USA > New York > Tioga County > Owego > Owego. Some account of the early settlement of the village in Tioga County, N.Y., called Ah-wa-ga by the Indians, which name was corrupted by gradual evolution into Owago, Owego, Owegy and finally Owego > Part 32
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As has been already mentioned, the first performance here by a company of professional actors was in 1833. The performance was given at the old court house at the southeast corner of Main and Court streets.
On this occasion Lyman Covell, of Elmira, then sheriff, of Tioga connty as it was previous to its division into the present counties of Chemung and Tioga, granted the use of the court room to a theatrical company under the management of Gilbert & Trow- bridge, which was well and favorably known in the large towns in various parts of the state. Their perform- ances, which occupied a week, were artistically and pecuniarily a success. The company was composed of Gil- bert, Trowbridge, Powell, and Archi- bald and their wives, with one or two others. They played "Pizarro," "Lady of the Lake," "School for Scandal," "Lock and Key," 'Othello" and
"George Barnwell." The performance each evening concluded with a farce, a great favorite in those days being Mon- crieff's "Spectre Bridegroom," which was anounced on the bills as "The Ghost in Spite of Himself." The or- chestra consisted of one violin.
At this period there were no rail- roads in this part of the state. The scenery and baggage were transported by teams, which were hired at a town where the company had been playing to transport it to the next village.
The stage was built of rough boards laid on saw-horses over the bar of the court room. The footlights were tallow candles in tin holders. A strip of board about a foot wide extended the length of the stage between the foot- lights and the actors. It was fastened
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by hinges to the stage and worked with cords. It lay flat on the stage until it became necessary to darken the stage for night and storm effects, when it was raised by means of the cords to hide the light of the candles.
The scenery was hung on long strips of wood and rolled up from the bottom on rollers by means of heavy cords. The entrances to the stage at the side were between the "wings," which were painted on canvas and stretched on frames made of strips of wood. Dressing rooms were made by hanging up a few calico curtains. There were no reserved seats and the admission fee was a shilling-twelve and one-half cents-children half price.
Those of the villagers who were op- posed to the visits of theatrical com- panies to Owego made a vigorous pro- test to the board of supervisors against the court house being used for show purposes, which had the desired effect. The board, at its annual ses- sion in the fall of 1833, adopted a reso- lution prohibiting the use of the court house for theatrical exhibitions.
The next year, however, Gilbert & Trowbridge's theatrical company again visited Owego, and performed two weeks in a loft in the second story of Jonathan Platt's store on the south side of Front street. The company consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Trowbridge, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert, Mr. and Mrs. Powell, Henry Vaughn, Sam. Lathrop, Charles Benson, Kore and, perhaps, one or two others.
Joseph S. DeWitt, popularly known as "Old Joe" DeWitt, who was for many years proprietor of a restaurant here, travelled with the company
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about a year as business manager. He attended to hiring halls and getting bills printed, and played occasionally in minor parts. Mr. Platt's hall was about fifty feet deep and twenty feet wide.
Showmen in the early days of Owe- go encountered some rough audiences. One evening during the performance of a travelling show, some young fel- lows provided themselves with small paper bags of flour, and amused them- selves by throwing them on the stage during the performance to see them break. Occasionally an actor was hit and powdered from head to foot. This kind of humor prevailed in Owego for several years.
At one time, several years later than this, a gentleman delivered a public lecture in the court house. After the lecture he was met by a party of men at the door, one of whom threw a bot- tle of ink upon him, destroying his clothing. The perpetrator of this act was one of Owego's most prominent citizens and business men, and it was looked upon at that time as rare fun.
Garry A. Hough, an early theatrical manager, who visited Owego several times previous to 1854, in a letter to the writer of these papers in January, 1879, wrote:
"Thirty years ago Owego was not considered a first-class theatrical town; it was not even first- class in morals, and that was the cause of end- less difficulties when amusements were offered. The rough and tough element which had their headquarters in your village, were men who for a portion of the year found employment as river men on the Susquehanna. When not employed they were trouble- some, at times uncontrollable. This, I distinctly recollect, was an alleged
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cause for shutting out all kinds of amusements, the morality of the town endorsing the proposition that ignor- ance and rowdyism were the legiti- mate allies of dramatic art. But these were comparatively, primitive days. I hope time has liberalized the ideas and notions which then prevailed."
Archibald, who was with the Trow. bridge & Gilbert troupe on its first visit to Owego, was an Englishman. It was his boast that he had won renown in the "legitimate drama of old Eng- land."
