{Patricia Lin Ridge I963 LIBRARY Michigan State University
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A HISTORY OF THE CIIEBOYGAN OPERA HOUSE CI’IEBGYCBAN. MICHIGAN FROM 1691 TO I926 Thesis for the Degree of M. A MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY {Patricia Lin Ridge I963 LIBRARY Michigan State University ABSTRACT HISTORY OF THE CHEBOYGAN OPERA HOUSE CHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN FROM 1891 TO 1920 by Patricia Lin Ridge During the latter part of the nineteenth century a small city in Northern Michigan became engaged in a most unusual enterprise. The City of Cheboygan built Michigan's first municipal-owned theatre, The Cheboygan Opera House. Cheboygan's first theatre, built in 1877, was located in the Town Hall but in 1886 a fire destroyed the entire building. The citizens of Cheboygan felt that a new building should be constructed to serve the entertainment needs of the community. Since a City Hall and fire station for Ward Four were also needed the plans were drawn up to in- corporate all three needs into one multipurpose building. The new brick building was begun in 1887 and finished in 1888. The peOple of Cheboygan were always extremely proud of their Opera House and attempted to induce the most popular theatrical productions of the day to provide constant enter- tainment for the city. Patricia Lin Ridge This study concerns itself with the theatrical activity found in Cheboygan from 1891 to 1920. To present this history factually it was necessary to turn to several sources and collect data that pertained to the theatrical activities of The Cheboygan Opera House. The major source of material was located in two news- paper collections, The Chebquan Democrat and The Cheboygan Eggs, These publications aided considerably in helping to reconstruct the theatrical atmosphere in Cheboygan during the latter decade of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth. Both publications are now non- existent. Additional materials which provided insight into the history of the Cheboygan Opera House were located in "The Golden Jubilee Edition" of The Cheboygan Daily Tribune, pamphlets concerning the past history of Cheboygan from The Chamber of Commerce, and several interviews with citizens still residing in Cheboygan who worked for and loved The Opera House. This study will terminate with the definite recession of interest in legitimate theatrical activity in Cheboygan due to the decline of the lumbering industry and the advent and popularity of the motion pictures. Patricia Lin Ridge Although the Opera House has not been actively used for many years it is still regarded with pride by the citizens of Cheboygan. Today the Cheboygan Chamber of Commerce is enlisting the aid of the community to re-establish legitimate theatrical activity at the City Opera House. It is because of this pride and concern that a history of The Cheboygan Opera House during the years it was most active theatrically is necessary. A HISTORY OF THE CHEBOYGAN OPERA HOUSE CHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN FROM 1891 TO 1920 BY Patricia Lin Ridge A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of ' MASTER OF ARTS Department of Speech 1963 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am deeply grateful to the many persons whose aid and advice made the writing of this thesis possible: Mr. Frank Rutledge, Instructor of Speech, Michigan State University who located the Cheboygan Opera House for me; Dr. Marjorie Gesner, Professor of History, Michigan State University, who kindled my interest in the subject of history; Dr. James R. Brandon, Associate Professor of Speech, Michigan State University, whose guidance in my graduate program proved in- valuable; Mr. Merton Riggs, Publisher of The Daily Tribune, Cheboygan, Michigan; Mrs. John Minsky of the Cheboygan Chamber of Commerce, and the many helpful residents of the community of Cheboygan. The immeasurable assistance these people gave me has made it possible for the history of The Cheboygan Opera House to be presented. ii For my family who became research assistants and sat on upturned coke cases for hours, reading dusty copies of The Cheboygan Democrat to help me provide the necessary data pertaining to the Opera House. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . ii DEDICATION . iii LIST OF FIGURES . V Chapter I. INTRODUCTION . 1 II. CHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN . 4 III. THEATRICAL ACTIVITIES AT THE CHEBOYGAN OPERA HOUSE FROM 1891 TO 1905 . 12 IV. THEATRICAL ACTIVITIES AT THE CHEBOYGAN OPERA HOUSE FROM 1906 TO 1920 . 61 V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . 72 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 75 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page The Cheboygan Opera House . 10 The Opera House built in 1904 . 45 The main entrance to the Opera House . 45 The multiple arched ceiling and side boxes shook)?” of the Opera House . 