John Keller- Bowling Alley
John Keller was a man of innovation. You can learn more about him by taking our Innovation in Nappanee walking tour. John Keller moved to Van Wert, Ohio from Columbiana County, Ohio in 1885 and learned his as a finished photographer. He moved to Nappanee in 1886. A kind friend loaned him $200 which helped him purchase a photographer's outfit and set up a business. John Keller was Nappanee's first photographer he opened his business in 1888 at the corner of Main street and Walnut street. Not only did he have his photography business but he also had a bowling alley. In 1900 the Nappanee News reported that Mr. Keller recently purchased the Wilt building on Market Street. He overhauled the building and transformed its capacity and appearance, including the addition of four bowling lanes. It had the very best make and equipment for a bowling alley. There was also a balcony with raised seats and people were able to witness the bowling contests. Mr. Keller planned to keep a first-class house and he meant what he said. Back in those days bowling alleys were not the best places. The place also featured a gymnasium and physical culture. The bowling alley opened on Friday, January 25, 1901. It featured a contest between Bremen and Nappanee teams. The visitors won two of the three games. The Nappanee news called that Keller had four of the finest alleys in the northern part of the state. Mr. Keller informed the Nappanee News that the bowling alley resort was to be conducted in a manner wholly different from the impression which the public had of a bowling resort. A sign in the building prohibited smoking and bad language from visitors or players. By 1904, Keller closed his bowling alley along with his restaurant and pool. He turned to focus more on sporting goods. In later years, there was a bowling alley above Reed's Garage.
The Fairy Theater
In 1921, the Jefferson Reality Company of Goshen purchased a lot on South Main Street, two lots south of the Hartman Brothers. Oscar Hanson, who was the owner of the Jefferson Theater in Goshen, planned to erect a modern theater for Nappanee. The playhouse was to be used for both movies and road companies and would be leased for local theatricals and as a public auditorium. As far as we know, this idea never came to be. The Fairy Theater opened on August 9, 1926. They started work on the building on North Main Street in April of 1926. The building was done by Mr. Ed Wisler. The original plans for the theater were a brick veneer, one story high with a 19-foot ceiling. The main floor was supposed to have seating for 350, while the balcony on the east end of the building would seat 75. Two boxes on either end of the balcony would seat 5 each, making the seating capacity 435. The lobby was to be patterned after the movie theaters of the time. The floor would have been tiled and the stairways would lead from the lobby to the balcony on either side, as well as to the basement, where there would be restrooms for both ladies and gentlemen. Brass railings would be used in the lobby as well as on the stairways. A canopy would be built over the sidewalk. When the theater opened later that year it was a bit different than first described: fireproof construction and seating for400 people. The front was one of the latest theatre designs for that time period and it was equipped with a canopy extended to the edge of the sidewalk. The ticket office was in the lobby and the stairway lead to the balcony and the bathrooms in the basement. The balcony sat 42. Seats throughout the house were of the latest folding theater pattern and were upholstered in leather. Special attention was given to the lighting and the ventilation systems and a comfortable temperature were to be maintained at all times. Dressing rooms for vaudeville entertainers or other productions were provided under the stage. A curtain of beautiful design with advertisements of local businesses around the border gave the stage a fine appearance.Guy Loudermilk moved from Knox to Nappanee and ran the Fairy Theater from 1926 to 1936. He sold his interests to Walter Kohlhorst. Kohlhorst moved from Lima, Ohio to Nappanee after running a movie house there. Prior to that, he ran a movie house in Kansas. He maintained the same rules and staff as Mr. Loudermilk. Kohlhorst continued to run the Fairy Theater after he moved back to Lima, Ohio in 1950. He sold the theater to Howard Pontious six months before his death. Gone with the Wind played at the Fairy Theater on April 18-19, 1941. The price for a ticket was 55 cents. In 1932, there was a Bread Wrapper night. One person would be admitted by ten bread wrappers if accompanied by a paid admission. The plan proved to be a popular and some abused the privilege, so it was cancelled. The Fairy Theater, now the Nappanee Theater, is still providing entertainment today.
