Written by Baylie Hoffman (they/she)
In the year 1920, our own historical Vaudeville drop was created. This drop is kept on our stage today and still occasionally used for productions. This detailed drop, commemorating the era of its time, was painted by Charles F. Thompson Scenic Company of Chicago, and Los Angeles. It measures about twenty-two feet high and thirty-four feet across.
Photo taken by Jeremy Jeziorski
The businesses of the early 1900’s were painted on this drop, and if you look closely, you will notice several of them have their four digit telephone numbers listed. A gentleman named James Stearns was the initiator behind bringing the first telephone to Warren. Stearns strung the first telephone line from the Western Union office on Second Avenue to his home at Second Avenue near East Street, four blocks away. He was able to connect 25 other telephone lines before he was hired by the Warren Borough Council. By 1896 there were 137 operating telephones in Warren. Four-digit numbers would be a lot easier to remember in comparison to the 335 area codes and seven digit numbers that we have today!
The first business listed on the left is the Graham Motor Company. This was owned by Harry D Graham and had distributors through Chandler and Cleveland Cars; their four-digit phone was 1678. Another business listed is the Warren County Dairy Association, which had the easiest accessibility for historical business information today. The president was Dr. C. J. Frantz, and it was located on 207 5th Avenue East. Warren County Dairy Association used the embossed style of glass milk bottles. They took over the pasteurizing, bottling, and selling of milk for smaller farms. Lastly, the East Side Service Station, owned by T.J. Giltinan, was where people could fill up their cars and receive record-keeping booklets to regarding the servicing of their vehicle.
Warren County is overflowing with history in every direction. And although you would think there would be never-ending documentation, I struggled to find information about many of these businesses. If you know anything about these places and people, feel free to contact me through baylie@strutherslibrarytheatre.org.
Photos taken by Jeremy Jeziorski