THE BAND KING PLAYS PEORIA

                          THE   BAND  KING  PLAYS  PEORIA

                                      NORMAN   V.  KELLY

 

John Phillip Sousa had no special interest in Peoria because he was a man of the world.  Sousa travelled across the United States playing in virtually every city and town that had a laree enough theatre or venue to accommodate his band of musicians. He travelled to Europe as well and had thousands of fans wherever he played. He was born in Washington, D.C on November 6 1854 and died March 6, 1932 in Reading, Pennsylvania at the age of 77.  He died the year I was born and spent his adult life in the study and performing of music.  I rarely write about anyone unless they have a Peoria, Illinois connection and believe me; John Phillip Sousa had a pretty extensive connection with Peoria. Every two years Dr. David Vroman of Bradley University puts on his white band uniform and becomes John Phillip Sousa to perform Sousa’s music up at Dingeldine Music Center on the Bradley Campus. I was asked to speak a few minutes before the concert about Peoria, Illinois during the multiple times that he appeared here.  He packed all of the places he played here and most certainly was part of our History from 1895 until his final visit here on September 18, 1929.

 

Sousa’s first visit to Peoria was May 17 and 18 of 1895 at a place called The Tabernacle.  This eight-sided, one-story wooden building was

built through the cooperation of five or six churches who raised the money to hire a local contractor.  The men of those churches all pitched in and completed this strange looking building in three days.  It was not a church, but more of a house of worship for religious Revivals.  They also leased out the building to other entertainment companies and even had winter ice skating in it. It had no floor other than dirt and tons of saw dust were brought in to cut down on the mud.  Local Peorians quickly called it “The Saw Dust Trail.”  It had large globe electric lights and was heated by numerous Cannon Stoves through out the building.

The large stage was only eighteen inches high and a space for the Choirs would accommodate just over 400 singers. The place would seat 7,000 people on benches, bleachers and folding chairs, and became the meeting place for thousands of religious and non-religious people as well.  The choirs, the musicians, the famous preachers were a magical draw to folks all over the Midwest and of course the Peoria area.

 

The Tabernacle was located on Globe Street between Main Street and Hamilton Boulevard where the Methodist parking lot is located today.

Thousand of people flocked to Peoria during these massive revivals, some of them running as long as three weeks, making the building an immediate success. Oh, don’t get me wrong, this was a for-profit business, and the money rolled in. The Republican Party even used it for conventions and famous speakers from all over the United States visited this now famous building. Sadly, the unique building burned to the ground in 1905.

 

                             THE  GRAND  OPERA  HOUSE

 

In contrast to this rather primitive building John Phillip Sousa played here in one of the most beautiful buildings in the history of Peoria, Illinois. He was here February 8, 1898, November 5, 1898 and September 28, 1900.  When he arrived in February the folks in Peoria were talking about the possible war with Spain.  When he came back in November that war was over and the talk was of Peorian George Ellis, the only sailor to have lost his life in that Naval Battle near Cuba. 

In 1900 when Sousa got here, the population in Peoria was 56,100 and we were still the Alcohol Capital of the World.

 

A lot of people are surprised when they hear that Peoria had one of the top ten most beautiful opera houses in the United States.  It was opened in September of 1882 and was located across the street from the courthouse on Hamilton Boulevard.  This three story brick building with twin spirals was a spectacular building that would seat 1,744 people in absolute luxury including the very private boxes as well. 

 

There was a three evening dedication ceremony which included three operas put on by Peorian Emma Abbott.  She was raised here in Peoria and went on to be an international opera star, and owned her own opera company. Besides operas, it brought in hundreds of other acts and shows that kept the place busy all year long. Local folks wrote nasty letters and complained to the Mayor that it was criminal the way the city spent tax payer money on a “Club house for the blue bloods.”  Eugene Baldwin, an outstanding citizen and founder of the Journal and The Star, quickly silenced them by writing in one of his editorials that the ‘Bluebloods’ paid every penny of the costs of the Opera House, and not one penny of tax payer money was ever used.  Sadly, it too burned to the ground on December 14, 1909.  I can tell you that the folks in Peoria mourned the loss of that beautiful building.

 

Sousa played the COLISEUM next here in Peoria six times from 1902 through 1907.  It was located at Hancock and Adams where the ARMORY is presently located.  In 1900 the Central Railroad Company had the contract with Peoria to supply street cars to the city.  That contract was coming up for renewal so they decided to build a $57,000 Civic Center as a ‘gift’ to the people of Peoria.  Of course there was talk about a shameless ‘Bribe,’ but what ever it was we took it. It was a truly wonderful gift and Peorians used it to the fullest extent. You already know who got that city contract, don’t you? On May 20, 1920 the fabulous COLISEUM burned to the ground.

 

Sousa’s Band played the MAJESTIC THEATRE three times in1912, 1914, and 1922. It was a nice theatre over on 210 S.W. Adams, but I don’t think it lived up to its fancy name. Our population was about 68,000 and rose to 76.000 in 1920, the year Prohibition Began. We lost our distilleries and breweries in 1917 and on January 16, 1920 all of our Taverns were shut down as well. When Susa was here in 1922, we had 166 Soft Drink Parlors, which saved Peoria’s downtown nightlife, I can tell you that.  Sousa was the Band King, but JAZZ was king in Peoria, along with live entertainers from the Vaudeville Circuit and of course the FLAPPERS, kept things jumping. We lost the title of Alcohol Capital of the World, and gained the reputation of being a wide-open, bawdy, gambling town and it stuck with us until September 6, 1946.

The Majestic was later turned into the rado and TV studios of WMBD.

Sousa played the SHRINE TEMPLE five times during 1922, 1923, 1925,1927, and his final appearance was September 18, 1929., This beautiful building was built in 1909  but burned to the ground in 1936.  It was quickly rebuilt into the magnificent building that we see today in the 200 block of Monroe Street. This very classy building had the largest stage in Peoria’s history and would see 2000 people. Remember we were in the throes of Prohibition and early Depression when he came here with his upbeat marches and spirit lifting music. By the late 1920’s alcohol was still plentiful, but the Soft Drink Parlors were slowly slipping away.

Editor’s Note: Norm is a Peoria Historian. True Crime Writer and a monthly contributor to adventure sports outdoors. norman.kelly@sbcglobal