Don’t Take Our Prison!

Waaay back, when I first started as an intern here at WCHS I remember being rather surprised when I was told that the good folks in Stillwater actually liked the idea of having the State Prison located in their downtown. Today, I think most communities would balk at the notion of 650 inmates moving onto their Main Streets.

But here in this article you can watch as an editor of the Stillwater Messenger pleads with his fellow citizens and community leaders to fight to keep the prison close at hand!

Bad for Stillwater – Stillwater Messenger – October 7, 1905

It is generally understood that the state board of control favors the location of the new prison on the peninsula site a mile or so south of the city.

We think such a choice would be very disastrous to the welfare of this city.

The prison is recognized as a Stillwater institution. To locate it outside of the city limits would naturally influence a large number of officers and employees, in the course of time, to build residences, stores and other improvements and Stillwater would be the loser in the way of taxes, business, etc., that such an institution brings to a town, to a considerable extent.

We hope that our business men will awake to the danger that such a move would inflict on this city and make such representation to the board that might influence them to locate the new prison within the corporate limits of Stillwater.

The prison board met this week, talked the matter of locating the new prison over, but no final action was taken. It was generally understood, however, that the lake shore site mentioned was favored. We sincerely hope our people will take steps to change the apparent decision of the board in this important matter, so far as Stillwater is concerned.

Has This Always Been Here?

by Brent Peterson

Across the street from Meister’s Bar & Grill sits an odd shaped red brick building. Today it unassumingly houses the Charlsen Trucking Service. But the plain exterior masks its slightly flashier history.

It seems as though the building at 114 West Churchill Street was constructed sometime around 1915. The original use of the building may surprise many who drive past it everyday as they go to work. The building was called the “Hilltop Theater” and was one of the early Stillwater silent movie houses.

In the February 16, 1916 issue of the Stillwater Messenger, there is an announcement of new ownership. “The Hilltop moving picture house,” the article read, “will be re-opened immediately under new management. The new manager’s name is Samuel Carlson and he is a gentleman who has a wide experience in the moving picture business and knows how to cater to moving picture patrons.”

There also seemed to be a major problem to the theater when it was constructed according to the article. “Mr. Carlson states that the main drawback to the theatre, the lack of heat, has been remedied by the installation of a number of more radiators, and that the theatre will now be found warm and comfortable.” Carlson’s wife Pearl and daughter Ethel served as assistant managers at the theater.

By 1919, the ownership had changed again, this time the manager at the Hilltop was Fred W. Boll. Boll was the owner of BWF Amusement Enterprises and that company owned the Hilltop and the Majestic Theater on South Main Street.

The Hilltop remained in operation until 1924 when Barney Gunderson shutdown the theater and opened the Gunderson New Garage. Gunderson was an “Expert” in mechanical and electrical service and the “exclusive dealer in Gardner and REO Cars.” This is when the building became associated with automobiles in which it still is today.

Gunderson didn’t last very long. In 1927 Charles H. Peterson had the building and his business was the Stillwater Nash Garage, and later called Peterson Motors. Peterson would continue business in the building until the late 1950s when his manager, Edward A. Buege took over. In 1960, the Browning Motor Company owned by R.W. Browning operated out of there, and then Darrel Thibodeau started the St. Croix Body Works. Johnson Plumbing, owned by Wm. L. Wendt, operated out of 114 West Churchill for a short time in the mid to late 1960s. Willard Cote purchased the St. Croix Body Works around 1970 and spent the next 15 or 20 years making his living out of the old theater.

Back during its theater days many of the well-known silent films would be shown. There was also a place in the front for a piano so that music could be played that would follow the action on the screen. Cost to see a moving picture was only 5 to 10 cents. Some of the films that were shown at the Hilltop were “A Woman’s Honor” which was a four reel feature, “Alias Holland Jimmy” a two reel special, “The Feud” with Tom Mix, a 1921 Sunday Matinee was “Lessons in Love” with Constance Talmadge.

There were also serials that played. These were short movies that came in 15 to 20 parts. The serials would be printed in the weekly newspapers and the public could then bring in the written version and follow along on screen. In 1916, the Hilltop presented “The Girl and the Game” which was the story of mountain railroad life and billed as the “Greatest Serial of the day.”

Today the smell of truck exhaust fills the air near 114 West Churchill Street, but back in the early part of the 20th century, the smell of popcorn and the sound of piano music came from this plain, brick building.