Trowbridge was the leading actor. He was a tall, brawny man, and was born in New Haven, Conn .. He was not only a good tragedian, but an ex- cellent personator of comic old men. He died in Cincinnati in 1838. His wife was an excellent actress, and a great favorite later in Buffalo. After the death of her husband, she became the wife of Josh. Silsbee, the cele- brated Yankee comedian. Upon his death, in 1858, she married Wm. A. Chapman, the equally celebrated low comedian. She died in San Francisco, Cal., in 1880.
R. T. Gilbert was equally good as a tragic actor and as a low comedian. He was the pioneer manager of west- ern New York. He died about the year 1849 in one of the eastern states.
Kore was a large, fleshy man, and played third parts, such as Alonzo in "Pizarro." Later he lived on a farm at Hadley, Mich., where he became prominent in public life, serving six- teen years as supervisor of his town and representing Lapeer county in the state legislature.
Old Sam Lathrop, the celebrated circus clown, acted in some of the pieces, but his specialty was singing
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comic songs, in which he was inimi- table. One winter, at the Chatham the- atre, in New York, he did nothing but sing "The Teetotal Society," in which he was immensely popular, between the farces. He died in a hospital in New York several years ago, consider- ably advanced in years.
Henry Vaughn played old men. He died in the south of cholera.
John H. Powell was a light come- dian. His wife, who was a daughter of Vaughn, played soubrettes. Powell died in Erie, Pa., and his wife subse- quently re-married.
Charles Benson was not an actor. He played the violin, and was the "orchestra."
One reason for the prejudice against strolling actors at this period may have been that they were as a rule dissipated. Trowbridge was no excep- tion to the rule. He was never so in- toxicated on the stage that his condi- tion could be noticed, but after the performance he was in the habit of drinking hard. He was what is com- monly known as a "night owl"-pass- ing the evening after the performance in convivality, and sleeping during the day. Sam Lathrop, Vaughn, and all of the company, except Gilbert, were said to be hard drinkers.
Trowbridge & Gilbert were the first managers to take a dramatic company through the New England states. Trowbridge was at one time associated in management with the celebrated comedian, Sol. Smith.
March 16th, 1840, Powell & Hoff- man's theatre made application to the board of trustees for a license to play five nights in Owego. To consider
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this matter a special meeting of the board was held.
It had been rumored about the vil- lage that a theatrical company pro- posed to come to the village and give a series of performances. Prompt upon learning the intention of the mountebanks, as they were charac- terized, measures were instituted by those opposed to theatrical exhibitions to prevent the proposed performance. The following petition was accordingly submitted to the board of trustees:
To the Trustees of the Corporation of the l'il- lage of Owego :- The undersigned learn with re- gret that a strolling theatrical company purpose to open a theatre in this village the present week. Believing that such exhibitions are de- inoralizing in their tendency and pernicious to good order in any community, and also that it will tend to increase the scarcity of money. which now weighs so heavily upon the indus- trious labourer and honest poor, do request that you will not grant the necessary permit.
J. Platt,
W. A. Ely,
O. Gregory,
Chas. F. Johnson,
James Wright,
A. P. Storrs,
Francis Truman,
Elihu Parmenter,
David Goodrich,
A. C. Greenleaf,
L. H. Allen,
Jas. Ely,
John C. Laning, P. Ransom,
George Truman, J. L. Pinney,
W. P. Stone,
H. D. Pinney,
Asa H. Truman, B. B. Curry,
Silas Totten,
C. Talcott,
E. Raynsford,
W. Pumpelly,
D. G. Taylor,
Wm. H. Platt,
W. C. Taylor,
D. O. Macomber.
The trustees present were John J. Taylor, Isaac B. Ogden, Col. N. W. Davis, and Jared Huntington, the lat- ter being president of the village. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Ogden voted in favor of granting the license, and the others voted against it. This action, how- ever, was not final. Another meeting was held in the evening, when the same trustees were present. The mat- ter was reconsidered, and a license to exhibit five evenings was granted to Powell & Hoffman upon payment of $12.
Chas. Ranson,
John B. Wood,
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The theatre was managed by J. H. Powell, who had been here with the Trowbridge & Gilbert company, and Garry A. Hough, an excellent come- dian, whose stage name then was Hoff- man. The performances were given in the dining room of the Oru Goodman coffee house in Front street. As a curiosity a copy of one of the adver- tisements is here given :
THEATRE AT MRS. GOODMAN'S HOTEL March 20, 1840. T splendid Melo-Drama, entitled HUNTER OF THE ALPS: or, the Forest of Savoy.
