Bio: Boehm, Herman – Curtiss Saloon/Opera House (Early 1900’s)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Boehm, Heinzel, Schroeder, Barton, Brown, Koerner, Klocke

----Source: Olson Family Scrapbook

Herman Boehm operated a saloon and harness shop in the early 1900's. This was located south of the building, which was formerly the old schoolhouse (now storage for Bowen & Sno-Chaser's).

The dance hall-opera house on Second Street east of the old schoolhouse was built in 1903. This was called Boehm's Opera House. It was a large building with a large stage inside. The scenes used on stage were hand-painted. Traveling vaudeville shows came each year and performed nightly for one to two weeks. Some of the shows that came to Curtiss were: The Franklin Medicine Show and the Harry Brown Shows. The first movies were shown here in 1910; carbide power and hand cranked. In 1922, the movies were shown in Curtiss electrically, after the arrival of electric power.

Curtiss School held their programs and plays in Boehm's Opera House. Also, commencement exercises were held there.

One of the outstanding plays given by the school children was named "Tom Thumb's Wedding". Tuxedos and formals were rented and the play was performed by the pupils from grades one through four. Masquerades were also held.

The saloon and opera house were later sold to Henry Heinzel and then to Louis Schroeder. The opera house burned in 1923. The saloon was sold to James Barton. Other owners were Harry Brown and George Koerner who remodeled it into a dwelling. It is now owned by Herman Klocke.