The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-09-09
The FyansYiIle OPERA House.

vile is noted abroad for its spacious
and elegant church edifiees, and its
ample and magnificent school houses.
A new epoch has arrived in the
history of Evansville. and tonight
will be dedicated to the public anoth.
er spacious and massive edifce,
THE EVANSVILLE OPERA HOUSE,
ose of the largest and most elegant
public buildings in the city.
For many years the want of a suit
able public hall, for musical, dramatic
and other intellectual secular enter
tainments had been sensibly appreoi
ated by many of our citizens, and
especially by oar wholesale mer-
chants, who had lost trade by the
superior attractions of other cities in
the matter of places of amusement,
alone. The project of building an
Opera House originated with few
public spirited citizens, who fully APP
preciated this want of a place of pub
lie amusement, and when in Novem-
Der, 1865, part of lot 40. in the
Original Plan of the city was offered
for sale, after a consultation with
the owners of the other parts of this
ground. Messrs. John j. Chandler
and Thomas Scantlin became the
purchasers, with the distinct under
standing that it should be dedicated
to the public by the erection of
public edifice suitable for intellectual
entertainments. cal r
The part purchased by these gentle
men was twenty-four feet on First
Street by one hundred and ten feet on
Locust Street, and the price paid was
$24S front foot on First Street. The
owners of the balance Of the property
intended to be devoted to this purpose
were Messrs. +. p. Carson, George II.
Preston and Thomas Scantlin, COM
prising, together with the last pur-
chase, an area of ground of sixty fosr
and a half feet, fronting on First
Street, by one hundred and thirty
feet fronting on Locust Street. In
the meantime Mr.. George r. Preston
had disposed of his interest in the
ground to Captain Carson. In pur-
suanee of the agreement thus entered
into, a joint stock company was or
ganized, in the Spring of 1866, under
the laws of the State, " for the pur-
pose of erecting and maintaing suit
able building for public meetings in
the city of Evansville" and books
for the subscription of the capital
stock of the company were soon after
opened. A diligent and thorough
canvass of the city resulted in secur-
ing a subscription of $37, 900.
The following is form of the sub
scription paper which We publish as a
matter of history, and for the guid-
ance of others who may in the future
desire to emulate their example:
WHEREAS, A voluntary association has
! been organized In conformity with the
corporate name OF the Evansville Public
Hall Company, for the purpose of erecting
: public meetings, In the city OF Evansville,
Vanderburgh County, State of Indiana;
and. Dbl
WHEREAS, Francis p. Carson, Thomas
scantlin and John ]. Chandler are the
owners in several parcels OF the following
described part OF Lot No. 40, in the Original
Plan OF said c ty. to-wit: Beginning at the
corner of Locust and First Streets; running
thence on First Street sixIy-four feet and
two inches toward Main Street; thence
parallel with Locust Street one hundred
and thirty feet; thence at right angles TO
locust street, ana thence to the place of
WHEREAS, The said Carson. Scant-
lin and Chandler, In addition to their sew
eral subscriptions hereto, propose to SUBJ
scribe said real estate to the capital doclx
of said Company at the following prices
and valuations, that Is to say the twenty
feet belonging to said Scan tim fronting on
Locust street, and running back from said
street s1xty-fouF feet six inches, at two
thousand dollars, all the current years
taxes and all future taxes aud street as
sessments to be paid by said Company;
on First Street, and running back from
said street one hundred and ten feet at
the prices pad for the several parcels
| thereof BY said Carson, Scant1tn and Cham
der, with ali taxes and street aSSesSne o Is
paid by them thereon, and ten per cent.
interest on the aggregate OF said price,
taxes and assessments. and said Com pany
70 pay all future taxes and assessments
Now therefore, in consideration of the
premises. we, the undersigned, do hereby
soDscr,be TO the Capital Stock OF the Ev-
ansvtlle Public Hall Company the sums of
money respectfully set o opposite our names,
ano promise and bind ourselves respee-
~ Vs1y % pay said several sums of money
OF directors of said Company. Shares $50
MAY LIST, 1866.
To the capital stock of the CON-
pany, John j. Chandler sub
scribed 81 shares; George S,
Sonutag, Peter Semonin, William
Heilman. Isaac Keen, c. R. Bement
and Henry q. Gwathmey, 80 shares
each; Thomas Scantlin & Sen, Pres
ton Brothers, Mackey & Co., Evans
Vile Journal Company, J. III. Nor,
gan, William I'll. Morgan, L. Lowen-
thall & Co., Richard Raleigh, George
B. and w. III. Walker. Cook & Rice
and John Shanklin, 81 shares each
f. p. Carson SO shares; Marcus Sher-
wood, 80 shares; William j. Dallam.
Victor Bisch, Robert Fergus and j.
S. Gardner, 20 shares each; George
HI. Fish, William Z. French, M.
Henning. Warren & Connyngton,
Mark & Warren. Blythe Hynes, AL
exander Darling, III. +. Farris, Chas.
Denly, Chas. Habbe, s. w. Thomp-
son, Morris s. johnson, E. G.. Van
Ripper, Thomas K. Garvin, f. I'll.
Ehrman, A. Drinkwater, J. It.
& s. A. Coolidge, r. K. Dunkersop.
aud James Smell, Il shares each
Meyer Bros, IA shares; J. *. Minor
D. Herman, Isaac Herman, j. H.
Carlin, Allen G. Hallock, G. s. Ham