45 The side boxes . 45 The stage of the Opera House . 46 An original drop . 46 A portion of the balcony stairway woodwork . 47 47 \OGJQOWU'I An original drop . 10. Original placement for the lighting control panel . 48 11. The new lighting panel . 48 12. The wooden stairway leading to the pin rail . 49 13. The pin rail . 49 14. A stage trap . 50 15. Prior location of the original prop room . 50 16. The box office of the Opera House . 51 17. A portion of the orchestra pit of the Opera House . 51 18. dPermanent seats located in the main auditorium . 51 19. A view of the balcony . 52 20. A portion of the original scenery . 52 21. The stage of the Opera House . 53 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This study concerns itself with the history of The Cheboygan Opera House, in Cheboygan, Michigan from the years 1891 to 1920. In the 1890's the lumbering boom in Cheboygan was in full swing, the economy of the city was substantially sound and the Opera House flourished. By 1920 both the lumbering industry and the Opera House were in a period of decline. This thesis will trace the history of the Cheboygan Opera House from its relatively active years in the 1890's to its gradual decline a few years after the turn of the century when the lumbering industry was in a period of eco— nomic recession and the motion pictures began to interest the community of Cheboygan. Through newspaper articles, reviews, and advertisements from The Cheboygan Democrat and The Cheboygan News, it is hoped that the theatrical tastes of the time will be shown, as well as the changing mood of the people who once pre- ferred the legitimate theatre but were now seeking enter- tainment of a different kind. It is impossible to include every important item per- taining to the Opera House due to a lack of information concerning eight different years in the period of time between 1891 to 1920. My chief source of information, The Cheboygan Democrat, proved to be an invaluable aid in obtaining data applicable to the Opera House and, with the exception of the eight missing years, issues of The Cheboygan Democrat were found to be intact and in good condition. In order to obtain additional informationeabout the City of Cheboygan, its people, and Opera House I turned to Mrs. John Minsky, Executive Secretary of the Cheboygan Chamber of Commerce. With her aid I was able to contact residents of the community who had at one time been intimate with the Opera House. Mrs. Minsky also put at my disposal articles from gh§_ Northern Light and Historic Cheboygan to add to my research of The Cheboygan Opera House. After completing my research for this study several aspects concerning the Opera House emerged: (1) the back- ground and atmosphere of the lumbering community of Cheboy- gan; (2) theatrical activity at the Opera House from 1891 to 1905; (3) theatrical activity at the Opera House from 1906 to 1920; (4) a summary and conclusion of the entire study. This history has been so arranged as to provide a separate chapter for each of the four major divisions in order to explore the history of The Cheboygan Opera House in depth. CHAPTER II CHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN Community Background During the 1890's America found herself in a period of rapid growth and transition. Throughout its early history the wide expanse of land on the American continent had stood as a symbol for the rugged independence of her people. Now, in the 1890's civilization began to close the moving frontier and an epoch in American life was gradually ending. Americans were establishing permanent communities and working hard to maintain them. In the Midwest the lumbering industry was in full swing. People were settling in the wooded areas to establish them- selves in businesses supporting this industry.1 The Great Lakes region in Northern Midhigan was no ex— ception in experiencing this lumbering boom. Men and women were looking forward to success and prosperity through lum- ber and settled in this region to obtain it. 1The assumption that men and women were settling in the Great Lakes area to obtain success from the lumbering in- dustry is based on material from "Historic Cheboygan," a brochure printed by the Cheboygan Chamber of Commerce (no date given). 2Ibid. 5 These people, working as hard as they did, also wanted and needed entertainment for relaxation. In the 1890's, of course, there was no such thing as mass media to fulfill entertainment needs. However, people could find a satisfactory outlet for these needs through the touring theatrical companies. The 1890's were considered to be the Golden Age of the road. Theatrical road companies would tour the country from town to town, Opera House to Opera House, to unfold their two hours of magic before an appreciative audience. One of the communities that welcomed the theatrical road companies was Cheboygan, Michigan. Cheboygan in the 1890's was an expanding lumbering community in Michigan's northern woods.