Tootle Opera House

The Tootle Theater was designed by architect W. Angelo Powell, at the request of Milton Tootle, Sr., in St. Joseph, Missouri in 1872. Located at the corner of 5th and Francis streets, the entrance faced Francis, and had a room built in on either side for storefronts. The theater featured two balconies, a special box for the Tootle family, seating built for comfort, and a gas-lit chandelier.

The Tootle Opera House brought a national touring act, Maggie Mitchell, to the stage on opening night. On December 9th, 1872, gas lighting through the theater was snuffed out as Milton and company watched a play about a feral young woman named Fanchon, whose mom is a witch that lives in a forest. In the end, Fanchon agrees to marry her lover, whom she met by rescuing him, but only if his father asks her. The Morning Herald wrote the following day, Dec 10th, 1872 - “MILTON TOOTLE, ESQ., is one of our wealthiest and worthiest citizens. Possessed of ample means and fully appreciating our necessity for a public hall of increased capacity, he determined, about one year ago, to erect at his own expense an opera house that would be an ornament to the city and for years to come reflect credit upon us.”

Logan, Sheridan. Old Saint Jo: Gateway to the West, 1799-1932. Edition 1. Volume 1. 1. St. Joseph, MO. Platte Purchase Publishers, 2002.