Early day entertainments were varied

Historic Lyceums

Harrington had a wide range of entertainments during pioneer days and the years following the 1902 incorporation of the Town of Harrington. At various times the promoters of entertainment scheduled a lyceum course. As early as 1889 the Hinshaws went to attend a lyceum at the Little Creek school house. Unfortunately, their sleigh broke down and they were picked up by another sleigh, all part of winter entertainment. In March of 1896, Lamona held its concluding Lyceum for the season with an elegant lunch served at the close. Lyceums for the most part in the earliest years focused on speeches, lectures, book reviews and debates. They evolved into skits, playlets, dramatic presentations and music was often added between oral presentations. At the beginning of the season, the manager of the Opera House, or the school, would schedule from an association a course or series of performers.

“Opera House. Andrew McPhee’s Big Company, Saturday matinee and night, Feb. 22, presenting at matinee, 2 p.m., the beautiful drama, ‘Prince and Lady.’ In the evening the magnificent nautical drama, ‘Saved from the Sea.’ New specialties will be introduced between each act. Not to see it is to miss one of the important productions of the present century. If you want to pass an enjoyable evening in good society you had better secure your seats at Adams and Mitchum’s for the beautiful nautical drama, ‘Saved from the Sea.’ Big military band, parade at noon. Seats now on sale at Adams and Mitchum’s. Prices—Matinee: Adults 25 cents, Children 15 cents. Evening prices—Reserved 75 cents, admission 50 cents, children 35 cents.” (Citizen: 2-14-1902) As might be recalled, Adams & Mitchum was the original Bank Block with the original opera house located on the second story.

The Pleasant Ridge school house in 1903 was the scene of a good entertainment. The school was located 12 miles southwest of Odessa, and had a membership in their Lyceum and Debating Society of 26. Debate was popular entertainment as well as a means of honing one’s speaking talents and abilities. Some of their participants were A.B. Kelly, James Willis, F.H. Kelly and Peter Smith.

The Harrington Opera House in 1908 scheduled a course which included: “The Four Great Musical Artists, the third number of the Lyceum Course, is billed for Harrington, Saturday evening, Nov. 28. Full information about this next week, but take a tip; don’t miss The Artist Trio next Wednesday evening, Nov. 18. It should draw people from miles around. You will miss something good if you stay away.” (Citizen: 11-13-1908)

In 1913, the first number for their season was advertised in January as the Aller Trio, the first number in the lyceum course, who had recently performed in Nez Perce, Idaho and drew a large audience. All three members of the company proved themselves artists in their parts: “Miss Bergh, the charming little lady with the beautiful big voice probably gaining the greater favor with her vocal selections.” Local ads encouraged the townsfolk to attend performances: “Very early Miss Bergh developed an enthusiasm for the study of music and when she could scarcely climb up on the piano stool she was accompanying for her father on the violin. Her interest in music led her into that study with persistence and while her piano lessons were well prepared and her progress with that instrument was gratifying, it was soon learned that she was destined to be a soprano of more than ordinary ability. Special care was exercised by her parents that her training in music should be under the most competent teachers available here.” Another member of the Trio was Miss Clara Bull, acclaimed to be a highly talented woman, “Her selections were received with much applause and her character impersonations were the hit of the evening.” With all the great plans for a highly successful evening, the weather intervened and people were told they could get reimbursed for the ticketed performance.

In February of 1913, ads were out for the Neil Litchfield Trio to appear at the Opera House, their secondary title: “The Laugh Makers.” The trio was Neil a “man of many faces,” his wife who plays the violin and their daughter Miss Abbie, who was a multi-talented musician who performed on the piano, presented vocal solos and song readings and was a charming personality in life-like characterizations in playlets and sketches. Then Mr. Neil Litchfield died in a hospital in Pennsylvania and consequently Harrington was not able to hear their performance. On short notice, the Wright-Hall-Marquette Co. filled in, and the event was declared to be “fine entertainment.” It must have been somewhat a disappointment since it concluded that Mr. Wright was “all right.”

The local high school also held winter entertainments and in 1915 their first Lyceum Number was Mr. and Mrs. Emerson Winters. Mr. Winters heard of a woman performer that he wanted to hear. She was Alice Stire, a famous lady whistler who also had written a special bird selections for her program which included “the twitter of the sparrows, the drawn out notes of the meadow lark, the melodious aria of the canary and the jerky call of Bob White.” Miss Stire reproduced these sounds so realistically that Winters decided he had to have the bird songs year-round, and he was successful as Miss Stire became his bride, and they performed beautifully together thereafter.

The Harrington Opera House in 1916 under the auspices of the Mothers’ Club brought a pleasing variety show which consisted of Miss Florence Smith, Mrs. Norma Jefferis Heil, Mrs. Russell Reid and Miss Claudine Ellis, accompanist. “Mrs. Reid’s former concert appearances have won for her much favorable comment from the critics, her pleasing quality of voice, excellent style and fullness and brilliance of tone having inspired most favorable criticism. The appearance of Miss Florence Smith, an interpretative dancer of very rare ability, is a delightful departure from the usual form of Lyceum entertainment. Miss Smith demonstrates the possibilities of lifting the art of dancing to the high plane of educational value, which it is intended to occupy. Mrs. Norma Jefferis Heil, graduate of the Columbia College of Expression, and formerly teacher of Expression at Lincoln, Nebraska, has done concert work extensively in the west and middle west and has gained an enviable reputation as a public reader. Mrs. Heil has selected her numbers from a large repertoire of readings which have been found to be favorites with the public.”

The Harrington Improvement Club in January of 1917 signed for a course of five groups to perform in Harrington for the 1917-18 season for a modest fee of $650. The news item did not give the details as to when each performer was due to appear in Harrington, but they selected a variety of performers. First on their list was Ada Roach, with a company of six, who were to appear in a play called “In the Heart of the Immigrant.” She was considered to be one of the best character portrayers and entertainers on the lyceum circuit with light opera, comedy, song and music. Second, they chose Laurant, the Magician with two assistants, in addition to Helen Barnard, the cornetist. Third was Ng Poon Chew, who was called the Chinese Mark Twain, a Chinese statesman and journalist. The Homeland Quartet was listed fourth. This company featured Geo. Tack and Chas. Cox, and each was a college graduate who sang many tunes rich in lore. The final number scheduled for this season was Dr. Edward A. Steiner, professed to be “the greatest authority on immigration in the U.S.” He was a professor at Grinnell College in Iowa, where he gave addresses on racial prejudice.

Before the age of television and computers, entertainment more than 100 years ago was diverse. It frequently combined relaxing entertainment with stimulating educational performances. Each of the local churches, as well as each of the lodges and social clubs provided good entertainments for their group. The Opera House was not confined to musical performances or to being used as a dance hall; performances were as diverse as the people of the town. In many of the old ads and news items, it was difficult to determine where a particular performance was given. Most of the performances occurred during the winter months since the people were far too tired in the work season to think about entertainment.