VENANGO COUNTY NEWS Hearld

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VENANGO COUNTY NEWS HERALD
1888 - 1898
Jan. 10, 1888
* Mr. and Mrs. George Pennington have arrived from Toronto, Ontario, and will take a residence on Fifteenth Street that they have purchased from Miss Sarah Bredin.
July 11, 1889

*Mrs. S. WHITMAN has started an excellent bakery in Cooperstown.
*A jolly crowd of young people from Franklin indulged in a drive to Cooperstown on Monday evening and took supper at the Hanna House. Some carriages were rigged out with sleighbells and tin horns.

*April 29, 1889 - History of the Park and Kayton Theaters � April 29, 1989 - Carolee Michener
Photo caption: The Kayton Theatre brought a touch of Hollywood glamor into downtown Franklin. When the movie, �Yellow Rolls-Royce,� played here in July 1965, Dr. Warren J. McCandless drove his Rolls ( identical to the movie version except for the color) to the front of the theater, giving passerby and theater-goers a chance for a close-up look. McGuire�s Drug Store in the corner of the building was a booming enterprise with its 12-foot soda fountain.

Excerpts from article: When the theater opened in 1946 it was heralded with enthusiasm from the community and at that time the movies were an integral part of life in cities and towns across the nation. It was of sturdy fireproof construction, replacing the old Park Theatre which had been destroyed by fire on Nov. 20, 1944. The fire threatened the United States Hotel building � the oldest business block in the community. The theater fire was discovered at 7:10 a.m. by a passerby who rushed to Isaly�s Store to have the manager, Wayne Blair, telephone the fire department. The first hose was put through the front door into the lobby and already fire could be seen roaring through the auditorium which could seat 600. The flames broke through the roof and the tar feed the flames. Smock was thick and engulfed the business district. Rocky Grove Fire Dept. volunteers and Civilian Defense personnel joined in the fire fighting. A booster pump was sent by Joy Manufacturing and operated by L. G. Felderman and others. Water was poured on the fire from the rooftops of the hotel and from Kroger Market on the other side of the alley. Numerous small shops in the immediate area had considerable damage. L.T. Houghton of Franklin and Paul McKay of Morgantown, WV, owned the Kayton Entertainment Co., which had a string of theaters including the Park and Orpheum in Franklin. Much of the $100,000 loss was covered by insurance. The cause of the fire was not determined.

History of the Park Theater is sketchy but as near as can be determined, it had been erected by Edmund Bleakley, Grant Bolmer and Thomas A. King in 1913 as an open air theater. Later a roof was added and a tile addition was built in the rear. At one time a cigar store was operated in the corner building at the alley but after the appeal of Prohibition, it became the Dugout, run by George R. Ross. The theater business was sold to the Kayton Entertainment Co. in 1931 and the building was purchased in 1937. On Dec. 11, 1944 the Kayton owners announced their plans to rebuild the theater. They also purchased additional property from the Edmund Bleakley estate and the William Sutley residence so that the new theater could extend all the way from Liberty to Buffalo Street. H. T. Osburn Co. had the contract for the 300 foot long building. Plans included drilling a well to supply the large volumes of water needed for the air-conditioning system � an innovation for small city theaters. Some of the brick walls of the old Park Theater were used but the major construction was concrete, assuring sound fire proofing.

