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( • E STREET 121 E STAT OVAL THEATRE ~~~~~~~~~~NTY tty UNION HOTEL ROYAL THEATRE Constructed: 1891-92 Address: 121 East State Present owner: Todd Braithwaite Austin, and John Y. Smith's financial interests in the closed hotel. When the renovated building opened during the week of September 17th, it offered steam heat, electric lights, hot and cold water, sanitary ventilation, baths, and toilets. The large sample room, which had formerly been the grocery store, was converted into a parlor, and the former bar area was remodeled into small sample rooms. A porch was also added to the front of the building, where guests could sit in the evening and watch State Street happenings. Wines sold the Union Hotel to the People's Co-op in August of 1912. In 1914, the C(H)J) remodeled the building into the Royal Theatre. The fony-by-eighty-seven-foot historic building was completely gutted and renovated to accommodate seven hoodred seats-including 286 in the balcony. Though management's primary intent was to create a movie house, a large stage and orchestra pit (built of one boodred thousand bricks) was constructed on the north end of the structure. This stage, designed to accommodate the scenery sets of the largest traveling troups, was fifty-five feet wide, thiny-ooe feet deep, and fony feet high. Movies were not the only event at the Royal. Many high school plays, political rallies and vaudeville troups were held there. Wrestling and boxing matches-often promoted by the Lehi Fire Department-stirred betting men to a frenzy in the Royal. In the summer of 1928 F. M. Houston purchased the Royal. and National Theatres from the People's CCK>p. After a few months. John H. Miner purchased Houston's interest. He and his son Clift' continuously operated the Royal (except for a brief time during the Depression). until the senior Miller's death in 1950. The yoooger man continued to operate the theater ootil his retirement in 1976. The Union Hotel/Royal Theatre building was then purchased by All Star Brake Distributors and ootil recently was used for a warehouse. The construction of the Lehi Sugar Factory in 1890-91 resulted in far-reaching economic benefits for the entire Intermoootain West. Locally, more than a score of new businesses sprang into existence. And more than a half-dozen new .commercial buildings were erected One of the most glamorous was the Union Hotel on State Street. Thomas R Cutler, Ira D. Wines, and William E. Racker purchased the property from Mens Anderson in 1890. The 14 August 1891 "Lebi Banner" IdveItiSed for construction bids on the building, which was designed by Clements and Company of Salt Lake City. The ~story building, with basement, had stone steps and a bandrail leading upwards into the lavish lobby. The fifteen sleeping rooms on the second floor were mostly occupied by traveling men heading south to other towns or railroad men staying over after their nm. The kitchen and dining room area, to the rear of the lobby, prepared and served hearty meals. The Union Hotel was more than a hostelry. Many social functions, including weddings, missionary reWlions, and professional functions, were held in the dining room. After guests had eaten. the party could adjourn to the Lehi Commercial and Savings Bank Building, one block east, where a large ballroom was available for dancing. Rocky MOootain Bell Telephone Company's central switchboard, operated by Birdie Stoddart, was in a portion of the building from 1892 to 1906. T. 1. Wadsworth leased the Union Drug Store on the premises from 1892-97, in the former clothing room of the People's Co-op. A H Gattis, representing Westem Grocery Company of Kansas City and Denver. had a wholesale grocery business in this west room after Wadsworth vacated the premises. A barbershop, operated by Sam Peterson, and a billiard room were in this location in later years. Robert Stoddart and his wife, Ada, were the managers ootil the Union Hotel closed in November 1905. In August of 1908, Ira D. Wines bought Thomas R Cutler. W. E. Racker, George 46 Union Hotel in 1908 Roval Theatre in 1920s 45 A GUIDE TO LEHI CITY'S HISTORICAL SITES AND PLACES Published by the Lehi Historical Preservation Commission 1997 funded by grants from the I ;tah State Historical Society alld Lchi Cit~'Corporation JUt. 2 ~ 19S? l"l'AII