Sechrest - Columbus Indianas Historic Crump Theatre

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2013 by David Sechrest

All rights reserved

Front cover: Photo by David Williams.

First published 2013

e-book edition 2013

ISBN 978.1.62584.646.4

Library of Congress CIP data applied for.

print edition ISBN 978.1.62619.188.4

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of this book will support the Crump Theatre through the Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, Indiana.

For Jennifer, Matthew and Samantha Sechrest.

My world would be so empty without you in my life.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

Since its beginning as an opera house in the late 1800s, the Crump Theatre has been a landmark in downtown Columbus that has added to our citys cultural offerings. The venerable theater has housed everything from live theatrical performances, silent films and motion pictures to ceremonies, benefits, musical performances and concerts. With its Art Deco faade and large neon marquee lighting up the night sky, the Crump provides a distinct flavor to our citys architectural landscape and urban atmosphere. In 1982, the Crump earned the honor of being placed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Columbus Historic District. Rooted deep in Columbus history, our community has developed a strong emotional bond with this historic theater.

The Crump has undergone several extensive renovations during its lifetime, and the strong feelings our community has for this building have also saved it from the wrecking ball. When the Crump seemed doomed for demolition in the late 1980s, our residents stepped up to Save the Crumpa movement to restore the theater.

Many significant efforts have gone into reviving the Crump. Over the years, the front faade has been restored, a new marquee has been added, the buildings roof has been replaced and many other repairs have been completed. After more than 120 years, we believe the Crump still has plenty of life left in it.

Today, the Crump is one of the many assets that adds to the newly developed Columbus Arts District. It stands as a testament to our communitys desire to preserve history. We are hopeful the Crump can return as a cultural magnet in our community and become economically vital once again.

In this book, author and historian David Sechrest provides a historical narrative of the Crump covering a time period from 1872 to the present day. He gives in-depth perspective to the importance of the Crump in Columbus and shows how the theaters long history has endeared it to so many in our community.

The future of the Crump is bright with potential. Please take time to appreciate its history, and thank you for your contribution to its future through the purchase of this book.

Mayor Kristen Brown

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

So many people helped in guiding me along this path of discovery. I want to thank:

Mayor Kristen Brown for writing the foreword to this book.

Everyone at the Bartholomew County Historical Society and especially Nick Speth for his assistance in locating photographs for this book. Also, thanks to the staff at the Bartholomew County Public Library, in particular, Tyler Munn, for his assistance in getting microfilm copies of the Big Blue Union newspaper (Marysville, Kansas) so quickly. Thanks also to the people at the Marysville, Kansas Historical Society.

A sincere thank-you to Rovene Quigley for allowing me to put this books title on the Crump Theatre marquee.

Thanks to Dan Patterson for allowing me to see and photograph his original Crump Theatre chair. Thanks to my dear friend Jack Fitzpatrick for helping to date the chair and for his assistance with the Crump Theatre marquee lettering.

Thanks to Bob Anderson, Stillframes Photography, for all the wonderful pictures he took of the Crump Theatre. Also, thank you for digitizing the negatives and slides for use in this book.

A big thank-you to Randy Weinantz for loaning me his mother, Joans, scrapbook. The information your mother compiled was of tremendous benefit, but more than that, it was what started me on this journey ten years ago.

Thanks to Tamara Stone Iorio for letting me include images from her wonderful postcard collection and to Carol Ahlbrand for the pictures of her grandfather, Walter Doup.

A sincere thank-you to Francis Jefferson Crump III, Rovene Quigley, Christine Lemley, Ed Sullivan, Vernon Jewell, Jayne Farber, Henry Malm, Hutch Schumaker, Louis Joyner, Michael Rembusch and Trudie Schoettmer for taking time away from their busy schedules to talk with me about the Crump Theatre. (One of these days, Ill get this interview thing down pat!)

Thanks to Lesley Carter and Joy Sechrest Brown for their beautiful, original pieces of artwork. This book would not be the same without your artistic offerings.

And last but by no means least, a sincere thank-you to Herschel Crippen Jr., Rick Weinantz, Connie Weinantz Jeesse, Abby Abel McGovern, Gary Scroggins, David Yount and Harry McCawley.

PART 1

THE ROAD TO SUCCESS IS PAVED WITH FAILURE (COLUMBUS, INDIANA OPERA HOUSES AND THEATERS, 187289)

1872

F.J. CRUMPS OPERA HOUSE

A Place of Which No Citizen Should Feel Ashamed

The Crump Theatre will celebrate its 124th birthday on October 30, 2013. The building that will celebrate this historic anniversary is actually a combination of two buildings: Keiths Arcade, which was built in 1871, and the theater building that architect Charles Sparrell designed and contractors Keller and Brockman adjoined to the back of the Arcade building. When Crumps New Theatre first opened on that rainy Wednesday night of October 30, 1889, a milestone in the field of dramatic arts was finally achieved. It had taken more than seventeen years to get to that place in time. The years leading up to the opening of Crumps New Theatre were littered with catastrophic failures, coupled with a small degree of success. All that had transpired had been a costly learning curve. This narrative does not begin on that opening night, for to truly appreciate the importance of Columbus, Indianas first successful venue for the cultural arts, it is necessary to backtrack and start at the beginning.

This is what happened. This is my attempt at squeezing those 124 years into a forty-thousand-word book.

In 1872, the population of Columbus Township was roughly 3,350 people. The town of Columbus proper spread itself out over a seventy-block area, from Water Street at the south up to North Street (Tenth) and from Brown Street on the west to Wilson. The town was a mish-mash of homes and churches; merchants and banks; woolen mills and meat-processing plants; grain, grist- and feed mills; livery stables and boardinghouses; wagon makers; furniture builders; and undertakers. Railroad Square occupied an entire block in the heart of downtown. Sanitary conditions were poor. Drainage ditches were dug by hand along the sides of dirt streets, some doing nothing more than offering a place for stagnant water to pond up. The intersection of Walnut (Fourth) and Franklin Streets got so bad after a heavy rain that it was nicknamed Storey Lake, as water levels were more than knee high. Dead pigs, dogs, cats and rats were a common sight (and smell) in alleyways. Cattle, turkeys, sheep and pigs were herded along Washington Street and could be seen wandering the downtown streets of their own free will.