The Kayton opened on May 7, 1946 at a cost of over $200,000. For years it served the community and was well patronized. Twenty years later � March 30, 1966, an announcement was made of the sale of both the Kayton and the Sky-Hi Drive � In Theatre to DeMarsh Theatres of Grove City. In July 1973 the building was sold to Re-Arm Sports Center which closed in the late 1980s.
December 2, 1893
* Mel KERR, well-known humorist in New York is here on a visit to his parents.
*The Galena Oil Company presented to each employee and employees of the railroad a turkey for Thanksgiving.
*The third anniversary of the Franklin Y.M.C.A. was observed here last night by a public meeting in the Baptist Church.
*The new bank in Cooperstown is now in full operation and will do general banking business. W. J. LAPSLEY, of this city, is cashier. (W. J. BRADLEY was President and Frank BARR was Vice President of the Cooperstown Citizens Bank)
Jan. 31, 1896
* W. D. RIDER, who was seriously injured in a fall at the new hotel at Cambridge Springs recently, is able to walk about his room.
* The plant of the Franklin Steel Casting Company, the most extensive manufacturing works ever erected here, is in operation and the first run of steel was made yesterday.
June 12, 1896
* The First Baptist Church will give a reception to the new pastor, Rev. Dr. T. Edwin BROWN, on Tuesday evening, June 16.
* James RIAL left today for a visit with his aunt, Mrs. Edward L. BRANCH in St. Louis.
* Oil closed at $1.18.
June 17, 1896
* Car No. 6, one of the beautiful new summer cars of the Franklin Street Railway, was out for the first time yesterday.
* Mr. and Mrs. S. BARRETT have a new guest at the Commerical Hotel - a little son.
* A delightful reception was given last evening by the women of the First Baptist Congregation in the church parlors of Rev. Dr. T. Edwin BROWN, the new pastor and his wife.
Oct. 16, 1896
* Mrs. R. A. BIGLEY has returned from an extended stay in Marienville.
* The Rev. H. J. H. LEMCKE and family have moved into their new home at 1306 Chestnut Street.
* J. C. SIBLEY was one of the speakers at the great Democratic demonstration yesterday at Vanderbilt.
* The line-up in the Oil City - Franklin game tomorrow will be: Ollie JOBSON, Charles MYERS, Fred ENDERSBY, Ned HIGGINS, M. KINGSLEY, W. J. MILLER, Frank McINTOSH, Will JOBSON, Jim BRIDGES, George WOODBURN and substitutes will be C. TURNER, Dave PRINTZ and M. BRODHEAD.
Nov. 21, 1896
* The time to change bosses in the Postoffice is still a long way off but that doesn't prevent conjecture. We have already stated that E. W. SMITH and Isa BLACK are among the aspirants and Phil ENGELSKIRGER'S name has been added to that list.
* Mrs. E. D. ALLEN leaves today for New York to spend the winter with her husband who is studying art there.
May 29, 1897
* Martin BARRETT, little son of S. BARRETT, Jr. was struck by a street car on Liberty Street near Eleventh Street yesterday while riding in a delivery wagon.
June 1, 1897
* J. R. DODDS, register and recorder, is visiting friends in Beaver.
* Miss Celia SIBLEY entertained a number of friends at luncheon yesterday.
* The earthquake which was felt along the line from Tennessee to Pittsburgh was distinctly noticed here.
June 5, 1897
* Miss Austa SWAN of Pittsburgh is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. B.E. SWAN.* Little Weldon Barr celebrated his birthday today
with a party of hisplaymates of the Twelfth Street kindergarten. Weldon is center of top row.
Nov. 3, 1897
* The vote in Franklin yesteday was very light, amounting in all to 985. The largest vote in the city yesterday was 623, secured by A. R. OSMER, Republican candidate for district attorney. OSMER led his party in the county, having a plurality of 810 over WILBERT.
* Pierce MYERS was painfully injured yesterday afternoon while shoeing a horse at his shop on Otter Street. The animal kicked him.
* Mrs. William TOY, of Bradford, is attending her daughter, Mrs. Frank BARR, who is ill with diphtheria. Mrs. BARR'S son, Weldon, is recovering from an attack of the disease.
April 24, 1898
* The County Convention of the People's Party was in session in this city today.
* The circulation of The News is on the jump these war times. Almost 2,000 copies were printed and disposed of yesterday.
* Mindful of the fact that the departing volunteers of Company F are likely to be called to duty in hot climate, a number of ladies of this city (after consulting with General WILEY) have arranged to hold a meeting for the purpose of making havelocks and housewives for the volunteers. The roll of Company F, which is ready to answer the Governor's mobilization call, shows nine officers and 100 privates ready to go. Frank BARR, Captain; Chris JOHNSON, First Lieutenant; B. S. SHAFER, Second Lieutenant, are the commissioned officers of the company.
* Mrs. Jessie BAKER, one of the telephone exchange force, is confined to the house by illness.
Oct. 6, 1898
*Mrs. T.W. Douglas and daughters, Elizabeth and Ada, en route from Punxsutawney to Grove City, are visiting Mrs. Douglas' sister, Mrs. J. R. Borland.
*George McKay and Walter Wheaton met face to face yesterday for the first time since the former confessed that Wheaton shot George Carter on the night of Aug. 10. McKay says he is eager to have all details of the crime brought to light.
*A dispatch from Ponce, Porta Rico, says that Brig. General Ernst, with the 16th Pennsylvania and 3d Wisconsin regiments, has been ordered to leave Ponce for the United States.
October 11, 1898
*Sherman Deets fell from the top of a large chestnut tree in Canal Township Saturday and had one arm and four ribs broken.
*Two freight cars collided late this afternoon above Valley station.
Contributor
Penny Minnick
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