Early Entertainment
Children of this period were masters at using their imaginations. They explored their surroundings and neighbors. Sally Hill remembers “helping” the local veterinarian take care of the horses, which were sheltered in the big barn beside the creek on Washington Street. One summer, Harlan Connely trained show horses in the corral and local children came to watch the spectacle.
Sally also remembers trying to fish in the creek on the other side of Doc’s barn. She admits that she usually only caught minnows and crawdads. She describes it as “one of her favorite places to play and the main cause of getting spanked.” Apparently, the creek was a sewer creek used by the town and consequently, her mother was not too thrilled that her daughter decided to play in the water. Other sections of the creek must have been cleaner. Sally remembers that the deepest part of the creek was across the highway from the Christian Church. There was a bend in the creek that became a favorite place to swim and float rafts. The banks were sandy and “sort of clean.”
The area now known as Wakema Park was also a great place to play. Children climbed the weeping willow trees and made whips and whistles from the leaves and branches. The footbridge leading into the area also became a source of fun. Children would stand on one side of the footbridge, causing it to flip and dump them into the water. Once in the water, many figured they would stay and play. On summer evenings, many children gathered to play hide-and-seek and chalk-the-rabbit.
Entertainment also involved movies. Movies were first shown outside. Later the town welcomed a new movie theater. The theater was located at the site of the Post Office and the Day Care Center. Don Carver has many memories associated with the theater. He recalls that there was only one projector, so when one reel ran out the crowd had to wait until the next reel was started. “Stomping of feet,” meant that the operation had taken longer than the crowd thought it should.
The Cozy Theatre
Cozy Theatre, built in 1915. Movies were shown here until sometime in the early 1930s when it became the site of successive taverns. The building is located at 817 Main Street.
Don relates the following building attributes. Readers who sell insurance may want to sit down before continuing. The following tales may cause heart palpitations.
Don remembers a pot-bellied wood stove near the front of the theater. The stove was located on the opposite side of the building from the chimney with a long run of overhead stove pipes that connected the two. One evening a section of the stovepipes separated. The ensuing shower of ashes and soot had the crowd rushing for the doors. Don’s biggest regret was missing the next episode of Captain Marvel that night.
Another unique feature to the building was a huge hole in the floor near the movie screen. One night after the movie had started, the silhouette of a man searching for a seat was seen on the screen. Several members of the audience tried to shout out a warning, but it was too late. The man’s shadow suddenly disappeared from the screen. Fortunately, he was more embarrassed than injured.
Seating consisted of old church pews in the middle and folding chairs along each side of the walls. The folding chairs were flimsy and seasoned patrons avoided them. Don remembers one night when a large man destroyed one of the chairs, disrupting the show.
Theatrical productions were also staged in Center Point. A group of gypsies, Hila Morgan and her group of players, would set up tents in the area now known as Wakema Park and entertain the townspeople for several days at a time.
Radio stimulated the imagination of listeners before television became available. Children listened to the exploits of Jack Armstrong-All American Boy, the Lone Ranger, Little Orphan Annie, Batman and Superman. Families were glued to the radio for the Lux Radio Theater, Inner Sanctum and The Shadow.
Band activities were also a source of entertainment. In the summer, Saturday night band concerts were popular. Originally, Center Point had a town band. Later, the school band performed the concerts, sometimes with town people participating. Howard Holman built a bandstand that could be pulled into the intersection on Main Street. Music contests and band festivals were held annually.