1912 ad

The Columbia Theatre was a theater at 476 - 10th St. opened July 1, 1907 by L.C. Keating and D.J. Flood. 5,6 It was re-opened and run by Ben Dillon and Will King beginning in November 1911. 9

The location had previously been the temporary home of the Winedale Company while they were waiting for their new building to be constructed. 6

In late 1908 and early 1909, scam artist James M. Ferdon, aka "The Great Fer-Don" made an extended appearance, giving lectures, performing "cures," and presenting general entertainment from his band and vaudeville troupe. He had previously been "run out of Portland" then spent time in Los Angeles before coming to Oakland. 7 Before that, he had been fined $100 by the Illinois State Board of Health while manager of the traveling "Quaker Medicine Company", then fined $1,500 in Stephenson County, and left town when prosecution was started against him in another county. 8

The theater closed c.1923 2; ads for religious speakers in 1923 refer to it as the "Old Columbia Theatre". 4 A 1940 article noted that the church which had been using the old Columbia Theater Building for the past 18 years was being forced to move because the building could no longer be used "as a place for public assembly." 10 From 1941 through at least the end of 1958, the building was used for a variety of warehouse, auction, and retail businesses. 11,12,13 It is not clear how the building was used after 1958, but it was finally demolished to make way for a parking lot in January of 1965. 14 That parking lot later became part of the site for the Oakland Convention Center and Oakland Marriott City Center.

Note that there were also two Columbia Theatres in San Francisco, one which dated back to the 1800s and another that opened in 1910.

A 1941 article says Hermie King (Will King's younger brother) took over the orchestra at the Columbia when he was 17 (c.1914). 3

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1912 Sanborn excerpt

Links and References

  1. Columbia Opens Today With Popular Play Oakland Tribune April 16, 1911
  2. Columbia Theatre on CinemaTreasures.org
  3. Making the Rounds With "Kip" Oakland Tribune October 9, 1941
  4. ad for Evangelical J.S. McConell Oakland Tribune August 18, 1923
  5. grand opening ad Oakland Tribune June 24, 1907
  6. New Play House to Open Here Soon Oakland Tribune June 9, 1907
  7. Medical Sentinel Volume 16, February 1908
  8. Bulletin of the Illinois State Board of Health Volume 8
  9. Musical Comedy at Columbia Theater Oakland Enquirer November 17, 1911
  10. Mission Must Quit Old Theater Building Oakland Tribune September 30, 1940
  11. Auction Sale Oakland Tribune November 9, 1941
  12. Selling Out Oakland Tribune June 23, 1955
  13. Closing Out! Oakland Tribune December 22, 1958
  14. City to Demolish Downtown Buildings for Parking Areas Oakland Tribune January 3, 1965