Post by David Sechrest on May 26, 2006 13:24:36 GMT -5
The following Post originally showed up in the Miscellaneous Columbus Indiana Topics Thread. I've copied and pasted it here.
It is from 1/17/05:
A very good friend of mine was kind enough to give me a copy of the History of Bartholomew County, Volume II, this last week.
I have a feeling that the hours I’ve spent working on the Historic Columbus Indiana website pale in comparison to the amount of time that went in to compiling this book. Robert Marshall originally began this Volume II of our history. It is unclear to me how much of the book was written and compiled by him before his untimely death. Jean Prather was asked by Mr. Marshall to finish the book. The credits state that Ms. Prather wrote the majority of the book.
The History of Bartholomew County, Volume II covers the changes the city of Columbus and the surrounding area underwent in the 20th Century. It is broken down into chapters covering agriculture, government, and arts and entertainment, just to name a few.
While I do not own a copy of Volume I, I have had an opportunity to review the book, and I find Volume II to be much more interesting and informative than its predecessor. My feelings favor this latest edition because it covers the time period I find most fascinating about our city’s history. The changes “we” collectively went through will most likely never be rivaled by any future generation. The advent of the automobile, electric power, mass production, the telephone, the improvements in not only transportation, but the methods in which we did “transport,” and the ability to communicate quicker and more effectively forever changed our city and county.
While I compliment Jean Prather and all those involved in putting together this wonderful book, I do wish they had included more pictures. It is disappointing to read about certain places that no longer exist with no visual point of reference. Of the 423 pages that make up the book, it sorely lacks what most of us want to “see.”<br>
Regarding the pictures that are included, they are a treat to the eyes. However, one point I wish to clear up: the picture on page 337.
Early Picture Of A Crump Building
The most detailed history of the Crump Theatre in any book (so far) was covered, with a picture of an old Crump Theatre at the top of page 337. But, the picture is not of the Crump Theatre on 3rd Street. While the article does not come out and say that it is, it would be very easy to assume this information.
When I first came into contact with this picture several years ago, I immediately assumed the location was where the Crump presently resides. But, while doing research for the article on John Crump’s life for the Historic Columbus Indiana website, I came to the conclusion that this picture has nothing to do with the Crump Theatre at that 3rd Street location.
After studying the picture for quite some time, it suddenly dawned on me that the Crump building on 3rd Street sat right next to the alley. Was this alley always there? At one time, were there adjoining buildings that bumped up next to the Crump on both sides? Were they torn down somewhere back in our past, with the alley becoming a part of that block?
These questions bothered me.
After several months of research, I have come to the conclusion that the picture is Francis J. Crump’s “Opera Hall” on Washington Street. While there were always places where entertainment was staged in these early days of our history, F. J. Crump’s Opera Hall was credited as being the very first theatre in the city. Early copies of the Republican throughout 1872 note the progress of the building, which opened its doors to the public on October 28. The Republican articles even made reference to the fact that they wished Mr. Crump had built the Opera Hall to look more like one.
I reached this conclusion by using “aerial” maps of the city from 1871, as well as a map from 1886. While there was no possible way that an aerial photo could have been taken during this time period, the artists of both maps took sketches of buildings and homes throughout the city, and then tried to imagine what everything would look like from the air. The maps were then drawn from this artistic perspective. Neither map shows a line of buildings around the present site of the Crump Theatre, but both do show an empty space at the west side of the building (or, the right side in the picture).
William Marsh’s book, “I Discover Columbus,” (which was referenced numerous times in Volume II) makes mention of Crump’s Opera Hall, or theatre as being on the corner of 4th and Washington in one sentence, and above 4th Street in another.
Lastly, judging by the angle in which the photo was actually taken played an important factor in this conclusion. The picture in Volume II has been cropped, completely removing the building on the left side of Crump’s theatre. The original picture was taken from just beyond a corner street. You can almost see the intersection of two streets in the original picture. But, if trying to get this same view from the corner of 3rd and Franklin, it just wouldn’t have worked because the Crump sat too far west of the intersection.
By all indications, it appears that F. J. Crump’s Opera Hall was located where Cummins Bookstore is today.
Volume II does mention F. J. Crump’s “Theatre” as being one of the “other” theaters in the city.
As a matter of record, when work on the Crump Theatre (3rd Street location) was completed, the words “J. S. Crump’s New Theatre” were set in stone within the three arches that made up the front of the building (not Crump’s New Theatre, as reported in the book).