PRESS ASSOCIA TIO\ Clipping Suo'iet (SO I) 328-8678 LEIII FREE Hotel .alesman for the Wa tk ins Remedy C.."pany, tried to take hi. life in tht hotel. A veteran of the Spani.hAmerican War, Scott claimed. that the artillery firing had "cauM!d a defect in hi. head." Troubled with . m~tal distress, and perhaps .with pot r sales, Scott told some of his cu't.omersthat -today willenditfor me.' He accordingly drank half an ounce of laudanum, a tincture of opium. But unlike BOlwell, Scott vi.ed to be committed to the State M.ntal Hospital at Provo. Ira D. Wines, one of Lehi's most prtsperouscitizens with a net worth .ur- Tbis 191CJ.era photo depicts the UniOD Hotel OD State Street. Union Hotel was one of Lehi most glamourous By RICHARD VAN WAGONER The construction of the Lehi Sugar Factory in 1890-91 re.ulted in f&rareaching economic benefit. for the entire intermountain we.t. Locally, more than a KOre of new buaine'lM aprang into exi.tence. Lehi Yesteryears And more than a half dozen now commercial bUildings were erected. unions, and profeuional functiona, Several. including two on State were held in the dining room. After guests had eaten the party could Street, are still in UN. OneofthemoltglamoTousbuild- adjourn to the Lehi Commerc1aland ingo built in Lehi in the 1890'. was Savingo Bank Building one block the Union Hotel on State Street. ea6t, where a large ballroom was Thomu R. Cutler, Ira D. Wines and available for dancing. Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone William E. Racker purcha..d tho property from Mone Anderson in Company'. centxal. ""'itchboard, operatedbyB~rdje Stoddart, 'w as in -1890. The Aug. 14, 1891 "Lehi Sa". ner" advertised for construction bid, a portion o!the building from 1892 on the building, which wa.des igned to 1906. T.J. Wadsworth leased the Union by Clements and Company of Salt Drug Stor~ on the premi ... from Lake City. 1892-97 in theformerclothingroom The work progresN"d. very rapidly_ Two weeks later the Aug. 28, of the People's Co-op. The April 20, -Banner" noted that the foundation 1897 -Lehi Banner" noted with a work was nearly completed and the hint of sadness that -the old eagle brick work was ready to commence. : that has adorned the window of the Thecompletod building, likHhe Union Drug Store has been taken Lehi Commercial and Sa vings Build- down and shipped ofT." A. H. Gattis, representing West· ing (also owned by Cutler, Winel .. and Racker), builtatthelametime, _ ern Grocery Company of Kanl .. ia one'ofthe most elegant commer- City and Denver, had a wholesale cialatructureaevererected in town. grocery businea in this west room A good deal of the fancy brickwork, af~r Wadsworth vacated the preincluding the im menae arched·lobby mises . A barbershop operated by Sam window on the westside, can Itill be _n on the building at 121 East Peterson and a billiard room were in this location in later years. State. Robert Stoddart and his wife Ada Thetwo-.torybuildingwith basement had atone steps and a hand- were the managers until the Union ran leading upwards into the lavish Hotel closed in November 1905. In lobby. The 15 lleepingrooms on the August 1908 Ira D. Win .. bought MCOnd floor were mOitly occupied Thomas It Cutler, W. E. Racker, by traveling men heading .outh to George AUltin, and John Y.Smith'. othertown.orrailroad men staying interests in the closed hotel. He had over after their run. The kitchen the building thoroughly renovated and dining room area to the rear of and hired a Mrs . McDonald to man· the lobby prepared and served age it for him. , When the building opened dur- hearty meall. The Union Hotel was more than ing the week of Sept- 17, it offered a hostelry. Many lOCi.) functions, .team he.t, electric lights, hot and including we<idinga, mi .. ionary reoee YESTERYEARS Oil pa~e 3 of$500,000, was involved in a scandal in his Union Hotel residence. His first wife Margaret had died in 1909. Though this marriage was deacribed as wedded bliss, his aec· ond matrimonial alliance waaoften rocky. TheMay31, 1913"LehiBanner", in a surprisingly public airing ofaprivatematter, noted that Eliza· beth E. Wines had filed for divorce from her husband. The suitciairned that Wines was lavishingattentionon a Lehi woman by showering her with "presents. entertainment, and wine suppers.