Saturday - Day 24 - Miami, Oklahoma

We spent Friday night in Miami, OK. Saturday morning we went to the Coleman Theater. A young man spent some time with us telling us the history of the theater. We were able to sit in on a program that told more about the theater's history. Then we were turned loose to wander around. No charge, just a box out front where you could leave a donation.

Mr. Coleman and his brother went to Oklahoma in the 1920's to dig wells for a living. While digging a well he hit something other than water. He filled the hole. He, his brother, and a couple of partners then started buying mineral rights. Mr. Coleman & his brother had found lead and zinc deposits. Once they had control of the mineral rights in the area they started mining.

At one point Mr. Coleman's wealth increased by over $14 million a day. It kept on increasing all through the depression years. He was fond of the theater tried to get big name theater groups to come to Miami, OK to perform. They pretty much laughed at him. He told them of a wonder theater they could perform in and finally signed them up to perform on their way through Miami, on Route 66, the following year. A month later he was back in Miami and started plans to build the theater. It was finished 11 months later, at a cost of $600,000, $8.6 million in today's dollars. The theater was the only air conditioned building in the area. The first night he sold out all 1,600 seats at $1/ticket. Obviously grossing $1,600 a night, then paying performers, utilities, maintenance, etc. was not going to make him any money, but he didn't care about making money on it.

After he died his wife, who was half his age and married him after he became rich, had no interest in the theater. She basically leased it out and let it fall into disrepair. Finally, just to get rid of it, she offered to give it to the city. The city planned on tearing it down and making it into a parking lot. Concerned citizens saved it and have since restored it.

There is supposed to be a smaller version of it in Columbia, Missouri. Kathy & I will have to drive up there some day and check it out.

 Photo below taken from the balcony.

 This is the balcony, it is huge.

 Upstairs sitting area.

 Part of the ladies powder room.

 Looking back down into the lobby.

 I couldn't get a decent photo of the chandelier that hangs in the theater. It is magnificent. (The stories of how the pipe organ was located, years after it had been sold, and how they managed find and then restore the chandelier are almost miracles.)

Then it was down the street a half mile to Waylans Ku Ku house for lunch.

 After lunch we headed for Missouri. We drove maybe 30 miles of old Route 66. Yesterday we drove even more of it.

Tonight we are in Branson, Missouri. It is such a major tourist attraction, and we have not been here. We thought that since we were going to drive within 40 miles of it we ought to check it out. So far we see no reason to ever want to come back. Our site at the campground is so unlevel that I had to run the tires on one side of the trailer up on a 3 high stack of leveling blocks. Got the trailer unhooked from the truck and the jacks down at the 4 corners so that we could extend the slide. IT WOULDN'T GO OUT ALL THE WAY BECAUSE OF POST WITH THE POWER CONNECTION! A guy guided us to the campsite and had me pull forward to clear obstructions that would have prevented the slide from extending. He just didn't have me pull far enough ahead. We pulled the jacks back up, hooked the truck back up moved about 4" ahead and then repreated the process of setting things up.

We are walking distance of one of the main drags. We walked over to Montana Mike's for supper. We had to wait about 15 minutes for a table and the what a disappointment. Supper cost 3 times what lunch cost us at Waylan's Ku Ku and I would have traded my steak & baked potato for the steak sandwich and fries from Waylan's. Maybe we will find something tomorrow that makes people flock here. If not, at least we can say, "Been there, did that."

God is good, may He bless you an yours.