It is from 1/17/05:
A very good friend of mine was kind enough to give me a copy of the History of Bartholomew County, Volume II, this last week.
I have a feeling that the hours I’ve spent working on the Historic Columbus Indiana website pale in comparison to the amount of time that went in to compiling this book. Robert Marshall originally began this Volume II of our history. It is unclear to me how much of the book was written and compiled by him before his untimely death. Jean Prather was asked by Mr. Marshall to finish the book. The credits state that Ms. Prather wrote the majority of the book.
The History of Bartholomew County, Volume II covers the changes the city of Columbus and the surrounding area underwent in the 20th Century. It is broken down into chapters covering agriculture, government, and arts and entertainment, just to name a few.
While I do not own a copy of Volume I, I have had an opportunity to review the book, and I find Volume II to be much more interesting and informative than its predecessor. My feelings favor this latest edition because it covers the time period I find most fascinating about our city’s history. The changes “we” collectively went through will most likely never be rivaled by any future generation. The advent of the automobile, electric power, mass production, the telephone, the improvements in not only transportation, but the methods in which we did “transport,” and the ability to communicate quicker and more effectively forever changed our city and county.
While I compliment Jean Prather and all those involved in putting together this wonderful book, I do wish they had included more pictures. It is disappointing to read about certain places that no longer exist with no visual point of reference. Of the 423 pages that make up the book, it sorely lacks what most of us want to “see.”<br>
Regarding the pictures that are included, they are a treat to the eyes. However, one point I wish to clear up: the picture on page 337.
Early Picture Of A Crump Building
The most detailed history of the Crump Theatre in any book (so far) was covered, with a picture of an old Crump Theatre at the top of page 337. But, the picture is not of the Crump Theatre on 3rd Street. While the article does not come out and say that it is, it would be very easy to assume this information.
When I first came into contact with this picture several years ago, I immediately assumed the location was where the Crump presently resides. But, while doing research for the article on John Crump’s life for the Historic Columbus Indiana website, I came to the conclusion that this picture has nothing to do with the Crump Theatre at that 3rd Street location.
After studying the picture for quite some time, it suddenly dawned on me that the Crump building on 3rd Street sat right next to the alley. Was this alley always there? At one time, were there adjoining buildings that bumped up next to the Crump on both sides? Were they torn down somewhere back in our past, with the alley becoming a part of that block?
These questions bothered me.
After several months of research, I have come to the conclusion that the picture is Francis J. Crump’s “Opera Hall” on Washington Street. While there were always places where entertainment was staged in these early days of our history, F. J. Crump’s Opera Hall was credited as being the very first theatre in the city. Early copies of the Republican throughout 1872 note the progress of the building, which opened its doors to the public on October 28. The Republican articles even made reference to the fact that they wished Mr. Crump had built the Opera Hall to look more like one.
I reached this conclusion by using “aerial” maps of the city from 1871, as well as a map from 1886. While there was no possible way that an aerial photo could have been taken during this time period, the artists of both maps took sketches of buildings and homes throughout the city, and then tried to imagine what everything would look like from the air. The maps were then drawn from this artistic perspective. Neither map shows a line of buildings around the present site of the Crump Theatre, but both do show an empty space at the west side of the building (or, the right side in the picture).
William Marsh’s book, “I Discover Columbus,” (which was referenced numerous times in Volume II) makes mention of Crump’s Opera Hall, or theatre as being on the corner of 4th and Washington in one sentence, and above 4th Street in another.
Lastly, judging by the angle in which the photo was actually taken played an important factor in this conclusion. The picture in Volume II has been cropped, completely removing the building on the left side of Crump’s theatre. The original picture was taken from just beyond a corner street. You can almost see the intersection of two streets in the original picture. But, if trying to get this same view from the corner of 3rd and Franklin, it just wouldn’t have worked because the Crump sat too far west of the intersection.
By all indications, it appears that F. J. Crump’s Opera Hall was located where Cummins Bookstore is today.
Volume II does mention F. J. Crump’s “Theatre” as being one of the “other” theaters in the city.
As a matter of record, when work on the Crump Theatre (3rd Street location) was completed, the words “J. S. Crump’s New Theatre” were set in stone within the three arches that made up the front of the building (not Crump’s New Theatre, as reported in the book).