- · In his room at the Union Hotel, the incensed wife accused, Wines "keeps a photograph oflhis paramour] on the bureau at all timt"s." Wines, tht"n a feisty old dufTerof 68, must have made nuptial amends. When he died on April 12, 1923 Elizabeth E. Wines was listed as his widow. The Wint"sname ismemori· alized in Lehi by Ira's donation of an t"ntire block of property to Lehi City in 1908 -- which became the Margar~ t T. Wint's PArk. Wines sold the Union Hotel to the People's Co-op in August 1912. Mrs. Lizzie FrAzier Was manager until 1914 when, the Co~ op remod-. . eled the building into -: the Royat Theatre. I will detail that phase of the building's history for you next week. "1~f.'apunoq-.lUuu'i uy ',&UJ ...UAU+U&{_ ... 1I~ _t. .uo.(uw ~et.l"A. ~.uPlnol{"JA ·~lIp -!PUW;) .Ino lnoqll MOUl{ ~ ~U aM dU!1{1 el{llno pug ~ Apml JO I.mol{ MaJ 11 l{'l-lOM ~! Ala.tnS ·1{1n.ll-1{1 JOJ 14BU ~ MOU In 01 dn ~, -- 810A 01 a;)uwl{;) 11 In aA!lt 0111{SnOJ IJitl{l -lIJe.loJ .Ino ·uo~lI.l1ua:Juoo Nl(1I11~ •.ms 'qorll~ -1{1 op PlnoM OI{M ep~;)8p uel{l 'M1l1P~PUll;) .Ino lnoqw l{1t\.q el{l wll"l ~ paSUIIUlIl{;) lJU!aq UlI e.l,II. '~661 JO aa.( uon:»lll 1!1{1 uJ ~ weill Aal{1 op .NI Nt. en It ,"ll 1"---- - -W' ".. ............ -nluiollOJ;J_. '.1\ • • .ouu. t'lU "&{+ • • ·qof 11 eAlIl{ ~ • II BABII; .lBIIBe ~ Yesteryears: Continued from front page cold water, unitary ventilation, bathl and toilets. The large .ample room, which had fonnerly been the grocery ltore, w .. conven.d into a parlor, and the fonner bar area wa. remodeled intolmanaampleroom •. A porch wa. al.o added to the front of the building where guest. could .it in the evening and watch State Street happening.. Mrs. McDonald retired in May 1909 and was replaced by Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Taylor ofIowa. The Union Hotel wu the site of • cen.. of human misery as well as of plealure. On Jun. 26, 1905 Mar.h.1 Newburn Butt wal called to Union Hotel the Samuel Briggs residence near the hotel to "take care of. man who was acting very .trangely.Butt detennined that William Boswell wu wanted in' American Fork for leavinK town without paying. boarding bill. Whil. the mar.hal wa. making a phone can from the telephone central in the Union Hotel, Boswell popped a cyanide pill in hi. mouth and fell M~~le •• to the floor, where Dr. Sleet .pronounced him dead. Note. found on the body told the invutigatore where the man 'I family livecl and he wu .hipped home to Michigan. Six years later Hyrum Scott, a .alesman for the Watkins Remedy Company, tried to take hi. life in the hotel. A veteran ofthe SpanishAmerican War, Scott c1aime4, that the artillery firing had ·caus~d a defect in hi. head.- Troubled' w'ith mental distress, and perhaps wit~ poor sales, Scott told some of his customers that -today will end it for me," He accordingly drank half an ounce of laudanum, a tincture of opium. But unlike Boswell, Scott sur vived to be committed to the State Mental Hospital at Provo. Ira D. Wine., one of Lehi's most prosperous citizens with a net wortl1, of$500,OOO, was involved in a scandal in his Union Hotel residence. His first wife Margaret had died in 1909. Though this marriage was described as wedded bliss, hi ••econd matrimonial alliance was often J·ocky. TheMay31, 1913-Lehi Banner-, in a surprisingly public airing ofaprivatematter, not.ed that Elizabeth E. Wines had filed for divorce from her husband. The suit claimed that Wines was lavishing attention on a Lehi woman by showering her with ·presents, entertainment, and wine suppers" In his room at the Union Hotel, the incensed wifeac('ust'd, Wines"keeps a photograph oflhis paramour I on the buTt'au Ilt all timt's" Wines, then a ft!isty old duffer of 68, must have made nuptial amends. When he died on April 12, 1923 Elizabeth E. Wines was listed as his widow, The Wint's name is memorialized in Le-hi by Ira's donation of an entire block of property to Lehi City in 1908 -- which bt-came the Margaret T. Wint's Park. Wines .. old the Union Hotel to the Peopl~'s Co·op in August 1912. Mrs. Lizzie Frazier was manager until 1914 when, the Co~op remodeled the building into ~he Royal Theatre. I will detail thit phase of the building's history faT you next week. UTA" ItRESS ASSOCIATION Clip pinK Sen-ire [phone] I, EIII FltEI-: .. RESS (~~~~~~!?!!tre put on gOO~Ii'~~.?:'1914. Leh.With the Isis Theatre out of bus inell and the Lehi Opera House