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R1DAY, AUGUST 20, 1976THE TROY FREE PEntrepreneurs Respond To County’s Early NeedsThe following article is to be the first of three to be entitled: “The Liberty Opera House, Its Builders and Its Entertainment” by Edward L. Schieffer, Troy. Immediately after the St. Louis Worlds’ Fair in 1904, James J. Connaughton and John Francis Whalen were both working in a saloon at the corner ofGrand and Park, St. Louis, where they became friends. Connaughton was an immigrant from Ireland, and Whalen had traveled with a High-Diving Arabian Horse Act which retiredafter their performance at the 1904 Exposition.In 1906, a whiskey drummer convinced Connaughton and Whalen to quit their jobs and purchase a saloon in extreme Northeast St. Charles Countv immediately across the Cuivre River from Old Monroe. At that time, Lincoln County was a dry county (no alcohol) and all the people who lived around Old Monroe along with other Lincoln Countians would cross the Cuivre River to patronize Connaughton and Whalen’s Saloon. The business partners became brothels-in-law when they wedded sisters on October 27,1910,in a double ceremony at St. Paul’s Catholic Church. James Connaughton married Cecilia Hartwig and John Whalen married Margaret Hartwig. Both couples moved into the same 11 room brick house in Old Monroe, and reared their children under the same roof. They could now boast of truly a thriving “family” business.However, the Eighteenth Amendment, Prohibition, effective January 16, 1920, brought an end to their saloon business. Looking for a new enterprise in which to invest, the two shrewd partners considered the needs of the people in the area for the 1920’s. They knew automobiles were growing in popularity and that these machines must havegasoline and repairs. They knewprofessional people required offices. Plus, they knew peoplewanted entertainment especially dances, picture shows, and live drama. Therefore, to incorporate all of the needs, Connaughton and Whalen decided to construct a multi-purpose building.Thus in 1920, Gus Sottman of St. Louis was commissioned to design and build the structure. It cost aoDroximatelv $40,000Brown Construction Co.230 Buchanan Ct.TROY, MO.and was considered one of the finest two-story brick building in the area. It had a garage and gas station on the ground level facing Main Street, Highway 79. It was located west of the Burlington Northern Railroad Station. Upstairs facing the station were three small officesused by doctors. Immediately west of the offices on the sametofloor was the Liberty Opera House. The inside dimensions of the hall were 53 feet long by 46 feet wide with 14 feet high ceilings. The stage was 15 feet, six inches deep to the back wallfrom the proscenium. The proscenium, curtain, opening was 22 feet, six inches wide by nine feet, 10 inches high. There was room on either side of the stage in the wings to dress with wash basins in the far corners. Upstage center against the back wall was a large trap door. It measured four feet wide by 10 feet, six inches long. A large hook directly above it made it possible to hoist heavy equipment like the piano and scenery from the ground level to the stage. The Liberty C^era House had two entrances.The auditorium could seat approximately 300 people. Two kinds of chairs were available. Folding, wooden chairs near the stage were usually taken by the children and more comfortable, connected brown leather chairs were used by the adults. Thechairs were arranged in straight rows by using chalk lines on thefloor. For dances and other parties the chairs were eithen folded and stacked or arranged against the walls. In the middle of the east wall of the opera house was a movie projector booth. A folding stairway was used for the operator to climb some eight feet into the cubi-d£ which was six by four feet. The movie screen was against the backwall of the stage. To set the mood for the silent movies Connaughton’s daughter, Madeline (Mrs. John Austin) played the piano. She remembers, “I sat right up on the stage with the movie, and had to watch close to see what was going on to know what kind of music to play.” The front curtain, which was painted at the location by an unknown artist from St. Louis, was truly a work of art. It was a life-like Roman chariot race scene. The fiery horses seemed to be charging right into the audience. The curtain still exists andlias been saved from destruction by Jeffery Burkemper of Old Monroe. To the sides of the stage in the wings, two curtain drops with pastoral scenes kept the audience from seeing the dressing rooms.(Continued next week with the entertainment - especially theF ontinelles)
Newspaper Details
Troy free Press And Silex Index
Troy, Missouri, US
Fri, Aug 20, 1976
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Carol R.
USA 01 Jan 2019
Other Publications Near Troy, Missouri
Troy Lincoln County Herald
Troy Herald
Troy free Press And Silex Index
Troy Free Press
