shows and events on special holidays. These productions were infrequent, however,
due to the uncomfortable heat since the opera house lacked any kind of
ventilation until fans were installed in 1898.”
Well, we
enjoy a comfortable environment with a quality air condition and heating system
in the current Opera House. We hope you
will take advantage of the great shows and programs at the C.L. Hoover Opera
House. Tickets are more than a dollar
and a half, but every seat is a good seat and well worth a little more.
We will have
more on the Opera House next Tuesday, so be listening to “Our Past Is Present”
from the Geary County Historical Society.
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