Auditorium
In 1895, the Nappanee News published an article asking "Why not have an opera house?" The newspaper took that question to the street and asked many businessmen their opinions. In 1898, the news discussed how they had been asking for a town hall/opera house/hall for five to six years. In 1899, there was another push to build a town hall. Harvey Coppes, Bernie Uline, and Chas Sweeny solicited $5,000 to secure funding for such a building. Daniel Zook claimed the present facilities used for public entertainment were a disgrace for an enlightened community such as Nappanee. Daniel Zook approached the town of Nappanee in April of 1899 to move the Corner Hardware and Miller Harness shop. These buildings sat in the location where the Auditorium was eventually built. The Auditorium was built in 1899 and H.F. Frazier was the architect. It was once called "The Finest Little Theater in Northern Indiana." It was financed by a public subscription. The Auditorium Association was formed and they filed their official articles with Elkhart County in May of 1899. It was formed to create, maintain, and operating a suitable building for public meetings. The capital stock of the association was $6000 divided into 1200 shares of $5 each. The Auditorium officially opened in December 1899. Opening night seats were auctioned off to the highest bidders from the first choice down - the auction started at about $3 in the boxes down to $1 for ordinary seats. The first night the house brought in a little over $450. From it opening until World War I, it hosted the Nappanee Orchestra, locally-produced shows, band concerts, recitals, graduationns and so much more. The Auditorium burned down on January 17, 1937. After the Auditorium burned down, there was a question of ownership. Bessie Huffman made a claim to ownership. It was found that the Auditorium Association only had ownership of the 2nd floor whereas Bessie Huffman owned the 1st floor. It was determined that the Association could build a 2nd floor on top of whatever replaced the building if allowed. Bessie Huffman was given a clear title to the spot and sold it to Henry Maust.The Auditorium Association deemed that they would not rebuild and the $1500 (roughly $26,000 in 2019) in insurance money would be given to the school, since stakeholders would only receive a few dollars.
Crystal Theater
Nappanee's first nickelodeon or pioneer movies houses opened sometime before 1909. There is nothing further known about it. The first recorded movie house, The Theatorium, opened on West Market Street on March 6, 1909, with 3,000 feet of film on four subjects. The Nappanee Amusement Company was behind this venture. The only thing that we know about the Amusement Company is that they provided the public with excellent, clean, and wholesome entertainment. It was a doubtful proposition to expect the town to support two theatres so long that one was taking care of the public in a satisfactory manner. The business was overdone in most places. The Nappanee Amusement Company worked long and diligently before the business was on a paying basis. Movies and shows were nightly but on Sunday there were two shows. Admission was 10 cents and it had a small stage with wings, curtains, and a street scene. Vaudevilles with movies, every night but Sunday, started in December of 1910. "The Balfours" was a company of six vaudeville artists in their line of singing and acting that came to the Theatorium. Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill Show was a film shown at the Theatorium and it celebrated the Native American Scoutmaking a farewell trip. The Theatorium closed in about 1915. It was then reopened as the Crystal Theater on October 11, 1916 with movies every night but Sunday. The Crystal Theater closed in 1923 and was reopened that same year ats the Boice Theater.
Hartman Hall
Hartman Hall was known as Stahly Hall also. It opened in December of 1881 as Stahly Hall. The Hall was along the west wall of the Hartman Brothers building in the upstairs, and there were offices in the front towards the street. The Hall was filled with removable chairs or benches and there were at least two large heating stoves. There was a makeshift stage on the west wall with a heavy canvas drop. W.R. Allen painted six scenes for the stage: an Italian one, a street, a parlor, a kitchen, and a forest scene. The Hall held early town council meetings, plays and entertainment, funerals, church services (that eventually moved to Coppes Hall), concerts, recitals, oyster suppers, and more. Some of the famous performances included Ned Turner, The Cornet Band and Otto Saldan. In 1887, it changed its name to Hartman Hall. It closed in March of 1892.
Coppes Hall
Coppes Hall was located upstairs at the Coppes Hotel. Coppes Hall had no stage but it served as the town's entertainment center for 7 years. The Hoosier Nightingales and the Scotch Medicine Company performed there as well as Bennett Matlack who directed a large local production of "Damon and Pythias." He came back a few months later for a series of Shakespearean readings. The Tennessean Jubliee Singers made a stop at Coppes Hotel. There was an educated and refined company of colored people. Citizens of Nappanee would put on amateur shows in the Hall. In 1893, there was an athletic exhibition. It did not draw a very large crowd because Nappanee did not contain the number of "sports" that would warrant anyone giving an exhibition on wrestling, boxing, and club swinging. The Chicago champion was supposed to meet Jack Donovan in the ring for six three-minute rounds but the champion failed to arrive. A local lightweight from Elkhart was put in. The spectators went away disappointed as the fights did not live up to their expectations. When there was a play or program the cost was 25 cents and 35 cents for reserved seating. The Union Sunday School and the Episcopal Church moved in for Sunday Services. With the opening of the Auditorium in 1899, Coppes Hall closed its doors. The Coppes Hotel business grew under the new management and need to increase accommodations. Coppes Hall was converested into seven additional sleeping rooms for the hotel proper.
