The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-08
EARLY DAY PLAYHOUSES
OF MINNEAPOLIS
"reminiscences Of the Days Of Plunkett, Old
John Murray, Handsome Fred Bryton
and Others.

Probably the first hall used for public
performances In Minneapolis was the old
Stanchfteld hall, in the East Division.
Here We're given the earliest fire depart
ment dances, the local concerts and en-
lertalnments. Here the Hutchinson
family before the war, gave voice to
their musical denunciations of the ma
t1onal crime Of slavery. Doubtless there
still echoes in the memory of some of our
older citizens the sweet soprano Of Abbie
Hutchinson as she told them, SO yhar
moniously, that
We have come from the mountains Of the
- Old Granite state.
Where the hills are so lofty. magnificent and
great.
And then, after the melody of the con-
cert had died away, how delightful was
the social dance that followed, often last
ing until the dawning.
On the West Side the first real good
hall for public entertainments was Har-
monia hall, consisting Of the entire third
story of the stone building which still
stands at the northwest corner OF Nicol-
let and Washington avenues, the old hall
now being used as sign painters estab-
lishment. Harrison's block-including the
hall-Was built just before the civil war,
hadsa stage, but no scenery, and was COM
fortably seated with wooden chairs. In
this primitive Temple of the MUSES., Man
ager Plunkett, the pioneer Of all the barn
storming companies, made his advent with
his celebrated dramatic aggregation, the
chief attraction being his comedian,
BILLY" Marble. 1t was in Harrison's hall.
too, that Emma Abbott, the "child Won
der" in vocal music-at IL years Of age
hrst made her appearance before Min,
neapolis audience. That was less than
forty years ago. Miss Abbott lived to
OF hi nyya q ~~xsl F4,o
full prima donna-and fortune as we'll
and yet has been so long dead that her
name has ceased to be more than mem
Dry. 80.
1t was about the time when the veterans
of the civil war, covered with their
laurels, came marching home that a gen
tleman named John w. Pence, hailing
from Mansfield, Ohio, think, became a
citizen of Minneapolis. Mr. Pence pos
having mad an early "tip''-during the
progress of the war-that the government
intended, to place large tax on alcohol.
He invested all Of his money, and all
that he could borrow in whisky, and the
passage of the internal revenue law gave
him very liberal proportion of the "un-
earned increment" Of the period.
When Mr.. Pence wisely determined to
become permanent citizen of Mime
apolis, he naturally looked about him for
solid and lucrative investment. The
entire business of the village in 1866 was
clustered about the district then known
as Bridge Square," which extended from
the Nicollet House down to the old sus-
pension bridge, Center block not having
been built at that time. Mr.. Pence bought
what was probably, at that time, hte most
valuable corner in the village-at Sec
ond street and Hennepin avenue-and pro-
ceeded 2to erect palatial temple of
amusement-known in the history of the
city as the Pence Opera House" The
ground floor of this structure was, and
still is, used 5fPr mercantile establish
ments, the second story was given over to
offices, and the upper story was devoted to
Just what uses this grand temple of art
now serves is not known. Probably it is
given over to the owls and bats, but If
Old Man Plunkett, and John Murray, and
Edwin Forrest and Tom Keene and all
the long array Of dead artists who played
there, have spiritually survived ".the
chemical change called DEATH then it is
not at all improbable their ghosts hold
sweet communion about the decaying
precincts of the building where the pio-
neers of Minneapolis received their first
lessons in the dramatic and musical arts
"The Pence" was opened to the public
with great pyrotechnic display of COL
Ored nanQ- DlllS, by Manager Plunkett In
the fall of 1857, think 1t was great
occasion for the elite Of Minneapolis =
which ambitious village then numbered
5000 or 5000. Quite train of carriages
came up from st. Paul, bearing the
charming ladies' and chivalric gentlemen
of the capital city in honor of the great
event. The play? Well, that has van
ished from the memory of all who were
present, probably: But at least one of
those present will never forget the pecu-
liar manerisms of the central figure in the
play. Mr.. Plunkett was cockney Eng
lishman Of the most approved type, who
misplaced his aspirates with reckless
ness that added much zest and enjoyment
to audiences in front Of the stage. Large,
fat, fussy and frouzy, Manager Plunkett
was never quite so happy as, when he was
tragic import One having heard him, in
the character of Richard Ill, demand "A
morse! n'orse!i-my kingdom for a
n'orse!!!" would be tempted to offer him
a whole herd of cayuses for an encore of
the tragfc-ludicrous demand.
The Pence for three or four years con-
tinued to be the great place of amuse-
ment In Minneapolis. Upon its stage ap--
peared, at some time, nearly all of the
great actors of the country-at any rate,
all of those who ventured so far into the
northwest.
The erection of the Pence prompted
Commodore Davidson, a prominent and
wealthy steamboatman of St. Paul. to
initiate Mr.. Pence, and about year or
two later Manager Plunkett had the