Felix Mr. Powell
Ferdinand
. Mr. Clifford
Marco Mr. Freeland
Jeronyno Mr. Hastings
Helena
Mrs. Powell
Genevieve
. Mrs. Hastings
To conclude with
MY AUNT
Fred Vincent
. Mr. Clifford
Rattle Mr. Hoffman
Dick Dashall
Mr. Powell
Soberlove Mr. Hastings
Mrs. Corbetts
Mrs. Powell
Emma Mrs. Hoffman
₡& Tickets to be had at the Bar- at L. Man- ning & Son. and at the Tioga County House. C'urtain will rise at 7 o'clock P. M.
The next theatrical company to visit Owego was one under the manage- ment of W. P. Hastings. It was known as the New York Vaudeville company, and the performances were given at the Goodman coffee house. Mr. Hastings paid a village license of $2 a night, and commenced his per- formances on the 14th of June, 1841. The following is a copy of one of the company's advertisements:
THEATRE.
This evening (Friday, June Isth) will be pre- sented for the first time in this place, the cele- brated Drama in 3 acts, entitled the
LADY OF THE LAKE.
Roderick Dhu Mr. lastings
Lord Douglas Mr. Reynolds Malcom .Mr. Arthur Fitz James Mr. Bowman
Red Murdoch
Mr. Heydon
THIS EVENING will be presented the
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Malise
. Mr. Maddison
Blanche of Devon
Mrs. Ilastings
Ellen Douglas
. Mrs. Heydon
Comic Song . Hastings
Negro Extravaganza by Master Pierce
Highland Fling by
Mr. Arthur
The evening's entertainment to conclude with the last act of
WENLOCK OF WENLOCK.
Wenlock Bowman
Wolf
Hastings
Osric Heydon
Herbert Lyle Arthur
Nicholas
Purle
Wittol Wattol
Master Pierce
Hugh
Reynolds
Ossa
Hathaway
Eva Mrs. Hastings
Rose Mrs. lleydon
Doors open at 7 o'clock-Curtain rises at 71/2. Tickets, 25 cents, to be had at the Bar.
The versatility of the manager, who played the leading characters, was somewhat remarkable. It is not every one who can successfully sus- tain the leading character in a roman- tic drama and five minutes afterward appear and sing a comic song with any marked degree of success.
Tickets, it may be noticed were "to be had at the bar"-a convenient re- sort, doubtless, between the acts for the thirsty ones of the audience-and it should be remembered that the average theatre-goer at this period was not accustomed to refuse any in- vitation to drink.
An application was next made for a theatrical license by J. H. Powell, on the 31st day of December of the same year, which was refused by the trus- tees. In May, 1842, however, he suc- ceeded in obtaining the necessary li- cense, and showed in the Franklin house dining room four nights. Mr. Muzzy, the landlord, became security for the village license of $8. The party had bad houses and could not pay the license. The trustees subse-
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quently released Mr. Muzzzy from all responsibility in the matter.
This ended theatrical performances in Owego until October, 1845, when the Washingtonian temperance excite- ment was at its height. On the 17th of that month Garry A. Hough, with a party known as the Western Temper- ance company, played in Washington hall, a building owned by Jehiel Og- den, and situated at the northwest cor- ner of Main and Liberty streets, where St. Paul's Episcopal church now stands.
This was a long building, one story and a half high at the front, with an extension back one story high. The highest part had originally been a gunshop, to which the extension was added and the whole converted into a hall. The "Washingtonian Total Ab- stinence Association, which was or- ganized in Owego in IS41 and of which David C. Burdick was president, held its meetings in this hall, and political meetings were also held there. A large portion of the building was torn down three or four years afterward and the remainder converted into a dwelling house, which stood there un- til St. Paul's church was built in 1894.
Although Mr. Hough came to Owego during a hot political campaign his company drew good houses. At Wash- ington hall tickets could not "be pur- chased at the bar."
The next company to visit Owego was the Western Temperance com- pany, under the management of Allen & Bridges. They played one week in Concert hall, commencing January 10, 1× 17.
It is not known who the members of the Western Temperance company
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were. They played, among other pieces, "The Drunkard's Warning" and a piece with the cheering melo-dra- matic title of "The Goblet of Death; or, the Road to Ruin."