teetering on the brink in 1914, superin ten dent S. I. Goodwin of the People'. Co-op (Lehi'l largest mercantile) recognized a void in the entertainment businel •. He accordingly in.tituted the remodeling of the company's Union Hotel (at 121 Eut State) into a new opera hou!!e. The 40-by-87-foot historic building (built in 1891) W8.5 completely gutted and renovated to accommodate 700 leats -- including 286 in the balcony. Though management's primary intent wu to create Amovie hOUle, a large Itage and orchestra pit (built of one hundred thousand bricks) wuconstructe<i on the north endofthestructure(seeontoday's photograph). . This stage, designed to acrommodate the ecenery sets of the Inrgeat traveling troupes, was 55 feet. wide, 31 feet deep, and 40 feet high. CorneliulSalesbury painted aaum meraceneofthe Rio Virgin Riveron the curtain and subsequently com- into the first round Christon'e rson pinned the Dutchman. The two-outof-thr~ - fall match ended quickly " • • : .. \... n hal'" Yesteryears pleted several stage sets. As the new theater neared completion in August 1914, management advertised 100 free movie ticketstotheper!!onsubmittingthe best name and most appropriate !!Iogan for the new place. After considering such nAmes as -Idea 1," -Em pre!!S," "Weneedit; "Peopin," -Upton," and "SIG" (in honorofS. I. Goodwin), thecommittee chose the "Royal Theatre." The winning name was submitted by four people: Sarah Au!!tin, Linden Fowler, Jesse Russon, and Mrs. Joseph Kirkham. The slogan became, "Meet Me at the Roya!." Though "get acquainted" movies had been shown the weekend before, the Royal was opened to the Pa". d Sh OW were awed by the building's aco\)t, OO tics, lavish lighting sYltem, and ~ to-date exit doors which could U ......_____________ opened by pushing a croll bar. I Movies were not the only evel attheRoya1.Manyhighachoolpla)!a . ~ginning with the March 10. 19:9 , production of -A NauticAl Kno~l thrilled parenti and townspeop's ! alike. Big political rallies wt're heathere. Some rather high c1allvaudm vil1e troupes, such as '"The Inlan Empire Vaudevil1e Circuit," peST' formed on tht' stage. A memorable road show in 19 was "RichArd's & Pringle's Georgia Minstrels," a group of ented colored boys." On March the day of the production in Royal Theatre, the com pAny par about Lehi's principal streets to accompaniment ofSimpson's lenge Band. A "world famous magician," the Great Marquis, entertained credu~ lous fans at the Royal in 1938. Th. program promised, and delivered, See YESTERYEARS on pace ~ .. This is what the Royal Theatre on ~tate ~tret:' .OOftLU ...~"" - _ . - ~ ~ "1 n ""'''"'''r h ad the remod- in 1915. Betty Fowler, columnist for 7-"-1; • Yesteryears: Royal Theatre put on good show "many strange and un usual things." Beautiful girls were changed into rabbits and the live bunnies were then given away to lucky children in the audience. Ghosts walked the aisles and skeletons swooped down to sit among the spectators in a show filled with "wonderland and fantasy." Wrestling and boxing matches -often promoted by the Lehi Fire Department -- stirred betting men to a frenzy in the Royal. While the town lacked a Mohammed Ali, Hulk Hogan, or Andre the Giant, it did have the likes of Jack Street, Ray Slater, Newal Turner -- "who won renown on the Mexican border" -and Alex Christofferson. Strongman Christofferson, powerful enough to pick up the front end of a Model T and turn the car in the opposite direction, wrestled Charles Renthrop -- "Middle-weight Champion of Europe," on Jan. 23, 1915. The Royal Theatre was packed from pit to dome as the two went at each other. Fourteen and one-half minutes into the first round Christofferson pinned the Dutchman. The two-outof-three-fall match ended quickly when Christofferson "with a bar ann and a head chancery" again pinned his man. As the crowd noise subsided, Renthrop walked to the front of the stage and acknowledged "he had tried his best, but that it felt as if Christofferson weighed a ton, and made him feel like he was in Gennany fighting in the war." Despite the glitter and extravagance of vaudeville and magic acts and the brawny displays of athletic prowess, movies are what regularly packed them in at the Royal. Devotees came to see Mary Pickford in "Rags," Tom Mix in "The Circus Ace," Kate Smith in "Hello Everybody," and Rudy Valee in "Sweet Music." Sultry-voiced Mae West promised much in "Belle ofthe Nineties," whileapple-<:heeked Shirley Temple delivered a good deal more in "Little Miss Marker." Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles teamed up for "The Lady from Shanghai," and Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland for "Charge of the Light Brigade," and the unforgettable Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh made movie history in "Gone With the Wind." Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour entertained in "Road to Zanzibar," while John Wayne swaggered to stardom in a multitude of action -packed war and western films. On rare occasions lesser known This is what the Royal Theatre on State Street looked like in 1915. Tarzan Frank Merrill came to town in person. "You will be able to witness a perfonnance that has puzzled science and physical experts of the world," young faris were promised. "We believe this screen star worth seeing so do not forget Tarzan will be here Sunday." Gravelly voiced Wallace Beery, lovable rogue of 1930's and 1940's films, achieved special fame in 1946 when Lehi cop Ernest R. Dickerson ticketed the actor for "Speeding and Improper Passing" on State Strnet, just east of the Royal Theatre. In the summer of 1928 F. M. Houston purchased both the Royal and National Theatres from the People's Co-op. The Co-op had reo cently come under a new mana~e­ ment desirous of getting out of the entertainment business. After a few monthsJohn H. Miller purchased Houston's in terest i n the business. He and his son ClifT continuously operated the Royal (except for a brief time during the Depression) un ti I the sen ior Miller's death in 1950. The younger man continued to operate the theater until his retirement in 1976. In the summer of 1944 the Millers completely modernized the Royal. The State Street facade and foyer were renovated, a bright marquee was added, and a la~~ vertical marquee. No sooner had theremodelingbeencompleted than the building caught fire and was completely destroyed -- excepting the brick walls. The resulting property loss, in excess of $25,000, was only partially covered by insurance. Despite material shortages caused by World War II, the Millers rolled up their sleeves and rebuilt the theater, withou t a balcony. They opened for business on March 22, 1945, with the technicolor feature "Home in Indiana ." ClifTMillerunveiled his "modem wide cinemascope screen" on Sunday, Aug. I, 1954, with the lavish movie production of the Lloyd Douglas novel, "The Robe." Many of us remember that innovation and also the spectacular 3-D film, "The House of Wax." One had to be there in the flesh, wearing those flimsy red and blue cellophane and cardboard glasses, to experience fully the utter horror of that Vincent Price classic. Ronald Stoneman accomplished a feat of unplanned razing in the winter of 1962 when his eastbound vehicle slammed into the box office of the Royal causing more than $1 ,000 worth of damage. But it was not the ravages of erratic drivers, the Depression, or fire that finally drove the Royal Theatre out of bus i- Betty Fowler, columnist for the "Lehi Free Press," first drew the town's attention to a classified ad in late July 1972: "FOR SALE, Royal Theatre building, State Street, Lehi, Utah. Would make good warehouse or other business, close to I-IS Highway, railroad spur at back door, parking lot, call Cliff Miller, Lehi.Worrying that Lehi would lose its only commercial entertainment, Fowler tried to rally the public through her newspaper column. "l"or a long time, n she wrote on 27 July 1972, "we have heard of the rude and noisy conduct of young people in the theatre. Many times ClifT and Thelma have had to stop the show in order to enforce peace and quiet. They have had to constantly monitor the show to keep control. They have had to clean up unbelievable conditions in the restrooms. They have had to babysit unruly and undisciplined children for parents who leave them for hours." : . The Millers tried to keep the theater open . Despite the financial liability the Royal had become, they hated to see Lehi without a movie house. But regrettably, Miller retired after 50 years in the theater business in 1976. The Union HoteV Royal Theatre building was pur· chased by All Star Brake Distributors and is currently used for a