Arts | Page 97 | MNopedia

Grand Theater, Crookston

For over one hundred years, the Grand Theater of Crookston has kept up with the times, transforming itself from a venue for vaudeville and plays to a movie palace for silent films and, finally, “talkies.” By evolving to keep up with technology and the demands of the public, the Grand has remained a vital part of Crookston community life.

Black and white photograph of firefighters battling the flames in the Opera House Block in 1987.

Opera House Block firefighters

Firefighters battle the flames in the Opera House Block in 1987.

Black and white photograph of Director Arthur Wasshausen leading the Citizens Band in Crookston's opera house in 1907.

Citizens Band performance at the Crookston opera house

Director Arthur Wasshausen leads the Citizens Band in Crookston's opera house in 1907.

Opening night

An advertisement in the Crookston Weekly Times for the opening night performance at the Opera House Block on April 13–15, 1891, featuring the Hess Opera Company.

Mark Twain on railroad in Crookston

Mark Twain’s early morning train out of Crookston on July 30, 1895, was delayed by forty-five minutes, leaving him annoyed. He used that extra time to board a baggage truck and have his manager, J. B. Pond, push him up and down the platform.

Haldor Hanson Concert advertisement

An advertisement in the Crookston Weekly Times for a performance by Norwegian violinist Haldor Hanson on May 13, 1891.

Opera House Block, South Main Street, Crookston

The façade of the Opera House Block on South Main Street as it looked in 1910.

Opera House Block, Crookston

Although the Opera House Block was short-lived as a theater due to its hazardous second-floor auditorium, it was the center of entertainment in Crookston for more than fifteen years and hosted a historic 1895 lecture by American humorist Mark Twain. The Opera House Block burned down due to undetermined causes in 1987.