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Id k dtorlM Iwrrwl, TWn„ Anj, 11. I960IC«iUlt;niM fn» *•»*« »nie entire UocJc and the e/i-Ilfe bulM'mg J* n total Ip**.Si. Charles had a '•cry fin*1 Concert Jta» *)uh *l«od n«**1io the oM court hvuw on lain 811*3 M»*1lwo. THU Owi-t-Tt Hall wax r«'H'lMHy deal rfA-cd by the fi'W jnrnado In L»7C. With il:lt;- Omr«1 Mail j*'n*\ tncir wn* h great nlt;^lt;j for wwtherT7n.i »/'»*-. IH- .Mill'.-)-bcrgci* dr*'W up J«IS/»K 10 /lt;•-build fJn*i» dty jjo'dn *1oBe in the wunr location of I he fir* More. They d« ridcd to ImUd li building f«l Hw-ir dry jy'xlt. alo/v on ihc flr.«* fJ'Mir and 11k* 0;«*ra H«u«f to be onthe sncond floor. Whol owonderful 0jk*/8 Houv il *»t Our archive* show that many an oid fine ntfnviiel aJurw iru Hrld heir. Hoxint;matche*. wrvaSJioc match*:*.I-iavs, and many of the *chwiplar* and graduating cx*nel*M were held her*. One *nuM remember around that tt*ie minstrel* »we the popular entertainment.Thl* *n*era house had an •iilrawt sepe/nt.-n*. H from Hip MJfWbfTgfrr Dry Goods Si ore. TW« rtMianw to the ~1 airvsv i* now 'clt;«lt;jj/1*d by C,U-nn ard Don’s HnrW Shop. I wvll remeintier g*T/»g Ujlt; this Ur-aulifill Hlc»o-d f.1«1r-nive in a landl/iy. At Um* landing wax the box office u-Hb ih* man M‘l{inc 1ickcl« hirfd**n behind an efiiboralc iron urill Hr kepi Hip money in an iron lw/x. I can still see Dial U/X filled with money. and 1 thought how lucky that man wax to have lhat big j»))p of money. You turned 10 ihe tight after buying your Ucfcei 'mom ti^lets wt-re 2T»c, end than ylt;*u wont up another flight lt;»/ .steps, and Un*n you entered lh- opera house, which was beautifullyIJghWd It had S Urg* wfeh dramaOc ©artbtoa that were jHJlled y*ok with a rope. The *e*H wore heavily - up-holalexed and aeemed to curve Jn a aeml-drcle. The balcony was out of lltb. wwld. What fun It hoi to Jt in the balcony and nibble on the ftcest pojKxirn Ima^loaMe. A big bag lt;*f iiK'oin o'ltiid 2k* purchased f*r 5c at me ticket Office.■■■■COUPON ■■■■■■■¥RAYSTEXACO SERVICE7tk m*4 Cloy 5tvf. F. GOODIICH TICES•ad C47TERIES WHEEL C4L4NCINGSt. CIniHmMBLU9CIC4TION Til$5SEXTRA EAGLE STAMPS:P—Mb bqk Stamp* Ev«ry Satwrd*YWITH AMIUIMUCATIOMCHAMftCAs I look back on the fa-tr/ou. old Opera H«.u*e. 1 ej.e-clally jeoaJi a dianutLk jilay lhai wav given called ■Uncle Tom* Cabin” and how we all wlt;*jd over LHUe Eva.Or Muy 25. IfcSG the St. Cliaiien Mililary OJllege gave a play which wav wrlllen and produced by J!u;«Tt Hughes. Inlt;,sdenta3ly, he wax »1s0 the ma)a actor. This v/a* the flrxt play ever written by the rennwncd lluiwrt. Hughes who was to heroine Jrnou* as a playv*’right and author.TJmtc »b5 a mxnager c*l the niw-ra house by ibe mune of U Melntjre in 1895. He adopled a child by the name of Trank Cuilar. Ah a child Trank Cullar wbs conlt;laiitly playing a ukulele. This talented chiid was allowed to play his ukulele and sing during the intennistioiik. When frank Collar became famous, he took, u H Stage name, a iff Kdwanjs. Today we all know Mm as Ukulele Ike who is on Ktage. radio, and television. What wonderful sound effects he uwrd to entertain the audience at fhe Old Opera House and how din er he was dancing and singing with his ukulele. Incidentally, Ukulele Ike keep* up i.is friend.shlp with many people b St. CharlOK. including Agate Weber.The dry store of theVAIICompound inlerett, the returnANWVERSARY |SALE |Thun. • Fri. - Sat. tIFFRIG SUPER MKT.St. Patera, Mo.Hurt’s Catsup j3^1L 49aMhtefbergerc h«* *tooe jmmeA thrvogh jnADy hoods., in 1906 A J»d W« dry good*aUrrt there. Later It wo* called the Frank Dry Good* Store, and today it is the Famous Appare9 Shop. The Old Opera Hvune on the bco-ond floor conlinued to be used for many yea; k. and we Law many of H* programs In ihe srrtilv***. Une that 1 wa% CHp^cifljSy inttTeelcd .to wa, Uial of the Kind^rgailen cla.v^ of W11. Jo Lemon wax '.he teacher, and Darby Tally took part in the play -he was the frog. Today the *-lt;»nd flx/r of the oid opera hout*-, is empty. All ol the wate were •old and removed, but the Mage ih ilil! lhera la aO 5t* gloo'- Kven today it looks juvt rtt. big 3J it did when I wm a child.Wlteo John C. MitleHexfier firxl came to St. Charles in 18W, he wen-, into the* miUlng biiijinoii. Hiftir.ilU we/e called, the Northern Mill*, and he took in as a partner Christopher Woeki. This was a profitable and successful busineto. In 1S04 he esiab;ihc3 the MJUelbexger dry goods company and called it J. C. Mit-tclbcrgcr an£ Son Dry G-lt;*ls Company. He was largely in-strumentiJ in eAabllstoing the car shops in St. Charles and was a large stockholder in the Union Savings Bark. His son married Mary Doyse and il was Die who inherited the vasi property extending from Fifth Street, near the Wslash Tracks, to the entire *cr*?aac which is today Blanchette ] Fsrk. We have in the arch-■ Ives stock of what w ae known as Millelbcri'er Park. Sliares we/e sold at 510 each in 3S88, and we have records of many hoive raohs and dog rases held at the old MilleHierger Park. This ;w!k later became known as the Si Charles County Driving Park and Fair Association. Many pictures of the Opera House in dilferent year* are in the archives How grateful Uie townspeople of St- Charles were to the Mlttelberger« for building the Opera House, and what a handsome structure it was, adding much to the city.Note: Documents and archives referred to are on file ■with the St. Oxarle* County Historical Society.5=31 fcS.552
Newspaper Details
Saint Charles Journal
Saint Charles, Missouri, US
Thu, Aug 11, 1960
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 29 Apr 2019
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