Crooks Opera House Co

[genealogynut]

Howard Courant
January 8, 1925

Hold First Annual Meeting and Elect Board of Directors

The shareholders of the Crooks Opera House Company held their first annual meeting at the city hall Monday night.  The articles of corporation and by-laws were adopted.  The following shareholders wre chosen as a board of directors;  W. M. Crooks, J.A. Benson, Geo. Gotobed, A. T Ayres, H.G. Zirn, A. W. Goodwin, Geo. L. Hubbell.

The directors proceded to elect the following officers for the coming year:

President, W. M Crooks
Vice-President, J. A. Benson,
Secretary-Treasurer, H. G. Zirn,

The company is capitalized for $14,000 and nearly all has been subscribed. However, the company still have a few shares for sale and anyone interested can secure same from the officers.

The building will seat approximately 700 people and the most comfortable seats have been purchased.  The stage is large and well arranged and the building will be heated with a modern heating plant.  Work has been dragging on account of the continued bad weather but the carpenters are prepared to push the rest of the work as fast as possible.  This will be one of the best and most complete theatres in this part of the state and all Howard and vicinity is proud of the buiding.

[genealogynut]

We do not rightly know where this was located in Howard, but am wondering if it could have been where the Howard theatre was until a few years ago.  Would anyone know, for sure?

[W. Gray]

The original Opera House was above today's Cookson's before it burned giving way to Smith and Goodwin.

Crooks theater was the forerunner to the Howard Theater. I sure dont remember that theater housing 700. The history book says 600 but even that seems too big?

I remember sitting in the balcony and from what I recall it was rather small.

I was know to have counted seats in a theater from being bored before the movie started but I don't think I ever did for the Howard Theater.

[genealogynut]

I found another article on this, located in the same newspaper in small print (I almost need a magnifying glass to read it).

Theatre Nears Completion

New Building, Modern In Every Respect Will Supply Long-Felt Need

Another improvement in Howard, one more advancement we wish to mention in this issue, is the new theatre building now under construction.  This building is to be thoroughly modern in every way, and fully equiped for both motion picture shows and the legitimate stage presentations.

This building is being constructed as a commercial enterprise.  The enterprise was organized by Mr. Crooks and Mr. Benson who are major shareholders. Many of the townspeople hold shares in varying proportions.

The stage is to be 42 by 20 feet.  As a basis of comparison, you might call to mind the stage at the High School which is 20 feet long and 13 feet wide.  The theatre will be completed the latter part of February or the first of March.  It is the intention of the managers to have a big opening night and from that date on to hold the policy of bringing to Howard the best films, and only those troupes of actors who will present a fine, clean type of plays and vaudeville sets.

The theatre will also be rented for home talent presentation, provided, of course, that the management is notified in time to arrange the schedule to accomodate the home-town groups.

The seating capacity of the new structure will be about seven hundred.  Over six hundred seats have already been secured; the remainder will be purchased when it is found just how many more can be placed.