Iowa Almanac
Iowa Almanac -- Thursday, September 12, 2024
The most beautiful theater in Iowa. More from the Iowa Almanac in a moment. Every detail matters when building a winning game plan. That's why the cyclones and Hawkeyes rely on better cleaner now biodiesel to power their team buses on game day. Delivering success on the field, in the field, and in the environment. Make biodiesel part of your winning game plan by visiting isoybeans.com. Biodiesel, grow it, request it, use it. This message brought to you by the Iowa Soybean Association and the Soybean Check-Off. Dr. Philip Weeding, a dentist, moved with his wife from Worcester, New York to the Tama County town of Toledo in the spring of 1867. Weeding branched out into the mercantile and abstract businesses, and with his father-in-law co-founded the Toledo City Bank in 1878. Around the turn of the century, the Weeding's returned to New York, this time establishing residence in Syracuse. There, Weeding became involved in manufacturing, and according to sources, amassed quite a fortune. After Philip Weeding's death in 1906, Ella Weeding decided to honor her husband by establishing memorial Opera House theaters in the three towns where they had lived happily and participated widely in civic affairs. Philip's hometown of Worcester, New York, Syracuse, New York, and Toledo, Iowa. The Toledo Theater was built in less than a year, and advertisement promoting the grand opening called the Weeding Opera House the most beautiful theater in the state of Iowa. On September 12, 1912, the Weeding Theater opened with a performance of a Verde Opera, featuring more than 100 musicians. Ella Weeding was present on opening night to hand the deed to the property over to local officials. The Toledo Chronicle reported that Mrs. Weeding was dressed in the gown which her husband gave her just before his death, and which she had worn only once since at the opening of the Opera House in Worcester. Citizens of Toledo rallied to restore the Weeding in time for its centennial. It cost $20,000 to build in 1912, but $1.4 million to renovate a century later. The Weeding Theater still proudly stands as an anchor of the city's downtown district, defeating its place as one of five structures in Toledo to be on the National Register of Historic Places. And the first performance was held there on this date in 1912, and that's Iowa Almanac for September 12. More online at IowaAlmanac.com. Until tomorrow, I'm Jeff Stein.