Concert hall was in the second story of Rollin block, which stood at the northwest corner of Front and Lake streets and was owned by judge Drake. North of and adjoining this block Joseph S. DeWitt kept "The Shades" restaurant in a building which occupied the ground on which the stores of J. C. Kenyon and the Misses Rowe now stand. About the year 1846 Mr. DeWitt removed the partitions between Rollin block and his restaurant and converted the whole into a public hall, which he called Concert hall. The main en- trance was a stairway on the Front street side, and there was a private entrance from Lake street through the "Shades" building. This hall was burned in the great fire of 1849.
P. T. Barnum's first exhibition in Owego was in Concert hall. He came with Tom Thumb, the dwarf, in the summer of 1849, and stayed several days. The show was poorly patron- ized, and Barnum swore roundly that he would never visit Owego again- but he did.
Potter & Co's theatre was the next dramatic company to come to Owego. It played three nights at Concert hall, beginning Aug. 26, 1847. Potter's partner was Gilbert, of the old firm of Gilbert & Trowbridge. The leading man was William M. Fleming, an ex- cellent tragedian, who was then thirty years of age and in the prime of his reputation. In 1860 he entered the
.
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army as paymaster and was with Sherman in the march to the sea, and was brevetted a colonel in the regu- lar army. He died of heart disease in New York city May 6, 1866. The company was composed of Mr. and Mrs. Potter, Mr. and Mrs. Mehan, Mr. and Mrs. Donovan, Fleming, Gilbert, and Pemberton. Between the pieces Potter and Mrs. Donovan danced the polka.
Potter was a somewhat remarkable character. Between 1850 and 1860 he was one of the pioneers to establish theatres throughout California, Ore- gon, Nevada, Utah, and in the Chero- kee nation. He built and fitted up more theatres and travelled a greater number of miles with large companies than any other manager of those days ever thought of travelling. He built the first theatre in Chicago about the year 1841. At one time he took a company of twenty-two actors from Cleveland, Ohio, to Rich- mond, Va., with but seventy-five cents in his pocket to start with. His per- suasive powers and his ability to weep on the slightest provocation were such that could always borrow money, for which he gave his notes, such notes never being paid. He died at Morris, Ill., in 1869, while playing there with a theatrical company.
During the company's sojourn here the play one evening was Shakes- peare's "King Richard III." At this time Junius Brutus Booth was at the height of his reputation as one of the great tragic actors of the world. Rob- ert Chambers, a carpenter, who lived on the west side of what is now Cen- tral avenue, a little south of Fox street, was one of the audience. Flein-
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ing was playing the character of "the crook-backed tyrant" and his acting so impressed and delighted Chambers that in his enthusiasm he yelled, "Go in Booth."
At that time a slang phrase, "Go in boots," was in vogue,and the tragedian misunderstanding the significance of the words of Chambers, was highly in- dignant. To.be addressed as "boots" was just a trifle too much, and Flem- ing angrily retorted "Shut up yourd-d noise." He refused to proceed further. Col. N. W. Davis arose and explained the matter, saying that what Fleming had considered an insult was in fact a high compliment to his power as an actor. The tragedian was mollified by Col. Davis's words, and the play went on.
Powell's next visit to Owego was in November, 1847. His last visit was in 1848, when he opened in Concert hall on the 17th of January, and remained one week.
At about this time the opposition to theatrical exhibitions again began to be manifested. In January, 1851, Garry A. Hough made application to the trustees for a license to give a series of theatrical performances. A special meeting of the trustees was held on the 28th of that month, to consider the matter, when license was refused. A paper, signed by forty-seven of the prominent business men of the village, was handed to the trustees at their next meeting, approving of their course, and promising their influence in sustaining them in the same.
On the 13th of the following May, George Western, then celebrated as a low comedian, known as "The Great Western,"came to Owego as agent of
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Mr. Hough, and applied for license, which was refused. He was fortified with letters from L. M. Rexford, Judge E. C. Kattel, and other prominent citi- zens of Binghamton, commending the company in point of respectability and talent. Judge Avery interested him- self in the matter, and through his in- fluence Hough was granted a license, but at the exorbitant rate of $5 a night.
Timothy P. Patch had the year pre- vious (1850) built a brick block on the ground now occupied by the L. N. Chamberlain brick block on the west side of Lake street. The third story was used as a hall and was known as Patch's hall.
Mr. Patch was for many years one of the most prominent merchants at Owego. He was born at Ashburnham, Mass., Dec. 3, 1809. He came to Owego in February, 1834, and opened a meat market in a wooden building in Lake street where the Chambelain block now stands. There he conducted the meat business and subsequently the grocery business twenty-one years. His store was burned in the fire of 1849 and he erected a brick block on its site.
