The Montgomery Opera House was built in 1890 by John W. Montgomery, T. L. Montgomery (Johns son), and William McDermott. The upper floor was composed of a 600 seat opera house. This building became the hub of business and entertainment. It housed the city library, the post office from 1894 to 1901, then again in 1907, which necessitated the addition on the north end to accommodate the rural mail carriers. After the post office moved the northern quarter was occupied by the Middle States Utilities Co., a telephone corporation that stayed for several years. The acricultual Extension had an office on the second floor. There was an inside stairway that lead to the second floor. The outside metal stairway was added in 1936 when Zimmerman and Kearns bought the property. The Palace Drug Store was located on the west portion during the 1890s. In 1898 G. F. Eakins used this space for a bakery and restaurant. Later I. F. Schermerhorn had a second hand store here. The Clark county Savings Bank occupied the northeast corner until 1936 when the Depression caused the bank to close. Then Henry J. Zimmerman and Harry S. Kearns bought the building for $5000.00. They stayed for forty years. There was also an attorneys office, barber shop, insurance office and licence bureau. To be continued.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 16:04:30 +0000
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