Rohrbaugh Theater

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03fc8c00dkelyh.png"> <div> <B> </B></div> <div> <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa Condensing "><B><IMG SRC="0410b120.png" border=0 width="11" height="18" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id223.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="West Begins in Kansas"><B><IMG SRC="0420b120.png" border=0 width="11" height="18" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A><B>     </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="18" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="18"><B>  </B><A HREF="id211.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa History In Postcards"><B><IMG SRC="04312120.png" border=0 width="18" height="18" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="77" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 30 WIDTH="71"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="30" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="71" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Rohrbaugh Opening, from the website of </B></div> <div> <B>The Franklin County Kansas Genealogical Society</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id222_m.htm#recalls_opening_" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Rohrbaugh Theater"><B>RECALLS OPENING </B></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=94 BGCOLOR="#FF3300" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0403c5e1dvmwlb.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>Ottawa High School Class of '57</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa High School Class of 57"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id214.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Flood of 1898.">Flood of 1898.</A>   |   <A HREF="id213.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Baseball Team">Baseball Team</A>   |   <A HREF="id207.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa Transfer Storage ">Ottawa Transfer Storage </A>   |   <A HREF="id215.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa Condensing ">Ottawa Condensing </A>   |   <B>Rohrbaugh Theater</B>   |   <A HREF="id223.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="West Begins in Kansas">West Begins in Kansas</A>   |   <A HREF="id224.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Santa Fe Depot">Santa Fe Depot</A>   |   <A HREF="id225.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Santa Fe Railway">Santa Fe Railway</A>   |   <A HREF="id226.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Princeton Santa Fe Depot">Princeton Santa Fe Depot</A>   |   <A HREF="id253.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fishing In Ottawa">Fishing In Ottawa</A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=386 width="100%" colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Rohrbaugh Theater</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>"Dad" Martin Exaggeration Photo Postcard</B></div> <div>  Used By The Rohrbaugh Theater As An Advertising Postcard in 1909</div> <div> Ottawa, Kansas</div> <div> <IMG SRC="4d3f4380.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="312" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>From Photographic Postcard in private collection of Morgan Williams                                           </B></I></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>   .</B></I></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>On the face of the card:</B></I></div> <div> I am very anxious to "Rope" some of your attractions that will play this territory the coming season.</div> <bR> <div> Yours truly,</div> <bR> <div> R. S. Hubbard, Mgr.,</div> <div> The Rohrbaugh</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Backside of Postcard</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="4d4f43e0.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="318" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>From Photographic Postcard in private collection of Morgan Williams                                           </B></I></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>   .</B></I></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>On the back of the card:</B></I></div> <div> STAGE</div> <bR> <div> Width.............................................62 Feet</div> <div> Depth.............................................40 Feet</div> <div> Loft................................................50 Feet</div> <div> Between Girders.............................45 Feet</div> <div> Groves............................................None</div> <bR> <div>        10 Big Dressing Rooms</div> <bR> <div> Ottawa is 58 miles from Kansas City, MO</div> <div> ===========================================</div> <div> Postcard was mailed to:</div> <bR> <div> G. J. Appleton</div> <div> Maxine Elliott Theater,</div> <div> New York City. </div> <bR> <div> June 22, 1909</div> <div> ==========================================</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id211.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ottawa History In Postcards"><I><B>Return</B></I></A></div> <bR> <div> From <A HREF="http://www.ku.edu/heritage/chs/franklin/buildings/Rohrbaughtheater.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ku.edu/heritage/chs/franklin/">http://www.ku.edu/heritage/chs/franklin/buildings/Rohrbaughtheater.htm</A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="627" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 278 WIDTH="310"><div> <I><B>To see the complete story, click on the link above.</B></I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <A NAME="recalls_opening_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>RECALLS OPENING </B></div> <div> <B>OF OLD </B></div> <div> <B>ROHRBAUGH</B></div> <bR> <div> Auditorium takes Place of Old Playhouse.</div> <div> It was a Gala Event January 31, 1898, </div> <div> When the Rohrbaugh Was Dedicated - Salvini, </div> <div> Italian Actor, Drew Much Applause.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="6538a100.jpg" border=0 width="394" height="272" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Formal opening of Ottawa's new memorial auditorium, erected by the public in memory of the soldiers and sailors of Franklin county during the recent war, calls to the minds of many folks the elaborate dedication of the old Rohrbaugh theater. It was a gala event - of distinguished citizens, fine clothes, much oratory and some wine. It was the night of January 31, 1896.</div> <div> As a part of the dedication a bottle of champagne was sprinkled on the stage floor. They say some folks in Ottawa have never forgiven such prodigal waste and blamed the subsequent ups and downs of the Rohrbaugh on the spilling of one whole bottle of perfectly good champagne in the days before Mr. Volstead became famous or infamous, according to your thirst.</div> <div> The Rohrbaugh was built by the late Samuel B. Rohrbaugh and was named for him. It stood in the same block with the new auditorium - on the site of the present Jewell apartments. The building cost about $33,000 exclusive of site and equipment. The first stone was laid July 9, 1895, and the dedication with much pomp and glory was on the last night of the following January. It was a cold and rainy night. With a raw wind blowing, but that didn't dampen or chill, Ottawa's enthusiasm.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>