When Ahwaga hall was built in 1852 Patch's hall ceased to be in demand for public purposes. It was accessible only by a long flight of stairs up narrow staircases, and was a veritable death trap in case of panic or fire. From May, 1853, to September, 1855, the hall was occupied by the Gazette printing office. The block was after- ward purchased by L. N. Chamberlain and the second and third floors occu- pied by him as a boot and shoe manu- factory until it was burned, together
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with Wilson hall, adjoining it on the north, in the night of April 24, 1868.
Mr. Patch removed in 1860 to To- wanda, Pa., where he died June 30, 1882. He had three sons, Calvin B., Robert Harlin, and Charles Patch, and one daughter, Albertine Patch, who was married to Oscar F. Saunders, and removed to Corning, N. Y.
The ceiling of Patch's hall was so low that a panorama was prevented from visiting Owego at the time the hall was opened, there not being room to erect it. Other panoramas were af- terward exhibited there. These pano- ramas were common in those days. They were painted on long strips of canvas ten or twelve feet high and suspended by up- right rollers at each end. As the panorama was shown it was moved by unrolling it from one roller at one side of the stage and rolling it on the other roller at the other side of the stage, the continuous picture being exhibited in a framework extending across the stage. A lecturer, with a long stick, pointed out the prominent features and described them as the panorama was moved. These panoramas were so heavy that they were carried in sections. As fast as one had been ex- hibited another was shown. The most prominent of these panoramas was a panorama of New York, showing all the buildings in the principal streets of that city at that time and which was twice shown here, and Banvard's panorama of the Mississippi river, painted by John Banvard, an artist, traveller poet, and author. This pano- rama was the largest ever made and covered three miles of canvas. It was
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one of the wonders of the day and was exhibited in this country and in Europe. Another panorama that drew large houses was known as "The Burning of Moscow," in which moving figures and battle effects were added to carry out the illusion.
Patch's hall was fifty-three feet long and forty-four feet wide. In this hall Mr. Hough opened his theatrical per- formances May 19, 1851, and played one week to fair houses. But this visit of Mr. Hough to Owego was so unsuccessful from a pecuniary point of view that a compromise was made on the license by the trustees.
The company was a small one, and played only light comedies and farces. The leading man was Alonzo R. Phelps, a tragic actor, who had made his first appearance in New York six years previous to this time as Othello at the Greenwich street theatre and who in 1854 sailed with Kate and Susan Denin for California. He died in Philadelphia in 1888.
The low comedian was George Western, one of the famous comic actors of his time. For a long time he drew crowded houses to Barnum's mu- seum in New York and was immensely popular. He excelled in Yankee char- acters, and was particularly famous for his personation of Diggory in the old farce of "The Spectre Bride- grom." He was the father of Lucille and Helen Western, both famous ac- tresses, but in an entirely different line of characters. When in Owego Western was in bad health. He was afflicted with consumption and was compelled to withdraw from the stage. He lived at Binghamton and became travelling agent for a cigar and to-
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bacco house, spending the winter in the south and the summer at Bing- hamton. He died at Bodle's Exchange hotel in that city in July, 1857.
Garry A. Hough was an excellent comedian. He was particularly good in the parts made famous by William E. Burton, the celebrated comedian of that time, whom he in some respects resembled. In March, 1853, he brought to Owego the largest and best theatrical company that had ever been seen here and one which has never been surpassed even to this day. It was composed of ten men and five women. Mr. Hough carried his own scenery. There was no stage in Ahwaga hall at that time. He built a stage at the south end of the hall, about four feet above the floor. At the north end he caused to be con- structed of rough boards some seats similar to those in the modern circus. For these spectators were charged 25 cents each. On the rest of the floor between these seats and the stage, were long wooden settees, seats on which were charged 50 cents each. The men's dressing room was at one side of the stage and the women's at the other. The company produced "Ingo- mar," "The . Wife," "Pizarro," "Rich- ard III," "The Stranger," "The Serious Family," and other standard plays, the piece being followed each evening by a dance by Mlle. Eveline and a farce. The company played here two weeks to good houses.
The leading actor was T. B. Mul- holland, a tragedian of great power, whose equal has never since been seen in Owego. He is said to have been a native of Tompkins county.
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Nothing is known of his origin nor of his end. In 1854, the year after his appearance here, he appeared at the. old Broadway theatre in New York city, then managed by E. A. Marshall. From the moment of his appearance- there he became a great favorite with both the management and the public, but in one of his eccentric periods he was obliged to leave. Later he was taken ill and died, but when and where no one who was associated with him was ever able to ascertain.
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